Hi I’m Zara. I am a certified training partner with the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA-CTP) I am also a listed Animal Training Instructor with the ABTC (Animal Behaviour and Training Council). I have also gained a FdSc in Wildlife Conservation (with animal behaviour and behavioural ecology modules) through the university of Plymouth, and I have an Advanced Diploma in Animal Behaviour. I am a member of the animal training academy and an approved trainer for taking the grrr out of grooming dogs.

My animal training journey began in 2008 when I landed my first zoo job working with California sea lions. The sea lions were trained for show and cooperative care behaviours and this is were I started to learn the science and art of training with positive reinforcement! I went on to develop and supervise animal training and behaviour programs across other sections of the zoo and trained many different species to go into crates, step onto scales, have injections, open their mouths for examinations and much more! I was completely hooked on animal training because I could see how all animals were benefiting from cooperative care and from having a brain workout!

So when I adopted my rescue dog Bob in 2015 I worked on training safety behaviours like recall and loose lead walking, but We faced a big behavioural challenge with Bob.... reactivity towards other dogs! Bob was also terrified of essential grooming procedures like nail trims and the bath!

Helping Bob overcome these challenges has inspired me to help other pet owners with their doggy dilemmas!