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Walk with the Wild, East Dereham (2026)

22/10/2026

WALK WITH THE WILD — A JOURNEY STILL UNFOLDING 🌍🐾

Absolutely love this picture from my tracking course. So much learning from very special people deep within the world of dogs with purpose and protecting the wild.

Walk with the Wild has never been about having all the answers.

It's about the experiences, people and connections that shape our understanding of dogs, wildlife and the world we share.

And some of the most valuable things simply can't be learned from behind a screen.

They come from being out there. From listening, observing, asking questions, experiencing different environments and spending time with the people whose work and lives are connected to them.

Because you can't build something meaningful on ideas alone. You need experience, understanding, relationships and a willingness to keep learning.

With another journey to Africa approaching in November, preparations are underway for the next chapter of Walk with the Wild.

An opportunity to reconnect with familiar people and places, deepen existing knowledge, gain new perspectives and continue building the foundations for what lies ahead.

From the relationships we share with our own dogs to the extraordinary roles dogs play alongside people protecting wildlife, to rescue, communities, education and awareness. There is still so much to discover, understand and share.

Things may be a little quieter here while preparations are underway, but that doesn't mean nothing is happening.

Sometimes the most important work happens away from social media, through the experiences and connections that give everything else meaning.

There will be more stories, learning and insights to share as the journey continues.

Because Walk with the Wild isn't just about telling stories.

It's about being part them 🐾🌿

21/10/2026

WE ASK A LOT OF DOGS 🐾

We ask our companions to understand a world largely designed around people.
To learn our rules, navigate unfamiliar situations, manage their excitement and sometimes resist the very instincts that make them dogs.

We ask working dogs to use those same remarkable abilities.
To follow a scent, search unfamiliar ground, work alongside a handler and make sense of information we cannot detect ourselves.

For rescue and community dogs, life may bring very different challenges.

Some are learning to trust people again. Others have adapted to environments where food, safety and security aren't always guaranteed.

Different dogs. Different lives. Different demands.

Yet every dog brings its own biology, experiences and individual way of responding to the world.

And that's what makes understanding them so important.

A companion dog struggling in an unfamiliar environment isn't necessarily being difficult.

A working dog following a scent isn't simply performing a task. It's drawing on abilities that have been developed, guided and refined through training and experience.

A rescue dog taking time to trust isn't being stubborn or uncooperative.

Behaviour doesn't happen in isolation.

There is always a reason behind it, even when that reason isn't immediately obvious.

And perhaps that's where our understanding needs to begin.

Before deciding what a dog should do, we need to consider what it's experiencing, what it's communicating and what we're asking of it.

Because good guidance isn't simply about changing behaviour.

It's about recognising needs, building trust, setting appropriate boundaries and making informed choices that support both dogs and the people responsible for them.

Sometimes that means encouraging exploration. Sometimes it means offering reassurance, creating distance or recognising when a situation asks too much.

Understanding doesn't remove responsibility. It helps us make better decisions.

At both ends of the lead.

And whether we're sharing our homes with dogs, working alongside them or supporting them through difficult circumstances, there's always more to behaviour than what we see on the surface 🌿🐾

17/10/2026

DIFFERENT DOGS. DIFFERENT LANDSCAPES. A WORLD OF CONNECTIONS. 🐾🌍

What can a dog exploring the British countryside, a conservation K9 in the African bush, a community dog and an endangered African wild dog reveal about the world we share?

More than we might imagine.

Each reveals something fascinating about instinct, behaviour, survival and the relationships between animals, people and the places they share.

Here in Britain, our dogs take us into woodlands, coastlines and countryside alive with wildlife. Their remarkable senses, curiosity and natural behaviours can open our eyes to a world we might otherwise overlook.
But these are shared landscapes, where the needs of dogs, people and wildlife don't always neatly align. With greater awareness and understanding comes the opportunity to appreciate these relationships, respect the lives around us and experience the natural world in a different way.

Thousands of miles away, dogs are part of some very different stories.

Conservation K9s work alongside skilled handlers, using their extraordinary abilities to help protect threatened wildlife. A partnership I've been fortunate enough to experience firsthand, witnessing the remarkable bond, trust and understanding between dog and handler. From detecting poaching threats to tracking suspects and locating wildlife, these dogs play an important role in protecting endangered species, including rhinos.

Rescue and community dogs face different challenges, where compassion, animal welfare and access to veterinary care can make a profound difference. In some areas, improving domestic dog health, particularly through vaccination, can also help protect vulnerable wildlife.

Education and awareness within communities, especially among younger generations, can help build compassion and understanding of how caring for domestic dogs may also benefit the wildlife around them.

Among Africa's most remarkable predators is the endangered African wild dog. Despite its name, it is a distinct wild species, not a domestic dog living in the wild.

They live in closely bonded packs, relying on cooperation, communication and teamwork to survive.

From encounters with larger predators to shrinking habitats, infectious disease and conflict with people, life in the wild presents extraordinary challenges.
Their survival depends on the strength of the pack and the future of the landscapes they call home.

Different lives. Different challenges.

Yet each reveals how closely people, animals and the natural world are connected.

These aren't simply stories about conflict or conservation. They're also about love, trust, resilience and the extraordinary efforts people make for the animals and places they care about.

For me, dogs have been the thread connecting these worlds.
They've brought me closer to nature, introduced me to remarkable people and taken me from familiar places here at home to experiences with conservation, communities and wildlife in Africa.

And what continues to inspire me is how much can change when we begin to look beyond what we first see.

When awareness leads to understanding, and understanding encourages respect.

When our love for animals and the natural world inspires us to care and take meaningful action.

I want to bring people closer to these stories, the relationships, challenges and extraordinary lives behind them.

Not simply to explore somewhere new, but to come away seeing the world differently.

09/10/2026

🌿 Every day, our lives cross paths with other living things.

Through the dogs we share our lives with, the people we meet, and the wildlife whose world we share.

Perhaps there's something worth considering in those everyday connections and the choices we make along the way 🌿

08/10/2026

It’s Brocktober!

Why it is important and for the dog owning community to be aware!

Badgers may be closer than you think.

Most of us will rarely see one on a dog walk. But this is what I love about the wild and how getting outdoors and spending time with our wonderful dogs connects us more with nature.

Badgers are mainly active at night, so while we’re walking those woods, fields and hedgerows by day, they may be using exactly the same places after dark.

Their underground homes are called setts and sometimes they’re surprisingly close to paths and places we regularly walk.

Something worth knowing is that badgers and their setts are protected by law in the UK. It’s an offence to intentionally damage or obstruct a sett, disturb a badger occupying one, or deliberately send or allow a dog into a sett.

That doesn’t mean we need to worry every time our dog investigates a hedge. It’s simply useful to recognise what might be there and, if we do come across a sett, give it a little space.

Because to a curious dog, that hole in the bank might smell incredibly interesting.

To a badger, it’s home and during the winter and early spring that sett maybe home to newborn cubs.

Have you ever seen one out on your walks?

The more we understand the better choices we can make for dogs, people and the wild.

Same space. Different lives 🐾🌿

Badger Trust
https://norfolkbadgertrust.org/

06/10/2026

THE SNIFFARI EFFECT 🌿🐾

A safari in swahili means a journey, a journey to observe and experience the natural world.

A sniffari puts the dog’s nose at the heart of that journey.

The Sniffari Effect takes that idea further.

Because every time we head out with our dogs, there’s a bigger picture around us.
Our dogs are experiencing the world through scent, movement, instinct and choice.

We make decisions for them. Other people and animals share those spaces. Wildlife responds to our presence. And the places we explore can influence our dogs too.

That relationship between dogs, people and the wild can affect one another.

From everyday walks and responsible freedom, to livestock, wildlife, working dogs, communities and conservation.

Here in the UK and through what I continue to learn and experience in Africa.

Because I think some of the most interesting things happen when we stop looking at each part separately and start looking at the bigger picture behind every walk.

This is The Sniffari Effect.
Understand the dog. Connect the people. Protect the wild. 🌍🐾

29/09/2026

🌿🐾 KNOWLEDGE MATTERS. BUT SO DOES COMMUNITY.

Some of the most valuable lessons I've learned about dogs haven't come from another dog-training course.
They've come from seeing what happens when dogs, people, wildlife and communities actually have to live alongside one another.
My experiences in Africa changed the way I see that relationship.

I've seen conservation dogs working alongside people. I've taken part in community outreach. I've seen children being encouraged to become wildlife warriors and care about the animals they grow up alongside. I've met people working in conservation, tracking, dog welfare and communities where wildlife isn't something encountered on an occasional countryside walk.

It's part of everyday life.

And sometimes that coexistence is difficult.

There can be conflict between people and wildlife. Between dogs and wildlife. Between protecting animals and protecting livelihoods.

Those problems aren't solved by one profession standing on its own.
They need dog people, conservationists, farmers, educators, communities and the next generation to be part of the conversation.

That's one of the biggest things Africa has taught me.

We can collect qualifications. We can specialise. We can become extremely knowledgeable within our own fields.

But knowledge becomes far more powerful when we stop guarding our individual corners and start connecting it.

The dog world can sometimes become incredibly divided.

Different training methods. Different organisations. Different qualifications. Different opinions about who is right, who is wrong and who belongs where.

Somewhere amongst all of that, it's easy to forget that none of us holds the whole picture.

A dog behaviour professional understands something a conservationist may not.
A farmer understands something a dog trainer may not.
A handler knows their working dog in a way an academic paper never could.
And a community living alongside wildlife understands realities that somebody thousands of miles away simply cannot learn from a screen.

That's not a weakness. That's exactly why community matters.

For me, the future isn't about trying to become the person with the most certificates on the wall.

It's about bringing knowledge, experience and people together.

Dogs. People. The Wild.

Not separate worlds competing for space.

A bigger picture that we understand far better when we stop standing in our own corners.

Because protecting the wild isn't something any one of us does alone. 🌍🐾

WALK WITH THE WILD

📷 credit HAART - Helping All Animals in Rural Towns

28/09/2026

🌿🐾 WHEN WE SHARE THE WILD

Sharing the outdoors with dogs is something many of us barely think twice about.

But behind an ordinary walk sits a surprisingly complex relationship between dogs, people, wildlife and the places we all share.

Dog behaviour. Human choices. Wildlife behaviour. Livestock. Access. Freedom. Conflict. Coexistence.

And dogs aren't simply the problem in that relationship.

Around the world, this can be part of the challenge but also be part of some remarkable solutions.

They can create conflict with wildlife and livestock.

But there are dogs also working alongside people to protect livestock, detect wildlife and wildlife crime, track, conserve and help communities live alongside the wild.

So perhaps the bigger questions are:

How do our choices shape the relationship between dogs and the world around them?

How can we give our dogs freedom while respecting what shares that space?

And what can we learn from places where dogs, people and wildlife living alongside one another is part of everyday life?

Because this isn't simply about keeping dogs away from wildlife or just saying “put the lead on.”

There is responsible choices, boundaries, respecting and awareness of the bigger situation.

And yes training plays a huge role. But....

It's about understanding the dog. Understanding our own role.
And understanding the different ways dogs, people and the wild can affect and even help one another.

We're never just out for a walk. 🐾🌿

27/09/2026

Ethics arent just about how we train our dogs 🐾🌿

Walk With The Wild is now recognised through the Pet Professional Network as a Recommended Pet Professional.

But for me, the important part isn't simply having a badge to put on the page.

It's what sits behind it.

Kind. Ethical. Responsible.

I've worked with dogs in different roles for many years, and one thing I believe more strongly than ever is that being a responsible dog professional isn't only about teaching a dog to sit, stay or walk nicely on a lead. There is so much more.

It's about welfare.
It's about understanding behaviour.
It's about continuing to learn.
It's about knowing the limits of your own knowledge and referring to other professionals when needed.

Seeing the deeper relationships and the bigger picture.

And it's about considering the impact our choices have beyond our own dogs.

Thats also why the knowledge I bring back from africa is also so important.

That's becoming an increasingly important part of Walk With The Wild.

When we take our dogs into the wider world, we're sharing that space with other people, other dogs, livestock and wildlife.

I want WWTW to help people understand their dogs better, enjoy more with them, and make choices that allow dogs, people and the wild to coexist responsibly.

Not just that to see how it all connects and what we understand we will protect.

Because ethical dog ownership isn't about taking the adventure away.
It's about making sure our dogs can be part of that adventure without somebody else paying the price.

To bring awareness and education where we can and to live alongside each other and make better choices 🐾🌿

Dogs • People • The Wild

Walk with the Wild

22/10/2026

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17/10/2026

09/10/2026

08/10/2026

06/10/2026

29/09/2026

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27/09/2026

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