Lorraine Tester Dog Trainer & Behaviourist, Canine Massage Therapist

03/09/2026

30/08/2026

For the first time in my many years of being a dog professional, someone asked me what qualifications I had. This made me really pleased!

I was happy to send off my long list of qualifications with pride. I know that may sound a bit big-headed, but I am really proud of the hard work it has taken me to get to where I am.

But it also made me think.

I have never asked for evidence of qualifications from a professional and I don't think many of us do.

Having recently been renovating our home, I've had a range of professionals come in to do different jobs. Some have been better than others. Some jobs we had done needed to be repaired by someone who was more qualified, which shows I should have checked their credentials first ! and although that can be frustrating and cost more money, at the end of the day, it can usually be put right.

But what if it's your dog?

If your dog is negatively affected by advice, training or treatment from someone who doesn't have the appropriate knowledge, qualifications or experience, the damage can take a long time to undo. Sometimes, it may not be possible to undo completely. I and many other qualified trainers in this area have had to try to undo the damage that has been done to dogs through unqualified so called trainers.

Sadly anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, behaviourist or canine therapist without any qualification

It's always wise to ask about qualifications and experience when you are looking for a dog trainer, dog behaviourist, canine massage therapist, dog sitter, dog boarder and dog walker.

Your dog can't choose who works with them, that's down to you.

29/08/2026

These are my two dogs, Max and Samson, play fighting as they do nearly every day.
You wouldn’t know from watching them that Max has hip dysplasia and arthritis and Samson has a disc problem in his back, arthritic knees and problems affecting his Achilles tendons.
Dogs can still run, play, chase squirrels, want to go for walks and do all the things we would normally associate with a happy, active dog, even when they are experiencing pain.
So what made me suspect that something wasn't quite right with my two?
Max started chewing his feet, became anxious when people came to the house, and began frantically chewing things and appearing to panic and developed sound sensitivity.
Samson became increasingly unsure when dogs or people came too close to him. He also became uncomfortable with certain people approaching him when he was resting on his bed.
These weren't behaviours I wanted to simply treat as behavioural problems. I wanted to understand what might be contributing to the changes I was seeing.
I carried out Dynamic Dog assessments on both of them, which identified irregularities in their gait and posture. This supported my concerns that there could be an underlying physical factor and led to further veterinary investigation, which resulted in the diagnoses they have today.
It's not always easy to recognise pain in dogs. They don't necessarily limp, cry or stop doing things they enjoy. Sometimes the signs can be much more subtle.
When there is a change in behaviour, discomfort, pain and medical conditions need to be ruled out, because unless you address the underlying cause of the behaviour you are unable to come up with the solution.
Just because your dog is still running around the garden doesn't necessarily mean everything is fine.
Sometimes, behaviour is telling us that something else is going on

28/08/2026

My livestock guardian dog loves to patrol the garden, keeping an eye out for squirrels and anything else he thinks we need to be guarded from. My Golden Retriever loves carrying things around in his mouth.
Our dogs may no longer have the jobs they were originally bred to do, but the behaviours they were bred for are still there. By understanding these natural behaviours, we can give our dogs appropriate ways to fulfil them.
For example, Spaniels were bred to search, sniff and flush, so you could provide scent trails, scatter their food around the garden, hide treats for them to find or play search games. Labradors and Golden Retrievers were bred to retrieve and carry, so retrieving toys, finding objects and carrying a suitable toy on a walk can help fulfil these behaviours. Terriers naturally enjoy searching, digging and chasing, so a digging box, scent searches and appropriate chase games can give them an outlet. Border Collies were bred to herd and control movement, so activities such as Treibball, directional games, controlled movement exercises and problem-solving can help satisfy these natural behaviours. Greyhounds have a strong natural desire to chase and follow movement, so safe chase games and appropriate activities that allow them to use their eyesight can provide an outlet .
Providing appropriate outlets for these natural behaviours can also help reduce some unwanted behaviours. When dogs don't have suitable opportunities to express behaviours they are naturally driven to perform, they may find their own outlets and these aren't always behaviours we want them to practise. A dog who needs to search may start searching the house for things to steal, a dog who needs to dig may dig up the garden, or a dog who enjoys chasing movement may find their own opportunities to chase.
We don't need to recreate the exact job our dogs were originally bred to do. Instead, we can find safe, appropriate activities that allow them to use those natural behaviours.
Do you know what your dog's job was originally and what could you give them to do today to fulfil some of those natural behaviours?

26/08/2026

This is Digby, he used to be an Italian street dog. When I met Digby a few months ago he was scared of everything. His owners contacted me because for 2 years he had been spending the day in the back garden and only coming in at night. He was too scared to do anything else. I have been working on building his confidence and he is such a different dog. He has gone from being scared of touch to allowing his humans to brush him, he takes time to explore the front garden now and is interacting with neighbours , he has started playing with toys, and is even allowing himself to be stroked. Our next step is to get him out on walks and that will take time. Seeing Digby progressing daily and beginning to love life makes my job so rewarding.😊

23/08/2026

I wanted to introduce myself for those of you who don’t know me and my recent new followers.
Before I became a dog trainer and behaviourist, I was a personal trainer.
So I already understood how closely the body and the brain are connected. I knew that how we feel physically can affect how we feel mentally, and that the way we move can be influenced by how our body is feeling.
When I moved into dog training and behaviour, I started to see those same connections in dogs.
The more dogs I worked with, the more I realised that sometimes a behaviour problem isn't simply a training problem.
Pain and physical discomfort can affect how a dog feels, moves, copes and behaves. And if we don't consider that, we could spend a lot of time and money trying to change a behaviour without addressing something that may be contributing to it.
That's why I didn't stop learning when I became a dog trainer and behaviourist.
I became a Dynamic Dog Practitioner, which means I can carry out a hands-off assessment of your dog's posture, movement and everyday activities. I can document what I observe and provide a detailed report that can be shared with your vet, giving them information about what I have seen.
I also trained in Galen Canine Myotherapy, allowing me to further asses your dog and provide massage, therapeutic support and rehabilitation where appropriate.
So, when you come to me, you're not just getting someone to look at your dog's behaviour.
I can look at the bigger picture.
I can help with training and behaviour, consider whether physical factors may be contributing to what you're seeing, and if needed carry out a Dynamic Dog Assessment, provide your vet with a report of my observations, and where appropriate, provide myotherapy support.
That doesn't replace your vet. Diagnosis and medical treatment remain with your veterinary team, and working collaboratively with them is an important part of my approach.
But it does mean you don't necessarily have to go from one person to another trying to piece everything together.
I can help bring those pieces together.
Because your dog's behaviour, emotions, movement and physical wellbeing aren't separate things.
They're all part of the same dog.
And that's why I didn't stop learning. ☺️