Sarah Stacey - Accessible Dog Training

13/09/2026

Noelle and I thoroughly enjoyed our introduction to mantrailing with K9 Detect & Find Ireland yesterday! I’d heard so many good things about mantrailing and how beneficial it is for reactive dogs, but I honestly wasn’t expecting it to go as well as it did.

Noelle did bark and lunge at the beginning, but it didn’t take her long to work out what she was supposed to do and by the end of the day, she was taking treats from unfamiliar people and even licking them and rolling over for belly rubs! Never in a million years did I expect to see that so soon.

As a handler, I also learnt a huge amount about body language and staying relaxed so that Noelle wouldn’t pick up on my tension. I do tend to be hypervigilant on our walks, constantly scanning for strangers and other dogs, but I could absolutely see the difference in her when I was able to let go a little bit.

Really looking forward to continuing with mantrailing! Noelle was a star and I’m extremely proud of her.

09/09/2026

Noelle loves her new amACEballs from Trusted Dog Products! They can be pulled apart and tied back together: perfect for the shredder in your life to decompress, and they can even be washed and tumble dried! One of the things I’ve learned from doing Free Work with Noelle is how important shredding and chewing is to her, particularly when she’s overstimulated, and I’m excited to add these to our stations (or even just as an extra toy for playtime). Big thank you to Matt at South West Dog Skills for sending these to us! 🙏

12/08/2026

Thank you to the lovely folks behind Different Minds, Same Heart for allowing me to share my story as an autistic person. ❤️ If any of this resonates with you and you’re feeling unsure of yourself, I hope it helps you realise that you are not broken.

At times, being autistic in the dog training world comes with challenges, but it also gives me strengths I otherwise might not have, and that is something I’m very grateful for.

Please give DMSH a follow: it’s a wonderful campaign aimed at promoting greater understanding and acceptance of autism and ADHD.

11/08/2026

I signed up to Sally Gutteridge's Trauma Informed Practice for Dog Professionals with the aim of not only understanding my own dog better, but being able to support other dogs and their guardians in the future. What I didn’t expect was to also come away with a better understanding of myself and my own nervous system, as well as a fabulous group of new friends who have shared their own stories and experiences and been so generous with their support of one another. It’s been another step on my learning journey but has also been truly life-changing. I’m so glad I did it and would recommend to anyone. 🙏

10/07/2026

I’m excited to now officially be a Student Member of APDT Ireland!

What does this mean?

As a Student Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Ireland, I am currently working towards gaining the knowledge and experience required to undergo the APDT Ireland assessment process to become a Professional Member. I adhere to the APDT Ireland Charter for Student Members to assist me in my journey to becoming a Professional Member, whilst embracing the ideology of force free, evidence led dog training instruction.

This is the next step on my journey to where I want to be as a trainer, along with the courses I am currently taking and will be taking over the coming months (more on that in due course). This page has also has a little rebrand, in line with my desire to contribute towards making the dog industry more accessible and inclusive for all.

04/07/2026

Like most people who grew up sharing their lives with a dog, I always referred to myself as an owner. Because this was my dog, who lived with me, in my house.

But over time, this has changed. When I first began learning about dog training, I also began to hear different terms from different people. ‘Guardian’ was one, and I liked it. I still do. But my favourite, and the word I now feel best represents my own relationship with my dogs, is ‘caregiver’. These animals may live in our homes, and they may be our responsibility, but do we really ‘own’ them? Depending on where you are in the world, they may be legally regarded as property, just as your phone or your laptop is. But they are living creatures with their own minds and personalities. They didn’t ask to live with us. We chose to take care of them and meet their needs as best we can. To be their companions, their friends, their guardians and caregivers, for as long as they are in this world with us. To be loved and trusted by a dog is a privilege, not a right. And that’s why the word ‘owner’ no longer resonates with me the way it once did.

Of course, everyone is free to use whatever word they choose to describe their own relationship with the dogs they know and love. Whether you call yourself a dog owner, a dog guardian or a dog caregiver is irrelevant if you are doing your best for your four-legged friend every day.

How would you describe your role in your dog’s life?

23/06/2026

Hi everyone 👋 It’s been a while since I updated here but there are lots of exciting things coming up so I’m trying to get back to it.

Back in February, I officially received my QQI Level 6 dog training qualification from Creedons College! I was very pleasantly surprised to see the word Distinction on the certificate, and even prouder when my email feedback acknowledged my ability to help a dog feel at ease. I mention this not as a brag, but because that is the single most important thing I want to achieve when interacting with any dog: their emotional safety is paramount, so that feedback really lets me know I am on the right path.

The learning never stops, and this is just the beginning. I am taking some further courses in July, which I will give more detail on later. These will not only help me to help my own dog, but hopefully other people’s dogs too! If you’re around the Wexford area and would like to connect and chat about dogs, please feel free to get in touch.

04/02/2026

It was lovely to chat with The Neurodivergent Dog Coach about all things dogs! We covered autistic burnout, pet loss, dog training and so much more.

🎧 New Podcast Episode | Neuro-Inclusive Dog Pod – Episode 29

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Stacey from Neurodogvergent Training for a deeply honest conversation about neurodivergence, burnout, grief, and finding your place in the dog world.

Sarah shares what it was like being undiagnosed autistic earlier in her career, navigating burnout without understanding why, and then receiving her autism diagnosis while studying. We talk about the lack of accommodations, the emotional impact of that experience, and how understanding her neurodivergence later brought clarity to so many past challenges.

We also talk about grief and pet loss, particularly how losing her dog Archie became a pivotal moment that shaped her connection to dogs, dog training, and the work she now wants to create.

If you’re neurodivergent, work with dogs, or have experienced the loss of a pet, this episode may really resonate.

🎧 Listen here:

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/29GGButJlowsg3Qlob99V6?si=ix2iFUc3Qp-Ase2lEu7Eqg

YouTube:
https://youtu.be/EXBltQbYxng

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/69177526-bb17-4ff9-9d7c-08dd726b040d/the-neuro-inclusive-dog-pod?ref=dm_sh_pdgyzNFuSpH599liDFm1c3ouu

Audible:
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0GG72QYG1?source_code=ASSOR150021221000N

07/01/2026

Pet loss is loss. It is real, it is crushing, and it deserves recognition and validation, just like any other kind of grief.

The simple act of deactivating my dog’s microchip number made it feel like he didn’t really matter, like his life had no meaning. But he wasn’t a number: he was Archie. My Archie. And his life not only had meaning; it brought meaning to my life too.

And as long as we carry that meaning forward, our pets will live on. We can erase numbers from a database, but we can never erase the place they occupy in our hearts.

26/12/2025

Absolutely engrossed in this amazing book by Kim Brophey. A must-read for anyone wanting to understand their dog better!