Vivian Gonzalez-Lago 

I have worked with dogs since 2009; I am a level 3 canine nutritionist and a level 4 canine behaviourist. I started my owner business adventure in 2017; my favourite part of my job is bridging the communication gap between dogs and their owners. I started in the rescue and rehabilitation sector, working with rescue centres. I was trained by their finest dog trainers and worked alongside their behaviourists to help rescue dogs improve their chances of being rehomed.

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After this, I worked in Guildford with working dogs and specialised with aggressive rescue dogs, alongside studying for my level 4 in canine behaviour. The ever-changing environment opened up my knowledge of natural dog instincts and behaviours different from your average domesticated puppy behaviours. 

 

Whilst working in Guildford, my German shepherd began to have seizures that were getting increasingly worse; I researched human epilepsy, which suggested that diet can influence seizure intensity; much like humans, there is a huge connection between diet, health and behaviour. It was my research into my German shepherd’s epilepsy that led me to become a Level 3 canine nutritionist. Like with training and behaviour, I strive to have the most up-to-date knowledge on the subject. I changed my dog's diet, which led to her being seizure-free, and we managed to take her off medication. My vet was amazed and had never seen the impact diet change could have. Although my dog had some brain damage from her previous seizures, she lived a happy, fulling, seizure-free life.

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I went on to work in doggy daycare to see how dogs' working and instinctual traits were adapted in pet dogs. Whilst working at the daycare, I set up their puppy training program, which was a massive success. This sparked me to build my own business, incorporating my vast knowledge into the care and training of dogs.

 

I am a science-based dog trainer and behaviourist, which means I continually research and stay updated on the latest studies. I am a little obsessed with canine knowledge and crave to know all I can. I aim to increase the dog and human bond by training owners to effectively read and understand their dogs and successfully communicate what they would like from their dogs and gain this through motivation. I use up-to-date dog psychology to find ways to improve off-leash relationships between humans and their dogs; your bond with your dog is the ultimate reward for both humans and dogs.

 

I have many techniques I can adapt based on the vast knowledge from relevant research, which allows me to focus on a more individualised approach for both dogs and humans. I understand dogs’ instincts, their ability to be conditioned, and the effectiveness of the dog learning theory. It is the relationship between dog and human that drives everything. At the end of the day, every dog and human is unique, and they all learn in different ways. 

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