About Paws2Connect
Hi, I’m Penny and I’m the owner of Paws2Connect.
I became interested in dog training when I adopted a 5 month old collie/GSD/Staffy cross called Bertie. Bertie was an extremely sensitive puppy who easily became over stimulated and would express himself by barking uncontrollably. He was also very excitable around other dogs and people.
Sadly Bertie was attacked by a large Labrador when he was still young and became reactive towards dogs he didn’t know, especially Labs.
Luckily I found a very supportive reward based dog training club which helped me to understand Bertie and through them I took part in a Tellington TTouch workshop. TTouch is a gentle method that promotes well-being and adaptive behaviour through an integrated approach, helping to reduce stress and build confidence. TTouch helped Bertie to find moments of calm and pet dog training gave him an outlet as he was extremely intelligent and quick to learn.
Bertie loved his training classes and went on to pass his Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze, Silver and Gold tests along with more advanced training.
We were joined in 2018 by Standard Poodle Mia.
Sadly Bertie left us in 2021 but he taught me so much during his life and I am forever grateful to him for the happiness he brought.
In January 2023 we welcomed Standard Poodle Zenia to the family.
I enjoyed training with Bertie so much that I completed the club’s Trainer Development program and went on to become a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) in 2016. I also qualified as a Tellington TTouch Practitioner in the same year. I was very fortunate to discover ACE (Animal Centred Education) Free Work, created by Sarah Fisher. ACE Free Work combines a variety of sensory educational exercises including different surfaces and ball pools and gives the owner the opportunity of observing their dog whilst the dog is engaged in exercises that use all the senses. It also provided a basis for introducing simple educational lessons and desensitisation. I was delighted to become an ACE Associate Instructor in 2024 and I am part of the ACE teaching team and a member of the ACE Guild.
In 2021 I became a Professional member of the Pet Professional Network, which is the first international business support organisation and educational platform for kind, ethical and trusted pet professionals and I am delighted to be a Gold member.
In January 2022 I became the first Dynamic Dog Practitioner in Yorkshire and I am a founder member of the Association of Dynamic Dog Practitioners.
I will only ever use kind and effective methods to train your dog. The methods I use are backed up by science and I am constantly updating my knowledge by attending seminars and workshops given by some of the top names in the dog training world.
