About Me

I have had two major life-changing events, the first when I suffered a
horrific car accident as a teenager in which I needed to be resuscitated.
After reconstruction surgery to repair my mangled face and legs, and with
damaged nerves that affected my sense of smell, taste and co-ordination, I had
to learn to walk, talk, and trust again.

The second major life-changing moment for me was when Ebony came into my life.
My very first dog - a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. If only this little girl
could have realised how much she touched me and changed my
whole reason for being here.

It was through Ebony I discovered reward-based
training methods. I started off as most people do
at the local obedience club. Although Ebony
made quick progress through each level, I was
becoming more and more uncomfortable about
the training methods I was being encouraged to
use there.

I also noticed Ebony was becoming aloof. The more training we did the further apart our relationship seemed to be developing. It was not until I started to look outside the square that I stumbled across positive training methods. Only then did I come to realise what was lacking in our relationship. Both Ebony and I found these methods much more to our liking. Ebony became a lot happier and responsive, and I couldn't believe how much it improved our relationship.

I was so overwhelmed at the change in my relationship with Ebony that I just couldn't get enough information about this 'miracle' training method, and I became a little obsessive trying to find out more. I began reading books and going to as many seminars as I could in the hope of building my knowledge.

Then came my next dog Destiny, also a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Luckily for Destiny she did not have to endure any correction-based training at all as I was now fully converted to using only reward-based methods. Destiny was also the first dog I introduced to the clicker.

I was very excited when I was invited to instruct at a private dog training school run by my first Positive Training mentor. I did this on a part-time and later a full-time basis between 1994-1998. The following year I opened my own Reward-Based Dog Training business, called Alison's Canine Training School, which I am still running today.

Ebony has since gone onto the rainbow bridge (as has Destiny). My constant companions these days are Destiny's daughter Tiki and her two daughters, Tehya and Dyani. But I will be indebted to Ebony for the rest of my life. The love and lessons this little dog taught me in her too short a time on this earth have changed my whole reason for being here and consequently changed my life forever.