Mentoring & Coaching
Mentoring for Dog Professionals
Are you a dog trainer, or do you work with dogs in rescue centres, day care or as a dog walker? Do you want to increase your dog training or behaviour knowledge? Or turn your hobby and passion about dog training into a career? Or are you a behaviourist who is seeking support with cases and developing your expertise?
If you are serious about developing your business as a dog professional, you will know that a theoretical qualification is not enough to give you the required skills to teach people, run classes, manage your business, and train dogs.
This bespoke 1-1 coaching and mentoring service is available to selected individuals who are serious about developing their career as a dog professional. You will be privately mentored by Victoria Cooper, who will help you support you in achieving your goals as a dog trainer or in your behaviour work.
Elevate your career in dog training and behaviour with tailored 1:1 coaching from industry expert Victoria Cooper, designed to develop the skills and confidence you need to succeed as a dog professional.
What Is Involved?
This service is offered only once or twice per month, for a minimum of 4 months contract. Each session will be tailor made to suit your needs and will cover a wide range of topics as required from dog training skills, dealing with clients to business solutions.
Mentoring is delivered via zoom and backed up with supportive guidance following each session via email or WhatsApp.
In addition to this service, face to face coaching and shadowing can be arranged at Victoria’s own training venues.
APPLICATION CRITERIA
This service is open to dedicated students of dog training and behaviour, who are keen to invest in their career as a dog professional.
To enter this bespoke coaching programme, you will have attained a qualification representing a course of study from a peer reviewed and accredited Instructor course.
For further details of this unique opportunity, please complete the application form and include a detailed description of the support you require and the goals you wish to achieve.
Approved Accredited Instructor Courses:
The Association of Pet Dog Trainer (APDT)
Recognised for setting high standards in dog training, APDT provides comprehensive education in humane, science-based training methods.
The Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT)
IMDT offers accredited courses focused on practical skills and ethical training techniques for professional dog trainers.
The Professional Association of Canine Trainers (PACT)
Known for its rigorous curriculum, PACT equips trainers with the knowledge and skills to handle diverse canine behaviours responsibly.
The Victoria Stillwell Academy for Dog Training and Behaviour (VSA)
VSA combines positive training methods with real-world practice, preparing trainers to make a meaningful impact in canine behaviour.
Your Mentor
Reputable, Qualified, Accredited
Victoria is an experienced, qualified and Certified Canine Behaviourist and Dog Trainer with almost 30 years’ experience in training dogs and in teaching people how to train their dogs. She has had dogs and other animals all her life and started training them from around 8 years old. She has trained dogs as pets and worked her dogs on shoots, and as cattle dogs. She has puppy walked for Guide dogs for the Blind and has taken on reject and retired dogs. It was a reject Labrador, Charlie, that got her into professional training. He had many behaviour problems and she sought help from trainers at the time but was horrified to find how abusive their methods were.
So, she decided to re-train and qualify as a trainer and eventually became a behaviourist using modern humane and force free methods. People and Dogs was born in 1994 as a result and has been driven by a desire to help support people in understanding their dogs. Victoria has acquired specialist skills and knowledge in over 30 years of study and experience to support learners in overcoming behaviour and training problems.
Victoria has worked as a freelance Behaviour Consultant with the Sheffield (RSPCA) Animal Shelter and has been consulted as behaviour expert by Sheffield Dog Rescue and is a freelance Behaviour Consultant for Rain Rescue. She has also worked with various solicitors to act as Expert Witness in several Dangerous Dogs court cases. And regularly liaises with and receives referrals from local vets.
Victoria is particularly experienced in overcoming reactivity and aggression, using specialised training programs that have a high success rate. She has also coached numerous other trainers and volunteers, many of whom are now professional trainers running their own businesses both nationally and internationally.
In addition to this, she hosts guest speakers and trainers at workshops, seminars and events under People and Dogs. Victoria is a full member of the International Canine Behaviourists (ICB) and a Certified Canine Behaviourist with the International Companion Animal Network (ICAN) as well as a member of the Pet Professional Guild and a gold member of the Pet Professional Network.
