About.
Meet The Team
Faye
Dog trainer and entertainer
"Sausage Lady".
Canine behaviour nerd. Loves working with reactive dogs, working dogs and behaviourally eccentric dogs. Trauma informed behaviour modification. Level 5 Canine Behaviour Accredited Diploma. Rated No 1 top Dobermann fan (by Barbie). |
Barbie
Dobermann
Loves shouting.
Well-loved teacher. Fast-brained. Shouting. Super intelligent. Cat hater. Shouting. Working Lines. Stooge dog. Gobshite. |
About Me
I’m Faye.
I’ve been working professionally with dogs since 2016, when my partner Tom and I launched Adventure Walkies Bolton, a walking service focused on structured fun, natural enrichment, and avoiding the chaos of dog-on-dog madness.
We built a reputation on giving dogs proper outlets to be dogs: sniffing, digging, swimming, and games that keep them engaged with their human.
But my real education started with Barbie, my reactive, anxious, high-drive European Dobermann.
She’s the reason I shifted from walks to behaviour work.
Barb came to me genetically primed for INTENSITY but then as a young dog was traumatised after a serious dog attack.
Rehoming wasn’t an option.
Fixing it safely was the only path, and I took it.
That lived experience, backed by years of ongoing study, shaped Calm THE PUP Down!
My behaviour practice specialises in holistic behaviour modification, I use positive reinforcement, and have a fear-free training approach.
I love working with reactive, anxious, traumatised or aggressive dogs.
I don’t do dominance, punishment, or nonsense.
Just evidence-based, ethical support for dogs with big feelings and the people who love them.
I’ve been working professionally with dogs since 2016, when my partner Tom and I launched Adventure Walkies Bolton, a walking service focused on structured fun, natural enrichment, and avoiding the chaos of dog-on-dog madness.
We built a reputation on giving dogs proper outlets to be dogs: sniffing, digging, swimming, and games that keep them engaged with their human.
But my real education started with Barbie, my reactive, anxious, high-drive European Dobermann.
She’s the reason I shifted from walks to behaviour work.
Barb came to me genetically primed for INTENSITY but then as a young dog was traumatised after a serious dog attack.
Rehoming wasn’t an option.
Fixing it safely was the only path, and I took it.
That lived experience, backed by years of ongoing study, shaped Calm THE PUP Down!
My behaviour practice specialises in holistic behaviour modification, I use positive reinforcement, and have a fear-free training approach.
I love working with reactive, anxious, traumatised or aggressive dogs.
I don’t do dominance, punishment, or nonsense.
Just evidence-based, ethical support for dogs with big feelings and the people who love them.
My approach.
Led by Science
Positive reinforcement goes by a few names in the dog world: reward-based, science-based, force-free, ethical, pain-free… pick your buzzword. They all boil down to the same thing:
Behaviour that gets rewarded is behaviour that gets repeated.
That’s it. That’s the whole theory.
And what I love about it is that it forces you, as a guardian, to slow down and ask really important questions:
Is it food? Attention? That one disgusting tug toy?
Probably all of the above, depending on the situation.
But once you figure it out, you’ve got something powerful, a way to understand your dog and a way to say “yes” instead of constantly shouting “no.”
You're Not the Boss. You're the Guide.
When you use what your dog loves to reward behaviour you want to see more of, something shifts. Your dog starts paying attention. Not because they’re afraid of getting told off, but because you’ve started making that behaviour more likely to happen by rewarding it.
No shouting. No water sprays. No dominance nonsense. No daft “cure all” collars.
Just calm, clear, consistent feedback and support.
You’re working with your dog, not against them.
That’s what proper, modern, evidence-based dog behaviour modification looks like.
It's About Trust
When I talk about positive reinforcement, I’m not talking about lobbing sausages at problems.
I’m talking about:
This kind of training doesn't just change behaviour.
It changes relationships.
Changing Behaviour Means Understanding It First
If your dog is barking, pulling, panicking, lunging, or “refusing to listen”, it’s not because they’re “being stubborn.”
There’s always a reason.
My job is to help you figure that out. What’s causing it? What does the dog need? And how do we teach something more useful instead?
That’s how I approach dog behaviour problems: no blame, no shame, just curiosity and clear steps forward.
The Bigger Picture Always Matters
Behaviour doesn’t happen in isolation.
If your dog’s physical health, emotional needs, social life, or environment are out off whack, their behaviour will show it.
Part of ethical, holistic dog behaviour training is zooming out and looking at the whole dog. It’s not about “fixing” them.
It’s about supporting them better so the behaviour has room to change.
I can help you work out if there are any health issues contributing to your dog’s behaviour and support you in working with a veterinarian to get them on the right care pathway.
Train the Dog in Front of You
Every dog is an individual.
Personality, genetics, learning history, trauma, bad luck, brilliant moments, they’re all part of the picture.
If you can let go of the idea that your dog is “being difficult” and start seeing them as the emotionally complex individual they are, everything shifts.
Start saying “yes, mate.”
Start asking “what’s going on with you?”
If you are able to see the moments when your dog is trying their best and when they are really struggling, you can make real, lasting progress.
I don’t offer quick fixes or 100% guaranteed results, but working with me will enhance your relationship with your dog, their behaviour WILL improve and you’ll have a fun time doing it.
Behaviour that gets rewarded is behaviour that gets repeated.
That’s it. That’s the whole theory.
And what I love about it is that it forces you, as a guardian, to slow down and ask really important questions:
- Why is my dog doing this?
- What does your dog actually love?
Is it food? Attention? That one disgusting tug toy?
Probably all of the above, depending on the situation.
But once you figure it out, you’ve got something powerful, a way to understand your dog and a way to say “yes” instead of constantly shouting “no.”
You're Not the Boss. You're the Guide.
When you use what your dog loves to reward behaviour you want to see more of, something shifts. Your dog starts paying attention. Not because they’re afraid of getting told off, but because you’ve started making that behaviour more likely to happen by rewarding it.
No shouting. No water sprays. No dominance nonsense. No daft “cure all” collars.
Just calm, clear, consistent feedback and support.
You’re working with your dog, not against them.
That’s what proper, modern, evidence-based dog behaviour modification looks like.
It's About Trust
When I talk about positive reinforcement, I’m not talking about lobbing sausages at problems.
I’m talking about:
- Understanding motivation
- Building trust and safety
- Giving your dog a bit of agency in a world where they have very little
- Reinforcing good decisions (possibly with sausages)
This kind of training doesn't just change behaviour.
It changes relationships.
Changing Behaviour Means Understanding It First
If your dog is barking, pulling, panicking, lunging, or “refusing to listen”, it’s not because they’re “being stubborn.”
There’s always a reason.
My job is to help you figure that out. What’s causing it? What does the dog need? And how do we teach something more useful instead?
That’s how I approach dog behaviour problems: no blame, no shame, just curiosity and clear steps forward.
The Bigger Picture Always Matters
Behaviour doesn’t happen in isolation.
If your dog’s physical health, emotional needs, social life, or environment are out off whack, their behaviour will show it.
Part of ethical, holistic dog behaviour training is zooming out and looking at the whole dog. It’s not about “fixing” them.
It’s about supporting them better so the behaviour has room to change.
I can help you work out if there are any health issues contributing to your dog’s behaviour and support you in working with a veterinarian to get them on the right care pathway.
Train the Dog in Front of You
Every dog is an individual.
Personality, genetics, learning history, trauma, bad luck, brilliant moments, they’re all part of the picture.
If you can let go of the idea that your dog is “being difficult” and start seeing them as the emotionally complex individual they are, everything shifts.
Start saying “yes, mate.”
Start asking “what’s going on with you?”
If you are able to see the moments when your dog is trying their best and when they are really struggling, you can make real, lasting progress.
I don’t offer quick fixes or 100% guaranteed results, but working with me will enhance your relationship with your dog, their behaviour WILL improve and you’ll have a fun time doing it.
