About Me

Hi, I’m Valentina, founder of Val’s K9 Training.

I’ve been working with dogs since 2003, when I first started out as a dog walker. I later had the opportunity to work alongside a dog behaviourist, and that was where everything clicked. I’d always loved helping animals, but I also genuinely enjoyed helping people — dog training and behaviour gave me the chance to do both.

Since then, I’ve dedicated my career to understanding dogs: how they learn, how they communicate, what drives their behaviour and, importantly, how we can help them navigate the human world.

Understanding the dog behind the behaviour

For me, dog training isn’t simply about teaching commands or stopping unwanted behaviour. It’s about understanding why a dog is behaving in a certain way in the first place.

Every dog is different. Their breed, genetics, previous experiences, environment, physical health and emotional wellbeing can all influence what we see on the surface. That’s why I don’t believe in using a one-size-fits-all approach.

My training is force-free and reward-based, and I tailor the way I work to the individual dog and the family living with them. Whether I’m helping with fear, anxiety, reactivity, resource guarding, puppy training or everyday behaviour, my aim is to find practical solutions that work in real life — not just during a training session.

Ultimately, I want to help you understand your dog — and help your dog understand you. That two-way communication is at the heart of everything I do.

Experience, education & continued learning

While I have more than two decades of hands-on experience working with dogs, I firmly believe that experience should go hand-in-hand with continued education.

Canine behaviour and training is constantly developing as we learn more about dogs, their emotions, their health and the science behind behaviour. I regularly undertake courses, seminars, webinars and professional development covering canine behaviour, psychology, neuroscience, nutrition, pain, fear, anxiety, aggression and breed-specific behaviour.

Award-winning dog training & behaviour

I’m incredibly proud to have had my work recognised with Dog Behaviourist of the Year 2024 & 2025 and Bedfordshire Dog Trainer of the Year 2025/26.

The awards are something I’m very proud of, but the most rewarding part of my work will always be seeing the change in the dogs and families I work with — particularly when an owner goes from feeling overwhelmed by their dog's behaviour to finally understanding what their dog has been trying to communicate.

Dogs, children & family life

Dogs are a big part of my life outside of work too. I’m a mum of two, and both of my children have grown up around dogs and learning how to interact with them safely and respectfully.

I believe teaching children how to behave around dogs is just as important as teaching dogs how to behave around children. Understanding canine body language, recognising when a dog needs space and knowing how to interact appropriately can make an enormous difference to both safety and the relationship children develop with dogs.

It’s something I’m particularly passionate about and an area of education I continue to incorporate into my work.

I am fully insured, DBS checked and licensed by Bedford Borough Council for home boarding.

We first crossed paths with Hazel on a freezing December morning, after seeing a Facebook post about a terrified young dog who had been found tied to a gate in -2°C temperatures.

The dog warden had been called but was some distance away, so we headed over armed with blankets and leads to make sure she was safe while we waited. We managed to cut her free and get her into the warmth of the car before handing her over to the dog warden.

Hazel wasn't microchipped and nobody came forward to claim her, so we have no history of her life before that morning. We stayed in contact with the kennels, visited her, introduced her to our dogs and put our name down to adopt her if she remained unclaimed.

Thankfully for us, she did — and on 9 December 2024, Hazel officially became part of our family.

Hazel is a super-intelligent girl who loves to learn, play and get involved in just about anything. Together we've explored GRC dog sports, mantrailing and even paddleboarding, giving her plenty of opportunities to use both her brain and her body.

Her journey hasn't always been straightforward. Hazel has undergone major surgery on both cruciate ligaments, followed by further surgery on both legs, meaning we've also navigated lengthy periods of recovery, rehabilitation and carefully rebuilding her strength. She's come through the other side with the same enthusiasm for life she's always had.

Hazel has also become an important part of my educational work. She inspired one of my books, which tells her story while helping children learn about dogs, alongside a dedicated section for adults covering child and dog safety, canine communication and creating safer relationships between children and dogs.

From the terrified dog tied to a gate on a freezing morning to the confident, adventurous girl she is today, Hazel has certainly made her mark — both on our family and on my work.

Bailey came into my life in Mauritius when she was just six weeks old, and went on to become far more than my own dog — she became my training partner, stooge dog and trusty assistant for many years.

I lived and worked in Mauritius from 2013 to 2015, where I worked as a dog trainer and behaviourist and successfully ran my own Board & Train kennels. During my time there, I also worked alongside local animal welfare organisations, including SOS (Saving Our Strays) and the Mauritius Society for Animal Welfare (MSAW).

Mauritius has a significant stray dog population, and much of the work we did focused not only on helping dogs directly, but on education. I took part in campaigns teaching responsible dog ownership and animal care, helped with dogs found in extremely poor conditions and fostered dogs in need.

My work also took me beyond one-to-one training. Bailey joined me for dog training demonstrations at family events, educational events at universities and even appearances on national television in Mauritius.

When I returned to the UK, Bailey came with me and continued to work alongside me as my stooge dog and training assistant.

Bailey was an incredibly intelligent dog — and an equally talented escape artist! She was naturally nervous, so her own training taught me an enormous amount about living with and supporting a fearful dog.

Rather than expecting her fears to simply disappear, we built skills that helped her look to me for reassurance, remain focused and cope more confidently when she found situations difficult. Her progress reinforced something that has remained central to the way I work with dogs and their owners today: training is for life.

Behavioural challenges don't always need to disappear completely for a dog to live a happy, fulfilling life. Sometimes success is giving a dog the skills, confidence and support they need to cope when those challenges arise.

Bailey taught me countless lessons throughout our years together and played an enormous part in shaping the trainer and behaviourist I am today. Her influence continues through the dogs and families I work with, and she'll always be a very special part of the story behind Val's K9 Training.