Who is Pawsitive Dog Dialogue?

I’m Damo, a dog behaviourist with twenty years of experience living, working and learning alongside Alaskan Malamutes.

My interest in canine behaviour began with my own dogs, and continued to develop while I was living in northern Sweden and running a working kennel of 29 sled dogs. Living closely with such a large and varied group taught me that behaviour cannot be understood in isolation. Diet, health, exercise, environment, previous experiences, emotional wellbeing and the relationship between a dog and their owner can all influence what we see.

That understanding continues to shape my work today.

Over the years, my work with dogs has also led to a number of unusual and rewarding collaborations. These have included projects involving YouTube, MTV, LNER Trains, and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, as well as work with photographer, artist and sculptor Linda Blacker. I am also a partner at the Me-Mush Academy, which provides education and guidance for sled-dog enthusiasts around the world.

Those experiences have taken me into very different environments, but they have all reinforced the same principle: dogs do best when we take the time to understand them as individuals.

I do not simply look at what a dog is doing and try to stop it. I look at why the behaviour may be happening, what the dog is communicating and what needs to change for both the dog and their owner. My approach is practical, compassionate and individual. There are no standard solutions, because no two dogs, households or relationships are exactly alike.

My aim is not to judge owners or make them feel they have failed. Behavioural difficulties can be exhausting, upsetting and isolating, particularly when advice from different sources is confusing or contradictory. I help owners understand what is happening, identify realistic changes and develop a plan that can be incorporated into everyday life.

Alongside my work as a dog behaviourist, I am also a paramedic. I joined the ambulance service in 1999 and spent many years working in frontline NHS care. That background taught me to listen carefully, assess situations thoroughly and remain calm when people are worried or overwhelmed. It also gave me a strong understanding of how stress, fear, frustration and previous experiences can affect behaviour, both human and canine.

My own experience of living with ADHD and PTSD has also influenced the way I think about behaviour. Learning to understand my own responses to stress, fear, frustration and previous experiences has made me more aware of the parallels between human and canine behaviour. Approaches used in human psychology, including principles found within Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, can sometimes offer useful ways of thinking about how associations are formed, how responses can be reinforced and how gradual changes in experience can influence behaviour. While dogs are not treated in the same way as people, recognising those overlaps has helped me become more thoughtful and empathetic when working with both ends of the lead.

Alongside me is Blue, my Alaskan Malamute, whom I adopted from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2022. Blue initially found some people and situations difficult, but with time, understanding and appropriate support, he developed into a confident and trusted companion. He has since travelled across Europe with me and, where appropriate, can assist during carefully managed socialisation work.

Blue is an important reminder that a dog’s past may help explain their behaviour, but it does not have to determine their future.

Through Pawsitive Dog Dialogue, I help owners with difficulties including reactivity, anxiety, fear, frustration, noise sensitivity and other behaviours that can place strain on life with a dog. My consultations include careful preparation, individual assessment, a personalised written plan and continuing support, so that owners are not left wondering what to do next.

My goal is to create greater understanding between dogs and the people who care for them, helping both to feel safer, more confident and better equipped to move forward together.

Damo is knelt cuddling Blue, his Alaskan Malamute. They are outside, the sky is bright blue and cloudy, there is snow on the ground. He is wearing a red and black plaid shirt, and a white wool hat.