8 | LUXlife Magazine Clinical Animal Behaviourist of the Year 2023 (UK): Rachel Rodgers Based in Nantwich, East Cheshire, Nose to Trail offers multi award winning pet behaviour services that help dogs overcome behaviour issues such as reactivity and separation anxiety. Owned by Rachel Rodgers MSc, an experienced Clinical Animal Behaviourist, the company has successfully supported many dog owners through tailor-made plans that enable them to transform their dog’s behaviour and improve their quality of life. With a master’s degree in applied animal behaviour and welfare, Rachel Rodgers is an accredited dog trainer with the Professional Academy of Canine Trainers (PACT), who specialises in working with small dogs and using scent work techniques like man trailing and pet trailing to help dogs overcome various behavioural challenges. Nose to Trail is part of the Canine School of Trailing, an organisation established by Rachel and co-founder Marilyn Gilchrist. Trained by Markus Burkhardt from Austria, Rachel and Marilyn are two of only a handful of dog trainers with the speciality of pet trail training in the UK. Pet trailing is where a team, usually owner and dog, are trained to find a “missing” pet by following their unique scent trail, while man trailing is where they are trained to find a human. Trailing activities have huge benefits for all dogs, especially shy and anxious ones. They strengthen the bond between owner and dog, build self-confidence and motivation, and release dopamine, the feelgood neurochemical. “Scent work is key for dogs, who experience the world through their noses rather than their eyes. Sniffing releases dopamine, lowers the dog’s heart rate and blood pressure and generally helps to calm and relax them,” Rachel explains. “The type of dogs who may benefit are those struggling with difficulties like separation anxiety, sound phobias, reactivity (barking, lunging, and pulling on the lead) as well as other fear and anxiety-based conditions.” While many clients at Nose to Trail take part in trailing as a fun game of hide and seek to improve behaviour, Rachel’s dog Rico has successfully found a missing dog, which resulted in him becoming a finalist of the Super Dog Awards! Nose to Trail is the first UK-based APBC registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist to specialise in using pet trailing techniques to help dogs overcome their issues. This means its services are unique and in demand. At the end of 2022, the company launched an online membership, which allows dog owners to access Rachel’s wealth of training knowledge and experience from anywhere in the world. This means that even those who are not local to Rachel can benefit from her expertise. For £25 a month, or £250 a year, online members receive a number of benefits. Firstly, they can attend monthly live Q&A sessions and coffee mornings in which they can ask Rachel their training and behaviour questions. As well as this, they can access regular training videos to follow with their dog, a back catalogue of useful training and behaviour webinars, and a training library of helpful handouts. The membership also comes with great perks like members only discounts, the chance to be the prestigious Member of the Month, and more! Those interested are invited to email info@ nosetotrail.co.uk for a free sample resource. Through her vastly knowledgeable, helpful, and tailored services, Rachel has helped many people witness positive improvements in their dog’s behaviour and confidence. This is demonstrated by the plethora of five-star reviews Nose to Trail has received on Google, which frequently praise her patience and understanding. Many are thrilled to have noticed that their dog is more relaxed, happy, and at ease following their training with Rachel and her team. Considering this, it is no surprise that Rachel has won yet another award, having been named Clinical Animal Behaviourist of the Year in the Pet Products and Services Awards 2023. We congratulate her on this success and look forward to seeing what the future holds for Nose to Trail! Contact: Rachel Rodgers Company: Nose to Trail Web Address: nosetotrail.co.uk
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