The longer version!

Hi, I’m Toby! I’m 27, originally from South London, and I’ve had dogs all my life. I’ve always loved dogs and had a bit of a knack with them, and so always jump at the chance to spend time with them in any capacity. I didn’t set out to become a professional Dog Walker or Trainer - it all began with helping out a neighbour, and now I’m excited to say that it’s what I do for a living! That was back in 2019, and I became ‘official’ in autumn of 2021, after completing my MA in Illustration at UAL. It was then that I really began expanding and taking on new clients, and now I walk a whole range of dogs up on the Hurst every week, rain or shine.

In 2022, I began training to become a Trainer (that’s always a hard one to say!), completing a ton of courses with the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (The IMDT). These courses have also, of course, fed back into my practice as a Walker, and my overall doggy knowledge-base and skillset have increased tenfold since starting this learning! So far, my successfully completed courses include the 4-day Practical Instructor course, a Canine Body Language course, K9 First Aid training, and the Puppy Instructor course with IMDT founder Steve Mann himself. To see all of the courses that I’ve completed to date, you can scroll through the image carousel right about this section (trust me, there’s too many to list here!).

I’m extremely proud to say that I achieved my IMDT membership & accreditation in September 2023, after working very hard and ultimately passing their rigorous assessment process! This was a major milestone for me, as I knew right from the start of my journey with the IMDT that this was something that I wanted to achieve in order to showcase my skillset and dedication to my work. I’m a proud representative for the organisation and continue to work by their code of ethics, which you can find here.

I also qualified as an official Easy Peasy Puppy Instructor in November 2023, after similarly completing an intensive assessment process, this time focusing solely on my skills as a Puppy Instructor! This assessment covered everything that goes into crafting and delivering an excellent, comprehensive puppy course, and I can now confidently say that I have the seal of approval both from Steve Mann and the IMDT!

In terms of training at the present, I’m working on a 1:1 basis across South London, and am running classes in the Croydon area. I kicked things off with my 6-week puppy course ‘Perfect Pups’ in 2023, and will be offering an Intermediate-level course in the near-future aimed at slightly older dogs or more experienced handlers. I’m also aiming to eventually offer a rotation of workshops, plus some online training resources that I’m slowly chipping away at… You can check out all my upcoming classes and events here, as well as further information about my 1:1 training and my general training practice here.

Dogs can always tell when you truly care about them, and I can honestly say that I treat all the dogs I walk like they’re my own when we’re out and about! That means I do everything dog first, whether it’s scheduling who’s walking with who, what time to walk certain dogs, or what treats to stock up on. I’m extremely safety-conscious, and have a range of equipment that I can and do use on a regular basis to ensure everyone’s safety and peace of mind at all times. You can read more about this here and also here. I’m very pleased to say that over the last few years I’ve never had an incident occur with the dogs in my care, and I make every effort to ensure it stays that way! Their happiness and your peace of mind are my top priorities.

At home we have 2 Chihuahua X Jack Russells and 1 Chihuahua, who you can see in the section below (and all over my instagram!). Outside of walking & training, I’m a musician, I’ve got my MA in Illustration and my BA in Archaeology & Ancient History, and I love to knit! 

Hopefully this gives you an idea about me but I always aim to meet with you and your dog before starting walking or training, so don’t hesitate to get in touch to set up a time for me to pop round and meet you, or just to ask any other burning questions!