I am Samantha Thorneycroft-Taylor, founder and lead trainer of K9 Foundation, based in Gloucestershire. I have worked with animals for over 20 years, starting with horses and moving to training dogs 15 years ago. 

With a love teaching dogs and their owners new things and being able to demonstrate the benefits of appropriate mental stimulation, and clear boundaries, but I am also passionate about helping those that find themselves on a difficult journey, facing behavioural challenges that they'd not expected.

I have completed Robert Alleyne's Canine Behavioural Training Course and train using a PRAMA ethos (positive reinforcement and minimally aversive). I believe that dogs should be appropriately rewarded for good behaviours, but that it is also important to teach them what is not acceptable and use a minimal aversive, such as a verbal interrupter, to make it clearer for the dog.

It is very important to me that every dog is treated as an individual, to recognise that one method will not work for every dog and to adapt my approach accordingly.