Role at OhMyDog: In July 2023 I was welcomed at OhMyDog as intern for my cynological instructor studies.  Joining the team was heartwarming. Although everyone works from the same principles, each does so with their own, individual approach. In part because of this, I have learned a lot working with the various instructors. From October 2023 onward I was involved in the courses at OhMyDog as a coach. From behavioural coach Lidewij I have also learned many things. This, because she has such an appealing but different style in coaching as I did. Now I hope to combine the best of both worlds while teaching and coaching.  

In January 2024 I started as Instructor and function in various capacities like substitute, hole-in-the-ground-filler, person-to-jump-up-against, puppy-entertainer etc..  

Work experience: Soon I will have finished the my cynological instructor studies. After this I intent to go nuts on all the various classes an workshops for the dog professional. My current work experience is mostly in the security domain. I graduated (MSc.) in international relations with a specialisation in conflict studies. I have worked with various organisations among others: municipality, political organisation, NGO, Institute for foreign relations Clingendael, science institute TNO, police, public prosecutors office and the justice department. I functioned in various roles such as scientist, researcher, project manager, coordinator and advisor.  I have coached in sports and diving in the past as well. There I discovered how gratifying it was to help people gain knowledge and skills. I firmly believe that previous experiences are applicable in all future endeavours. So I hope to bring something extra to help both dogs and owners.

Day job: Besides my work with OhMyDog I work as an advisor on, among other topics, crisis management for the Justice department. In 2022 I decided to find a different balance in my working life. Less time behind the computer screen and in meetings and more time outside and being active. That balance is now starting to shift in the right direction.

Personal experience:  During my childhood my uncle and aunt’s dogs stayed at our house regularly. A Bouvier and a Yorkshire Terrier (and, you’ve guessed it, the Terrier was the one calling the shots). Looking back I think this was a way for my parents to compensate for not giving in to my wish to have a dog of our own.

Until then ‘Rikky the Parakeet’ and ‘Sebastian the Hamster’ tried to fill the void. But no matter how hard of an effort Rik and Sebastian made to do justice to the role of ‘honorary dog’, it just wasn’t the same.  

A few years later my father finally caved and brought home a rejected police dog.  As soon as Zero (that was his name) got out of my dads car, he bit and punctured the tire of the adjacent car (ohhh, right, so that’s why he was rejected…)  To my great sorrow and my mom’s relief, Zero went straight back.

So, as a thirteen year old I decided to start my own dog walking service. In other words, sitting and walking neighbourhood dogs for free. What I lacked in business acumen, I more then made up for with love for my furry friends. After many years, when I finally lived in a house where I could keep a dog of significant size (and lived with someone who also thought that this was a good idea) Yaaro entered our lives.  A puppy, macho, frolicker, cat-hunter, princess, distinguished sleeper and prize-winning napper all rolled into one hunk of Rhodesian Ridgeback dog muscle.  Because of Yaaro I got interested in training and behaviour. Especially my problem behaviour during our walks was something he thought I should work on, so I enrolled in classes at Edupet to become a cynological instructor.