Role at OhMyDog: I started at OhmyDog in March 2022 when I was looking for an internship for my training program.  Soon, I was sold to the cozy and motivated team of OhMyDog. Moreover, I learned a lot from the instructors, which made me stick around. In addition, the evidence-based way of working also appealed to me very much.

By now, I teach the puppy and obedience I course, which I enjoy very much. Additionally I help out my colleague instructors as a coach with the obedience II course, for example. 

I love seeing the progress the owner as well as the dog makes during the course. Working together to create a better bond, more trust in each other and above all having a lot of fun!

Credentials: Cynological instructor course at the Martin Gaus Academy.
During this course there was a lot of room for the practical lessons. Therefore there was plenty of time to try out the theory we learned in real life. We worked with a lot of different kinds of dogs which was really helpful to learn a lot about the different types of bodylanguage for example. Furthermore, there was a focus on a broad variety of training techniques which resulted in really learning to look at the dog and look for what technique suits the dog best. 

 

Dayjob: During the day I can be found in the office, but the greatest pleasure comes from teaching. As a trainee at the Association for Dutch Municipalities, I work on three different assignments at various employers (for example, a municipality or the VNG itself). Currently in the role of strategic project officer but this can differ per assignment. Every week on Friday there are training days where you work with a fixed group of trainees on your personal and professional development.

 

Personal experience: At home we had a Lagotto Romagnolo. My parents had never had a dog of their own so that came with its challenges. With her I tried a lot in the field of training. At that time it was still without substantiated knowledge, so it was sometimes successful, sometimes less so. 
In addition, in 2022 I gained experience as a volunteer in Tanzania at a dog and cat shelter. Activities included taking care of young puppies (from 12 days), dogs with extra care needs and help with daily care. It was very special to see how some dogs came in emaciated and injured and started to revive after a few weeks. I was also allowed to help with a rabies vaccination campaign. We went to the villages and there the villagers could have their dogs vaccinated for free.