I've been a dog lover for as long as I can remember. I've became a dog owner in 2019, but even before this I was obsessed! 

Circumstances meant I couldn't have a dog as a child, so I started up my own dog walking business instead. I researched dogs heavily, even as a child, and would buy as many books as I could from charity shops, as well as borrow library books to read all about training and breed specifics. I attended Crufts every year, even though I didn't own a dog, and would spend the following months begging for a dog of my own, but alas! 

I became a first time dog owner in 2019 to my loveable boy, Harry. Since he became a truly loved member of the Mathias household, he has gone on to become a therapy dog for Cariad Pet Therapy, and at age 2 started his agility career - the dream is we will one day get to compete at Crufts! 

I am now a multi dog owner, with all of my dogs partaking in agility. The youngest dog is handled by my daughter, who I teach agility to in conjunction with Paws On It Pembrokeshire. 

I decided to become a dog trainer, not just because of my deep love for canines, but because I have also experienced my own trials and tribulations with dog ownership. Things don't always go to plan (never work with children or animals, as they say), and it can leave you feeling a bit down in the dumps. There are also a huge amount of dogs in rescue centres who are there due to behavioural or training issues, who may not have found themselves there had they and their owners had help beforehand. There's also a wealth of misinformation around dog training, as well as numerous different methods that may actually make your dog's behaviour worse. 

I believe with the right methods and coaching, we can help prevent more dogs ending up in rescue centres. I want to be there to help those who are struggling, because I know just how difficult dog ownership can be! 

Welsh Underdogs is there to help dogs and people learn force-free training methods, with everything being reward based. This means that your dog will never be punished, which aids the relationship between dog and owner. 

I am now a Level 3 equivalent Canine Reactivity Specialist, a Level 3 equivalent Scentwork Specialist, and am working hard towards Dog Trainer accreditation through the IMDT. I am also currently working towards accreditation through the DTC with their Level 3 Gundog, Children and Dogs, Canine Body Language, Assistance Dog and Separation Anxiety Programs, all of which will be incorporated into training sessions in the near future! 

I'm super excited to now be able to offer training as part of classes, whether it's reactive dogs, adolescents, puppies or adults, as well as home visits and one to one sessions.