I grew up around animals, the connections that I and my whole family had to our dogs and cats... formed the emotional backbone of our family. They became the place where our feelings of care, empathy and enjoyment found their most sincere and clear outlet. My Mum is great dog trainer and handler and I like to think I picked some of that up from her. Although, every animal lover has to strike their own balance when it comes to training and I really appreciate that there is nuance in the balance between control and freedom with pets. I’ll always seek the approach that’s best for your animal and you. In my family we nearly always had two dogs and two cats. At one stage our Cocker Spaniel Izzy had a litter of puppies, I was about 16 at the time. We kept one of her boys, Clyde. Izzy and Clyde were massively important figures in my life for many important years. I was very involved in their training and walking and care. I was very close to Izzy, she still appears in my dreams sometimes. We had a special connection. I appreciated her quietness and carefulness, but I loved it the most when she would lose herself and charge about, jumping through bracken and hedgerows. Since becoming an adult and leaving my childhood home, I have had many, if slightly sporadic, experiences with animals. I have done farm work and dog sitting. As well as always keenly meeting the animals of friends and family members. I don't feel like I’m in the position to have my own pets right now, but my family still have many animals, which I often see, including an English Setter, Gwyn and a Cocker Spaniel called Sid. I see them when I visit and they’re as central in the life of our group as Izzy and Clyde were.