My Blog
For those that don’t already know me, I’m Luke and I run Paws Unleashed. I started the business in November of 2024 before re-branding to Paws Unleashed in July 2025. I’m currently completing a diploma in applied canine behaviour with the view of eventually registering with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) as a canine behaviourist. I thought starting a blog would be a great way to reinforce my learning by regurgitating it out into informative blog posts as well as sharing any useful tips, advice and knowledge with owners that may find it useful for their furry friends at home.
Prior to launching the business, I earned a bachelors degree in forensic psychology and a masters degree in clinical psychology and spent most of my working life working for the NHS across forensic psychiatric units, childrens psychiatric units and police custody before deciding to pack it all in and spend my days walking dogs. Why?
Well, around 5 years ago, I decided to sign up for an app advertising myself for home boarding for dogs. I had always wanted my own dog having grown up with one, Lexxie. However, with the 12 hour shifts I was working having no end in sight, I had given up on the idea of having a dog for the foreseeable future as I knew I would not be able to give it the proper love and care it deserved. So I started advertising home boarding, with very little professional canine experience, a bit of trepidation and a mix of excitement wondering what I’d got myself into, I soon found myself sitting in my relatively small living room with a very large and quite serious looking 4 year old German Shepard called Jaxx. Jaxx’s owners usual sitter fell through last minute and therefore they ended up coming to me. Jaxx was a complex character, he was a rescue and when his owners got him Jaxx was very aggressive. So much so that he had to go to one of those dog training camps for quite a few months in order to get his aggression under control. Now, Jaxx was a mild mannered and relatively placid (if not very stern looking) dog. However, he did come with a list of quite specific care needs in order to keep him this way due to his previous experiences. I formed a very close bond with Jaxx and he went from being my first ever customer to a regular customer over the next couple of years. Along with Jaxx came a whole host of dogs that would come and stay with me for a few days when I was off work and it slowly began to build. I always loved the idea of turning it into some kind of job but it just felt out of reach. But learning about Jaxx and his complexities, how his mind worked and what he needed to be happy, it really woke something in me and I fell in love with the idea of being able to help dogs like Jaxx and their owners.
Fast forward to 2023 and an opportunity came along to leave my job and start my own dog walking business, so I took it. Giving Jaxx that credit he deserves I incorporated him into my logo. The business has grown steadily and along with it so has my knowledge and experience. It has always been an aim since launching the business to one day be able to offer behavioural consultations as a registered canine behaviourist to my list of services and the time felt right to take my first real step towards that, signing up for the diploma. The diploma covers 12 key areas which are:
Learning theory
Genetics and evolution
Bio-psychology
Pharmacology
The internal environment
The external environment
Theory of mind
Behavioural diagnostics
Professional conduct
Application of theory
The law
Case studies
That leads us to now. If anyone is still reading, I’m hoping that you might find the posts that follow informative, useful or maybe even just entertaining. I’m hoping that I can really embed my learning by sharing my knowledge and that maybe you’ll get something out of it too. If you don’t get anything from it, then feel free to just come along for the ride to see how I’m getting on.
Thanks,
Luke
