Professional Overview
I am a lifelong educator with twenty years of teaching experience in China, now transitioning into the field of canine behaviour and welfare. My background in communication, assessment, and learner psychology provides a strong foundation for understanding canine behaviour, emotional states, and welfare needs. I am committed to developing the knowledge, skills, and practical experience required to support dogs and the people who care for them.
Formal Qualifications
Teaching & Education
- BA Degree in English Language Teaching — Bircham International University
- TESOL Certificate in English Language Teaching — ELS Language Centers (Malaysia/USA), accredited by the Ministry of Education Malaysia
- How to Assess Like an Examiner (IELTS Advanced Teacher Training) — IELTS Experts & Tours LLC
These qualifications reflect strong communication skills, structured teaching ability, and assessment literacy — all of which translate effectively into behaviour consulting and owner education.
Canine Studies
Completed Studies
I am a graduate of Pet Sense College (South Africa) (Representing Compass Education & Training UK) in the following programs listed below:
- Canine Care and First Aid Diploma
Current Studies
- Professional Dog Walking Diploma
- Day Care Operator Diploma
- Kennel Operator Diploma
- Canine Behaviour & Psychology Diploma
Planned Studies
- Dr Ian Dunbar’s behaviour and training courses
Practical Experience
Educational & Behaviour Observation
- Twenty years of English teaching experience across multiple educational institutions in China
*communication and interpersonal skills
*behaviour observation
*empathy‑based teaching
*structured learning design
*assessment and feedback
Canine-Related Experience
- Dog walking experience
- Intention to begin volunteering at dog shelters to gain hands‑on exposure to behaviour, welfare assessment, and practical handling
Professional Direction
I am building toward a career focused on:
- canine behaviour and psychology
- welfare advocacy
- shelter support
- behaviour modification
- owner education
- practical welfare interventions
My long‑term goal is to contribute meaningfully to canine wellbeing through evidence‑based practice, compassion, and continued professional development.
Professional Philosophy
My work is guided by empathy, responsibility, and a welfare‑first approach. I believe in understanding the dog’s emotional state, using evidence‑based methods, and supporting both dogs and their caregivers with clarity, patience, and respect.
What I Will Add as My Experience Grows
As I continue developing my skills and gaining practical exposure, I will expand this profile with:
- Documented volunteer experience
- Behaviour case exposure
- A developing competency list
These experiences will also be shared in the blog section of this website, where I will document my learning journey in real time. As each area grows, I will update this Professional Profile to reflect my ongoing development.
Apart from these posts made about my experiences and journey, I do have an ongoing weekly blog series called the “The Global Dog Breed Compendium: A Complete Guide to 400+ Breeds Worldwide” which is going to be a massive online & research database of about 400 breeds of dogs all over the world and it is my pride and joy. Given the sheer size of this ongoing project, it is going to take in excess of about three to seven years (to complete) as I will only publish these posts once a week on a Monday (Beijing time) because of the massive demands placed on me by my current place of employment. Occasionally, I may make an additional post or two during each week but again, this depends on the availability of my time. Once I relocate from China back to South Africa, I will then be self-employed in the Canine Industry and then can hopefully speed up this project which will in turn reduce the time to get this project completed.
Once my project is complete, certain parts of it will be made freely available online and consideration will be made how to make the entire series accessible online for either a subscription or one time fee and it may even be taken further as a downloadable Ebook and\or a physical hard copy paperback version.
In the meantime, it can be accessed freely as posts are published weekly, again, on a Monday.
The series can be followed weekly in the relevant section of my blog and posts will appear there. Links open in a new tab in your browser.
Do enjoy the series as I enjoy researching and drafting the posts.