Meet Erica Peachey!
Erica started training her own dogs when she was 13 years old, becoming an instructor at the local dog club a year later.
After a degree in Psychology specialising in Animal Behaviour, working at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, as a Research Associate and working with various wonderful people, Erica set up her own Behaviour and Training Consultancy in 1990.
As a full member of Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors and a member of Association of Pet Dog Trainers and registered with Animal Behaviour and Training Council as a CAB (Clinical Animal Behaviourist) and ATI (Animal Training Instructor), she is ideally placed to assist people and their dogs and cats.
She has worked with thousands of dogs, cats and occasionally other animals along with their families for behaviour consultations, socialisation, training, confidence and rehabilitation sessions.
More about Erica
Her main interest is in working with families and their pets, helping them achieve greater peace and enjoyment together.
She started one of the first puppy classes in the UK and now runs a unique courses for puppies and dogs which includes inside and outside sessions.
She is a visiting lecturer in Animal Behaviour at John Moores University and has given talks and lectures in the UK and abroad.
She has worked with animals for TV, being either in front of the camera (for documentaries) or behind it (with animals used in filming).
In addition, Erica:
works with rescue homes about the animals in their care.
is an expert witness for court cases.
is asked to assess dogs for fostering and adoption agencies.
writes articles and books and booklets which have sold worldwide.
is contacted by the media and has appeared in newspapers and magazines and on radio and television
At the moment, her household consists of two out of three children who have yet to leave home, three dogs, two cats, two guinea pigs and a gecko.
Meet the Team
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Jan Rainer - Admin
Jan is the Administration Coordinator and joined the practice in February 2023. Having previously worked in university and college administration, and formerly as an adviser in the civil service, Jan loves the variety of her new role. She deals with enquiries, client and vet liaison, email correspondence, booking new consultancy appointments, organising dog training classes, and just generally helping out wherever she can.
Jan & her husband love spending as much time as possible at their static caravan in the beautiful Conwy valley, but still officially live on the Wirral! They especially enjoy discovering new walks all around the area’s mountains and coast, along with Border Collie Bryn, and Leo the Labradoodle.
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Professor Carri Westgarth
Carri is Professor of Human-Animal Interactions at the University of Liverpool, specialising in the health benefits of the dog-owner relationship and dog bite prevention. She leads research funded by organisations such as Dogs Trust, Medical Research Council and Defra, she teaches veterinary and bioveterinary science students. She is also a Visiting Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University. Due to her current work demands, Carri is not presently seeing behaviour cases, but may sometimes be found teaching a puppy class or two!
With a First Class BSc in Zoology and Genetics and a PhD in dog-human interactions, Carri brings both academic and hands-on experience—particularly with assistance and rescue dogs. She is a Full Member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, founder of the Merseyside Dog Safety Partnership, and author of The Happy Dog Owner and Dog Bites: A Multidisciplinary Perspective.
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Sheila Petoud
Hi, I’m Sheila and I’ve been helping out at Erica’s classes since 2010. I’m an online English teacher by day but have also had a stint as a dog walker and have completed the APDT Pet Dog Training Instructors’ Course. I have a young Patterdale Terrier called Paddy and previously had a Border Terrier called Bobby, both of whom have attended the classes. I love seeing the more anxious puppies and dogs gain confidence and the livelier ones develop their attention skills during the courses. And, of course, I love making a fuss of so many cute canines!
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Annabel
Although not officially part of the practice, I keep getting called in to help out, especially with technical issues. My day job is a research scientist with Cancer Research UK.
Our Pets
