About Ally
Hi, my name is Ally Gilbertson and I set up Karma Dogs in 2015.
I grew up with dogs (Thomas, a mischievous Cocker Spaniel and then Ben and Bess, two amazing Border Collies) and now have 3 beautiful Labrador Retrievers of my own, Lucy, Phoebe and Stanley.
Ally with one of her home-bred puppies
In 2006 I got my first dog, a beautiful Labrador called Jessie. I attended dog training classes but found them disappointing and gave up. We sadly lost Jessie very young to cancer and I was heartbroken.
My first gorgeous dog Jessie
Lucy joined us in 2009 and this is when I started to learn about gundog training which made me realise I wanted to become a dog trainer.
Lucy winning her first Novice Working Test
I was determined to coach dog owners differently.
It took me over 5 years of studying, attending courses and seminars, reading stacks of books, along with shadowing at dog training classes to gain lots of practical experience before I was ready to be assessed.
I passed my assessment with the am Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT) in 2017 and then was assess by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) in 2018, and the have been rigorously tested on my theoretical knowledge and practical coaching skills. Each year I keep up with my knowledge taking more courses and reading more books and research papers.
I have also taken a number of courses with the School of Canine Science and have also completed and passed their Force Free Trick Training course.
I use reward based training methods, and believe that we need to find out what your dog finds motivating and rewarding. The aim is to reward the correct behaviour and help our dogs to make the right choices. As the saying goes, ‘What gets reinforced, gets repeated!’
As a qualitative market researcher I have spent my career interviewing people. Now as a dog trainer it is important that I coach you to teach your dog. I love dogs (obviously) but a good dog trainer needs to enjoy working with and motivating people.
A qualified and accredited dog trainer
I love coaching you to teach your dog
I wanted to start a dog training business that was different. I meet many dogs who have been trained at indoor classes and struggle to cope in the real world. I love to train in the real world, outside where you will be spending time with your dog.
I love to teach online too, to help people in their own homes, and have an extensive library of detailed demonstration videos to enable you to quickly progress your dog’s training. Lockdown has meant clients have been training with me online and they are thoroughly enjoying this method.
Online training is a fantastic way to learn
I like to teach your dogs a wide variety of skills that will be useful in everyday life. Many dog classes are based on skills needed for obedience competitions and this means key lifeskills can be missed. So I have designed my training programmes using a variety of skills including gundog basics, trick training or everyday life skills to engage you and your dog.
I love gundog training and compete with my dogs in working tests, and love to help owners with working dogs to fulfil their potential.
Training Phoebe & Lucy in Scotland