Career goes to the dogs
At the age of 54, Tania Love decided to quit her corporate job of 22 years and dedicate her life to dogs.
It all started with her own pooch, Tia, an almost 9-year-old pedigree boxer who began having fear and aggression issues that, despite years of trial and error, Love couldn’t cure.
New Plymouth-based Love had a successful career as an account manager for a liquor company, which she loved, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Tia.
When she found an online organisation in America called the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants, she quit her job and enrolled right away.
Love had been using a humane punishment and correction method recommended to her by multiple animal specialists, using restraints such as choke collars, but discovered they suppressed rather than fixed the problem.
‘‘I decided at that point I needed to find some other way or she was going to have to be put down,’’ the now 58-year-old said.
And with Love having recently lost her husband, that wasn’t an option.
She said the behaviour problems escalated ‘‘thorough my ignorance of not knowing what she needed’’.
‘‘In the meantime, I didn’t
know the damage I was doing behaviourally and mentally to her.’’
Through the course she learnt a new way of training, which centred on no fear, no force, and no intimidation.
‘‘I figured out I had been doing it all wrong. I’d never heard of positive reinforcement or rewardbased training. I just thought that was bribing them.’’
While the training and education improved Tia and her quality of life, Love said the damage was already done and Tia would never be the perfect dog or able to go on group works.
When she started the training it was purely to better Tia’s life, but she also came out of it with a new career.
Love launched Love Thy Dog shortly after completing the training and now offers one-on-one behaviour consultations, dog walking, a puppy social club and an adolescent puppy class, which are booked out three months in advance.
Love has a strict selection process, with only one in three dogs being suitable, she said.
‘‘If a dog doesn’t like sharing its toys, that’s going to cause a problem.
‘‘If a dog is food aggressive, then that’s going to cause a problem.’’
It wasn’t easy: when she first started she was working three jobs just to get by.
‘‘I’m glad I made the giant leap. At the time my friends and family were saying ‘what are you thinking?’ but the future looks bright.’’