#39 Off The Shelf Episode 13. Gemma Hodson

WE ARE BACK BOOKSHELVERS!   Corrin and Steve have been swaning (pun intended) around in Swanage for a week and are now back refreshed and ready for another "Off The Shelf" This time Nat, Corrin and Steve talk to the wonderful Gemma Hodson all about her passion in canine behaviour and movement. This is an often overlooked part of the whole behaviour picture and we think you'll find our talk really eye opening. As well as all the the dog geek outs you'd expect we also talk a whole lot about cheesecakes1, how Steve once had crabs (no not like that) and why Corrin and Nat are now required by podcast law to be present on the intros.   Take a deep breath and delve on in!  Gemma Facts  Gemma has lived a life with dogs of various breeds growing up in a house full of show dogs, but initially studied at Hartpury College for a career with horses going on to work at show jumping and event yards along with hydrotherapy centres. In the early 2000’s she started growing an interest in how pain affects movement & behaviour after one of her own horses developed gastric ulcers, this then became an obsession when returning to her love of dogs and attending dog classes could see dogs from an early age already experiencing difficulties.  Wanting to expand on her observational skills she trained with Sarah Fisher doing TTouch & ACE, before deepening her knowledge of canine anatomy, physiology & movement alongside massage and rehabilitation with ICAT & the OCN in London & is a qualified behaviour practitioner with the ISCP.  Gemma combines her passion for canine behaviour and movement to help dog guardians get to the bottom of their dog’s problematic behaviours using gait & posture analysis to shine a light on potential issues, she is often called in by other canine  professionals to work with their clients for additional support and advice.  More recently Gemma has launched her Dynamic Dog Practitioner Programme where she teaches other dog trainers and behaviourist to spot the signs of discomfort in dogs that are linked to behaviour problems, and has been ask to be a Canine Arthritis Management Advisor by the founder of CAM, Hannah Capon.