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The APBC Committee

  • Chairman-David Ryan

    David was a police dog handler and instructor for twenty-five years. He has handled and trained dogs from forty-five kilo German Shepherds to five kilo Cocker Spaniels, entered police dog trails, performed public demonstrations, instigated breeding and selection programmes and was responsible for all aspects of dog and handler training involving tasks as varied as detecting cash, drugs and explosives through to firearms response. Now retired from police work, he conducts pet behaviour consultations, dog training and puppy classes on veterinary referral, and offers an expert witness consultancy in canine behaviour and training.

    He is a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB), holds Southampton University’s postgraduate diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling (PG Dip CCAB) with distinction, and is a member of the Companion Animal Behaviour Therapy Study Group.  In addition to his role as Chairman, David is also the APBC's representative on the committee of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB).

    David’s particular interest is in inherited canine predatory motor patterns and the lengths that pet dogs will go to find a way to express them, usually despite their owners’ best efforts.

  • Secretary-Claire Hargrave

    Claire is a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist and qualified from the School of Psychology at the University of Southampton with a Master of Science degree in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling. Claire has worked in veterinary practice for 27 years. She is practising in Carmarthenshire and taking companion animal behaviour referrals from veterinary practices throughout Wales. Claire runs a purpose built practice with seminar facilities on a 100 acre holding.

  • Treasurer-Mat Ward

    Mat has been working hands-on with dogs and cats with behaviour problems since 1998, after graduating from Victoria University in New Zealand with a BSc in Zoology and Psychology. He has also trained a variety of species for film and TV, working on projects such as The Last Samurai, Xena, and many TV commercials for household brands such as Pedigree, Whiskas and Chef.

    Whilst working full time with animals, Mat completed a Master of Veterinary Studies degree (Animal Behaviour) through Massey University in 2003. After finishing his post graduate study with first class honours, Mat practiced as a pet behaviour counsellor in Auckland, before moving to Scotland in 2007 and setting up his behaviour consultancy practice in East Lothian. While most of his cases are seen in the areas surrounding Edinburgh, Mat sees cases from throughout Scotland.  Further information about Mat and his practice can be seen at www.petbehavioursorted.com

  • Overseas Representative-David Appleby

    David has been in practice as a pet behaviour counsellor since 1986. He is based at the Pet Behaviour Centre in Worcestershire, England, in addition to which he holds veterinary referral clinics in Birmingham, Derby, Leicester, Northampton, and Nottingham. David is one of the first pet behaviour counsellors to be certified by the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, a new registration and certification scheme launched in 2003. He is the visiting behaviour counsellor at Queens Veterinary School at Cambridge University, where he also lectures on the subject to students. David is active within the profession generally and is Honorary Secretary for the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors and membership secretary for the BSAVA affiliated Companion Animal Behaviour Therapy Study Group. He is a frequent lecturer at home and overseas, contributes to a number of journals and lectures on the postgraduate diploma/MSc course for pet behaviour counselling at Southampton University. He will be familiar to many in England as the author of a series of client orientated behaviour booklets stocked by veterinary practices and 'Ain't Misbehavin' - a good behaviour guide for family dogs' (Broadcast Books).

  • Education Officer-Rosie Barclay

    Rosie Barclay is a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) and a full member of The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC). She holds a BSc(Hons) and an MPhil in Animal Behaviour and Welfare and is presently consulting as a companion animal behaviourist in Jersey UK. Rosie regularly features on Channel 4's "Pet Rescue" and is a contributing author in "The APBC Book of Companion Animal Behaviour". She has also published a book on dog behaviour designed for dog owners called “Good Dog? Bad Dog?”, and in her spare time acts and writes for drama and film as well as working and teaching at Durrell Conservation Trust. She has two children, a Gypsy horse, an Airedale dog, two Maine Coon cats, four chinchillas, loads of fish and a very patient husband.

  • Veterinary Representative-Gwyn Egginton

    Gwyn worked as a veterinary surgeon in mixed general practice for eight years, and continues to work in small animal practice. She has always been fascinated by animal behaviour and latterly specialised in that branch of veterinary medicine.

    She set up her behaviour referral service in 2003, and became a full member of the APBC in 2007. She now shares her time equally between general veterinary practice and behavioural work, seeing dogs and cats.

    She has owned horses, one of which competed up to medium level dressage, rabbits and guinea pigs, as well as dogs and cats. Currently she owns a Jack Russell terrier, an elderly cat and a guinea pig.

  • -Donna Brander

    Donna is a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist, originally from Austin, Texas. She set up behavioural consultancies in Texas, Copenhagen, Brussels, Madrid and Hong Kong prior to moving to Scotland. She formerly lectured on the MSc course in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare at the University of Edinburgh, and held a behaviour clinic at the Royal (Dick) College of Veterinary Studies. Donna has special interest in welfare and the ethics of pet ownership and behavioural therapy. She has an interest in the interaction of various species as she has four horses, a flock of Shetland sheep, two cats, three dogs, and three chickens.

  • Public Relations Officer-Pippa Hutchison

    Pippa Hutchison qualified from the School of Psychology at the University of Southampton with a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling. She also holds a post-graduate diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling (Dip (AS) CABC) and is a full Member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC). Since 2004 she has been in practice as a companion animal behaviour counsellor holding veterinary referred consultations throughout Scotland and a behaviour consultant at the University of Glasgow, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

    She has been a speaker at the University's Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Cat's Life series; at Edinburgh's FAB feline CPD Behavioural Development of (Typical) Kittens and a presenter on BBC Radio Scotland's Basic Instinct series (cats).

    She has interacted with animals from birth, as her Grandparents ran a boarding kennels and cattery (which also accepted rescue animals). She is currently guardian of a horse, dog (Miniature Schnauzer) and kitten (British Short Hair).

  • Online Public Relations Officer-Karen Wild

    Karen Wild BA (Hons) Dip App Psy, is a full-time U.K. dog trainer and behaviour consultant with 16 years in the field. She has a degree and diploma in Psychology from the University of Nottingham.

    Karen's work has ranged from class teaching, obedience, flyball, agility and working trials competition to running a popular dog display team. When she started her own family Karen realised there was a genuine need for one-to-one help in the family environment. She formed her consultancy Pawprint which specialises in online and practical advice in this area. Her passion is to create and rebuild the 'enjoyment factor' that can come from family dog ownership.

    Karen's work with dogs and young people includes her current programme to bring more dogs into schools in the UK. Her writing has been published in Dogs Today Magazine and she is a regular contributer to dogstardaily.com.
     

  • Provisional Members' Representative-Carri Westgarth

    Carri is a Pet Behaviour Counsellor who sees dogs and cats in Liverpool and on the Wirral. She also teaches puppy and dog training classes, and has worked as the Associate of Erica Peachey since 2007. Carri has a BSc in Zoology and Genetics, and a PhD entitled 'Contact between dogs, and between dogs and people', both from the University of Liverpool. She began her practical dog training career as an Instructor for the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, after working for the RSPCA as an Animal Care Assistant. Carri is currently a Research Associate at the University of Liverpool Veterinary School, specialising in the field of Human-Animal Interactions. She also lectures in Animal Behaviour at the University of Chester and Liverpool John Moores University. Carri is owned by two rescue dogs, a spaniel-cross and a collie.

  • Student Members' Representative-Graham Thompson

    Graham Thompson gained the Post-Graduate Diploma (with distinction) in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling (PG Dip (AS) CABC) from the University of Southampton. He has been a student member of the APBC since 2005 and upgraded to Provisional Membership in 2009.
     
    He has worked with dogs in training classes situations, but now concentrates on one to one training and pet behaviour counselling. Graham is particularly interested in the behaviour of dogs and their owners in the countryside. During his under-graduate studies in applied animal behaviour at the University of Southampton he investigated factors affecting the distance dogs roam from their owners in recreational environments through the use of GPS technology.
     
    Graham is the Dog’s Monthly magazine Trail Hound’s News Editor and the Technical Editor of Trail Magazine. As a writer and photographer he has contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers as well as being the author of two books for hillwalkers.
     
    He lives among the mountains of the Lake District with two dogs, Jess the collie, Molly the labrador, a one eyed three legged cat called Gym and a second cat Rudi. They have all been rescued and have had more than their fair share of behaviour problems but they all get along well ... now!