Every Dog Listener has a moment that changes them forever.
For Ali, one of the founding tutors at the School for Professional Dog Listeners, that moment came through her boxer, Chili — a spirited, sensitive soul who would go on to teach her more about life, trust, and leadership than any human teacher ever could.
This is Chili’s story. But really, it’s a story about awakening — from doing everything “right” to discovering what dogs actually need from us: calm, consistent communication and emotional safety.
The Early Days: Doing Everything by the Book
Like many of us, Ali began her journey as a devoted dog guardian determined to “get it right.”
She had grown up around boxers, so when the time came to bring her own puppy home, she thought she knew what to expect — fun, loyalty, and plenty of goofy energy.
Following every modern guide she could find, she checked all the boxes: puppy socialisation classes, obedience courses, and exposure to every sound, surface, and situation.
“I thought I was doing exactly what a responsible owner should do,” she recalls. “I’d read that puppies must experience everything before 16 weeks, so I did. We went everywhere — busy streets, dog parks, shops, friends’ houses. I thought I was building confidence, but I was missing one huge piece: how she was actually feeling.”
Chili, it turned out, wasn’t thriving on all that exposure. She was overwhelmed.
When “Training” Backfires
It started in puppy class. Surrounded by barking dogs and nervous owners, Chili looked confident — even bossy. When off lead, she would find the smallest dog in the room and pin it to the floor.
At first, Ali thought she had “the bully of the playground.” She felt embarrassed and confused.
“She looked dominant. I thought she was ignoring me on purpose. But what I didn’t see was that she was scared. She was trying to control what felt uncontrollable.”
Despite the warning signs, Ali pressed on. Like so many loving owners, she believed training was the answer. But the more she tried to fix Chili’s behaviour with traditional obedience, the more disconnected they both became.
The Gadget That Changed Everything (and Not in the Way She Expected)
Desperate for a solution, Ali sought help from a highly regarded training school.
The trainer introduced her to a gadget — a remote-controlled collar with an aerosol spray.
“When she didn’t come back, I was told to press the button. The spray hissed near her ear, she startled, and ran back to me. The trainer smiled. I was told, ‘That’s a perfect recall.’”
For a brief moment, it seemed to work. Chili returned when called, and Ali felt a rush of relief — finally, control!
But within ten days, it stopped working.
“I found myself pressing it more and more, and she just stopped responding. That’s when I realised: I hadn’t solved the problem. I’d just scared her into obedience — and it broke something between us.”
It was a painful realisation, but also the beginning of something extraordinary.
Discovering Dog Listening
Soon after, while searching for a better way, Ali came across Jan Fennell’s book The Dog Listener.
“I read it in one sitting. It made sense of everything I’d been feeling but couldn’t name — that what dogs really need is calm leadership, not control. It was like a light switching on.”
The next morning, she began to interact with Chili differently. She softened her energy, adjusted her communication, and stopped using quick fixes.
And almost immediately, Chili responded.
“It was as if she looked at me and said, ‘Oh, there you are.’ Her whole body softened. Her eyes changed. She was relieved. She finally felt she could trust me.”
That simple shift — from control to communication — marked the beginning of their transformation.
From Confusion to Connection
Ali soon attended her first Dog Listening course with Jan and Tony Knight.
“Everything I learned there deepened what I’d already started to feel — that dogs don’t misbehave out of stubbornness or dominance, but out of confusion. They take the lead when they believe we can’t.”
Back home, she began applying the principles with Chili. Slowly, the anxiety melted away.
Her recall improved naturally, without gadgets, bribes, or force. Their walks became calm, their home peaceful.
The more Ali listened, the more Chili relaxed — and the more Ali learned about herself.
The Realisation: It Was Never the Dog
Years later, reflecting on their journey, Ali shared one simple truth:
“There was nothing wrong with Chili. She was responding to me — to my energy, my expectations, and the environments I put her in. When I changed, she changed.”
Dog Listening taught her that dogs don’t need to be “fixed.” They need to feel safe.
They need a calm, consistent human who communicates in ways they naturally understand.
That’s the hidden truth behind so many behaviour struggles: the dog isn’t the problem — the misunderstanding is.
From Guilt to Growth
Like many of us, Ali wrestled with guilt over past mistakes. But she now sees them as vital steps on her path.
“It’s easy to look back and cringe at the things we did before we knew better,” she says. “But those moments led me to Dog Listening. They changed my life.”
She went on to qualify as a Professional Dog Listener, representing Jan across London and the South East, helping countless owners rediscover joy and peace with their dogs.
And each time she met a new client — frustrated, confused, or heartbroken — she remembered Chili, and the desperation that once made her reach for a quick fix. That compassion became her greatest teaching tool.
Chili’s Legacy Lives On
Though Chili passed away at 11½, her spirit continues to shape everything Ali teaches today.
Her journey inspired Ali to help with boxer rescue organisations — ensuring that no dog is misunderstood, mislabeled, or given up on due to fear-based training.
Now, her rescue dog Ludo shares her home — a living example of calm, connection, and second chances.
“Chili was my first soul dog,” Ali says softly. “She mirrored me. She showed me who I really was — anxious, overthinking, trying too hard. When I calmed, she calmed. When I trusted, she trusted. She was my greatest teacher.”
The Heart of Dog Listening
Dog Listening isn’t about quick fixes or obedience drills.
It’s about relationships — about becoming the calm, confident leader your dog has always needed you to be.
When we let go of control and start communicating through empathy and consistency, our dogs relax. They stop trying to take charge. They trust that we’ve got things handled.
And in that trust, everything changes.
If You See Yourself in This Story…
If you’ve ever felt that knot of guilt or frustration — knowing something doesn’t feel right but not knowing what else to do — you’re not alone.
Ali has been there. So have thousands of others.
And Dog Listening offers a way forward: calm, kind, effective, and rooted in deep understanding.
✨ Ready to begin?
🐾 Or, if you’ve ever wondered whether you could turn this passion into a profession, take the free quiz: Could You Be a Professional Dog Listener?
You’ve got this. And your dog will thank you for it.
