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Monday 22 April 2013

Interview with Lydia Critchlow; the Brains & Brawn behind Dig It



Lydia Critchlow set up Dig It Dog Training Club in 2005.  Many people hear Lydia's name and speak to her via email but may never meet her.  Therefore we grabbed Lydia for a quick interview so you could learn more about the Brains & Brawn of Dig It! 

Q. What's the first thing you do when you wake up?

Lydia: Check my iphone.

Q. Talk us through your average day.

Lydia: Every day is completely different. An average day would involve taking the dogs for a walk, go and do my horse after a quick breakfast, maybe treat some private McTimoney clients, work at Physio-Vet for a few hours or it could be all day. In the evening I'll be checking emails, sorting paperwork for the club, maybe instructing a class, looking after my mum in the meantime. Then I always try and stop work at 10:30pm and have some down time.


Q. When did you first start training dogs?

Lydia: I grew up on a farm with working sheepdogs so I grew up training them and got involved in sheepdog trials. There's a photo of me holding one of my collies when I was about 3. But I started helping to train the dogs and training dogs myself when I was about 8. 

Q. What for you is the best thing about owning a dog?

Lydia: Cuddles on the sofa, definitely cuddles on the sofa! When you tell them what you're going to do today or when you go and kiss them goodnight, that's the best thing, and they cuddle you back! Not asking them to do anything but having them there to chat to and them being yours is the best thing.

Q. When did you know you wanted to work with dogs specifically rather than other animals or other jobs?

Lydia: I always knew I wanted to work with animals definitely, but not specifically dogs. When I was at uni a friend I lived with worked with dogs on her placement year and that was very different to how I'd grown up with working dogs that stayed outside. I fell into a career with dogs about 9 years ago when I was at NWF and I had Treacle and then Red, and I thought he was good quite at this so I best start training him properly, and then one thing led to another from there. But I do like to have time away from dogs & I'll go and help out on the farm and go be with my own horse sometimes. A happy balance is the key.

Q. Do you follow your head or your heart?

Lydia: Heart! Definitely.    

Q. What is the biggest challenge you've faced?

Lydia: Erm, answering this question, haha! I'd probably say doing my thesis for my masters, because that was hard, really hard. But then there are other challenges I've faced. Probably my thesis though as it was long term and demanding.


Q. What do you feel has been your greatest achievement?

Lydia: Setting up Dig It and Dig It being successful. Qualifying Freddie for the Olympia Semi’s in his first year competing is definitely something.  Actually the biggest thing for me is being self-employed and working for myself. Deciding what hours I want to work and when I want to work, even if that decision is to work really late. Being successfully self-employed and not struggling, having enough time to do everything. 

Q. Who's the favourite dog you've owned?

Lydia: Peaky! It has to be Teak my Kelpie. She is driven, really really driven, although sometimes for the wrong things. And she is the most cuddliest dog ever and she chats away to you while you're having nice cuddles together.


Q. If you were a breed of dog what breed would you be?

Lydia: I'd have to be a Border Collie, because I work and work and keep working. But when I crash out I really zonk out.

Q. Do you prefer sports cars or 4x4s?

Lydia: 4x4s! Because I'm about to get one! Yes!

Q. High heels or wellies?

Lydia: Wellies.

Q. Why did you decide to start offering puppy classes to people?

Lydia: Because people that came to the agility originally had young dogs and puppies coming through that they needed to do a bit of obedience with first of all, so it was really because of them.  We started off as a group of people doing agility and that increased to bigger classes. Then I went on the APDT course and that really inspired me to teach the puppies something before they even started agility.  And when I got Red I went to three different puppy classes at different places and I didn’t like all that they taught, so I though right we'll set up our own, and I want to give people what I wanted to get out of a class.

Q. Are there any famous or infamous dog trainers that you've found most inspirational?

Lydia: Gwynneth Williams. She hasn't just taught me things with Red she's taught me things with every single dog I’ll ever teach or own!! So although she is very modest and thinks she's just helping me with one dog…. I use all of the training she's given me for every single dog that I have and will have. And that's a massive asset to her. Even the things you already know she gives you a different take on things, like she uses different rewards all the time and explains things – how and why... I must have asked her hundreds of questions over the time I’ve known her. The things she says to you and what you take on board are fab.
I'd like to say Victoria Stillwell also because I've met her and she is a really nice person, but I haven't done any in-situ training with her and I think that's the situations when you get the most of out learning from another person.


Q. If you could do any job what would you do?

Lydia: Ooh I don't know, something where you're on your own, a farmer maybe. In fact I want to be a cattle rancher in Texas and ride horses all day. And work Kelpies! Actually I'd be an Australian cattle rancher and work kelpies and ride horses all day! Yes!

Q. If I gave you an elephant where would you hide it?

Lydia: In my nicker drawer!! Or my sock drawer.

Q. How did you first get involved in Agility?

Lydia: Through my friend Rena from university, who now has gun dogs and kennels at Werrrington, she had a friend that did agility at Whitchurch and Rena went with her Labrador ‘Bramble.’ Our friend Karen let me run two of her dogs and that was it! I was hooked!

Q. What is it about Agility that you love over other dog activities?

Lydia: Agility is something different every day. I know you teach the same obstacles but every course you run is totally different and I love the dynamics of it and how it changes.



Q. If you were invisible for one day what you do?

Lydia: Ooh if I only had the time to be invisible. Yeah actually I'd use it to spend some time relaxing, I'd go for a long walk, in fact I'd go to the beach and sit and watch the waves and have some chill time.

Q. Do you have a motto or saying for your dog training?

Lydia: Its actually Harper Adams' motto but its a really good one, which is "what you put into Harper, you get out of Harper" and that's really really true.  
So ‘what you put into your dog training.. you will get the same out of it!’

Q. If someone says to you "How do I become a great dog trainer?" what advice would you give to them?

Lydia: Follow your instincts about what you think is right and wrong, and don’t be spoon fed by other people. You're a responsible person and you've got a brain so use it, make your own informed decisions, don’t be shoe horned into something just because someone else said its a good idea.

Q. If you could only give one piece of advice to all dog owners what would it be?

Lydia: Think about how your dog's feeling and responding to things. Consider how your dog feels about things, anything, walking, on a lead, being stroked, being looked at, being left alone, everything. Really think about how your dog feels when its in certain situations and decide what to do.


 To read more about Lydia and other Instructors check out the Meet The Instructors page of our website:  http://www.digitdogs.co.uk/about-us/instructors/ 


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