ABOUT GIO
I am Giorgia, I am also known as Gio by many of my peers (pronounced Jo). I had originally moved to London with the idea of staying only for a couple of years and then, I found a place that offered me the possibility to go back to study, learn and develop a new career.
My professional journey began in Milan where I worked as a designer and continued in London, progressing to a project manager for a large international company. I worked on intricately complex and beautiful projects, in high-end furniture design, travelled to different countries, and liaised with many people.
Whilst working in the design field, dogs remained a constant passion in my life and heart. I always had the dream of studying dog training and dog behaviour to become a professional in the field. My journey with dogs began in childhood, I was age seven when I asked my parents to rescue Rudy, a clever mutt. While studying design in Italy, I volunteered at the local dog rescue centre in my home town, where I adopted Chela, a dog and Micia, a cat. My current dog companion of the last nine years is Sirya, you can see her on my homepage. She was 2 years old when she travelled from a rescue centre in the South of Italy to our new life together in Milan and after a few years to London.
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In 2020, still working in the design field I began my dream, and started my educational journey working with dogs, obtaining a level 3 ‘Foundation Diploma of Canine Behaviour Management’. Still feeling passionate and eager to deepen my knowledge, I then undertook both the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) residential courses, ‘Foundation’ and ‘Part Two’. These courses were over two enriching years, with extensive reading and numerous assignments, this journey proved challenging yet immensely rewarding.
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As I studied, I recognized the need for more practical hands-on work with dogs and was able to join Dogs Trust Dogs School as a volunteer. It was a great experience, supporting puppy and adult classes. I learnt a lot about how to manage a class and how to teach effectively positive training to dogs and their owners.
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In 2022, I was able to give up my full-time work in design to focus solely on dogs pursuing my passion, my dream came true!! I started my own business called 'Gio and the Dogs', at the beginning providing solo walks in South East London and then after the completion of my APDT courses, adding training services. I also started to collaborate part-time with the local, Dogs’ Choice day care centre in South East London. In both experiences I have been able to apply my theoretical knowledge practically, training dogs on walks, observing dogs' body language and managing socialization in puppies and adult dogs.
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I am now working towards my APDT accreditation to become a full member of the organization. Simultaneously, I am pursuing a level 5 ‘Advanced Diploma Applied Animal Behaviour (Canine) which is a recognised programme by the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC), this course enables me to qualify as an animal behaviourist.