ABSOLU TELY
HOUSE & GARDEN problematic behaviour in children could be equally well applied to dogs. ‘I was working as a dog trainer in Manhattan and New Jersey with two different businesses,’ explains Victoria. ‘I had become very disillusioned and upset with the number of animals I was seeing at the local shelters being put down because of behaviour issues or other circumstances. I wanted to get information out to people in a big way, so after watching the first episode of Supernanny I thought could produce something like this for dogs.’ An email to the show’s production company Ricochet Television followed and, by the morning, the organisation had replied with an excited interest in the idea. It’s Me or the Dog helped turn Stilwell into a familiar face on our TV screens, yet this wasn’t her first appearance on our sets. The trainer initially enjoyed her own 15 minutes of fame as an actress, appearing on police drama The Bill, as well as Bram Stoker’s Dracula. ‘From about the age
of six years old growing up in Wimbledon, I wanted to be an actress,’ says Victoria. ‘My best friend’s father was Tommy Steele and, whilst he was predominantly known as a rock ‘n’ roll act, he also appeared in films and musicals. He was quite an inspiration, as was my mother who was a ballerina.’ These appearances proved inspirational for Stilwell, giving her exposure to some of the best actors in the business: ‘Being on The Bill was great fun. It was such a fantastic British institution and home to so many great actors. I appeared in Bram Stoker’s Dracula too which, even though my one speaking line sadly got cut from the film, it was still great to be on set with the likes of Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins and Keanu Reeves and, of course, work under the great director and producer Francis Ford Coppola. It was an experience of a lifetime for sure.’ Yet it was her dog-training which would lead Stilwell to fame, a career path inspired by her home town of Wimbledon. ‘Wimbledon Common was somewhere I spent a great deal of time growing up. It’s where my love for dogs and work with them began because I used to walk them there. One of my earliest memories is being on the Common with my best friend Kate – it holds some very dear memories. We must have cycled round it hundreds of times over the years!’ she tells me with a smile.
Paws for Thought THINKING OF GETTING A DOG? VICTORIA STILWELL GIVES ABSOLUTELY HER ADVICE…
Ensure that every member of the family wants a dog. It is especially important for parents not to be taken in by their child asking for a dog unless it suits everyone. The amount of times children get bored of a dog, or of course grow up and move away, means that you need to know you are able to be the primary carer of that dog. Do your research. Imagine a dog could interview you and find out whether it wanted to live with you. If you’re satisfied that the answers you give would make the dog happy, then you know whether or not you should get one. It also helps you know what kind of dog you want – high energy, low energy, affectionate, independent etc. Try your very best to get a dog from a rescue home. Don’t buy from a pet store or puppy farm. If you want to go down the breeder route, then do as much research as possible to make sure you are going somewhere that supports ethical practices. Give your dog a good canine education. We need to educate dogs about how they live with us. Take them to training classes or get a trainer in your home. When it comes to behavioural issues, I always say prevention is better than cure. For more information on Victoria Stilwell, the Victoria Stilwell Foundation, to purchase her book online or contact her team of dog trainers across the UK, visit positively.com
A former Wimbledon High School pupil, Victoria’s connection with Wimbledon is a special one, and as she tells me about her childhood, her words are peppered with sweet, nostalgic memories: ‘I was born in Wimbledon and tennis played quite a big part in my life growing up – my father was a keen player and we went every year. I was baptised, confirmed and married at St Mary’s Church off Church Road where my mum had her dance school, so that’s a very special place for me, and my dad used to take me to Cannizaro Park. He sadly passed away ten years ago but whenever I’m there I take my daughter and play the same games he used to play there with me.’ With America her home for over a decade now, Victoria volunteers as an adoption counsellor for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), organising support dogs to go with the family of victims of 9/11 to ground zero. ‘The comfort that those dogs provided families in the most difficult time of their lives cannot be understated,’ she tells me as she explains her decision to set up the Victoria Stilwell Foundation. The Foundation provides financial support and advice to dog organisations and rescue shelters in the UK, USA and Europe that put Stilwell’s ethos into practise by promoting the concept of reward-based, positive reinforcement dog training. It’s a project which is obviously close to Stilwell’s heart, and she talks about it with a genuine sense of enthusiasm. Ever busy, Victoria released her third dog training book entitled Train Your Dog Positively earlier this year. But the plans don’t stop there; work on another TV series has begun and a school for trainers in both the UK and US will be launching in early 2014. Viewers prepare yourselves: there’s still a lot more tailwagging to come…
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