Lisa and her therapy dog Fara revolutionising dog training in Derry

Lisa opened Ruff Walks with her partner Gareth during the covid pandemic and she has trained over 500 dogs and their owners since then. Dog training comes naturally to the Derry woman, although her struggles with one particular dog is what led her to want to help as many people as possible.

Lisa said: “When I was a child, my dad and I used to compete German Shepherds all over Ireland and, to be honest, my dad gave me dogs to go into the ring with that were so impeccably trained that I never did any work. I just went and reaped the benefits of his hard work! It wasn’t until I became an adult and rescued my first dog, that I could see the work dad put in behind the scenes.

“I moved to Canada a few years ago, where I got Fara. She was the worst animal – not just dog – the worst animal I have ever had to work with. She was horrendous. I had to call a trainer to fly up from America to help me because trainers in my area weren't qualified enough. She was a demon. She destroyed a rental property, she ripped up carpets, she attacked me, she chased a bear – you name it she did it. She was the worst animal ever.

"I was in tears multiple times, I tried to return her to the rescue and just thought there was no chance. Then, I paid a lady close to $700 for one training session, she took four or five hours and I found that I knew 95% of what she told me but the 5% I didn’t know was crucial. Those few changes changed my whole relationship with the dog, so then I could start to train her. That trainer literally saved Fara's life and I remember thinking, ‘I'm never going to let anybody suffer like I did’.”

"I will very clearly say it, because there's other people out there that definitely feel like this, I hated Fara when I first had her. I full-on hated her. I didn't want to work with her. I didn't want to see her. I didn't want to walk her. I did do all those things, but I didn't want to. And then we started to do a bit of work and that all changed and now I couldn't be without her, she's my best friend.”

After moving back to Derry, Lisa was working as a gymnastics coach until Covid hit and she found herself unable to coach.

“I am not a stay-at-home mum,” she said. “I needed to be out doing something, preferably outdoors. Someone suggested that I walk some dogs and I thought I would do a few hours a week, earn £50 for extra savings and that would be me. Within three months, I was working full-time and I couldn't believe people would pay for what I was providing. I started out helping friends and family and then people were coming to me with problems that I found very easy to solve because my dad had taught me. I just found these things very natural and not complicated to communicate with dogs, where the general public found them very difficult.”

As well as training and walking, Lisa also takes her therapy dog Fara to Ardnashee School and The Hub in Northside, where they visit adults with additional needs.

“It's very fulfilling work but it's very difficult on the dog” Lisa explained. “People think that the dog loves to do that work because they're getting petted or they’re in with a child but it's actually very hard for the dog to not react. There's a tonne of training that goes in to teaching your dog to be calm in situations where, for example, a child is trying to hurt them or kick them and impact them. You have to keep your dog calm because obviously you can't risk a child being bitten. I trained Farrah for 18 full months before I even approached Ardnashee to ask if I could volunteer.

“We also just did a six-week visit to Culmore Manor and it's so nice. We just literally go round room to room and they just cuddle her. Residents who are bedridden, Fara jumps on the bed with them and lies down. They just lie and snuggle and pet her and it didn't feel like work. It was just like visiting your granny and grandad. They're so kind and some of them love dogs and some of them hate them and the ones that hated dogs, they had a bit of craic.Ruff Walks have recently opened up their new premises, where they can provide a safe space for dogs, especially dogs who are reactive or have issues.

“The unit is open to clients of ours so people will know that others using the facility are also in the same mindset and so all dogs and owners will be safe. It also is great because for the last two and a half years I have been training dogs outside in all weather and my poor clients can sometimes have to come out in the pouring rain! Now I will have a nice place with lights and tea and coffee and it will be much more cosy for us all. It means that I have every piece of equipment I could ever need to train an animal, whereas at the minute it's whatever I can get in my car.

"So in the unit, there will be the classes, the seminars, my own training with my clients one-to-one but also in the evenings and on the weekends we have like a gym membership, where people come with their dogs and use anything they want. It’s limited to four people per hour and there will always be a staff member available to help, too. You just pay your monthly fee and you can book in on a Sunday night as many times as you want.

"A lot of the work we do is targeted at reactive and difficult dogs because they’re not accommodated for in this town. If you have a difficult dog, you can't go to daycare, you can't have kenneling, your dog can't get groomed. You're just hit by barrier after barrier. Dog walkers will take dogs that aren’t neutered, even though there’s nothing wrong with them. Whereas at Ruff Walks, we want to open it up so that it's inclusive for everybody as much as possible.”

Ruff Walk’s ‘gym membership’ is only open to clients, which includes people who have trained with Lisa, are a dog walking client with Gareth and Samantha or attend eight or more Sunday Socials, which are completely free. For more information or to book a training session or to become a dog walking client, follow Ruff Walks on Facebook or Instagram.