Hi, I’m Morag K Heirs and it’s lovely to meet you!

I am a clinical animal behaviourist with a passion for helping people rebuild trusting relationships with their animal companions, no matter how hard things feel.

I have been in practice for 15 years and was one of the first accredited Clinical Animal Behaviourists (ABTC-CAB) in York. I help people build trusting relationships with their dogs, even when things feel hopeless, using fast and effective methods.

Charity work: I have worked with three RSPCA branches and Jerry Green Dog Rescue to train staff, assess dogs and create rehab plans. In 2022 I joined the UK’s largest dog welfare charity in search of new challenges as a community behaviourist and continue to work part-time with them.

Behaviour change is tricky. It’s an art and a science.  You need a professional with great practical skills and a good understanding of how people and dogs learn. Alongside my skills with animals, I’m also a lecturer in Psychology, and Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine among other topics. I know how to supercharge your learning! We both know that change doesn’t happen overnight. I will be here to support you and answer your questions as we work together to make life with your dog joyful again.

You might already know me through Well Connected Canine, a wonderful company that I co-ran between 2009 and 2022. We provided training classes, sports workshops and behaviour support for dogs across York and North Yorkshire through our team of 5 trainers, 2 behaviourists and countless enthusiastic volunteers. I am so proud of what we achieved together, and the huge number of dogs & people we were able to support.

My accreditations, qualifications and more

Accredited Clinical Animal Behaviourist (ABTC-CAB) and Animal Training Instructor (ABTC-ATI) in practice for 15 years
Full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC)
Full member of the Professional Association of Canine Trainers (PACT)
MA (Hons) (SocSci) Psychology (University of Glasgow), MSc Research Methods (University of Strathclyde), PhD Health Sciences (University of York)
Postgraduate education in Ethology (University of Newcastle), Anthrozoology, Clinical Animal Behaviour, International Cat and Dog Welfare (University of Edinburgh)
Provider of specialist education and articles on Scentwork for behaviour problems, deaf and visually impaired dog support, Herding and Hunt Point Retrieve (HPR) dogs.
Associate Lecturer in Psychology (The Open University)
Visiting lecturer in Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine and Clinical Animal Behaviour MSc research supervisor (University of Edinburgh)
Successful competitor in Canicross, TD Scentwork, TD Rally and more with both deaf and hearing dogs

Some of my favourite activities