From Scotland to the Sands: Taking My Work International

Scottish Dog Behaviourist Heads to Doha, Qatar

This October marks another exciting and humbling chapter for my business, Scottish Dog Behaviourist. From the 23rd to the 30th, I’ll be based in Doha, Qatar, after being invited to work directly and will be meeting with several clients and their dogs during an intensive week of in-person training.

This is a natural next step and a MAJOR milestone for me, and proof that my work, structure, and philosophy truly resonates far beyond home.

I’m proud to say this will be my second international training experience, following time spent in Spain in 2023, and it marks the start of a new era of consistent growth and opportunity for my business.

The Invitation to Doha

The journey to Doha began with a message from a family member of a client I’d worked with in Scotland and wanted to bring me out to Qatar to help with their dog’s behaviour.

They’d heard about how I work, calm, structured, emotion-based, and entirely tailored to the individual dog and household and they wanted that same approach in their own home and with their dogs.

When we began discussing logistics, it became clear that there was broader interest from other owners in Doha who faced similar challenges and were eager to secure sessions during my visit.

So, what started as a single request quickly evolved into a full week of one-to-one training with a number of clients across the city.

Each of these sessions will be unique, different dogs, different family dynamics, different stories, different behaviours but the foundations remain the same.

Wherever I go, the goal is always to create calm, trust, and clear communication between dogs and the people who love them.

Why This Trip Matters

Being invited to travel abroad for dog behaviour work is an honour in itself. It’s one thing to build a reputation locally; but it’s another to have that work recognised internationally and trusted by clients thousands of miles away.

For me, this trip is about more than just the sessions, it’s about connecting, learning, and looking at behaviour from a new perspective. Every environment, culture, and household will bring something different to observe and adapt to.

Dogs may all share the same instincts, but how we live with them, their routines, spaces, climates, and expectations, can often vary dramatically.

Doha will be different to Scotland and Spain. The climate alone changes everything from daily walking patterns to how dogs’ express energy and stress, not to mention different local rules surrounding dog ownership.

Training in 35°C heat isn’t the same as training in a cold wet field in Ayrshire. It requires a different understanding how the environment a dog lives in can impact it’s behaviour, physiology, and their relationship with their humans.

These experiences across the globe will enhance what I can offer future clients, both at home and abroad. Each client, each dog, each trip makes me a better behaviourist, not just through teaching but through observing and seeing how dogs adapt, how people relate to them, and what is universal re: dog behaviour regardless where we are.

From Scotland to Spain, and Now Qatar

My first taste of working internationally came in 2023, when I spent a week training and studying in Spain. That trip gave me the chance to work with dogs that I to this day know made me a better trainer, honed my approach to training and admittedly changed my life – that is not an overstatement.

It was there that I realised how transferable my ‘Scottish Dog Behaviourist’ approach really is. The structured, emotion-led methods I use focusses on calm, confidence, and consistency. This proved just as effective with the Spanish dogs, (albeit they were already at a very advanced stage) as they do with Scottish ones. The breeds may differ, the weather may differ, the culture may differ, but dogs are dogs. They all crave leadership, clarity, and connection, kinda like us too.

Doha is the next natural step in that journey. This time, the trip isn’t about training dogs at an advanced stage, it’s about leading the work, bringing everything I’ve built over the years in Scotland directly to families on the other side of the world.

The Work

While I can’t share client details, the week will be filled with private, hands-on sessions with a range of dogs, from young, excitable pups to older dogs struggling with reactivity, anxiety, or confidence.

Each session will take place in the dog’s home environment, allowing me to see natural behaviour patterns and give owners immediate, practical tools to create lasting change.

My approach is always the same: calm, consistent, kind but not overly permissive. Real long-lasting behavioural progress comes from clarity and structure rather than quick fixes or gimmicks.

The work is about creating balance and helping owners understand what their dogs need emotionally, and how they can provide it in a way that feels fair and achievable each day.

This is an amazing chance for me to see how dogs are kept, socialised, and trained within Qatar’s unique environment. Every culture has its own relationship with dogs, and I’m fascinated by how that shapes the way behaviour develops and is interpreted.

This is part of what makes this kind of trip so valuable, not just for the dogs I’ll meet, but for the continued evolution of how I teach and communicate back home.

What It Means for the Future

Although this trip is just one week, it represents something much larger. It’s proof that ‘Scottish Dog Behaviourist’ has grown into something recognised and respected well beyond its roots here in Ayrshire.

I’ll always be based here in Scotland, it’s home, my home forever and has been the foundation of everything I do. But over the next few years, I plan to continue taking on select international projects, both in-person and through digital consultations, building a more global footprint for the brand.

Each trip will add another layer of experience, another set of stories, and another perspective to bring back to clients in the UK.

It also opens doors to potential collaborations, professional connections, and educational opportunities along with associated business ventures that can only come from stepping outside your own environment.

Doha might only last a week, but the lessons and insights it brings will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Follow my Journey

In addition to the private client work, I’ll be documenting parts of the trip for social media, sharing footage, thoughts, and reflections from the week.

That means everything from the travel itself to the early-morning sessions in Doha’s desert heat. I want to give you guys a glimpse of what it’s really like to do this work abroad, the preparation, the challenges, the wins, and the moments that remind you why you love the job in the first place.

If you’d like to follow along with my time in Doha, I’ll be sharing daily updates on Instagram and Facebook throughout the week, everything from training clips to travel reflections.

You can also read more about the trip and register interest in future international training opportunities here:- Taking My Work International

Looking Forward

When I started Scottish Dog Behaviourist, it never occurred to me it would one day take me across the world. What began as a local service built on word-of-mouth recommendations has grown into something far bigger than I imagined.

The work has always been about helping owners and dogs understand each other, bridging the gap between emotion and behaviour, frustration and clarity, chaos and calm.

To now be invited to bring that work to clients internationally is something I’m incredibly grateful for.

It’s not about prestige; it’s about progress. Every trip, every new environment, every family that invites me into their home all adds to my experience and makes me a better trainer, a better behaviourist, a better person.

From Spain in 2023 to Qatar in 2025, and wherever comes next, my goal remains the same, to help dogs and their human’s live calmer, happier lives together.

This trip represents growth, learning, and the chance to take the principles that work so well in Scottish homes and apply them to families and cultures across the world.

I’m proud of how far this journey has come, and even more excited for where it’s heading.