About me, the dog and the blog

Hello!

My name is Laura, I am Dutch and currently finishing my MSc in Animal behaviour in Sweden.
Next to studying, I am also working as a teacher.

My passion for animals started very young, my whole world revolved around animals, nature and being creative.
This passion let me to become a veterinary technician, animal scientist, science teacher and... eventually, an animal biologist.

I always liked dogs... but my mum liked cats better... so I had to do with dogs from people in the street which I walked almost daily.
One and a half years ago I adopted Amber, a podenco mix from a Spanish shelter, and that is when my biggest hobby, call it obsession, started!

So who is Amber... Amber is 2 years old, and ended up in a killing shelter together with her siblings when she was only 4 weeks old. She and her siblings were moved to a shelter who promotes the adoption of their dogs through a Swedish website.
All Ambers siblings were already adopted when I found her picture on the website, she was almost 1 year old, and very ready to finally get adopted!

So that is how the whole yourney started, from her first training sessions, to her first outdoor experiences, first camping trips and first gear...
I wanted to do as much activities with her as I could, seeing what she liked to do so we could start working towards an aim, and getting her confidence up (which was very much needed).
I love being outside with her, working alongside with her, and seeing her grow in her own development.

But being a student on a budget, a lot of activities can be very pricey...
I do a lot of research on the latest findings, products, training methods and cheaper alternatives for the often overpriced dog equipment in petstores.
This also led me to making my own equipment if I couldn't find a certain product whithin my budget, or when it simply doesn't fit Ambers shape and size.
After getting quite a collection of own made dog gear, I get more and more people asking me for details or advice... and that is exactly why I set up this page, to share my tips with everyone on how to make your own gear and what kind of gear is worth the pay!

I didn't have a clue what to expect when I adopted Amber, so I tried to read as many experiences from people as possible, and even then, I still felt a bit lost... what could we expect? And what do we do in certain situations? And would this dog really fit us? These questions I also try to answer by describing my own experiences, in the hope that many more Podencos and other shelter dogs will find great homes!