Welcome
about Me
I’m Nina Fotara KCAI WG – Holistic Gundog Specialist, Energetics Practitioner, and the founder of Confident Canine®.
I help gundogs and their guardians build trust, understanding, and calm confidence using a relationship-first, energetically aware approach. My methods are grounded in science, guided by energy, and shaped by years of hands-on work with both working-line dogs and sensitive souls.
I don’t teach dogs to obey. I teach them to understand. I teach humans how to show up with presence, clarity, and calm leadership their dog can trust.
Through signature methods like PAWS to Pause™, Soft Speak™, Flow Walking™, and my Canine Ease™ 6×6 Framework, I guide you to build the kind of connection that transforms training into partnership.
This work isn’t just about behaviour change, it’s about emotional regulation, energetic rhythm, and helping both ends of the lead feel seen, supported, and steady.
details
credentials
Experience, Qualifications & Credentials
I have a wealth of qualifications, certifications and experience:
- KCAI WG (Kennel Club Accredited Instructor – Working Gundogs)
- Member of The Guild of Dog Trainers (Specialist Trainer – Gundogs)
- Member of the PPG (Pet Professional Guild)
- Diploma of Canine Behaviour
- Do More With Your Dog Animal Actors Academie Certified Assessor
- Do More With Your Dog certified Trick Dog Instructor
- Previous Captain of a Kyra Sundance ‘All Stars’ Team
- Scentwork UK – Train the Trainer Level 1 Certificate
- Scentwork UK – Train the Trainer Level 2-4 Certificate
- Scentwork UK – Train the Trainer Level 5-8 Certificate
- Scentwork UK Judges and Trial Managers Certificates for levels 1 through to 4
- Mantrailing Global/UK Certified Instructor
- Canine Hoopers UK Accredited Instructor
- Merisha Canine Massage Certificate
- VIS Ultrasound Certificates Level 1 & 2
- Certificate in Animal Communication
- Pet Bereavement Counsellor Diploma
- Reiki Certificates 1, 2, and Master/Teacher (since 2006)
- Certificate in NLP
- Certificate in MBSR
- Meditation Teachers Certificate
- Crystal Healing Certificate
- Certified Ho’oponopono Practitioner
- IOSH Managing Safely Certificate
- Canine 1st Aid certificate – Renewed February 2025
- Human 1st Aid certificate – Renewed February 2025
More details
My courses
and additional courses completed:
- ABK “Resilience” conference 2025
- Edition Dogs Live 2025 – Attended and gave talk on helping your dog to share items – “Help, its mine”
- ABK “When Dogs Bite” conference 2024
- BAT (Behavioural Adjustment Therapy) – 1st UK Instructors Course
- Susan Garretts Recallers 3.0
- 30 days of Canine Science – School of Canine Science
- Scent for Six – School of Canine Science
- Puppy Development & Socialisation (Puppy Lab 1 & 5 of 5) – School of Canine Science
- Canine Genetics – School of Canine Science
- Nutrition & Behaviour – School of Canine Science
- Fear – School of Canine Science
- Separation Anxiety Webinar – Jo-Rosie Haffenden
- Resource Guarding: For dogs who growl or bite to keep their stuff with Diane Garrod
- Understanding Dog Aggression – Michael Shikashio CDBC
- Dr Ian Dunbars SIRIUS Dog Trainer Academy – All 4 days
- Dr Ian Dunbar online – Simple solutions for common dog behaviour and training problems
- Animal Centred Education (ACE): Understanding dogs needs and how to do Freework with Sarah Fisher
- Amy Cook Webinar – Play Way! For reactivity and aggression challenges
- KC Conformation and Movement Certificate
- KC Conformation and Movement Hands on Assessment Certificate
- KC Requirements of a Dog Show Judge Certificate
- NEWS Breed Specific Seminar Weimaraner Certificate
- Pointing Breeds Training Day Certificate
- HPR Course with Trevor Rigby
- Mullenscote HPR Live Training Day
- 121 Training with Dortanza
- Numerous Gundog individual days/courses including water days, shot-over days, rough shooting
- Numerous Dog Training individual days/courses including Jenny Lunn, Jo Hill and Lorraine Bennett
- Numerous Canine Behavioural courses
- The International House of Reiki Remembering Course
- Gaia House 3 day silent retreat completed 2019
- Craig Ogilvie – Interactive Play Workshop
- Kachina Canine Wellness Course
- Tony Robbins – Unleash the Power Within Live
More details
Experience
and real world experiences such as:
- Judging the Weimaraner breed at confirmation shows
- Have handled dogs professionally on commercial filming and static shoots for major household brands
- Have featured on Dream 107.7 Radio
- Have titled all 4 of the dogs we have had in Trickwork (including two Champions)
- Opened Essex’ 1st Kyra Sundance Training & Testing Centre
- Have many, many years of clicker training experience
- Have successfully competed in Gundog Working Tests, Agility Shows & Obedience Competitions (including the Discover Dogs KCGCS PB semi-finals) obtaining numerous places
- Represented Weimaraners as a breed at the International Festival of Falconry
- Successfully shown our dogs to Championship level including at CRUFTS, obtaining breed class and BASC placements at CRUFTS
- Have taken part in various Working Trial days
- Have completed Blood Tracking days with both Puppies and Adult dogs
- Have successfully worked our dogs to the gun and in GWT’s
- Have hosted ‘The International House of Reiki’ UK events
- Have bred dogs ourselves
- Have taken part in International Dog Events
- Have also trained with many well known competitive trainers in their individual fields
- Breeder of Longhaired Weimaraners that both show and work successfully in various disciplines (field, agility, obedience).
With my own dogs I have:
- Worked my dogs rough shooting
- Worked my dogs beating
- Worked through reactivity
- Competed in and won/placed consistently in all the following: Gundog working tests, Obedience, Agility
- Worked my dogs in commercial video and photographic shoots for major household brands
- Shown my dogs, placing at Crufts (including a 2nd in BASC class and achieving Best Longhaired in Show awards) and in FCI abroad and winning a companion BIS.
- My dogs hold various trick dog Champion titles and KC good citizen awards
- Won numerous breed club awards with my dogs including numerous “Best All-round Longhaired” awards.
- We’ve tried our hand at working trials and blood tracking and had fun mantrailing and doing scentwork
- Bred two litters who are all doing amazingly – they all leave home recall trained, crate training, used to all sorts of experiences and noises and surfaces etc
Currently
I AM
Undertaking:
- Certified Clinical Canine Behaviourist qualification – A Full level 6 (Degree level)