About Steph Cronin
Helping people understand the dog in front of them
I’m Steph Cronin, a dog trainer, canine behaviour consultant, author and educator based in Dublin.
I’ve worked with dogs since 2013, first in London and now in Ireland, supporting hundreds of puppies, adult dogs and the people who live with them.
My work is guided by a simple question: what is life like for the dog in front of us?
When we look beyond the behaviour in front of us and consider what a dog may be feeling, learning or finding difficult, we can respond with far more understanding. I care about confidence, connection and welfare, rather than obedience for its own sake.
I’m interested in how dogs experience the world, how they communicate and what it means for two species to live alongside one another.
Alfie changed the direction of my life
I had always loved dogs, but I never imagined a career in dog training. I thought it meant taking a dog into an arena and teaching them to perform, which didn’t appeal to me at all.
That changed after I moved to London and adopted Alfie, an ex-racing greyhound. I had carefully researched which dogs could live happily in an apartment with people who worked, and greyhounds kept coming up.
Unfortunately, Alfie had not read the research.
He had severe separation anxiety, hated other dogs, pulled like a train and had no recall. The relaxed walks around Fulham that I had pictured were not happening.
I contacted dog trainer Winky Spiers for help. Watching the way she worked with Alfie showed me a completely different kind of dog training, based on understanding the dog rather than controlling them.
I began taking courses, and in 2013 I started working professionally with puppies and adult dogs.
Really great puppy classes – highly recommend for anyone with a new puppy
“We adopted a Lurcher puppy and were going through a phase of being overwhelmed and clueless.
Steph’s training and advice was really outstanding not only during the classes but also the information provided via notes, recorded information, answering follow up questions and even providing a lend of harness and leads to try out to get best fit for our pup.”
Understanding before obedience
I’m interested in how dogs experience the world, how they communicate and what it means for two species to live alongside one another. Behaviour is only one part of that picture.
Before trying to change a dog, I want to understand what is happening for them and help the people around them do the same.
Sometimes progress comes from training. Sometimes it comes from changing the environment, giving a dog more time, allowing more choice or simply seeing a familiar problem differently.
A puppy-centred approach
Puppies have become a particular focus of my work. They are learning about an entirely new world while going through enormous physical, emotional and social development.
Having taught hundreds of puppies over the years, I’ve seen the same worries and patterns many times, but I don’t treat puppies as though they are all the same.
My classes are puppy-centred, with space for confidence, security, social connection, curiosity and rest, alongside the practical training that makes everyday life easier.
I don’t rush puppies through a checklist of traditional commands or expect every puppy to develop at the same pace. I want people to understand the puppy in front of them, recognise what they are communicating and build a relationship that will support them well beyond puppyhood.
My classes are puppy-centred, with space for confidence, security, social connection, curiosity and rest, alongside the practical training that makes everyday life easier.
From learning to teaching
Education is one of the parts of my work I find most rewarding. I enjoy sharing information, giving people something new to think about and helping them see the dog in front of them differently.
My first book, Office Dogs: The Manual, began as the final project for Turid’s education programme and was published in 2019. It grew from my work helping organisations think more carefully about dogs in the workplace and led to the creation of Happy Office Dogs.
The idea for my second book began when I remembered Turid saying that there were no puppy books she felt able to recommend. I asked whether she would write one with me.
She initially told me to write it myself and that she would help, but I wanted the book to carry her philosophy properly, so I persuaded her to collaborate.
How to Raise a Puppy: A Dog-Centric Approach was published in 2022. Both books have since reached readers internationally and have been published in several languages.
Today I continue to teach through talks, recorded content and live education, and I mentor dog trainers who want to create thoughtful, puppy-centred classes of their own.
Teaching allows useful information to travel further. By helping more people understand dogs, I can improve the lives of many more dogs than I could through individual training alone.
Education, qualifications and professional affiliations
My professional memberships and affiliations include the Pet Dog Trainers of Europe, IVBA and Yappily. I served on the PDTE board from 2017 to 2020 and am Ireland’s country representative.
I have appeared on Irish television and radio, contributed to international radio programmes and podcasts, and spoken to dog guardians and professionals about puppy development, welfare and our relationships with dogs.
Before dogs became my work, my academic interest was language. I hold an honours degree from Trinity College Dublin, where I was a Foundation Scholar, and an MPhil in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic from the University of Cambridge.
It may sound unrelated, but perhaps a long-standing interest in language and communication has found its way into my work after all.
How can I help?
I currently focus on small outdoor puppy classes, rescue dog group courses and education for dog professionals.
Whether you’re bringing home a new puppy, finding your feet with a rescue dog or looking to develop your own work with dogs, you’re welcome to get in touch and tell me a little about what you need.