Helping people understand the dog behind the behaviour.
Behaviour support for people who want to understand their dog more deeply — not simply make them more obedient. I specialise in free-living and village dogs, fearful and anxious dogs, and dogs whose independence or sensitivity doesn’t always fit neatly into life inside a human home.
Your dog is not a problem to solve.
Behaviour is information and my work begins by looking at the dog underneath it: their emotional state, history, environment, motivations, relationships and individual needs.
When I start working with a new client, it all starts from one simple question:
“Why does this behaviour make sense for this dog?”
Welfare first — for both the human and the dog.
Welfare before obedience
Your dog’s wellbeing matters more than how compliant they appear.
Relationship over control
The goal is communication and trust, not a dog who follows every instruction.
Understand before we change
The same behaviour can have different causes. We look at the dog producing it.
Learning from dogs who still have a little more choice.
Living and working alongside free-living dogs in Sri Lanka has profoundly shaped how I understand canine behaviour.
They choose who they interact with, negotiate conflict, communicate boundaries, form relationships, avoid situations they don’t trust and make decisions for themselves.
I support guardians of village and free-living dogs who are navigating the enormous transition from a more autonomous life into a human household.
Learn more about my approach →Hi, I’m Vanessa.
I’m a dog behaviour professional originally from Italy and now permanently based in Sri Lanka, where I’ve spent the past seven years living and working alongside free-living dogs.
My work brings together almost two decades in the pet industry, formal behaviour education, years of CNVR, rescue and shelter work, academic research, ongoing professional development, and the kind of learning that only comes from watching dogs navigate their own social worlds.
Bambi and PingPong were the catalysts for my path into behaviour. They pushed me to look beyond the four quadrants and ask better questions about fear, communication, autonomy, trust, relationships, and what behaviour is actually telling us.
I hold a Level 5 Diploma in Dog Behaviour & Psychology and have completed the Aggression in Dogs Master Course. My thesis, Beyond Rescue: Evaluating the Suitability and Sustainability of Free-Living Dogs as Pets, explored what happens when free-living dogs transition into human homes.
Level 5 Diploma in Dog Behaviour & Psychology
Aggression in Dogs Master Course
Support built around the dog in front of us.
There isn’t one protocol I use for every fearful, reactive or anxious dog. We look at the whole picture and decide what kind of support will actually help.
The Clarity Plan
Understand what is happening and know what to do next.
For guardians who need help making sense of their dog’s behaviour, identifying what may be driving it and creating a clear way forward.
Explore the Clarity Plan →The Transformation Journey
Work with me over time on a complex or persistent behavioural pattern.
For cases that need ongoing assessment, observation and adaptation rather than a single plan.
Explore the Transformation Journey →Adopted a street or village dog and not sure where to start?
Most adopters make the same handful of mistakes in the first few weeks — before they've had a chance to understand what their dog actually needs. Get my free guide: 5 Common Mistakes Street Dog Adopters Make — and what to do instead.
Kind words from clients living the work.
A few reviews from people I have supported with village dogs, rescue dogs and complex behaviour cases.
My husband and I were having behavioral issues with our two rescue dogs but after an initial consultation and a month-long guidance program with Vanessa, our relationship is stronger than ever.
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She helped us truly understand their needs and grow our trust. Highly recommend!
Words simply cannot express how knowledgeable, nuanced, empowering, and understanding Vane is.
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We rescued a street dog who unfortunately was hit by a truck, malnourished, and had been treated poorly by the world around him and therefore quite aggressive to many humans.
It’s been a journey but with Vane’s help we have seen huge improvements.
Our dog (Dobey) in most scenarios went from barking, charging, snapping, growling at anyone who walked through our gate - then often tried to escape, attacking any dog on his path.
He is now cautious, sniffs, wags his tail, and comes back to us. We have rules for guests and Dobey is significantly less stressed, overwhelmed or aggressive — and we feel MUCH more confident managing the situation keeping friends safe.
We are now aware of what he needs to feel safe in our home.
I highly highly recommend Vane. She is phenomenal.
Vanessa is very knowledgeable and was responsive and easy to work with. She simply has far more knowledge about free living and former stray dogs than any other trainer I have encountered.
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She worked with me to help integrate four free living dogs including one with significant anxiety and history of fighting with the other three. Along with an existing long term pet chihuahua.
She works on the actual core issues to help realistically resolve them and is relationship based, rather than using unnecessary force to “control.”
Vanessa is amazing! One of a kind. We adopted two village dogs that were brought to the US from the West Bank, and had NO idea what we were doing.
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We couldn’t find a single trainer in the states that understood village dogs, and we were starting to feel so discouraged. We even worked with a few other international trainers, but no one was able to guide us the way Vanessa did.
She has such a unique and deep understanding of village dogs, and dog behavior + psychology in general! Her knowledge and expertise have been invaluable to us. Vanessa was able to help us understand our pups so much better than we ever imagined possible!
She’s also incredibly compassionate and empathetic, with dogs and humans alike. Truly a pleasure to work with. We are so grateful we found her! Finn and Nora thank you so much, too, Vanessa! 🐾🐾
Thinking differently about dogs.
Essays, observations and practical resources exploring dog behaviour, free-living dogs, relationships, welfare and what happens when human expectations meet canine reality.