Volunteering at the animal ambulance brings me into contact with lots of animals, and each of them has their own back-ground story (often translated thanks to the finders! đŸ˜‰ ). And I also get to meet other volunteers!
It was a convoluted way through the magazine editorial team that I met fellow bijrijder (co-driver) Hella Boon. I was keen to have a chat with her because she trains dogs. And someone who knows all a lot* about “man’s best friend” is someone I need to chat with!
* Hella’s modesty forces me to correct this!
With her permission, this post is her story!
Hella’s Story
Chapter 1: Animal Welfare Concerns
Hella grew up with dogs, but it was in Olympic-level professional horse sports where she first started working. In the beginning it was amazing for her to participate in the sports and it gave her a rush, but the more time she spent in it, the more she realised everything was geared for the human and not the horses.
She noticed the industry was divided into different communities and different philosophies, and not all of them were ethical. The pressure was high which meant a high demand on the horses to perform at such a high level. They lived in a completely controlled environment; every minute of their day was scheduled and they had very little time for their natural behavior. They were steered away from the life they were supposed to live, and in turn became equipment for the games that we like to play as humans.
Chapter 2: Seeing her way through finance
Concerns regarding animal welfare in the equestrian sports industry was a tough pill to swallow for Hella. She also explained it was difficult to be a well-earning equestrian when you’re not coming from money. So when she was offered a contract after the 2017 Olympics she chose to take on HR studies instead for independent financial resilience. Through the study she was ethically conscientious regarding where she worked for her internships, for example, working for a guide dogs for the blind organisation.
Chapter 3: Meanwhile…Agility Sports
Hella bought her own first dog, a breed specifically suited to agility sports. This is where, under her direction, her unleashed dog ran through a field full of obstacles in timed events. And because the breed of the dog was a herding breed, she also looked into sheep herding too!
Aside: A farmer asked his sheep dog to round up his 48 sheep.
“No problem,” says the sheep dog. “You’ve got about 50.”
Chapter 4: Canine Training
It was during her internship working with guide dogs when Corona gave Hella a lot of time at home. With an enormous amount of canine experience behind her, this was the perfect time to enroll to be a canine instructor! And armed with certificates and a network under her belt, Hella was able to teach group and private classes at a dog school when Corona ended.
She also taught “Mantrailing” which is the sport version of search‑and‑rescue scent work. Humans don’t have a keen sense of smell like dogs do, so Hella completely relied on her dog because she had no clue what he smelled. She read his subtle body language shifts; a difficult task!
(Note the role reversal of Hella’s training dogs to guide the visually impaired to dogs ‘training’ her because of her inferior sense of smell!)
Chapter 5: Balancing Security and Passion
It’s really hard to live in the Netherlands on only dog training industry wages, so Hella moved to Wageningen for an HR job at Wageningen University Research. The work was stable but she missed working with animals; Hella needed something more meaningful alongside it.
Her background in horse sports, agility, herding, scent work, and instructor training meant she already had the skills, training and motivation to help dogs and their owners, so starting her own practice was a natural step!
Chapter 5: Hella’s Honden Training (= “Hella’s Dog Training”)
Hella teaches new owners how to raise and handle their dogs and helps families whose dogs develop issues such as barking, anxiety, leash problems, or household behaviour challenges. She emphasises that most of her work is actually teaching people and not dogs!
“I’m an average person, you know? I just know a little bit about dogs. And I like teaching. And basically that’s it.” – Hella Boon
Except I don’t think that is it! She finds dog behaviour intellectually rich and never boring, and despite her experiences and training, she doesn’t count herself amongst the world’s best dog trainers. Didn’t Socrates postulate that knowing your limits is the first step towards wisdom?! đŸ˜‰
Talking further with Hella about her work was inspiring! And if I’m allowed to judge from the point of view of someone who really knows nothing about dogs (this is due to change!), there was a lot of knowledge behind the subjects I’m sure she only glanced over!
The hour we spent chatting in the animal ambulance grounds passed quickly, and I left with a greater appreciation of the bond between dogs and humans, and admiration for the trainers who help us develop it!
