My journey
By Dion Watts
If you’d have told me during my final year at university studying for a degree in crime and investigation that this would be the path I would pursue, I wouldn’t have believed you. Like many graduates I figured my degree would dictate my entire career path, but the reality was much more complicated. Even though I graduated with a first, I struggled to get into the industry because of my disability. All that time wasted, I felt like a failure, but I am not one to give up.
Oreo with Dion in their gown at their graduation
I have suffered with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) for 13 years. Five years ago, my condition deteriorated and at that point I ended up a full time wheelchair user. At that moment, I genuinely thought my life was over. I had to temporarily drop out of university, I was struggling with the grief of losing my mobility overnight, paired with a lack of independence, I felt suffocated. My mental health really took a hit. I couldn’t see a version of a future where I was truly happy, let alone running a business.
But life has a funny way of shifting perspective. For me that shift arrived on 4 legs, and he completely changed my life. When I got Oreo, he was meant to be a pet until he started naturally alerting me to my seizures. I decided to give it a go, and train him to be my assistance dog, and my god, he thrived, but not only did he thrive, I did. The process blew my mind. I've loved dogs all my life, but before this i was the type of owner that trained sit, paw, spin and i thought that was so clever! This process wasn’t about teaching basic cues like ‘sit’ or cute tricks like ‘paw’. It was a masterclass in understanding Oreo, deep communication, mutual trust, and thinking outside the box. Every task, from loose lead walking, picking up dropped items, to his alert required us to adapt traditional training techniques to work alongside the wheelchair. All the videos on social media made it look so easy, but there aren't that many professionals that think of accessibility, or have to factor accessibility in. I struggled.
I started venturing out and all of a sudden life wasn't so scary anymore with him by my side. I made friends, amazing friends in the dog industry, and I unlocked an independence I didn’t know was possible, and he didn’t just help me access the world, he unlocked a passion. I didn’t want to just train my dog anymore, I wanted this as a career.
Even though I was thriving with my own dog, I always doubted myself in a professional capacity. Dani Beck really gave me the confidence to take the leap, believing in me more than I believed in myself, being disabled herself, and an assistance dog handler, she was a huge inspiration to me and Oreo. I was constantly battling a voice in my head “Will clients even trust a trainer in a wheelchair?” “Would I be taken seriously?”
For years, I let other people’s limitations and comments make me a victim. I absorbed the noise around me and I let it dictate what I thought I was capable of.
Oreo with Dion who is in their wheelchair at a park
Going into my accreditation workshop with PACT, I was completely 50/50 on whether I could pursue this as a career or whether it was just a hobby. I thought I'd have to fight to be taken seriously, and prove that I belonged in the room. I couldn’t be further from the truth. I arrived at the PACT workshop, every little shred of doubt disappeared. I belonged finally. It was without doubt the most adaptable, accepting and genuinely accessible environment I'd ever been in. They didn’t just tick some boxes for disability safety, the team actively built the space around me, constantly checking in to make sure everything was physically right for me. If any tiny detail wasn't perfect, they didn’t get defensive, they immediately asked what they could do to improve it.
Image of Dion and Oreo (front) with Nat, Rachael, Steve, Buffy & Jay (from left to right at the back) at the fieldwork venue.
When I praised them for their incredible effort, they simply replied that it was “the bare minimum”, and truthfully as a disabled person living in an inaccessible world, I can tell you they went above and beyond, and it's rare to see that level of genuine care. It was refreshing, and it broke my final walls of anxiety.
In the workshop, my confidence grew, I had students approaching me asking questions and techniques, trusting me! I taught a class, and spoke in front of a group of people which was very difficult with me being neurodivergent. I thought after the class saw me have a seizure they would treat me differently, judge and believe I shouldn’t be in this industry, but the class and the PACT team sat and brainstormed ideas that I could use for dealing with seizures with clients. That workshop changed the entire trajectory of my life. I went from feeling 50/50, unsure if the industry had space for me. I left knowing, regardless of mobility, with absolute certainty this industry is for me. This is my purpose!
Today I have so many amazing clients, and do you know what? They don’t even care about the wheelchair. They see a trainer who understands canine behaviour, who is helping them understand their dogs. The only person putting limits on my life was me, fuelled by people around me.
For the first time in a very long time, I feel free, I feel happy. If you are debating this industry, if you're debating starting your journey with PACT, if you're staring down your dream but not taking the leap, do it! You will not regret it, and if you are disabled, don’t let it stop you, there is space for you in this industry! Life is too short! Do not let anyone tell you what the boundaries are, the right people will accept you. Dogs don’t see disability as a barrier, and the best people in this industry won't either. I’ve found my people, and you will find yours! Your disability doesn’t overshadow your knowledge! My final dream is to become an accredited behaviourist and assistance dog trainer, to support people that were in my very position. Step out, break through the noise, and reclaim your life! Find your purpose.