VICTORIA STILWELL REVEALS HOW SHE LANDED A HIT TV SHOW WITH ONE WELL-TIMED EMAIL
She’s the Queen of Dog Trainers Who Teaches Positivity … and a Savvy Entrepreneur
KIHEI, HI - HAWAII, USA, August 20, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Victoria Stilwell took a break from filming the new season of the television series relaunch of “It’s Me or the Dog,” to join THE LONG LEASH podcast.
During her hour-long interview with podcast host James Jacobson, Stilwell took a walk down memory lane. She also revealed her business savvy.
“Please dad, can we get a dog,” she recalls begging her father. She grew up in the English countryside, a dog-ready environment.
But her father said no. So, Victoria Stilwell – now an internationally famous dog trainer and television presenter whose shows have aired in 120 countries – had to wait.
She didn’t get her first dog until she was in her late thirties, and her daughter was three years old.
But once she did? She was ready to run with the big dogs.
Stilwell had always had a canine side gig; walking dogs was how she put herself through theater school in London. She found the same excitement and engagement from working with dogs that she felt on the stage.
“It was a joy to spend time with these incredible animals,” she said. “Being an actor made me a very good observer... I really caught on to this idea of watching body language, and body language reflecting a dog’s emotional state.”
Her keen observation of the emotional world of dogs gave her clues to what they might be thinking. “It was a natural progression.”
She started training dogs, learning from leading canine behaviorists who used positive training methods. It worked: dogs were thriving. She built her dog training business, first in Manhattan, by visiting every veterinarian in the borough, and then in New Jersey.
It was there that she got the idea for “It’s Me or the Dog,” while watching a new show that had just come to the U.S. called “Supernanny,” about a nanny who helped parents deal with their out-of-control children.
Within minutes of the opening credits, she had her eureka moment.
“I do this with dogs. So I emailed the production company and said ‘I’ve got a great idea for a new show. Instead of crazy kids, it’s with crazy dogs.’ The next day they called me. It was right place, right time, right idea.”
She was clearheaded about the opportunity and what it meant for her career.
“I knew that television is not timeless and you have to leverage it while you can.”
In this wide-ranging conversation, Stilwell explains how her driving passion for dogs – and her dedication to being kind to them – has expanded her world and built her career.
Her show “It’s Me or the Dog” was aired in 120 countries and countless languages. She’s been the most public face of a new breed of dog trainers who use force-free techniques to train our best friends.
Stilwell built a global network of like-minded trainers who use compassion and understanding to work with dogs. She is a passionate rescue advocate, busting puppy mill after puppy mill.
Her television show “Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs” showcases fidos whose “jobs” are positively life-changing. For one: a Jack Russell Terrier who teaches baboons born into captivity the basic survival skills they never learned – like how to dig a hole or take a drink from the river. Or the dogs trained to guard sheep and goats so that farmers don’t have to shoot their predators … which allowed the local cheetah population to recover its numbers.
Stilwell understands just how much dogs contribute to our life quality, and she’s driven to repay them with kindness. Working with police dogs – and getting bit by one – has opened her understanding to how important their work is … and to how forceful their training is.
Whether she’s helping people work with aggressive dogs or helping senior rescues find a home, Stilwell serves the canine world with loyalty and enthusiasm.
With the upcoming U.K. relaunch of “It’s Me or the Dog,” Stilwell admits that she knows more now than she used to.
“Some of my old stuff is old,” she explains to Jacobson, “I have new stuff to share.”
The new show only allows one day of filming per dog, which is challenging, she admits. “But it’s great, because it simplifies everything.”
As the autumn of 2021 approaches, all of us – and our dogs – could certainly use a simpler, kinder approach. Listen to Victoria Stilwell on THE LONG LEASH podcast today.
About THE LONG LEASH from Dog Podcast Network:
Dogs know that the most delicious and nourishing treats are often found on the ground. In THE LONG LEASH, we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show.
THE LONG LEASH is from Dog Podcast Network (DPN). DPN is the first of its kind: a podcasting network as devoted to dogs as they are to us. We’ve been recognized for our brilliant sound, broadcast-quality production values, and great storytelling.
Our dogs might not be our whole life, but they sure make our lives whole. At DPN, our mission is to help improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them. Our goal is simple: entertain, inspire, and inform.
THE LONG LEASH takes you "behind the scenes" at this fledgling network. Listen in as dog-adoring celebrities and newsmakers chat with founder James Jacobson.
Amy Thomases
Dog Podcast Network
+1 917-796-3589
amy@dogpodcastnetwork.com
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