Our Editor, Alex MacDowall, is a dog trainer and writer based in the Scottish Highlands.
He grew up around working dogs on Highland estates, where he learned the craft of training gundogs long before he ever read a manual about it. After more than three decades working with spaniels, retrievers and family pets, he now focuses on helping others to become dog trainers.
His approach blends traditional fieldwork discipline with modern behaviour science, reward-based, humane, and grounded in real-world results. Alex has assisted local shoots with gundog handling, volunteered with re-homing organisations to rehabilitate anxious dogs, and advised first-time owners on building confident, cooperative companions.
When he isn’t writing about canine learning or testing training games with his spaniel Moss, you’ll find him hiking the moors or restoring old tools in his workshop.
Credentials and experience
- Over 30 years of hands-on experience training working and companion dogs.
- Certified in Canine First Aid (UK) and Animal Behaviour & Welfare (Coursera, University of Edinburgh).
- Member of the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter (Associate)
- Contributing writer to several pet and behaviour publications.
- Consultant for community education workshops on positive training methods in the Highlands.
Alex can be contacted using this form
Website: howtobecomeadogtrainer.com