THE PERSON BEHIND ASPHODEL
I care about the dog behind the behaviour—and the person beside them.
I’m Jess Jones, founder of Asphodel Canine Guidance and creator of The REGAIN Method™. I work with dogs whose struggles show up loudly or quietly, and with the people trying their best to help them.
Life outside the session matters too
I want to understand what life feels like for both of you: the difficult walks, the quieter signs of stress, the plans you change and the amount of thought that can sit behind an ordinary-looking day.
You do not need to arrive with a perfect explanation. My role is to notice the wider picture, help you make sense of it and find a way forward that respects your dog’s individuality and your real life.
I started as a dog walker
I spent my days with dogs who had very different levels of confidence, anxiety and ability to cope. More exercise, enrichment or another training idea helped some dogs. For others, it did not reach what was happening underneath.
That changed the direction of my work. I stopped asking only how to get a dog through the walk and started asking why they were struggling in the first place. It led me deeper into behaviour, rehabilitation, nervous-system wellbeing and supporting the person at the other end of the lead.
“When you tell me you’re exhausted or feel like you’ve tried everything, I understand how much effort you may already be putting in.”
What it’s actually like to work with me
I’m not here to judge you, talk down to you or make you feel guilty about the things you’ve already tried.
I’ll listen, I’ll ask questions and I’ll probably challenge you sometimes too. If I think we need to slow down, change direction or look at something differently, I’ll tell you and explain why.
I care deeply about the dog in front of me, but I also care whether what we’re asking is realistic for the person living with them.
You don’t need to perform for me. Your dog doesn’t either.
I want us to build enough trust that you can tell me when something isn’t working, when you’re struggling or when life has simply got in the way. That’s useful information, not failure.
My job isn’t to make you dependent on me. It’s to help you become increasingly confident understanding, advocating for and making decisions for your own dog.
Honest, compassionate and shaped around the dog in front of us
I won’t use the same plan for every dog, or ask them to perform simply so they look well trained.
Experience supported by continued learning
I continue to question assumptions, follow developing evidence and learn from the individual dogs and guardians I support.
Hear me talk about this work
I sit down with Bethany from Canine Dialogue Dynamics on the Rewriting The Rules podcast. We talk about why behaviour isn’t something to fix or control, and why the dog and the person beside them both need support.
Tell me what life is like with your dog.
We can talk about what is happening and work out the most appropriate place to begin.