Meet Charlie
Dogs have always been part of my life.
I’d walk my Grandpa’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and make obstacle courses for his Border Collie puppy, I grew up watching my dad get on all fours to wrestle with his dogs and I would pester his friends to let me take their dogs into the garden to play.
Being around animals always felt natural and sparked a curiosity that eventually shaped my future.
By my twenties I was working in a restaurant, restless and aimless.
Then my mum brought home a Dobermann puppy, Quinn - beautiful and intelligent but hard work. This introduced me to world of canine behaviour and made realise how much there was to learn.
I started to wonder if I could work with dogs.
Then I saw an advert for a job at a local kennel. I didn’t get it, but they liked my enthusiasm so offered me occasional work instead.
I instantly fell in love with the job and knew I’d found what I’d been looking for.
In 2019 I was offered a full time position at Royvon Dog Training & Hotels as a kennel assistant and my career had begun.
It didn’t take long before I found myself drawn to watching the trainers — seeing the dogs progress and grow in confidence was inspiring and I volunteered to help the trainers whenever I could. Less than a year later, I became a trainee dog trainer.
Driven to deepen my understanding, I studied canine psychology, puppy development and attended online and in person courses on behaviour and training. I went on to earn a membership with the Institute of Modern Dog Training, passing with a distinction within a year.
Since then I’ve spent six years immersed in hands-on dog training, constantly refining my craft.
Working at Royvon had given me priceless experience, working one on one with hundreds of challenging dogs helped me really understand what owners would go through and that no two dogs learn in the exact same way.
In 2025 I took the plunge to start my own business, Longevity Dog Training, a play on my own surname - Long. More importantly it represents the way I believe dog training should be.
I’m not interested in quick fixes, I want to help owners get results by building understanding, real skills and a relationship with their dog that would last a lifetime.
Not long before I was employed as a trainer, my partner and I rehomed Amber —
a one-year-old Boxer x Alapaha Blue Blooded Bulldog with her own behavioural challenges.
Amber has played a huge part in shaping who I am as a trainer. She fueled my determination to learn more about dog behaviour, breeds and building motivation.
Together we take part in the Dog Sport G.R.C (Gameness, Relationship, Control) which highlights the important of training a responsible dog whilst also acknowledging and fulfilling their needs.
Amber has successfully completed GRC’s Level One Social Responsibility Test
and is 9th dog in England to pass this challenging assessment, judged by Jay Jack.
Amber continues to be my greatest teacher and best friend.