ONE of Swindon’s most popular dog trainers, Janet Garrett, will pop the bubbly this month as she celebrates 10 years in the doggy business.

In February 2007, at the age of 51, Janet, who lives in Haydon Wick, packed in her job as executive bilingual PA to the CEO of a large Paris-based multi-national company to begin training Swindon’s cutest pooches.

She would often study canine behaviour and with so many qualifications to her name it was only a matter of time before she would feel brave enough to let go of the day job and join the ranks of the self-employed.

Thus Janet’s Puppy Skool was born. And after 10 years it remains hugely successful.

“The time was right,” she said. “My qualifications fitted perfectly with my years of experience and my husband, friends and family were behind me all the way.

“It has been an enormous privilege, as well as fantastic fun, to meet so many wonderful people and their fab dogs, and I’m hoping for many more anniversaries to come.”

Janet first developed a deep fondness for dogs at the age of three when she met her granddad’s collie, who could bring his slippers or find his keys when they were lost.

She and her dogs have made many TV appearances, the last of which was on the BBC’s Children in Need programme last November.

The puppy school works with around 150 dogs each week. For more information, log on to www.janetspuppyskool.co.uk.