The Dogfather Graeme Hall: How my Yorkshire roots help me communicate with dogs

“I’m a Yorkshireman ‘abroad’”, explained Graeme.

“It doesn't matter where you live in the world, you're always a Yorkshireman.”

Graeme grew up in Selby where his mother still lives. Later in life he moved down south but he said the Yorkshire mentality has helped him in his journey to becoming one of the most famous dog trainers in the UK.

He said: “You don't think of a Yorkshire person being in an absolute mad panic flap, do you? We're inclined to go ‘right, so I've got home and the house is on fire. The family are all dead, my car's broken down and then we go okay all right, let’s stick the kettle on and have a think about this.’

“We don't like all of that unnecessary drama.”

He said this calm Yorkshire attitude helps when dogs are getting overexcited, rather than reflecting the dog’s behaviour.

Graeme added: “Followed by ‘a calm down, good boy. That's nice.’ That works.

“I think there is a bit of a Yorkshire trait there, which is ‘let's not panic. Let's not be overdramatic. Let's just look at what's going on and think about this clearly.’”

Born and bred in Selby, Graeme remains a proud “Selibian”.

He said: “I’ve lots of happy memories from childhood. I was very lucky to have a really supportive mum and dad living in a market town in Yorkshire.”

Graeme went to school in Leeds because his parents were Catholic, and they found him a Catholic grammar school in the city.

He said: “I got a bit of a taste of the metropolis that is Leeds from a fairly early age, and that was... The Big Apple of Yorkshire.”

When it came to studying linguistics and Spanish at university for four years, Graeme chose Hull.

He said: “I’ve got a soft spot for Hull. I love the accent. And I'll tell you what I love about Yorkshire. We don't mind taking the mickey out of ourselves, do we? Right. You can have a bit of fun with a Yorkshire accent or whatever it is. And people don't take offense.”

As Graeme is a linguist by trade, he often hears the difference between accents.

He said: “You play that game of, as you can in Yorkshire, and in fairness, a lot of places in the north, where within ten miles you can go, I think I know where you're from.

“So, for example, Sheffield, Barnsley, not very far apart. But you go to Barnsley and it's completely different.”

It was learning languages and Graeme’s love of communication skills which led him to getting a job in manufacturing at Weetabix limited in the late eighties in Northamptonshire.

“I didn't pack many bags because I had an MG Midget at the time. So I packed everything I could in an MG Midget and trundled down the M1.”

During his 21 years working at Weetabix, Graeme decided to learn to train his two pet rottweilers.

He said: “They were large and could be quite intimidating, so they've got to be well-trained.

“I threw myself into dog training as a hobby. And then, long story short, somebody said to me one day, ‘look, you seem to be quite good at this. Why don't you do it for a living?’ And the rest, as they say, is history.”

Graeme said that the theme throughout his life has been communication whether it be in a team at the Weetabix factory or communicating with dogs. He worked nationwide as a dog trainer until Channel 5 found his website and asked him to create a TV pilot.

Graeme said: “I spoke to this guy (TV executive) for half an hour. Although he's lived in Surrey for many years and he moved there when he was a child, he came from Dewsbury.”

After creating a pilot, Channel 5 commissioned the show, which is now into its seventh series. Graeme has also done a series in Australia.

He said: “Australians are very similar to Yorkshire folk with their sense of humour and laid back attitude.”

Graeme has just aired series seven of Dogs behaving (Very) Badly and has also filmed an Australian edition of his show as well as publishing his own autobiography.

To listen to the full interview, listen to the Mrs Yorkshire Podcast for more as well as some tips for dog lovers.