Introduction

Pia Andersen of (Pia A. Dog Behaviour, Coín)

From the age of 15 Pia Andersen had fallen in love with the Andalucia region of Spain, so much so, that as a young lady aged 15, she said to her parents that one day she would return and buy a Finca in the region, guess what? At the age of 50, she did just that!

Here Pia shares a brief insight into her reasons for moving to Spain and why she became a dog trainer in Coín .  

1. How long have you lived on the Costa del Sol?

I arrived in the Costa del Sol in July 2017, before I lived a few years in Madrid. 

My aim was to change careers and finally do what I have always done since I was young a passion for training and understanding animals’ behaviour with all kinds of animals like dogs, cats, horses, and birds even tried with a turtle, but my favourite always has been dogs. 

2. What made you choose the Costa del Sol as a place to live? 

So, I decided to go from Paris to Madrid first to have a Spanish degree as a dog behaviourist/trainer and as an animal-assisted therapist. After studying and having passed my degrees I wanted to invest in a property that I could use to be a dog trainer specialised in behaviour, so I naturally looked to purchase in Andalucia. Why? 

Since I was born my family, and I always visited Spain for our summer Holidays in the Costa Calidad in the Murcia area. We had Spanish friends that would spend their Holidays in Andalucia in between Marbella and Jerez and I remember the first time we drove through I was 15 years old, and I loved it so much that I said to my parents that one day I would buy myself a finca (farm) in Andalucia. 

So, I did it for my 50th birthday! 

I converted my finca (farm) into my heaven. I have been doing a lot of reforms in the farm and remodelled the land space with a dog agility area, fencing and taking care of all the trees that had been neglected for years. I am hoping to do a kennel area with a natural pool for the dogs.

3. What is the best thing about living on the Costa del Sol in your opinion? 

First, the Spanish lifestyle, the countryside life is cool calm and collected. There is no rush, no traffic, no crowds after living in London, Brussels, Paris, Madrid… and working in the music industry with so many people surrounding you all the time, crazy schedules, and hours it is a relief.

The Spanish customs and their habits are all about community, family, music, food, and horses in Andalucia.

Their food is exceptional, especially in my area my town Coín  is well known for having the best organic agriculture which made me start my own vegetable garden as the land is of excellent quality.

The countryside is beautiful the sites, the villages they have history. 

4. Give us a brief description of what you get up to on your usual working day. 

There is no such thing as a boring day, for me each day is different, but I do have some kind of morning habits. So, my day would be: 

I wake up around 5 or 6 o’clock depending on whether I have my own morning routine and then my day always starts with a good walk with my dogs as they collaborate with me by helping me in my sessions with my clients, they need to be calm and balanced.

As a dog trainer and behaviourist depending on the day of the week, I have classes either in my Finca (my clients come to my place), or I go to my client’s s house.

I usually eat lunch back home. Meanwhile, I am preparing the reminders that I always send to my clients after their classes for them to have a quick memo of their lesson of the day with a list of exercises that they will have to do in between classes.

Twice a week I tend to have dog and puppy training classes at my client’s homes along the coast of the Costa del Sol from Puerto Banus to Málaga.

Meanwhile, I am there I usually spare a few hours for a dog shelter in Mijas where I train the staff to understand how to manage different dog behaviour issues and I work on a one-on-one basis with some dogs. On these days I am normally home at 4 or 5 o’clock. Then I either have more classes at home or I work on my land / Finca. 

                                                        Pia's German Shepherd - "Hiya"

Every evening I always play with my dogs while having another quick walk. And finally, around 8.30 / 9 o’clock it is time for dinner it is time for me to cook my meal and feed my dogs.

5. How do you enjoy spending your weekends and free time?

As I work on weekends which does not feel like work for me as it is my passion, I would say that it is mostly having some free time during the week, or it would be more like half a day on Sunday or Saturday.

I love spending time at my place enjoying my pool with some great music, cooking, gardening, and remodelling my Finca. I have started woodworking of any kind carpentry or cabinet making which I really enjoy. 

I am also happy to have some friends to share a barbecue or to go out with them for a hike, trip, or a delicious meal sometime.

6. If you could change jobs with anyone for the day, who would it be and why? 

I would want it to be meaningful and to use some of my skills as I speak French, English and Spanish therefore working as Jacques Y. Cousteau, he was a French OCEANOGRAPHER EXPLORER AND A FILMAKER. That was my dream work when I was young, I even passed my Master Scuba diver with one scuba diver of J.Y Cousteau’s Team of the Calypso boat. 

Or do again what I used to do work in the music industry but as Richard Branson.

Before I became a dog trainer/behaviourist, I lived in several countries. Since I was 11 years old first in boarding schools and then life and work made me travel a lot and work as an artist coordinator for 27 years then the last years as coordinator/planning manager in events or Festivals.

7. What is your favourite food? 

As an Epicurean eating is one of my favourite hobbies of the day but I do not have any favourites. I do like tapas, paella, and other Spanish dishes, but as a French girl, I do love the French cuisine that I regularly cook here at home with all those great fruits and vegetables.

8. Describe what your perfect home on the Costa del Sol would be like and where it would be? 

Mine is good, but if I could afford it would be a single-storey house / Finca typically Andalucía style with some stables near a great beach where I could go horse-riding and sailing.

9. If you were to appear on “Come Dine with Me”, what theme would you choose?

Sorry, I do not know this program. Theme: make them discover the good French home cuisine.

10. Who would be your perfect dinner guest? 

I would have loved to dine with Jacque Y. Cousteau  

11. What would you like to ask the next “10 Minutes with…” guest?

Do you wish you had made changes earlier in your life?

12. What service do you offer your clients? 

I offer a very simple and effective way of training adult dogs and puppies. Based on the core principles of learning how to read your dog's behaviour, thus allowing my clients to understand and manage their dog's behaviour in the future. 

These are the most common behavioural reasons dog owners contact me.

• Aggression against humans 

• Aggression against animals

• Has slaughtered other animals

• Fear of a variety of things

• Chasing automobiles 

• Chasing individuals 

• Destructive behaviour (both indoors and outside) 

• Behaviour that seeks attention

• Overactivity 

• Biting and nipping

• Consuming faeces

• Household soiling 

• Escaping 

• Competitors include other people and animals.

• Does not get along with other animals.

• Pounces on people 

• Unpleasant behaviour

• Excessive requests to go outside 

• Does not listen or "obey"

• Pica (the consumption of non-food objects)