Janet hopes to change her life with a new job

Janet Illet, from Lovedean, who works part-time at a Marks and Spencer cafe, has decided to become a dog trainer so she can set up her own business and follow her dream.

The 52-year-old, who worked as a Weight Watchers coach for 23 years, says she’s feeling positive about the move and that she is looking forward to completing her training and getting started.

She was inspired to research her options after her dog Millie, a labradoodle, died aged nine last August.

She said: ‘I was walking to the shops without Millie and it wasn’t the same.

‘I was thinking how much I love dogs and how much I loved training other leaders at Weight Watchers, then it suddenly dawned on me.

‘It was like a lightbulb moment. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that dog training is my dream job. I mulled it over and spoke to my husband Jim who said I should go for it.

‘I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before or why I haven’t done it sooner in life.’

Janet has since signed up with the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers to three of its training courses, which she hopes to complete in June.

She’s already completed online training, and has experience of training her own dog, plus her mum’s dog Meg, and she’s looking forward to getting hands on.

She still plans to work at the cafe, although she hopes her business – which she has called Barking Glad – takes off.

Janet, a mum-of-three, has been busy setting up her business and website.

She said: ‘The support for new businesses on the government website has been really helpful. It’s been an amazing learning curve.’