In this final episode of Series One, I’m joined by Debby Lucken, founder of Kids Around Dogs (KAD), an organisation dedicated to creating safe, positive, and inclusive relationships between children and dogs.

Debby shares how her personal experiences shaped the creation of KAD, why she developed a course specifically for neurodivergent children and families, and how trainers and parents can better support children in their day-to-day lives with dogs. From challenges families face, to gaps in the dog training industry, to the importance of making services more accessible even without a formal diagnosis — this episode is packed with insight, compassion, and practical takeaways.

🔑 Key Points:

- How Kids Around Dogs was founded and what inspired Debby’s work

- Why she created a specialist course for neurodivergent children

- Common challenges neurodivergent families face when living with or training dogs

- Misunderstandings that can arise when professionals overlook neurodivergence

- A closer look at the course content and who it’s designed for

- Why Debby bought in experts like child psychologists and play therapists

- What’s missing in the wider dog training world and how KAD bridges the gap

- Making services more inclusive for children even without a diagnosis

- The positive feedback from trainers and real-life stories of impact

- Advice for dog professionals who want to be more inclusive but don’t know where to start.

👉 Want to connect with like-minded people, share experiences, and access resources on neuro-inclusive dog training? Join the Neuro-Inclusive Dog Hub free Facebook group today - https://www.facebook.com/groups/neurodoghub

🔗 Learn more about Debby’s work here: www.kidsarounddogs.co.uk

Insta: www.instagram.com/kadkidsarounddogs/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/KADkidsarounddogs Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kadkidsarounddogs