My name is Renato Pagano. I'm a qualified vet in my home country of Brazil, but in the UK - where I have been living with my wife since 2006 - I've been working with dogs in a less scientific and more rough & tumble way for the past few years. The important thing for me has always been to be surrounded by animals, in particular dogs, and what sort of work I do with them is secondary to the pleasure that I get from knowing that one way or another, my day will involve an assortment of canine companions. I don't have a hard and fast rule-book for my relationship with the dogs that I look after. Dogs, like people, have different temperaments and personalities and what works for one may be entirely ineffective for another. My philosophy, therefore, is just to get to know the dogs individually so that I'm instantly able to detect if something isn't quite right with them - physically or emotionally - and to give them the best possible care and attention for their needs when they're with me. And my other philosophy is to always stay calm. Which I'm told I do very well.