As well as currently starring as a behavioural assessor on BBC Three show Dog Borstal, Ryan O'Meara, 30, from Mansfield, is the founder and managing director of a pet publishing company. He says he knew from an early age that he wanted to work with dogs. His first dog, a labrador named Jackson, helped confirm that. The apprentice He began his career with animals at the age of 16, working as a dog training apprentice.
 | Ryan O'Meara |
He then spent five years as a professional dog trainer. Whilst on the job he saw a niche in the market on the world wide web and in his spare time built himself a dog directory website. "Once I started delving around on the web for dog related content I was fairly amazed that there was hardly anything. No dog content online, no dog magazines on the market with a broad appeal. I thought, hang on. There's a business opportunity here."
 | Jackson - Ryan's inspiration |
Ryan took a risk and left his position as a dog trainer, establishing K9 Media. Two years later he launched K9 Magazine, Britain's first ever lifestyle magazine for modern dog lovers. Dog lover He's also launched The World's Coolest Canine Competition ('the people's alternative to Crufts'), established a network of pet-related products that has reached over 6.3 million people, is presently appearing as a behavioural assessor BBC Three show Dog Borstal and has been commissioned to author his first book Dogology. Ryan says when he's not writing about, commenting on or working with dogs he enjoys spending time at home with his own two dogs, Mia and Chloe. |