Our Story started in 2009, when WITHMAX owner, Tess, was looking for a companion whilst studying for

her National Diploma in Animal Care.
Pictured above is Tess and her border collie, Max. Here is her story:
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​​​It goes without saying that dogs are one of life’s greatest gifts. Their love is unconditional, no matter what we’re going through. I’ve always felt incredibly lucky to have had such a loyal companion by my side — Max was with me everywhere I went and never once left my side.

In the summer of 2018, Max began to fall unwell after a big change in our routine. I had recently left my job as a veterinary nurse assistant to start a full-time position away from home, Monday to Friday. During this time, I discovered that Max was struggling with separation anxiety — howling, barking, chewing, and becoming destructive at home. These were behaviours I had never seen before, and I came to understand that they developed because Max had never been trained to feel content while alone.

Until then, we had always been inseparable.

After several months of veterinary treatment, we discovered that Max’s illness was lymphoma cancer. We fought hard together, exploring every possible diet, medication, and therapy. Sadly, it was an aggressive form of cancer,

and I lost Max five months later, on November 21st, 2018.

No matter how much you try to prepare yourself, losing a pet like that is heartbreaking. I also carried a deep sense of responsibility for his illness, believing that his growing anxiety while I was away may have contributed to his decline. Before Max, I had never truly understood the impact of separation anxiety, nor how deeply it can affect a dog’s wellbeing.

I missed everything about him — our conversations, our playtime, his quirks, and simply having his presence nearby. But what I missed the most were our walks. Max loved walking (as all dogs do), and I loved it just as much. Being outdoors together, discovering new places, was something special we shared — and it was in those moments that WITHMAX was born.

At WITHMAX, we believe that a good walk is more than just exercise — it’s essential to a dog’s happiness, confidence, and social wellbeing. Through my experience with Max, I learned just how much our dogs give to us, and my mission is to help other owners recognise this and give back to their dogs through understanding, care, and the right support.

When I began working with other people’s dogs, I started to notice a wide range of behavioural challenges — things I hadn’t experienced with Max, such as poor recall, lead pulling, and reactivity around other dogs. Having lived through separation anxiety with Max, I began to see how vital the human–dog relationship is to every aspect of behaviour. The bond between dog and owner shapes how they see the world. My relationship with Max was incredibly strong, but it also meant he struggled to cope without me.

This realisation inspired me to deepen my knowledge and help other owners better understand their dogs. I returned to college to complete my Levels 3 and 4 in Animal Behaviour, and in 2023, I began my Levels 4 and 5 qualifications to become a Clinical Canine Behaviourist — achieving my first Master’s in Animal Behaviour. Now, in 2025, I am just three months away from qualifying as a fully accredited Behaviourist.

Through WITHMAX, my goal is to use both professional training and personal experience to help dogs and their owners build stronger, healthier, and happier relationships — one walk, one step, and one wag at a time.