Our team

Sean McElherron – Managing Director, based in Spain

I'm a dog trainer and behavioural therapist with over 20 years experience of helping owners fix their dog's problems both in the home and outdoors. I still get a big kick out of helping owners that have an uncontrollable dog to walk happily together with no pulling and no stress for both of them. The Canny Collar transforms their walks and for many, is the stepping stone to eventually walking their dog on a simple collar and a loose lead.

I live in Northern Spain with my wife Gemma, our three children Ella, Joe and James and our rescue dog Ruby, who accompanies us on some of the most spectacular walks we are both lucky enough to enjoy.

Tony O’Herlihy – Training Director, based in Australia

My interest in dog training was originally sparked in the early 1980’s when our family volunteered to ‘puppy-walk’ a potential Guide Dog for a year. I have Dancer to thank when, ten years later, I was able to leave the corporate world and work in a professional capacity as a dog trainer and therapist. I have been working with dogs ever since.

I came to realise that the most common problem dog owners had was how to walk their dog properly without pulling. As I used to tell my clients, if you can’t get your dog to behave on the lead, you have little chance of expecting good behaviour when your dog is off the lead.

The Canny Company is now a family business and I manage the Australian/South East Asian markets.

Emma Hough - Administration Manager, based in UK

I joined the Canny Company in 2005 when I read a small newspaper ad with the words ‘do you have a passion for dogs?’ ‘YES I DO!’I had always wanted to work with animals and to see a local job that combined the two, I jumped at the opportunity!

When I met Sean and Tony at my job interview, I felt immediately that this was the team I wanted to join, friendly, like-minded people who had a passion to make a difference to dog’s lives and to the lives of their owners.

Since I’ve worked here, I’ve seen many rescue centres rehome dogs who had been left behind simply because they pulled like crazy. I’ve spoken to elderly owners so exasperated by their pulling dogs that they considered rehoming them. Then hearing the sheer joy in their voice as they told me a week later what a magnificent tool our collar is!

I love talking to dog owners, hearing the stories of how much their animals mean to them. Dogs have a special place in so many homes and it’s really fantastic to be able to work in a company where I know we all feel the same way.

Siobhán Schlüter - Administration Manager, based in Australia

I previously worked in a behavioural business run by my parents. Having enjoyed the experience of dealing with dogs and their owners it’s no surprise that I’m again working in the family business.

I love the fact that the products we sell are a boon to people who are struggling to walk their dog easily. I particularly enjoy reading the feedback from our clients who contacted us when they found themselves (and their dogs) at the end of their tethers.

Michael & Daniela Carattini - Directors, CannyCo America

We're avid animal lovers with 15 years pet industry knowledge. We have four children, four grandchildren and two businesses. Life's busy!

For several years, Daniela was the manager of Animal Outfitters, a full-service pet shop located inside of The Nebraska Humane Society of Omaha, Nebraska, a multi-million-dollar, non-profit organisation that took in over 15,500 animals in 2018 alone. Being much more than a pet shop manager, Daniela also learned a great deal about working with newly adopted animals and shelter operations.

Michael has been in the pet industry since 2014 as founder of Tre Ponti USA, assisted by Daniela as co-founder. Tre Ponti manufacture a range of unique, easy-to-fit dog harnesses with typical Italian quality and style. Michael’s background is in importation and distribution of durable goods, a career that has spanned over 25 years.

We'd love to help your business with our quality Canny dog training products.

About The Canny Group

We are a worldwide group of dog trainers and pet professionals who want to help owners enjoy their dogs to the full. We offer a small range of high quality dog products, including the famous Canny Collar, so that training your dog is both easy and enjoyable. All our products are designed by experts and backed by our experience of dog behavioural training & education.

We work with organisations such as Guide Dogs UK and Ability Dogs Canada to help train and rehome dogs, plus training groups such as the Association of Professional Dog Trainers to provide them with the tools they need to achieve the best results. We regularly donate to rescue shelters, dog charities and local training groups to help them continue their fantastic work.

The bottom line is that we want what most owners want, for dog training to be a simple and pleasurable experience. By investing in the correct equipment your training results can be achieved more quickly, allowing you more time together doing all the other fun stuff!