Marriage Breakdown
Graeme Hall, the canine behaviourist known as the Dogfather, married accountant Elinor Perry-Hall in 2017. The couple exchanged vows in a ceremony in Sri Lanka before celebrating with loved ones in the UK. Speculation about their separation began in 2023. During an interview with The Times, Graeme disclosed he was now residing in Oxfordshire with a new partner. Details surrounding their split have remained private, with Graeme guarding his personal life closely. In 2024, Graeme and his new companion were spotted at Thirsk Birds of Prey Centre.
Triple Heartbreak
In 2025, Graeme shared the devastating news that he and his unnamed partner had lost their three beloved dogs: boxer Scooby, Jonny, and Tish, a Patterdale terrier. Speaking to Country Living this year, he said: “Although my partner and I lost all three of our dogs last year, there was a sense of relief mixed in. They reached ripe old ages with health issues including doggy dementia, so towards the end we used to joke that we had one blind, one deaf and one daft as a brush. I can still say I have a Rottie and a springer, though, even if they are both guinea pigs, named after their dog-like colourings.”
Hardest Dog Loss
Graeme suffered his most devastating heartbreak following the loss of his Rottweiler, Gordon. After Gordon was diagnosed with incurable cancer, Graeme faced the gut-wrenching decision to have him put to sleep. He recounted: “People say that dogs let you know when they're ready to go and get to a point where they've given up. However, when Gordon got unwell with incurable cancer, it was different. He couldn't balance or see and was falling over, banging into things and hurting himself. In the end, he was just staggering around the garden in circles. But rather than slowing down, it's like Gordon was saying: 'I'm alright, Dad; just give me a minute to shake this off.' We had to overrule him. He was fighting it and wanted to keep going, but we knew he couldn't and was suffering. It was incredibly difficult and the hardest dog loss I have ever been through.”
Shock Dog Accident
In 2019, Graeme, who launched his professional canine training enterprise in 2008, revealed how he nearly lost his hand following a vicious dog attack. He told Daily Express: “A German Shepherd I went to see four years ago had been re-homed, and was barking very aggressively. They brought him in to see me and he just went for my left hand. He bit hard, at the same time the owner pulled on the lead. The effect was to rip it [my hand].” Graeme added: “It was off to A&E. I ended up in the operating theatre. The bites just missed a tendon and nerve and I nearly lost the full use of that hand. It was a close call. That really made me think differently and I will now put a muzzle on the dog, but I still get little bites here and there.”
Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly airs on Channel 5.
