Graeme Hall, the renowned dog trainer known as the Dogfather, has been the face of Channel 5's Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly since 2017. While he helps owners manage unruly pets on screen, his life off camera has been marked by personal challenges, including a marriage split and tragic losses.
Marriage Split with Wife Elinor
Graeme married accountant Elinor Perry-Hall in 2017 in a ceremony in Sri Lanka, followed by celebrations in the UK. Speculation about their separation arose in 2023 when Graeme told The Times he was living in Oxfordshire with a new partner. The reasons for the split remain private. In 2024, he and his new partner were seen together at Thirsk Birds of Prey Centre.
Triple Loss of Dogs
In 2025, Graeme revealed that he and his partner had lost all three of their dogs: boxer Scooby, Jonny, and Tish, a Patterdale terrier. Speaking to Country Living, 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.' He added that they now have two guinea pigs named after their dog-like colourings.
Hardest Dog Loss: Gordon the Rottweiler
Graeme described the loss of his Rottweiler, Gordon, as the hardest he has ever experienced. Gordon developed incurable cancer, forcing Graeme to make the agonising decision to have him put to sleep. 'He couldn't balance or see and was falling over, banging into things and hurting himself. 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,' Graeme shared.
Shock Dog Accident
In 2019, Graeme opened up about nearly losing his hand after a dog attack. He told the 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].' He ended up in the operating theatre, narrowly missing a tendon and nerve. '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,' he said.
Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly airs on Channel 5.
