I have a really strong large dog, can you train large breeds?

I've filled out the pre assessment form, why do I need a consultation?

A pre assessment form is just that. I use this to get a rough idea about the services you need and a brief description on the problems that you are having trouble with. In the consultation, I get to meet you and your dog in the flesh, so I can observe the general dynamics of the house, how your dog interacts and even what the best way to begin training might be. Sometimes there are other behaviours that are less problematic but linked to the main problem, and its important for me to be able to see this to be able to design a suitable training session and behaviour plan for you and your dog as individuals. 

What is included in the full behaviour package?

Full behaviour Package

• First session is compulsory to get you started
• The second session is a follow-up to check that you are getting on ok. 
• The 3rd and 4th sessions are optional if you feel you need more support.
• Sessions are done 121 from your location or online if you prefer the full online package. 
• Ongoing online support throughout the training period.
• Lifetime access to online Training & Behaviour Tutorials via Teachable
• Access to regular local pack walks
• Lifetime access to Social media support group
• Detailed, unique behaviour plan for your dog
• Ideal for serious behaviours such as reactivity, fears & phobias as well less serious issues such as toilet training, setting routines and puppy training.

Where will the training take place?

Because the training is done on a 121 basis, we will do the training in your local area or the locations where your dog is most problematic. Usually we start at home and then head out to make sure we cover every aspect of your routine and find out what the trigger points are. 

Why are the behaviour sessions so much longer?

The behaviour sessions focus on the whole dog and its daily world. Sometimes a dog can be highly aroused before you've even left the house, which means that by the time you're on the streets, they're way above threshold and impossible to get their attention and achieve anything . By starting from the very beginning of your daily routine with your dog, we can pick up on small triggers that can start building up before your big problem has even shown its ugly head. We can then work on those individual small triggers to help your dog remain below threshold. We aim to keep your dog below threshold as much as possible so that we can get the most out of them. 

For our full behaviour package, We offer 4 of these long sessions because we understand that people need reassurance and continued support for longer than just 2 initial hours.  The sessions are spaced out to suit you, so if you feel you need a lot of help to start with we can do it weekly, or if you're comfortable with the behaviour plan, we can space them out in 2-3 week intervals. Its all very flexible to suit you and your dog best. 

My dog has some behaviour problems, but I just want training, whats the difference?

Training and Behaviour are 2 very different things but work best when they are put together. 

Training is things such as Sit, Down, Heel, Stay, Recall. These are great starting blocks for your dog to learn how to communicate with you, so they are really important,we offer basic training which is great for young dogs, but they are also covered in our behaviour sessions as we do need to be able to communicate with your dog. 

When a dog has a behaviour problem, such as lead reactivity only focusing on the basics is not going to deal with the psychology of why your dog is being reactive. 

In the behaviour sessions we teach you to understand why your dog is behaving a certain way, and how we can help overcome these problems. we also teach you how to implement the basics that your dog knows, to real life situations. 

You can teach your dog all the tricks under the rainbow, but they could still be very badly behaved. For example, if your dog has been traumatised by an event, even though they are super trick trained dogs, they may struggle to focus and be under control if they are above their threshold. 

Can the whole family get involved training sessions?

Yes they certainly can ! in both behaviour and training sessions, the whole family can get involved and have a go at doing the exercises themselves. We only ask, that if kids are involved, that they are able to follow instructions and for younger kids , such as toddlers, that the parents are closely guiding them. There may obviously be situations in which it may not be safe for very young kids to be involved, but this will be discussed with you in our consultation. 

What methods of training do you use?

We understand that all dogs learn differently but our main objective is to always make training fun and for you and your dog. We use positive reinforcement in a variety of ways, in some circumstances we use clicker training and other times we use more traditional luring methods. We do like to use rewards a lot, but dogs as individuals often like different rewards or may only find certain things rewarding in certain situations. for example, some dogs will do anything for a toy, and other will do anything for food, some dogs will flick between toys and food depending on the intensity of training, so we make sure to use whatever they prefer!

Do you offer group classes?