I have a lifetime’s experience of, and boundless enthusiasm for, well-behaved and well-mannered dogs. I have worked and trained dogs, including rehabilitating rehomed dogs, for 40 years.

After growing up in a family that always had multiple working dogs, I owned and trained my first gundog at the age of 12. I continued to successfully train and compete with many gundogs consistently over the next 15 years.

I also have extensive experience teaching both dogs and handlers in training classes. I worked my own terriers and, professionally, worked my collies with sheep and had German Shepherds as house dogs. I now operate in several locations namely: Tintinhull, Somerset
Newcastle, County Down
Evershot, Dorset

What to expect when you go to see a trainer?

Each dog is unique.
There is a mantra all dog trainers and behaviourists should live by: ‘Train the dog in front of you.’
There’s no ‘I have problem 3, so use solution B’

While specific methods are frequently used to address the unwanted behaviours most commonly seen, how they are implemented varies from dog to dog. A Cocker Spaniel is very different in its drives, genetic responses, and responses to those of a German Shepherd or Dalmatian. Within each breed, the personalities are different, too. Then, age and previous experiences should be taken into account.

As I often remind clients, how you would communicate with a pair of 6-year-olds who are chatting in a corner instead of doing their art in a classroom is very different from that of a gang of 20-somethings on a building site who have turned up late with a hangover (or not at all) for the 10th Monday in a row! The same is true with dogs – a method that works for one dog isn’t the same for every dog. Nuances are important

The next consideration, often forgotten, is the client or family of the dogs. Each family is unique, too, in its personalities, dynamics, and abilities. And this must be navigated when offering solutions or advice. It’s no good for a trainer to say, ‘You have to spend hours a day sitting and waiting for your pup to stop barking before rewarding it’ if they work part-time and/or have three small children charging about. So realistic goals and systems, including management, must be implemented.

What to expect from me, as a trainer and behaviourist?

I am a big fan of ‘keeping things simple.’ We will discuss what is or isn’t happening and why that might be occurring. I figure out what the family or owner can accomplish in their available time and within their capabilities, breaking it down into simple steps. When it’s explained right, it often isn’t that difficult.

Of course, we always want to set dogs and their families up for success, so reward-based (positive and negative reinforcement) training is crucial. That doesn’t mean there should be no boundaries. There should always be boundaries; how you implement them is key.
And, occasionally, consequences of actions in the least aversive way (positive punishment) when appropriate. This usually interrupts the behaviour ‘in the moment’ with the energy suited to dog and family. But then immediately turning that moment into showing the dog what we DO want and rewarding that.

Communication is the answer, in everything