My Services

What can I help with?

I only offer help for resolving behavioural issues usually associated with rescued dogs. For example:

Equipment anxiety - if you can't put a collar or lead on your rescue dog. Or maybe you can't get your dog in the car.
On lead reactivity - if your dog is frightened of other dogs/people/cars.
Separation anxiety - if you dog is stressed when you leave him/her home alone.
Excessive barking - at a window, boundary, or at a person.
Resource guarding - resolving possessiveness over food, spaces or people.
Children who fear dogs - I can help your family to feel safer around dogs through better understanding
Lost dogs - help if your dog goes missing

I will assess your needs and make recommendations, or work with you to give you the skills to continue the training yourself.

Please note that I don't offer general dog training for basics such as teaching sit, stay, and recall - you can get help for this in group training sessions. Neither do I offer any puppy socialising classes.

Positive reward based methods only

I will never hurt, punish or use force in training your dog and I will not work with you if you choose to use them. This means no choke chains, prong collars, no intimidation or use of aversive equipment designed to scare or punish your dog.

I will only use positive, reward based methods which have been scientifically proven to have better long term results.

Help you find a reputable local trainer

If I cannot help, or am too far away then I can help you find a trainer who is an approved member of a recognised Professional body such as INTODogs or ICAN or the Pet Professional Guild. Please be aware the dog training industry is not regulated and there are lots of self taught trainers using very outdated methods of training - so please do your homework carefully. If a trainer starts talking about your dog being DOMINANT over you then you can pretty much guarantee they will be using very outdated methods.

Here is a link to some questions you should be asking a professional. https://www.petprofessionalguild.co.uk/TopTenQuestions

How and how much?

I offer a range of services depending on the scale of the issue and your appetite for flying solo, or needing more hands on help with your training.

I volunteer my time to help rescues and their adopters and don't charge for my services. However, if you value the help provided (please bear in mind that most behaviourists charge approx £50 per hour for the services and for a structured training programme, expect to pay about £500), I ask that you make a voluntary donation to my fund to purchase specialist equipment to support missing dogs https://paypal.me/pools/c/8AwSlrbTOB.

I live in Bishops Waltham, Hampshire and I am happy to travel locally to see and help rescued dogs. If you think you need additional help, please Contact me.

Phone/video chat

To discuss small issues and provide advice, hints or tips for adopters to try themselves

1:1 consultation

Face to face meet up to see the behaviour first hand and to provide training advice

Structured training programme

Hands on 1:1 training provided over a number of sessions

Some examples of my work

Beth - fear of people and equipment

Beth arrived from Romania completely traumatised and extremely fearful of all people. She went to stay in kennels where she could be safe and was visited regularly by her rescuers. I spent weeks visiting Beth in kennels to gain her trust, before bringing her into foster at my home to work on her anxieties.

Beth had the most severe anxiety about being restrained of any dog I have ever seen. She would disappear at the first sight of a lead and would bite if you attempted to restrain her.

Her training programme involved slowly desensitising her to touch, then a collar, then a lead, then a harness. We practiced lead walking in the garden, before very gradually introducing her to the outside world, helping her to feel safe and secure with every experience of the outside world. She would not be rushed and we spent a lot of time sitting on the doorstep, watching the world go by.

I am delighted to report that 4 months on she was enjoying walks on and off lead and now she is happily settled in her new seaside home.

Mabel - fear of anything new!

Mabel was a very nervous dog and within a few days of arriving in her new home and on her very first walk, she slipped out of her harness and spent 3 days on the run in the new forest with us trying to catch her!

When we eventually caught her she was distraught and didn't trust anyone or anything. She was terrified of people, equipment, everything in the home, noises, visitors and needed to be slowly desensitised to everything.

Mabel spent 4 months in foster with us, working through all of her anxieties, slowly building her confidence around new people, dogs and places. I am delighted to report Mabel is settled in her new home and enjoying walks on and off the lead.

My qualifications

I am a level 5 qualified behaviourist with a Diploma from the ISCP (The International School for Canine Psychology & Behaviour).

I am also fully insured to practice with £5m public liability cover.

I am a member of the following organisations.

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