Behaviour Training

We expect a lot of our dogs these days and sometimes it’s too much for the dog to cope with. Your dog may be showing signs of anxiety, over excitement or aggression and you may not know how to help them. I have a great deal of experience with rehomed and rescue dogs, sometimes from outside the UK, who often come with a lot of baggage when you adopt them. And sometimes you just need to get advice about how to settle your dog in to its new home or you may have had an incident where you need support for your dog to work through. Behaviour training is as much about working with you and your expectations as it is about working with your dog. It is not always a BAD thing. Behaviour could be something simple like changing your dog’s greetings to visitors or it may be building their confidence with other dogs. It’s the most challenging and rewarding part of my work and I hope that I can offer you a different way to live with your dog that will work for you both.

I started working with the The Walkabout Group on behavioural sessions on Saturday mornings with my own dog, Bertie, who was unsocialised and a bit of a hooligan. I soon discovered that aggression and bad behaviour can be caused by so many different reasons. In order to make sure I am able to offer the best service possible, I’ve also continued my professional development to include aggression and behaviour courses.

The first step is to have an assessment either on a video consult or in person. I will meet you and your dog to learn more about your dog as a whole including medical history, environment, nutrition, training and family set up. I don’t judge anyone for what may have been done in the past. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions I ask at the assessment and I hope that you feel you can answer honestly.

You’ll get a report from me detailing our meeting and then with some proposals for going forward. This may include changes at home, a vet’s visit and some training suggestions. And we can start work as soon as you want. I will be honest and upfront about the issues and what I think would be the best course for you and your dog.

HOWEVER, I can’t guarantee 100% that I can “fix” your dog. I can’t guarantee that things can be sorted out quickly. What I can PROMISE is that I will only work with you if I feel I can help make life better for you and your dog. All I ask is that you work WITH me and commit to any training programme we decide on going forward.

If you want more information please contact me by email or message through the website.

Assessments and 1-2-1 training are available in person or online

Dog Owner Reviews

The Hitchens Family

“Soon after bringing home our delightful cockapoo pup, Twiglet, we had a Preschool Puppy Session with Sara in our home. She met the family including our slightly bemused cat! This visit gave us reassurance that we were on the right track and also tips and advice for the forthcoming days and early weeks with a new pup.I would thoroughly recommend Sara’s dog training skills and, importantly, her friendly and approachable manner ensuring that each encounter is enjoyable with laughs along the way!”

Chris

“We have been delighted with the training and advice provided by Sara in helping to train the fabulous addition to our family – our beardie Harley. He attended the puppy foundation class and we also had several 1-2-1 sessions in the park, which has achieved virtually 100% recall with Harley. Sara is really not only an expert, but a lovely person to deal with, and would recommend her to any dog owners.”

Steve and Angela

“I wanted to have some basic training for our 12 week old English Bulldog called Mabel and opted for some 1-2-1 lessons as primarily, she wouldn’t be awake for the classes in the event so having them at home really helped. Sara clearly has a vast and in depth knowledge of dog training techniques and tips/advice etc. and Mabel absolutely loved her. I would have no hesitation in recommending Sara and can only thank her for the help and advice shared for Mabel.”

What sort of a relationship do you want with your dog?

Rewards Dog Training can help you right through from those early days with your pup and beyond so that you can have the best start possible to build the relationship you want.

But it’s not all about pups, sometimes owners need help with those ‘teenage’ and ‘senior’ years too! Ask how we can help you to live in harmony with your dog.