Training Methodology

I do not strictly conform to any "style" of dog training. I always consider the dog in front of me and utilise a range of techniques and tools suited to the dog and human I am working with. I am open to using the full spectrum of communication to support your dog's development and your goals.

I firmly believe that training your dog should be abundantly positive. Punishments (a word that makes many people cringe) will be included, but not necessarily in the way you might think. A punishment is simply anything that reduces the frequency and likelihood of a behaviour, some of which are based on a dog's natural communication with other dogs and animals.

Punishments can include the removal of things your dog finds valuable, time alone, the use of body language, verbal communication, or withholding something of value. Importantly, you will learn effective management strategies to prevent the rehearsal of unwanted behaviours — which matters more than ever at this age, because adolescence is when rehearsed behaviours set into lifelong habits.

Crate Training

I advocate for crate training at every age. If your dog is already crate trained, we'll build on it — the crate remains one of the most powerful tools for emotional self-regulation, calmness in the home, and an off switch that lasts a lifetime. If your dog isn't crate trained, or it fell away after puppyhood, we will discuss it, and I can explain how it may assist you and any possible alternatives if this is a "non-negotiable" for you.

Intensive Phone Support (Included)

Your program comes with unlimited support between sessions and for three months after your final session, with direct personal feedback from me three times a week. Send me as much as you like — messages, voice memos, videos, questions — no cap, nothing metered. I come back to you personally, usually Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with my own eyes on your dog. Not a template, not a bot, not someone else on a team. You can still contact me 24/7 (I manage my notifications, so you don't need to worry about that). We'll stay in touch on WhatsApp, and you're welcome to include anyone else who cares for your dog.

This service is crucial. I spend more time with many clients in the support phase than in face-to-face training, and the feedback I get is that the support is the most valued part of my service offering — it gives clients clarity and confidence to succeed daily.

Commitment and Expectations

Your dog is entering, or already in, adolescence — roughly six months to two or more years of age. Expect boundaries to be tested. Expect the recall that was going so well to wobble. Expect selective hearing, bursts of energy, frustration barking, and days where the dog you trained seems to have been swapped for a different one overnight. This is not failure — it is adolescence, it happens to every dog, and it is precisely why this program exists at this moment in your dog's life.

When it comes to developing dogs, you'll reap what you sow. Committing to immediate implementation and practice of taught skills and concepts is crucial for our program to progress on schedule. Our sessions aren't about training your dog; they're about training you. Your interactions with your dog post-session shape their behaviour.

Developing a dog through adolescence isn't a weekend project; it requires daily attention, ideally multiple times a day, even if briefly. If your aim is a calm, well-adjusted dog capable of navigating various environments without issue, consistent guidance, play, training, and impulse control development are vital right through their first two years. Meeting your dog's daily needs is essential for their well-being; without fulfilment, expecting good behaviour is unrealistic.

I don't directly train your dog for you; that's a separate service I don't promote but can discuss. Instead, I equip you with the skills to navigate life together in the most efficient and easeful way. I coach you in canine leadership, but post-session, the responsibility falls on you. Failure to implement advice, put in the work, or utilise available support may lead to new problems, exacerbation of existing ones, and regression in your dog's behaviour.

It's all how you raise them, right?… wrong.

It's well understood now that the old saying "it's all how you raise them" is categorically false. This belief has caused so much harm to many dogs, who have been raised by people believing every dog can just behave perfectly well with training. Yes, your dog's behaviour is impacted by learning, and this is where we have the greatest sphere of influence, but it's also impacted by their environment, personality, and genes. Poorly bred dogs from inexperienced breeders, or breeders who breed purely for appearance without regard for temperament and health, may carry traits that training cannot overcome and that require a lifetime of management.

Results Guarantee is not applicable during development

Because your dog is still developing. Adolescence is a moving target — maturity, genetics and environment all shape where your dog lands, and no honest trainer guarantees a behavioural outcome for a dog whose brain is still being built. What I can promise is best-practice development, delivered properly, at the moment of maximum leverage. If it isn't totally clear why a results guarantee cannot apply, please contact me.

Satisfaction Guarantee (Dog Development Program)

I want my clients to have a fantastic training experience and feel clear about what to do, how to do it, and, importantly, why they are doing it. I want everyone to love the training sessions! If you didn't enjoy a session, didn't learn anything, and you let me know on the day of the session, then you can choose to pay as you please for that session, including choosing to pay nothing at all. I will also refund any sessions we haven't completed yet. I don't know any other trainer/behaviourist that offers this guarantee.