What kind of training methods do you use?

I am a force free trainer, which means that I avoid the use of intentional force, fear, pain, or discomfort to train your dog. There is an abundance of evidence that those things are not necessary in dog training, can negatively impact your dog’s welfare and relationship with you, and can even pose safety risks. Since I do most of my work with fear-based behaviours (separation anxiety, reactivity), it doesn’t make sense to add more discomfort, fear, or pain.

What behaviours can you help with?

My main specialties are separation anxiety, reactivity, and aggression (which can include intra-household aggression between dogs, resource guarding, stranger danger, and more). I can also help with puppy raising and general manners like walking skills or recall.

What areas do you service?

I am based in Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire and offer in-person dog training to the North Lincolnshire area, but I offer all of my training online as well - so I can help you no matter where you are in the world! In fact, all of my separation anxiety training is virtual because we’ve found that is the most effective way to train for that issue.

What is separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety is a panic disorder in which a dog finds being left alone - or in some cases, being left by a specific person - extremely distressing. Clinical separation anxiety can only be diagnosed by a veterinarian.

Professionals will often instead use terms such as “isolation distress” or “separation related problem behaviours” to avoid confusion. These can manifest in a multitude of ways including panting, drooling, pacing, barking, whining, howling, destructive behaviour, eliminating (when the dog is already house trained), pawing or scratching at doors, trying to escape, and sometimes self-harm.

What is reactivity?

Reactivity is just a label. It’s a shorthand that we use to describe dogs who ‘react’ in a way that we consider out of proportion to the actual threat present - usually by barking, lunging, snarling, or sometimes attempting to bite.

It’s important to remember that even though we can recognise that our dogs may be ‘overreacting’ to a threat that isn’t really there, our dogs can’t. Dogs are very honest creatures and they respond accordingly to their true perception of the world - so if your dog is barking or lunging, it’s because they feel genuinely afraid and threatened.

Can my dog’s problems be fixed?

When we are working with sentient, individual animals with their own unique genetic makeup, environment, learning history, and medical concerns, it isn’t ethical for me to make broad generalisations or guarantees. That being said, with the right kind of training and support, the prognosis is very good! It is not a fast process, but it can be treated.

How long will training take?

The best way to help your dog is to let them set the pace. Every dog is different and will make progress at different speeds, but teaching a dog to feel safe in a situation where they were previously panicking will take time regardless. It is unlikely that you will resolve the problems you are facing in just a few weeks.

That might sound unhelpful and a little daunting, but that’s why I’m here! I will either be offering you guidance and support every step of the way and helping you adjust to make the most progress you can, or giving you the tools and knowledge you need to succeed on your own.