What is the difference between dog training and behaviour consultation?
Dog training typically focuses on teaching specific skills like sit, stay, recall, or loose-lead walking. While training is a good way to provide mental stimulation for your dog, this will unlikely be helpful if a dog struggles on emotional level. Behaviour consultations address deeper emotional or behavioural issues such as fear, aggression, reactivity, separation anxiety, or trauma. These cases often require customised plans based on behavioural science and emotional well-being.
What kind of issues can you help with?
I work with a range of behavioural challenges including reactivity to dogs or people, fear-based behaviours, separation anxiety, resource guarding, hypervigilance, compulsive behaviours and support for rescue or rehomed dogs.
What is your experience?
I have 40+ years’ experience of professionally working with dogs from the Police and military dogs to companion dog training as a Dog training instructor, and 12+ years of experience working in canine behaviour field. I helped to rehabilitate 400+ dogs in the past 3 years.
Do you offer ‘quick fix’ solutions?
Unfortunately, no. Behaviour change—especially in dogs dealing with fear, anxiety, or trauma—takes time, consistency and patience. Some issues are easier to resolve than others, and progress also depends on your dog’s individual personality, past experiences and emotional state.
If you ever experienced a phobia—like a fear of spiders, snakes, or heights—ask yourself: how long did it take to feel better? Emotional responses, whether in humans or dogs, don’t shift overnight. Just like us, dogs need to feel safe, supported, and understood before they can start learning new ways of coping.
My approach is about long-term, sustainable change—not quick fixes. I work with you and your dog to create a plan that supports real progress, at a pace your dog can handle.
What methods do you use?
I use force-free, fear-free and reward-based approaches. These are based on modern behavioural science and focus on building trust, confidence, and emotional resilience in your dog. I work closely with veterinary practices to make sure that any underlying medical issues contributing to your dog’s behaviour are identified and addressed, and to ensure a holistic, science-based approach to your dog’s well-being. Please read my statement about Ethics
What is your qualification?
I hold a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavioural Biology, providing a strong scientific foundation for understanding canine behaviour and learning.
I am proud to be accredited through two respected organisations in the field:
- The Kennel Club Accredited Instructor (KCAI) in Companion Dog Training (CD)
- Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge & Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA), accredited by APDT International
How long does it take to see results?
It depends on your dog’s history, the nature of the issue, and how consistently the plan is followed. Some improvements may be visible within a few weeks, but deeper behaviour change can take several months.
Will you train my dog for me?
I coach you to work with your dog, because the relationship between you and your dog is central to lasting change. I guide you through practical steps, explain the behaviour and support you in building a better understanding with your dog.
Do you work with aggressive dogs?
Yes, I work with dogs who show aggressive or reactive behaviours. These behaviours are often based in fear, pain, frustration or confusion. Each case is assessed individually, and safety is always the top priority.
I have a puppy. At what age should I start training?
Training should start as early as possible—ideally as soon as your puppy comes home, which is usually around 8 weeks of age. At this stage, we focus on gradual exposure to stimuli, gentle socialisation, building confidence, and creating positive associations with the world. Early training is not about strict rules—it is about guiding your puppy with kindness, setting them up for success and preventing future behavioural issues. The earlier you begin, the easier it is to shape good habits and emotional resilience.
Is Puppy Socialisation included in One-on-One course?
Short answer: Yes. The One-on-One Puppy course includes both exposure and socialisation as part of a carefully guided process. But let’s first define what socialisation really means.
Socialisation is a process of engaging intentionally with other species. When we think about puppy socialisation, what comes to mind first is a puppy playing happily with other puppies. While these play sessions can be valuable, we need to bear in mind that if we want to teach our puppy good manners, we need to involve in socialisation process those dogs that already have good manners.
That is why, when it comes to socialisation, quality matters more than quantity.
Studies from 1960s onwards suggested that puppies learned much faster and performed better when being around well-trained adult dogs. These studies were actively used by the Hungarian Border control team working and selecting dogs for duty purposes.
It is also important to understand that not all puppies are easy going. Some are more sensitive and may need extra time to build confidence. In these cases, gradual exposure—which doesn’t always involve direct interaction—is key. For example, calmly observing the world from a safe distance in a quiet outdoor space can be more beneficial than immediate immersion in busy environments or chaotic play.
In the One-on-One course, I guide you through both gentle exposure and safe socialisation with right dogs (e.g. calm, settled, owner-focused) on your way of raising a well-behaved dog.
My dog is a rescue/recently rehomed—when should I start training?
It’s best to allow 2–3 weeks for decompression after rehoming, then begin gentle guidance and confidence-building. If there are behavioural concerns, we can start sooner with a tailored, low-pressure approach.
How do I book a session?
Please fill out the Owner Questionnaire or use a Contact form and we can then discuss what would be the most suitable for you and your dog.
How long does the session last?
Training session usually lasts up to 1 hour. Sometimes, it is better to finish earlier, especially if your dog performs well or feels tired or not in a mood.
Initial Behaviourist Consultation can last up to two hours. Follow Ups are between 45 minutes to 1 hour.
How much do you charge?
Puppy training course:
Initial indoor session outside of the main course – £99
This one-off session covers essential early prevention strategies for undesirable behaviours, including separation issues, toilet and crate (or playpen) training, as well as guidance on puppy handling and grooming.
Follow-up outdoor sessions (x4) – £299
Full 5-session Course (1 indoor + 4 outdoor) – £379
If you choose to include the initial session as part of the full course, it will also introduce basic training such as Recall and Wait. Please note: Once the course begins, it is not refundable. I recommend reading our Terms of Service before booking.
Adolescent Dog Training Course – x5 Outdoor Sessions – £379
Custom Training
If you believe your dog does not need the full course, please use Contact form to request a personalised quote.
Initial session is £99.
Behaviourist consultation – please complete this Owner Questionnaire and I will be in touch to arrange a consultation.
Can we have sessions online or only in person?
Sessions can take place in person (at home or outdoors) or online via Microsoft Teams. Online consultations are just as effective for many behavioural cases and allow flexibility in scheduling. Besides, it is often a bit cheaper.
Where do sessions take place?
Outdoor Training Locations:
Wimbledon Common
Ashtead Common
Epsom Common
Nonsuch Park
Indoor Sessions Available In:
Postcodes: SW13, SW15, SW19, SW20, KT2, KT9, KT11, KT18, KT22, KT23
If you live outside these postcodes but would still prefer an in-person session, a £10 travel fee will apply for every additional 3 miles.
Virtual Consultations:
Microsoft Teams is available for virtual consultations and are just as effective for many behavioural cases and allow flexibility in scheduling