ALL new clients are offered a Free 30 Minute Meet & Greet/Needs Assessment Session.
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My Passion
Hi! Welcome to TrainMyPuppy Dumfries
I have been invoved in training since a cruel unqualified trainer beat up my new rescue (the dog in the photo) in 1989 because he said she was ‘dominant’ . I only asked him about recall!
After that I worked out how to teach her with kindness… we did pretty well, she passed her class obedience, she worked competitive obedience and she got a little TV job in kids’ telly on the BBC! But she never let strangers in my house again.
Your badly behaved puppy or dog is NOT ‘dominant’.. if you would like more info on that topic,please check out the ‘dominance is bunkum’ button, it leads to a little story I wrote which also tells you a lot about how I ended up doing this work :-) the dog in the story is Nushka the dog in the picture.
My motivation in my job is problem prevention and the earlier you start with your puppy the better.
Please don’t wait until it is ‘naughty’
I want to scoop up every puppy in town and pour them into my Toddlepaws and PuppyPlus classes, BEFORE the owners start blaming them instead of training them. And BEFORE their critical socialisation window is shutting, BEFORE owners mismanage fear periods which are a natural part of development.
The First Four Months of any dog’s life are the most formative. Don’t waste them!
I’m pushy, for a reason, because I have a message to push;
Teach For Good Temperament. Train Your Puppy Well. Learning Starts Young
Being a Pet Dog in Modern Society is really tough and if you want your chosen puppy to grow up to be the best dog it can be.. . If you want your rescue dog which someone else blamed instead of trained, then gave up on… to be the best dog it can be; teach and guide them.
If you have .. an older puppy, rescue dog, dog with behavioural problems, a class is not the best starting point, but I CAN still help you. Please look at my other pages and email me or give me a ring to discuss your needs
Please check out any buttons to further info, including new Client Induction Form and Vet Referral From. This site will still be being tweaked with links added!
Remember.. prevention of problems is always better than cure. And remember.. dominance is bunkum!
About Me
Although new to Dumfries I have taught Puppy Classes since 1993
and have multiple formal practical and theoretical qualifications under world renowned trainers and behaviourists going back to 1990 and onwards. Here are some that I can remember, many CPD attendance certs and bodies of work have been lost over the decades.
Canine/Human Interface Certificate 1991
Founder member/original assessor of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers by invitation of the late John Fisher (lapsed)
Multi-Species Coape Diploma 2002
Current full member Pet Professional Guild.
Honourary Associate Member of the Animal Care College.
First National Training Advisor to NARP and assessed new Petsitters.
General and breed advisor to Dogs Today Magazine for about 20 years.
KC Good Citizens Examiner up to Gold level, and technically approved by the KC as an Examiner of Examiners
C&G7407 Adult Teaching Certificate. I actually took this in order to be eligible to teach dog training/lectures in F.E. Colleges, but found it invaluable regarding considering learning styles of my human clients as well as the furry ones and also lesson planning.
I also have a range of experience in a variety of doggy topics from Assistance Puppy Walking to media and stooge dog work with my own pets to two jobs in the petfood industry. Plus substantial and varied rescue work including Animal Festival Welfare. Knowledge of different breed traits is really helpful as a trainer. What has taught me the most over all these years about rehabilitating problem dogs is the numerous rescue dogs I have worked and lived with; breed traits,motivations and learning abilities vary enormously! I am more surprised by how many dogs don’t have behavioural problems than how many do, considering how little education most people give their pets.
Since 1994 I have also intermittently bred some of my dogs. The family of Pyreneans in my photos has died out, I haven’t bred since 2012, but I still have the youngest four generations of an 8-gen family of St. Bernards who have owned me since 1998 . Watching puppies develop from birth is amazing, I breed infrequently and don’t see my bed for 8 weeks when there are pups. I am honoured to be listed on the Puppy Culture World Breeder Map
Learning never ends, my first formal qualification in dog behaviour was from study I undertook in 1991 and I am currently working towards an Advanced Diploma in Canine Behaviour Management.
Despite all the above, whenever I have a new puppy… that puppy has never been a puppy before.
My experience and all the letters I never bother writing after my name counts for nothing if the puppy does not get a wide range of appropriate socialisation and habituation experiences to grow into the best dog it can be .. And..
No matter how experienced an owner you are, YOUR puppy has never been a puppy before either. So my puppy visits and classes are set up to provide enriched learning for all pups while also ensuring novice and experienced owners alike get just as much from the lessons.
Video; Wingnut’s First Trick.. Kiss on Cue aged 17 days.