Dog Training in Poole

Dog training in Poole and all over the UK

Recently I was dog training in Poole. My work comes from numerous places in a 40 mile radius of my home city, Salisbury. With about 15% of my dog training clients living in Poole, Bournemouth and the surrounding areas.

It is great to get to visit other areas in the UK, meeting new people and help them with their dog training requirements.

The last time I was dog training in Poole, my client that had an 8 month old German Shepherd, Tally. She was displaying difficult behaviour both in and around the home and also out on walks. This was a standard case of an energetic German shepherd puppy.The owners just needed to understand how to communicate in a way that Tally could understand. After a couple of visits, a homework break and support from me, Tally’s mum and dad are now on the right path to success.

What makes someone great at dog training?

A subject I talk about a lot, especially on social media, is what makes someone like me an expert in the dog behaviour world.  Experience is the number one criteria. Qualifications are also good but without the real world experience dog trainers/behaviourists are not going to be equipped to handle the vast amount of issues our dogs can have, This is now my 26th year of dog training. I have reached the age of 46, during my life I have been lucky to travel the world, working in many countries with some amazing dog behaviourists. This experience, which was over 18 years ago led me to where I am today.

Being a great dog trainer is only a percentage of this job though. The remaining percent is how I have learned to be a people person. Not only the ability to listen and empathise with my clients but also how I can communicate to them. This crucial skill is the reason I attribute the successes and results I have in dog training.The dog training industry has become highly competitive over the years, results matter in this business. I am lucky to have hundreds of reviews showing my success stories. These coming from several platforms. Some of these being ” Facebook – Google my Business – Yell – my website”. I also have collected video testimonials from my clients which certainly helps with authenticity.

Is there more to being successful in dog training?

As I mentioned above the two main contributing factors to getting those all important results. Experience and being an all round people person. However there are some other best practices that help with successes in this industry. Please continue to read if you are interested in understanding more.

• I have mastered my skills as a dog behaviourist, no problems defeat me, I understand dogs in a way that only the few can.
• I continue to learn and educate myself as dog training evolves
• I am a people person, teaching my clients how to get it right themselves.
• I have a great business manager, who helps me to improve the service constantly
• I work to high standards and do not except anything less.
• I am part of an organisation (Magnificent 7) this means my business is tried and tested and accountable to the standards I set, not only with the dog training results but with the way in which I conduct business.

Mastered my skills in dog training

Starting out in the 1990’s in my native country Finland, I worked with a famous Finnish breeder and trainer of “Black Russian Terriers”.  A formidable large dog that was originally bred to work with the Russian army. A dog that is highly adapted to a cold climate with temperatures of -30C. I worked with a specific line of Black Russian Terriers from the Zornoi Kennels. Winning a “Best Bitch” in 1998 during the Finnish crufts. After this I moved on to scent work and tracking, I won the 1999 Finnish championship for tracking. I then became part of an on call search and rescue squad for a few years. This was an amazing but brutal experience.

However it was this background that cemented my future. Along the journey scent work training, I had discovered how this activity gave my dog complete satisfaction. I realised that allowing dogs to use their noses in this way, actually helped with the all round behaviour and communication. So I started working with friends, relatives, neighbours, basically anyone I came across that was having difficulty with their dogs.  I quickly learned more and more about dogs and how our interactions with them shape their behaviour patterns. Until here are I am 26 years later !! I have never looked back. Working with people and their dogs is my passion in life, I can’t imagine stopping until my body or brain give up on me.

Continuing to learn and educate myself

It is true the dog training industry continues to evolve. Science is a word many dog trainers talk about in their plight to find new clients. I am not going to tell you i known it all, that would be short sighted. Nor will I force feed you how I constantly study the science behind dog training. Most of that so called science, is based around the methods the trainers use. These techniques are aimed at how to teach a dog in a positive and humane way. As we learn more about a dogs thought processes, we can better acknowledge the way to truly teach them in this modern world.

People Person

We often hear this phrase in life so what does it mean to me? Well teaching dogs is somewhat second nature these days. It is rare that I come across a problem that I have encountered many times before. Even the issues our dogs faced during the Lock downs of Covid 19, although were more frequent it was nothing new to deal with. Dogs with separation anxieties, dogs with a lack of socialisation, breeds that were chosen badly by owners. However the hidden part of being an expert dog behaviourist is how we handle and teach our clients.

Lets break this down further if I may! When I came to do dog training in Poole I had been told by my client she had already seen another trainer before me. This trainer worked on a one session at a time basis. My client had booked a 1.5 hour session for around £100. She reported that dog trainer in question made some good head way with her German Shepherd Tally during the session. Unfortunately the trainer in question failed to do what so many others come up short on. Making sure that Tally’s owners were able to continue with the training alone. Due to this error, within a few hours of the trainer leaving, Tally’s owners had already taken a couple of major back steps. This soon led to more confusion and a little deflation before they decided that, they had wasted their money.

Doing things differently

After years in business and with the help of those around me, I managed to get the formula to successful dog training down to a fine art. We don’t just see you once and leave you to it. This can be a recipe for disaster, as I just pointed out in the story of Tally above. I am not suggesting the trainer was terrible at training dogs, but was she accomplished with training the owners.

If I am dog training in Poole of anywhere within 40 miles of my service area. You will see me twice for 2 hours each visit. I won’t leave you after your first session until i can see you have understood and are actually getting the results for yourself. Then while we have a break, which can be between 2 and 4 weeks. I make sure you are in good communication with me. I want to hear how things are progressing. If you take a backs step I will go over things with you via our agreed communication method, to get you back on track. Then when I follow up with the second session we are ready to tackle additional issues or even just strengthen the one we have already worked through. My goal is to make you the owners an expert with your own dog

My dog training business manager

Being a great dog trainer, having years of experience and being a people person are my assets. Luckily I have another link in the chain. My business/client manager and my husband, Dan Molland. He is working hard in the background to help this business develop and grow. He is the first person any prospective client will talk to. Unlike many other dog training businesses, I am free as professional dog trainer to just concentrate on the dogs and the people. There is no pressure for me to answer the calls or deal with the bookings or payments.

Working to high standards

All the above sets out how we at Salisbury dog trainers work to a high standard. We love to keep things professional, enjoyable and rewarding. At the same time, we don’t like to leave anything to chance. Dog training is more than just training the dogs its about the all round experience.

Awards and memberships

Winning awards has become a bi-product of what I do. I have won many of the past few years, but the most prestigious of all is being a member of the Magnificent 7 (M7) Created and managed by our friend in business Michael Pipe. A man who worked with Graeme Hall “Channel 5’s ” The Dog Father” for more than 9 years. Michael is silently responsible for helping Graeme become the household name he is today. The M7 organisation is a group of well known, established dog trainers from the UK. Between us we cover the entire country including Scotland, Wales and England. Being a member means we are part of an elite group, we have to maintain the standards every year and we have been fully vetted and checked. For us this important membership adds a level of security to anyone wishing to use our services.