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home >customer testimonials |
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Customer Testimonials |
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Sandra, Brendan and Lucy |
We adopted our 2 year old Collie cross, Lucy, from Manchester Dogs home, 5 months ago. She’s a lovely dog at home, but a nightmare on the lead, pulling us into roads, lunging at dogs, carrier bags, rabbits, anything that moves. In addition to this, she started showing aggression to dogs. We tried everything we could think of to stop the pulling; nothing worked and we had to avoid dogs like the plague. When she tried to attack a playful puppy in the park, that was the final straw and off to boot camp we went.
We were a little apprehensive at first, after years of hibernation, booze and food, we felt unprepared for the physical training. However, Simon tailored the course to suit everyone individually, giving us gentle encouragement when needed and generally making all the exercises fun and a great laugh.
By the end of the first day, Lucy was much improved, no longer attacking the other dogs and actually listening to us. By the end of the week, she was a changed dog. Calm, happy and balanced!
Simon has shown us how to embrace Lucy’s talents, such as her drive and focus to run and I have since become a member of CaniX. She is now able to differentiate between when it is OK for her to pull (CaniX only) and when she should be walking to heel.
We have gained so much from this course. Brendan lost 5lbs during the week and has continued with the exercise, running with Lucy everyday, we’ve even signed up for a half marathon! We now have the knowledge and tools necessary to give Lucy what she needs, and all of this is thanks to Simon.
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Sandra, Brendan and Lucy |
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Ami, Jason & Marley |
Well if any of you have seen the film or read the book Marley & Me you will know what I’m about to say.
My husband and I got married in December 08 and when we came back I had already fallen in love with someone else, an 8 week old black fluffy Labrador who we named Marley. I took two weeks off to train him but decided just to cuddle him and spoil him rotten. But to my despair and a few months later I have a big spoilt rotten baby who has no respect for either of us. I’ve bought training books, DVD’s, magazines and even tried puppy classes but he just wouldn’t take any notice.
Then one day I was looking on the internet and found K9 Control which includes this scary thing called 'Boot Camp', and I booked it straight away after speaking to Simon. You may think he's going to be a strict ex-army man, but he is a gifted, talented and extremely knowledgeable man who helped us to see our faults as dog handlers/owners.
We went with a list of behaviours that we would like to work on at the K9 Boot Camp and Simon taught us how to achieve this in one week and I’m amazed. Simon has changed the way we think into exercise and fitness and has given us the tools to succeed in a happier life with our 9 month old Labrador.
Simon’s a wonderful trainer and a great bloke, Thanks Simon it was a great week and we will recommend you to everyone.
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Ami, Marley & Jason |
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Kathryn Barraclough |
I was faced with two choices. Take my 10 month old Beagle puppy back to the breeder and tell her I had tried EVERYTHING but still couldn't cope with his behaviour or actually try EVERYTHING and book onto the K9 Control Bootcamp as a last resort. Fortunately I chose the latter and six weeks later underwent a week of intense training to help improve my skills as a dog handler and get my puppies behaviour under control.
Boswell, my beagle puppy, did not have any major problems....just lots of little ones that were becoming a major issue! Pulling on the lead, jumping up, running away, refusing to jump into the car, basically ignoring every command I gave him! Day to day life was becoming unbearable.......I couldn't even bribe him with treats and toys, he just wasn't interested.
Cue Simon, a lot of patience and 5 days!!!! The first thing I learnt is that every dog is different. What works for one won't for another. Simons' knowledge is second to none and after spending only a short time working with us he had established where i had gone wrong in training Boswell and how to correct it. It took a few attempts to discover which method of training Boswell responded best to. I would normally have found this quite frustrating had I have been on my own but simon has a very calm, persistent yet patient approach which made the whole process seem a hundred times easier!
At the end of the training the change in my relationship with my puppy was unbelievable. Boswell was becoming more respondent to me and obeying commands, walking to heel and even running on his lead alongside a mountain bike!!
Since returning from bootcamp I have continued to use the training methods Simon instructed and I have definitely reaped the rewards!! I have followed nutritional advice and changed his diet, groom him daily, continue his training, play with him and have even bought a mountain bike so he can enjoy a good run! As the weeks go along he just gets better and better. He appears a lot happier and wants to please, often offering good behaviour without even having to be asked. He is by no means perfect....I not sure if any dog is...but he is certainly a work in progress!!
Thank-you Simon!
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Kathryn Barraclough and Boswell |
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Sarah Evans |
Our Dog needed training, and we also needed to lose weight/become fitter. K9 Bootcamp sounded ideal, the location beautiful and ideal for both goals. Our problem was would we survive a "beasting" in the gym from an ex-Army PT Instructor.? It was therefore with some trepidation we met up at 09.00hrs on the first day. We needn't have worried and were welcomed by Simon to a "bleep test" and fitness assessment. Despite being amongst handlers a lot younger than ourselves, we received plenty of praise and encouragement throughout. Although we hadn't trained for some time, this week was just the kick start we needed for us and our dog - we therefore can thoroughly recommend all aspects to people of varying abilities.
We had tried to get get our Dog to walk to heel, Halties, Harnesses, Gentle Leaders had all fallen by the wayside but the first day ended with our Dog walking by our side!
Simon is always available to discuss and provide tips for improving the fitness and capabilities of dogs and handlers alike. We look forward to booking more sessions in the future. We thoroughly enjoyed the week - it's not every month that you get to run carrying a log up hill through the forest, or be the focus of a German Shepherd in a demonstration of the capabilities of a trained dog in capturing you as you try to "escape".... |
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Sarah Evans, Cambridgeshire |
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Natasha Marxen |
| Having only done normal dog training courses locally I was really unsure what I would get from the course. I knew I really needed to learn more about how to train Maisie and was quite happy to accept that any training issues were primarily my fault! On the other hand, could I really put myself through what looked like an army course for the sake of my dog? I needn't have worried. Simon had promised that he would adapt the course to both the needs of Maisie and my ability and that is exactly what happened. The week was a fantastic experience and really showed me what Maisie was capable of and where I was going wrong. As for the exercise, well I have improved on that too; slowly but surely, and now Maisie benefits both physically and mentally from what I have learnt. Can't recommend the course enough!
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Natasha Marxen |
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Gemma Mapp |
I contacted K9 control when my 1 year old SBT X GSD 'Floyd' had been showing aggression towards other dogs.
The problem had been getting worse over about 6 months and the crunch came when I dropped the lead on a walk and Floyd ran straight at another dog and attacked him. Fortunately the other dog was ok, but understandably the owner was very unhappy and as a Veterinary Nurse myself, I was mortified!
I called K9 control and spoke to Simon who spent a great amount of time talking to me on the phone first and discussing the issue with Floyd. I was upset that my dog could be like that but after our conversation I felt confident that the problem could be resolved.
Simon came to my house and worked with Floyd and my Labrador 'Oscar'. By the end of a two hour session, Floyd was relaxed and could even sit next to a strange dog without any reaction. Both my dogs were bad on the lead and pulled me when being walked; they now walk to heel and are a pleasure to to take out. I am thrilled at the results I have achieved with the dogs and its still early days.
Simon taught me the skills I needed to handle the dogs in a firm but fair manner and they are now a credit to me rather than an embarrassment!!
I would recommend K9 control to everyone with a problem dog |
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Gemma Mapp, Veterinary Nurse, Tamworth, Staffordshire |
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Paul Hynes |
I contacted Simon at K9Control to secure a place on the only K9Bootcamp in the UK. I am an operational dog handler working security/explosive search dogs for prestigious sites all over the UK. I have attended numerous dog training courses but have found Bootcamp to be the best course which I have done.
Within the industry that I work in it is imperative for Dog Handlers and dogs to be in peak physical and mental fitness to portray the right professional image. Simon’s ethos emphasises this heavily as he is passionate about health and fitness for both dogs and their handlers.
All aspects of dog training and dog welfare were taught throughout the week ranging from how dogs learn through to anatomy and physiology which was very informative.
All the fitness training is undertaken with dogs which reinforces the bond between handler and dog, Simon constantly evaluates the courses fitness levels making sure that the sessions are both achievable and that you are being pushed to your limits whilst still enjoying yourself.
The week is tailored individually for all dogs, spending long periods working on control, agility, socialisation, and individual behaviour problems which have been highlighted.
The course was absolutely brilliant and I would highly recommend it to anybody who wants to get the best out of themselves and their pets.
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Paul Hynes, Specialist Dog Handler, North West |
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Helen, Tim, Chloe and Bob |
Chloe, Tim and I (assisted by Bob the whippet!) had an excellent day with you last week. I was initially a little skeptical about how much we could achieve in a few hours when we had spent almost 2 years with Chloe trying to get her to stop pulling. However, I was amazed at the impact you had, you were gentle and understanding with her, managing to get her to walk to heel within the first 2 minutes!
As well as teaching us new techniques, you managed to keep it entertaining and fun for us and Chloe, and the day flew by. Also, watching you work with both of your dogs was incredible, they were so in tune with you. It was nice to be taught by someone who could demonstrate the affinity they had with their own dog before they told us how to work with our own.
We have already highly recommended you to other people and will continue to do so. The money we spent on 1 day with you was worth every penny and we will be booking in again soon.
Thanks again and all the best,
Helen and Tim (and Chloe and Bob!). |
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Helen, Police Officer, Lincolnshire |
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Hazel Millar-Hanna |
I have a Dobermann full male dog called Moses who has a high prey drive, so would insisit on chasing deer, sheep, cows, barking round the legs of horses and also chasing trucks down main roads, as you can imagine I was worried that he might get killed either on the road or for worrying sheep etc, so I called in Simon and we spent a day and a bit training Moses.
After a few hours of basic training we moved on to a field with sheep, cows, horses etc and Simon asked me to take Moses into the field with a normal collar on, after I had been pulled into the field by Moses (as if I was on ski's) Simon took over and to my amazement within a few minutes Simon had Moses under control. My dog was in a down position in this field not moving he stayed there for 5 mintues off lead not going anywhere, I was gobsmacked, he even went nose to nose with a horse!!!.
Simon did it with control and kindness and taught me how to handle my dog. I would recommend this to anyone thinking of using him as I have been to other training courses which were ineffectual
Thanks Simon
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Hazel Millar-Hanna, Berkshire |
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Andy Wild |
| Before we went to Simon at K9 Control, we were having enormous problems controlling our rescued Lab X in outdoor spaces - all he could focus on was food (it didnt matter what the food was - from picnics to other dogs mess!) and refused to come back to us until he had finished. This problem was not only disgusting, embarrassing and upsetting to people who lost their picnics, it also took all of the fun out of owning a dog. Within a couple of hours, Simon had Sabie running around a field, ignoring all temptations around him. He offered advise on how to continue to train Sabie to be the excellent dog we know he can be. We travelled from Southampton to the Midlands to see Simon, but felt that it was well worth the journey - I will be recommending his services to the many dog walkers we meet on our travels.
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Andy Wild (Lecturer in Music at Tauntons College. Southampton) |
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Bryony Lindley |
After spotting an advert we decided to enlist the help of Simon for our 3 year old rescue dog Fly.
Although Fly is generally a well behaved and friendly dog he turned into a nightmare when on a lead, especially when he saw another dog or a horse. He would leap around and bark so much that I would end up all tangled up. We had tried so many options and spent a fortune on different kinds of leads and collars to stop him pulling.
I was apprehensive about the training as we had taken Fly to training classes before and had had another trainer out previously but their methods had done little to alleviate the problem.
Simon came out to our house for a 1:1 training session for two hours and I can honestly say there was a difference in Fly within 10 minutes of the training! Simon taught me very easy to follow tips on how to control Fly and we are all amazed at the difference it has made.
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Bryony Lindley (Arts Teacher) Staffordshire |
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Mrs Richardson |
After deciding that a large breed was the right dog for our family, we enrolled Simon's services. After an initial consultation it was apparent that our dog needed a firm approach in focusing his energies in the right direction; but not at the expense of his strong and fun loving spirit.
After a couple of home visits and some regular trips to Cannock Chase, our Giant Schnauzer now walks to heel, comes back to recall and socialises well with other dogs, children and adults alike - Simon has been patient and very informative and always works together with us to help guide us to best manage our "Giant"!
His understanding of the canine mind is evident in the knowledge he shares with us and the way in which our dog now behaves. We have come to realise that the training is as much for the human as for the dog! |
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Mrs Richardson, Longdon, Staffordshire |
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Karen Sexton |
I have three dogs, a Bichon aged 3 years, a mini Schnauzer aged 14 months and a Border Terrier aged 6 months.
The Bichon and Schnauzer have been a nightmare to walk outdoors, the Bichon attempting to snap at anything on two or four legs and the Schnauzer barking and growling at people.
The Border Terrier being a puppy is not showing these tendencies as yet but would probably start to emulate this behaviour so I wanted to address this sooner rather than later.
Apart from the anti-social aspect of the dog's behaviour they also constantly pull on their leads when out walking.
By chance I discovered K9 Control and arranged a training session with Simon who specialises in dog training and animal behaviour.
Within the first twenty minutes my dogs were walking to heel and not showing aggression to Simon's training colleague and another dog used as a distraction.
After approximately two hours of one-to-one training with each dog individually followed by all three together my dogs were under control and I felt confident with them instead of the usual stress, and the dogs also appeared more relaxed.
I would strongly recommend K9 Control and Simon's training methods to anyone with a problem dog and anyone wishing to improve their handling skills.
I am looking forward to further training sessions as I experienced a very educational and positive day and feel there is a lot more to learn about my dogs and my approach to them. |
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Mrs K. Sexton, North West |
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Karen Allen |
I am progressing well with Leo and he is behaving extremely well.
I am going to continue to work on the exercises we practiced for the next few weeks and then arrange another session with you to see if I can improve him even further.
Thank you for helping me make my gorgeous dog into a well balanced and behaved dog!
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Karen Allen, Brereton, Staffordshire |
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