Paws Dog Training & Behaviour

To say Craig has changed my dogs life might sound a little overdramatic but it is 100% the truth :) We started working with Craig because of our seriously dog (and sometimes human) reactive Weimaraner. Our walks were a nightmare, Ness would lunge at other dogs, bark aggressively and if she ever got close to a dog then she would more often than not pick up a fight. My main ambition working with Craig was to be able to get her past a dog without her losing her mind. Well we did better than that :) Craig very quickly identified Ness doesnt understand dog signals very well and we set off to work on her understanding of other dogs and making positive choices by herself. After 5 sessions (spread over several months and a lot of work in between, no one said it is easy!) she became much more fluent in dog and is making pals left, right and center. The day she walked away from a dog growling in her face and went to play with another dog rather than start a fight, I was over the moon! I really like Craigs approach to training and his positive methods really made a huge difference in Ness behaviour. We still have some work ahead but I know we will get there. All the while Ness is having the best time while training :)
Feb 22nd, 2022

Where do we even start! My partner and I got our pup Florence when she was 5 months old and lacked socialisation. Despite being the sweetest dog at home, she quickly developed reactivity towards dogs and people. We contacted Craig and began working on her basic obedience through positive game based training, after weeks of trying to find solutions online it was such a relief to have a trainer meet our pup and set out a plan for us. It gave us hope that we could help her work through her struggles and live a happier life. A few months into our training Florence developed some health issues and Craig couldn't have been more supportive, always going at Florence's pace even if it meant having some time off training. Fastforward 6 months and we now have a puppy that is a lot more willing to approach new people and dogs, and has recently started playing with them (although she is still her very vocal self!) We've always known that helping Florence to be more confident would be a slow journey so we are over the moon that she is making such great progress and finally having some fun. Going to puppy playgroup and 1-1 sessions has been an absolute game changer and we look forward to each session. It's great to connect with other puppy owners at playgroup and we have learned so much in such a short time. Craig is a wonderful trainer, he's very knowledgeable and skilled but also very lighthearted and easy to get on with, working with him has made us feel so much more confident as new dog owners. Investing in a great training programme is worth every penny as it is building the foundations of Florence living a happier and less stressful life. The only regret we have is not booking Craig's puppy course sooner! Whether you have a new puppy or your dog has developed some behavioural challenges we would highly recommend working with Craig!
Apr 15th, 2023

Craig literally saved our dogs life! When we heard about Craig, we were desperate; Titus was resource guarding but also had anxiety (apparently the worst combination) and he had bitten the 4 of us several times. Some of the attacks were quite severe but they were instinctive, and he had no control over them; he was otherwise a very sweet dog and became very depressed after each episode. We had spoken to one behaviourist on zoom (at a cost of 300) who simply wrote him off saying hes a gundog so should be worked all day and then thrown in a kennel outside; we then spoke to another who gave bad advice (for 100) and which resulted in the situation escalating. His resource guarding resulted in him refusing to eat at times which was a tremendous worry, and we were at a point where we were having to consider a future without him; we were all heart broken. As soon as we started working with Craig, there were immediate improvements in Titus behaviour. Craig gave us crucial training and support and his advice has been invaluable. He has constantly gone over and above in helping and supporting us during this very stressful and difficult time; this is not just a job to Craig, its a vocation in which he cares deeply for every dogs welfare and wants the best outcome for them and their owners. We are still working with Craig and Pat, who supports Craig brilliantly; she brought her own dogs to sessions to help Titus with his interaction with other dogs and has also been a great source of advice. Titus is a different dog now, and he is improving as time goes on. We have continued to go to puppy playgroup every Saturday morning which provides a unique and interactive environment. In this unregulated field, we feel very fortunate to have found in Craig not only a FULLY QUALIFIED BEHAVIOURIST, but also someone who is committed and passionate about each dogs welfare and happiness. The Bennett Family
Oct 24th, 2022

We used Craigs services when we adopted an older Romanian rescue, Arthur, earlier this year and I couldnt recommend him anymore. He was absolutely fantastic, both with the dog and the people that came with it ;) we learned a lot from Craig about the small signs to look out for in our Dogs behaviour and really helped us build that confidence in training our dog. Especially when I thought we had some serious behavioural issues on our hand. Two sessions of Craigs time have given both the humans and the dog so much confidence and we now have a happy, mostly well behaved dog and happy owners!
Mar 11th, 2022

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Reliability
Feb 4th, 2022