Testimonials

After 2 years of bad habits the improvement in behaviour has been amazing, after the six sessions of training. Many thanks!

We are very pleased with Brian’s training programme, our dogs have progressed well and have enjoyed the training. As a result they are both better behaved, Bramble is a lot calmer and has stopped jumping up at everyone who comes to the house. We first had concerns about the cages but both dogs adapted to them very quickly and we now see the benefits of them after Brian’s recommendation.

Two beautiful boisterious black coated retrievers taking over my life and home! Contacted Brian from ‘ Dogs Listen Up ‘ and he listened! He came – he saw – we planned. One to one visits produced sure results and were fun! Respect shown to me and my dogs. Confidence in myself as a handler and them in learning to ‘follow’. I fully recommend Brian at Dogs Listen Up. When he speaks ‘ we all listen’! He has just the right touch and understanding and Mr Darcy and Lord Byron love him.

I can’t thank Brian enough for the quality of guidance Margot and myself enjoyed throughout his program of training, His intervention has given clarity to my ownership role and a determination to succeed. I knew Margot deserved more certainty than I alone could provide. Now I can go forward with confidence as well as a true appreciation of the help, support and encouragement Brian gently but firmly provided. I’m sure he is Margot’s hero! Probably mine as well!

Having a personal dog trainer has been a wonderful and fruitful experience for Mathew and me, and we are so pleased we made the decision to do it. Bertie is a very strong dog so learning to control him on the lead has made all the difference on our walks. Over the six lessons your teaching has now become a normal routine and the three of us will keep on improving all the time! Not only have we learnt control but things regarding our dog’s welfare.Thank you again for all you have done. We really have enjoyed it. It has been worth every penny and I would recommend anyone to do it – and of course I would recommend you!

We initially contacted Brian as we had a problem with Florrie’s anxiety in the car. However, Brian quickly established that Florrie was pretty much anxious about life in general and our inconsistencies were contributing to this. Brian took us back to basics with dog training and gave us clear and simple advice to follow. Brian allowed us to go at our own pace, leaving enough time between sessions to allow us to master each stage of the training programme. His training was tailored to Florrie’s progress and Brian was extremely generous with his time. We enjoyed Brian’s relaxed approach and while we still have some way to go with the car, Florrie is much calmer and we are more confident in dealing with her insecurities.

As my 7 month old puppy, Treacle ran the wall of death round and round the kitchen, Brian calmly but firmly said ‘You need a cage’. Up until that point we had not wanted to use a cage as we thought it was cruel, would upset our darling puppy!! We had put up with the running round like a maniac, peeing everywhere and general destruction that our puppy caused, so at this point we were willing to try anything!.I contacted Brian because I wanted to have a well trained and happy dog and the reality at this point was that she was stressed and completely disobedient. However, within the first hour of Brian’s lesson, Treacle seemed almost the model puppy. He has that air of authority which Treacle (and I) totally respected. When Brian told her to sit there was no option. I quickly realised we had been far too indulgent with Treacle.
By the end of Lesson 1 she was walking on the lead, sitting when directed and generally being very calm. The addition of the cage was THE single most important change we made. After only a couple of days Treacle was happy to go to bed at the end of the day and it was a useful tool to teach her that a 90 mile an hour dart around the kitchen was unacceptable!
As we progressed through the training I found that Brian was able not only to demonstrate the techniques required, but also was able to explain and discuss different approaches. The course was really enjoyable and in reality a lot of what Brian taught was quite simple but the trick was to understand the doggy psychology and how to encourage the good behaviour.
I am happy to report in only a few weeks Treacle and I have progressed enormously. I am happy to take her on a walk, as she walks to heel when asked and I am happy to allow her ‘ok’ time when she can sniff about to her hearts content. She is a wonderful family pet and is calm and content around the house now which is all we ever wanted.
I would certainly recommend this course especially as the one to one tuition means that you get maximum benefit from each class and have plenty of time to practice. Brian was able to fit in with my schedule so I could complete the course at my own convenience and the results are totally worthwhile.
So the secret of a well trained pet – Get a cage and get Dogs Listen Up !!

Brian’s first visit lasted a good two to two and a half hours during which he taught us the basics of dog training when walking your dog. Dexter had been a nightmare before this, he pulled on his lead, would jump up at passers by and would pull like crazy to get to another dog and walk time was a time where we felt very on edge. After Brian taught us the basics of lead training, walking Dexter back after the first lesson was like having a different dog on the end of the lead! Brian advised us on our choice of dog walking equipment and we have to say this made a huge difference.It was reassuring to know that if we had any questions, we could ring Brian and he would get back to us. He came to assemble the cage we bought Dexter (despite my reservations) and Dexter is really happy to have somewhere in the house which is his exclusively to where he can retire when family life becomes too much!
Brian also advised us on Dexter’s food requirements and suggested changes to his diet which have made a difference. I can see a change in Dexter’s coat, it is much glossier and his eyes are brighter. He also told us about a condition called bloat and told us how we could prevent it, and we took the preventative action as soon as we could. We have taken Dexter through the complete training programme with Brian and he is very good at explaining how things should be done and his demonstrations mean that there is no chance of a misunderstanding.
What Brian has done for us has been to give us the tools we needed to train our dog to do what we need him to do and we feel that we have a much happier dog now that we are able to communicate what we want him to do. We certainly feel happier with Dexter and would like to thank Brian for giving us the knowledge and confidence to train our dog and to get the most from our handler/dog relationship. His advice has been invaluable.