Services
Dog Training
Force free, positive reinforcement training works by building on the relationship between you and your dog, it can be a fun and kind way to train your dog.
Nobody wants to work for free and neither does your dog! By figuring out what your individual dog finds reinforcing you can use these things (eg: food, toys, fuss) to build up your dogs motivation to work for you.
Reinforcers can also be access to something the dog wants, for example; access to greet a human after waiting patiently to do so (no jumping up!) or being allowed to go play with their doggy pals after checking in with you first (good manners!).
The best behaved dogs are the ones that have a job to do and a reason to do it. Keep them out of mischief by putting them to work!
I currently offer 1-2-1 training sessions. Each session lasts approximately 2 hours and costs €100. Before a session I will call you to discuss your dog and your needs, I will then create an individualised plan before the session. After the session I will provide you with a training handout detailing step by step all the exercises we covered so that you can refer back to it if necessary. Some issues will need more than one session and some will only need the one session. Common issues covered in my 1-2-1 training:
Not coming back when called
Pulling on the lead
Jumping up
Excessive Barking
Excessive Digging
Excessive Chewing
Nipping (mouthing)
Toilet Training
Calming down an excitable dog
Behavioural Consultations
Behavioural issues can be extremely hard to live with and to see your dog going through. Just like humans, dogs can develop complex behavioural problems due to a multitude of factors including genetics and the environment.
As a behaviour consultant, it is my job to examine all of the data and get an overall picture of what is happening for your dog. Knowledge is power and once the function of the behaviour has been figured out, a plan of action for rehabilitation can be put into place.
Behavioural rehabilitation can be a lengthy process depending on the issue but it is extremely rewarding to see a dog progress and in my opinion, every small success is worth all the time in the world when you know it is improving yours and your dogs life.
Common behavioural issues I work with are;
Separation Anxiety
Destructive Behaviour (digging, chewing, destructing)
Aggression
Anxiety
Noise Phobia (thunderstorms, fireworks etc)
Obsessive Compulsive Behaviours (can include chasing, chewing or pacing)
I currently offer a package of 4 behavioural session for €350
Dog Walking
In the wild, dogs would spend many hours each day walking, searching for food and interacting with the environment. Unfortunately nowadays it’s just not practical or safe to have our dogs loose outside without us. However, because most of us work a large part of the day, our dogs are left at home alone with not much to do and nowhere to roam. This can actually have a negative impact on their physical and mental health.
My walking service provides a solution to this problem. I currently provide one hour walks in the Kildare area. I come to your home or designated area and pick up your dog and take them for an hours walk.
I offer individual walks and small group walks. If you would like to have your dog join a group walk they must first be assessed to make sure they are the right fit for any of the groups I currently have going. Assessment is not as scary as it sounds, I just walk your dog on their own for a few walks to get to know them and what they like and dislike, then I get a sense of who they are and if I believe I have a good match in my walking clients for them I do a safe and controlled trial introduction between the dogs and we take it day by day from there.
Dogs are individuals and just like us they are always changing and evolving and developing, for this reason I keep the group constellations fluid and progressive, we change things up if they need to be in order to make sure everyone is happy and NEVER will a dogs well-being or contentment be jeopardised for the sake of a group walk.
The most important thing for me is that the dog gets the most enjoyment as is possible from the walk, whether that is a solo or a group walk.
An hours walk costs €20. This includes travel and treats. I use cooked chicken as a reward on the walk while working on useful walking behaviours such as recall, eye contact, calm greetings or follow me depending on the dog.
I use 100% biodegradable poo bags
Home Visits
Home visits are ideal for dogs who cannot go out for a walk due to illness, surgery, age (very young or very old) or behavioural issues. With a home visit I will come to your home and tend to your dog, you can specify what you would like me to do with your dog be it play, feed, let out to the toilet, a very gentle walk etc
I offer two types of home visit;
A full hour visit which costs €20
A half hour visit which costs €12