Sometimes, ‘group training’ simply isn’t the answer.

• It may be that a particular problem is not one that would be common to a group and in which case, not enough time could be spent discussing why the behaviour is occurring and how to change it.

Common examples would be:

Separation Anxiety (symptoms include destruction of property and contents, excessive barking or howling, inappropriate toileting – all of which occur when the dog is left alone or shut away from the family)

Traffic Chasing (the dog is over-stimulated by the fast movement of traffic passing by – very common in collies, collie crosses and german shepherd dogs)

Inter-pack problems (the dog is not getting on with other dog(s) or cat(s) who also live in your home).

Common examples might be:

Whenever you take your dog for a walk, you dread the sight of other people out with their dogs as you know that your dog is going to bark/growl/lunge at them, leaving you feeling embarrassed, frustrated and unhappy.

When visitors come to your home, you have to shut your dog away because you don’t trust them with people outside of the family.

In these and other instances involving anti-social behaviour, putting your dog in with a class full of other dogs would be too stressful for you, your dog and the rest of the group, let alone counter-productive and potentially dangerous.

• You might need help NOW with a particular issue and cannot wait for the next set of classes to start.

• Classes may be inconvenient for you – you might work shifts and wouldn’t be able to attend every single week.

• It might simply be that you have a new puppy that has not yet had the necessary vaccination injections and you would like some one-to-one advice on what to do and how to cope with certain behaviours, before your puppy socialisation classes start. Understanding what is natural behaviour to a puppy and how to handle it, is a vital part of bringing up a well-adjusted and (eventually!) well-behaved dog.

• You may never have owned a dog before and you need some straightforward guidance on how to cope with this new family member!

Frequently Asked Questions……….

Qu. How long is an individual session?

Ans. Each ‘one to one’ session lasts for one hour

Qu. How much do the sessions costs?

Ans. The price per session will depend on where it takes place.  If you come to the Topdog Training venue (see Venue Information), sessions are £40 per hour.  Home visits attract a call-out fee and this will depend on where you live – This would be discussed with you, prior to making an appointment.

Qu. How many sessions will I need?

Ans. This will very much depend on the type of behaviour problem but the first session is very much an introductory hour where your trainer will fully discuss the presenting problems with you and gain vital information about you and your dog.  At the end of this session, you trainer will be able to give you an idea of how many sessions they believe will be necessary in order for you to meet your goals and achieve success.  You will be asked if you wish to commit to an appropriate training programme and given the option whether you wish to move forward on that basis.

Qu. Is the information discussed confidential?

Ans. Anything discussed between you and your trainer is completely confidential.

Qu. What happens if I need to cancel a pre-booked session?

Ans. Topdog Training ensures that via it’s advertising and website that you are able to contact us in a number of ways – landline telephone number with an answerphone service, mobile telephone number again with an answerphone and email so that you can change dates and times of appointments where necessary – please note however that there is a LATE NOTICE CANCELLATION POLICY and we do require at least 24 hours notice of a cancelled appointment.  If less than 24 hours notice is given, a full fee charge is applied.