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ABOUT ME As a Child, I was never allowed to have a dog so I can't claim to have come from a dog-loving family. I always wanted my own dog and particularly loved GSD's or Alsatians as they were known then. So no suprise, when I got my first dog in the 70's it was a German Shepherd from the Huesca kennels in the New Forest, bred by a very well known older breeder Miss Sylvia Kozshevar (Sadly no longer with us). Max was a wonderful dog and through him I was introduced to obedience training with a really good trainer Linda Green back in Bournemouth where I lived then. I subsequently became involved in breeding GSD's, although not in any significant way as far as the show-ring goes, but I always enjoyed owning dogs which were impeccably behaved both at home and outdoors. The GSD was a great breed to start my training experience with, because with the right temperament (and this isn't always a given) and the appropriate drives, they are extremely rewarding to train. 
In the late 80's, having become disillusioned with
the trend within GSD's towards two seperate breeds, (so-called English and
Germanic) and with concerns over weak or hyper-active temperaments in the
breed, I decided to get my first Rottweiler on the death of my brood bitch
Kizzy . Eddie Wilson, an old training mate of mine from the security dog world, had long raved about this wonderful breed and its calm but courageous temperament. For clarity here - I must stress that I have no interest in training for security work, so please don't ask! This was unfortunately around about the time the Rottweiler was starting to gain unwanted publicity in the light of notoriety provided by the 'Omen' film. The breed had started to attract some dubious individuals and dodgy breeders on the look-out for making a quick buck and of course, they often don't care about the calibre of their puppy buyers or the welfare of their puppies. My first Rottweiler male in 1988 was descended from old Poirot lines (one of the most famous kennels in the UK and indeed the World) and I was smitten by this fantastic breed. They certainly weren't so easy to train as a GSD, but the reward in getting one of these proud males to do exactly as one wished was in my mind far greater than that achieved by the occasionally over-biddable GSD. With the exception of a brief return to GSD's, which in the end did nothing but confirm my love of the Rottweiler, I have remained a confirmed Rottie man to this day, breeding, showing,judging and of course training. I currently own four Rottweilers, three of which often play walk-on roles as stooges in my training sessions. Not only do they show the owners of even the worst-behaved dogs, how calm and passive a group of Rotties can be, they also use that calm, passive behaviour to help shape the behaviour of the client's dog. So if you become one of my clients, you can rest assured you will meet one or possibly all three of these dogs. |
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These dogs are 'show-dogs', but are still required
to acquire reasonable obedience standards to
ensure they are balanced, sociable animals. In my opinion, all owners of
guarding breeds have an extra responsibility to ensure that their dogs are
trained to a basic minimum standard, if only for public reassurance. As a Police Officer, I harboured early ambitions to become a Police dog-handler but was told in no uncertain terms that I should be looking beyond that, so I foresook that career for the promotion ladder. For me, this ladder wasn't that long - something to do with my famously non-political approach to things, or as a good friend of mine would say - my Peteism's!! Well, I am from Yorkshire after all - we say what we like and we like what we say!!. However, I eventually became the Inspector in charge of the Devon and Cornwall Police Dog Unit in the mid-90's, a fantastic job for a dog-person, even if some dog handlers treat dog show people and trainers from other disciplines almost like the enemy! We had a fairly large unit of 43 GSD's and about 20 specialist dogs (mainly Springers and Labs), which carried out the drugs and explosives work. As the leader of this unit, one relied on the experience, commitment and integrity of one's Home Office Police Dog Trainers and one instructor who created a very early and long-lasting extremely positive impact on me, was a guy called Paul Glennon. He was by a very long way the most committed and knowledgeable Police dog trainer and skilled Dog Sergeant I ever met. As well as having 30 years training experience in Rottweilers and GSD, I am proud to be a full member of the Kennel Club Accredited Instructor Scheme. I have a diploma, with excellence in Changing Dog Behaviour, awarded by the World-famous Peter Lewis consultancy. I achieved one of the highest marks ever awarded in this diploma, which I take great pride in. As a dog trainer and behaviourist, I offer clients not only the theoretical knowledge of why their dogs do what they do, but the practical hands-on experience gained over very many years involvement in challenging breeds, of solutions to their problems. Some behaviourists do not have practical hands-on experience and some trainers do not have behavioural expertise. By having the combined skills and experience, I first of all explain to clients why their dog is doing what it does, then offer the practical solutions which I will demonstrate and teach them to utilise. One of the commonest complaints I hear from clients is that some previous trainers have demonstrated lots of tricks but have actually taught them nothing! Please see subsequent pages for details of training provided, my training methods and some examples of recent clients dogs. My previous clients page is a colourful gallery of real dogs and their owners (other than those who wish to remain anonymous), with details of real problems and their outcome. Enjoy reading the case-studies of dogs with problems similar to those of your own!! << HOME |
