"It's not just what you do in class but what you do between classes that will get results"
Clare is one of those people you meet who makes a real difference to your life. I had worked with a trainer on a one to one basis before I joined one of Clare's indoor training classes with my Border Collie Dave when he was 12 months old. My image of a dog training class where we all practice the same thing at the same time couldn't have been more wrong.
This is Dave's story.
Dave is a farm bred Border Collie and has a strong herding instinct which was making walking on and off lead very difficult.
Clare is driven by the science of dog training and possesses an innate understanding of what drives your dog's behaviour, supplemented by years of personal study and learning. It's this understanding which helps you work with your dog to teach the behaviours you want.
After only a few months of attending classes with Clare, Dave was seriously injured. He endured surgery then spent 4 months confined to a crate. He emerged from the crate a nervous young dog who had months of physical rehabilitation ahead of him.
From day one Clare offered her support and guidance to help Dave recover. That's the thing about Clare, she genuinely cares about your dog. When we returned to our first training class after a break of 6 months Dave was unable to offer any concentration on training. Indeed I spent the whole session just lying on the floor to reassure him. Clare made sure that I understood that Dave would be given all the time he needed to get back into a training routine. She has been true to her word.
Fast forward 6 months and Dave's life and my life with him is infinitely better. We go for walks off lead everyday. They're no longer just walks but adventures for both of us. Dave travels with me everywhere and enjoys a full life. Another 6 months later and Dave is maturing into a confident young dog able to try new experiences at training class. All of this takes time and commitment.
Training works when you commit to it and Clare does ask that you do the work. It's not just what you do in class but what you do between classes that will get results. In my experience the result we've achieved from training with Clare is the best gift I could ever give Dave.
When Dave was an 8 week old ball of fluff I never imagined he'd be working through the Amazing Dogs programme devised by Kay Laurence but he is, and he has his first rosette.
We have loads still to do and opportunities to explore other training activities with Clare in the future. I've only one goal for Dave and that is to give him the best possible life. I want training to be something we do together throughout his life and with Clare's help I know we'll succeed.
Comentários