You’ve just brought a puppy home and you’re terrified of getting it wrong. Or your dog pulls on the lead, ignores their recall, steals everything in sight, barks and lunges at other dogs, and never really switches off.
If you’ve got a spaniel, a cockapoo, a labrador or a doodle, this is probably very familiar. These dogs weren’t bred to be easy. They were bred to work. And most training advice wasn’t written with them in mind.
We’ve worked with hundreds of spaniels, cockapoos, labradors and doodles. I know what drives them, what trips them up, and how to help them thrive in a pet home.
Whether you’re starting from scratch with a new puppy or unpicking habits that have built up over time - We can help.
Does this sound familiar?
Puppy Socialisation
You're told to socialise your puppy, but not where, or how, or what's safe - and you've got four weeks until their second vaccination. We take the guesswork out of it. Calm, guided sessions designed for puppies before their second vaccination - a safe first introduction to other puppies, new people and the world, with expert help every step.
Puppy Classes
We’re not going to teach your puppy to sit - you’ve probably already done that. We focus on the skills that make real life easier: coming back when you call, walking without pulling, and giving things up instead of running off with them. The real goal? Becoming the centre of your puppy’s world, so they actually want to listen.
Puppy 1-2-1 Training
The early weeks are chaos - the biting, the crying at night, the feeling you’re getting it all wrong. Most of it is completely normal, and all of it is easier with someone alongside you. We come to you, at home, and help you lay the foundations while your puppy is still young enough for it to stick - so the habits forming now are the ones you actually want
How we can help:
Gundog Classes
Greets you with a slipper in their mouth? Nose glued to the ground on every walk? Always on the go? That's a gun dog - whether it's a spaniel, a labrador, a vizsla or a cockapoo. These breeds were bred to work, and if you don't give them a job, they'll go self-employed (and you probably won't like it). These classes give them an outlet for what they were bred to do.
1-2-1 Training
Some problems need focused, one-to-one attention - pulling on the lead, recall that vanishes the moment something better comes along, jumping up at everyone you meet. We work through the exact issue that's bothering you, at our secure field or out on your real walks - and we teach you how to keep the progress going long after the session ends.
Behaviour Support
Growling when you go near their food or a stolen sock? Barking and lunging at other dogs or people? Maybe they've bitten, and you don't know what to do. It feels scary and overwhelming - but it makes sense once you understand what's driving it. There's no judgement here, just expert help to understand your dog. I'll work in close collaboration with your vet on most behaviour cases.
They are not giving you a hard time. They are having a hard time.
The chaos, the not-listening, the stolen socks, the bolting when you call - it’s all normal, and it all makes sense once you understand the dog in front of you. And yes, if there’s a puppy in the house, the biting hurts like hell. I’ve got the scars to prove it.
Whether you’ve got a spaniel, a labrador, a vizsla or a cockapoo, a brand-new puppy or a fully grown dog, We can help you.
Our team is led by a qualified behaviourist with ten years’ experience, and we specialise in one thing: gun dogs and their crosses living as pets, across Reading, Caversham and West Berkshire.
Most of our clients end up saying the same thing: “this makes so much sense.”
It starts with a conversation.
What Our Clients Say
“Tash is absolutely amazing. We’ve worked with her since our Ted was 10 weeks old. Such simple, easy steps to follow that make a huge difference - he’s improved 1000%, and everyone who knows Ted comments on it.”
— Ruby & Ted
“I was really struggling with my Labrador, Maggie - walking her was becoming unpleasant due to her reactivity and chasing deer. The difference was incredible. I now have a different Maggie who is a pleasure.”
— Caroline & Maggie
Tash and Ian both offer lots of good, practical down to earth advice. You can start as a real beginner and choose to develop to higher classes, which works well. I also really like they way they have rolling class starts so you can start as soon as you are ready - ideal as puppies change so quickly!
— Charity & Lilly