Training and behaviour help around Bristol, for dogs of any age. Positive reinforcement only, and you'll always understand why we're doing what we're doing.
Book a sessionWant to ask something first? Message me on WhatsApp and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.
★★★★★46 five-star reviews
Where everyone starts
Whether you want to get better at training your own dog, or you're keen to understand your dog's behaviour better, this session is for you.
We spend the first part working out what's actually happening. Your dog, your house, your family, their history and their day. Then we make a proper start on it, in the same session.
Two hours, at your home. £195.
What that start looks like depends on what we find. If it's straightforward training, like recall or loose lead walking, we begin teaching it there and then, usually with a walk round your local area, because that's where you'll actually be doing it. If something deeper is driving it, we spend longer on the why before building the plan, because training the surface of it doesn't hold.
Either way you finish the two hours understanding what's going on, with something to practise.
Afterwards, £65 an hour, whenever you want it. Some people book weekly for a while, some every few weeks while they're building things up, others take the plan away and get on with it themselves. All of those are completely normal, and there's no package to commit to.
Once you've had your first session, you can also join Adventure Paws, my small group sessions out in the real world for dogs I've already worked with.
Why it works this way
Dog behaviour can be quite complex, and when you're living it day to day, it's often hard to know exactly what's going on.
Being able to read what's actually driving something takes a proper grounding in the science and years of working with a lot of different dogs. That's exactly where I fit in.
Take pulling on the lead. Families often assume their dog pulls because they lack the skill, or because they're too stubborn or too excited to walk in a more relaxed way. And for some dogs it really is as simple as that, a skill they haven't learned yet. Let's face it, it's often a whole new skill for the family too.
For other dogs, the pulling isn't caused by a lack of training at all. They're struggling with the environment. A dog who usually walks on a relaxed lead will often find it much harder somewhere they're not comfortable, because they're feeling overwhelmed. In that situation, simply drilling the skill won't fix it, and it might make things worse.
What they need first is to feel safer out there.
Same behaviour. Completely different reason. Completely different plan.
And it isn't always either/or. With the dog who's struggling with the environment, we can still teach relaxed walking as a skill, but we also need to look at building up their confidence.
Two hours is plenty of time to learn lots of new skills, and it's also a great starting point for more complex behaviours.
For the more complex things, it isn't a one-session fix, and I'd be lying if I sold it as one. Behaviour takes time. What you get in the two hours is understanding and a direction, which is the part almost nobody has explained to you before.
Who I am
I have a degree in animal behaviour and welfare. I started out in a rescue centre, then in 2012 I began working for an assistance dog charity, where I spent eight years supporting volunteer puppy raisers through the training of dogs that would go on to change somebody's life.
I still work for the same charity as a community dog handler, and I keep my own training current alongside it. The research moves, and what we understood about dogs ten years ago isn't what we understand now.
At home there are two dogs and three children, so anything I suggest will be something you can realistically manage on an ordinary weekday.
How I work
Not because I don't want the work, but because the point is for you to understand your own dog. There's never any pressure to book more, and plenty of people never need to.
That's also why I explain the reasoning behind everything rather than just handing you exercises. Once you can see what's driving something, you can adapt on your own, and you don't need me standing next to you to do it.
★★★★★
"For anyone that has rescued, you'll know it's a rewarding journey but it's far from straightforward. Julia has worked with us every step of the way, and the progress we are making is incredible."
Julia has been supporting us to settle in our new rescue pup and I can't recommend her highly enough. She's tremendously knowledgeable, practical and passionate about her work.
We're so looking forward to continuing our training with Julia. If you're considering a dog trainer, I'd hire her now.
— Jo, with her rescue pup
If your dog's behaviour has changed
If your dog is showing any signs of aggression, or their temperament has changed, the first thing to rule out is that something hurts. If you're simply after some training skills and your dog is otherwise happy in themselves, none of this applies to you.
A great deal of behaviour that looks like temperament turns out to be discomfort. Sore hips, ears, teeth, guts. A dog in pain has a much shorter fuse, and no amount of training fixes that.
Book a specific appointment to discuss pain, rather than mentioning it at the annual jab. It's worth being direct with your vet about what you're seeing. Getting this ruled out first means the training we do is fair on your dog and actually works.
Things people ask me
Not with me. Most people who message me about behaviour have been carrying it around for a while, and they apologise before I've even asked anything. You haven't failed. I, more than anyone else, understand the complexity of raising dogs and different family dynamics.
Dogs don't misbehave, they communicate. A dog who lunges at another dog isn't being dominant or badly brought up. They're frightened, or frustrated, or they've learned that making a fuss works because it makes the scary thing go away. Once you can see what's driving it, it stops feeling like defiance and starts feeling like something you can work with.
There's an enormous amount of contradictory advice out there, and plenty of it is delivered very confidently by people who are simply wrong. Sorting through that is a big part of my job. I'll explain what's actually going on in plain language, and give you something clear enough to use on an ordinary weekday evening.
Sometimes we try the wrong things, and sometimes we're just not consistent enough. Either way, we can troubleshoot it together and come up with a simple solution that works for you.
Yes, and it works brilliantly for puppies. From about ten weeks onwards, it's a completely tailored two hours where we go through whatever your puppy actually needs: crate training, toilet training, mouthing, introducing them to the cat, recall, socialisation. Anything puppy goes. Same two hours, same £195 as everyone else.
I'm a trainer. I help you understand why your dog does what they do and give you practical, kind ways to support them. I work on everyday training like recall and lead walking, and I specialise in anxiety, reactivity, destructive behaviour, resource guarding and confidence. A clinical behaviourist is a veterinary professional who handles the more complex end, often where medication or a medical cause is involved, like severe phobias, serious aggression or compulsive behaviours. If I think your dog needs one, I'll tell you. I'd rather say so at the start than take your money and get nowhere, and I'm happy to work alongside other professionals so you get the right help.
Around 25 minutes from Lyde Green. That covers Downend, Mangotsfield, Emersons Green, Pucklechurch, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Bromley Heath, Staple Hill, Fishponds and most of the north and east of Bristol. If you're a bit further out, ask anyway and I'll tell you if it's workable.
Weekday daytimes I'm usually free within a couple of weeks. Weekends are much busier, so the wait can be longer. You can check my availability on the calendar, or message me with roughly where you are and what's going on and I'll tell you what I've got. If it's urgent, say so.
What it looks like afterwards
★★★★★
"We were really struggling with our dog's recall and anxiety. We were at breaking point. I had a couple of one-to-one sessions with Julia and her advice was brilliant. She gave me reassurance and went above and beyond to help. Our dog has come on leaps and bounds. Thank you so much Julia, I would highly recommend!!"
— Alexa, with Freddy★★★★★
"She is amazing with dogs and has so many training techniques which really shows her knowledge. Kobe has come such a long way thanks to Julia's help."
— Rhianna, with Kobe★★★★★
"One very tired but happy Crumble. 5 miles, mainly off lead and he came back whenever I called!"
— Janet, with Crumble
Not ready to book? Message me and tell me what's happening in your own words. No obligation.