Reviews

Giant Schnauzers return to friendly play

We initially called Ellen on a recommendation from our vet after our two male Giant Schnauzers started being aggressive toward each other and fighting without any real reason.

We could not have them both in the same room at the same time, and we were at such a point of frustration we had to seriously consider rehoming one of our beloved family members.

Ellen came to our home for a first visit and immediately changed our thinking on the aggressor in this situation and the possible reasons for the change in the dogs behaviour. She wrote a very comprehensive report on her initial observations and recommended exercises that we should do with our dogs to help their own frustrations, increasing their rest days between day care and decreasing the amount of ‘unobserved’ time in our garden.

When Ellen came back for a second visit a month later, the dogs had completely changed and were able to stay in the same room together without any signs of aggression or fear. Their play had gone back to how it had been previously, and they were much happier with each other. We simply could not believe the difference between their behaviour in one month, and it was all down to Ellen’s recommendations. We continued to work with the dogs in the manner Ellen recommended, and have had no further incidents between the dogs!

Without Ellen’s help, we would have had to rehome one of our boys for their own safety and happiness. Now, we have our happy dogs back and the work we continue to do with them have made our bond so much stronger. My wife and I could not recommend Ellen enough and will have no hesitation calling her again if we run into any further issues.

Thank you Ellen!

Callie the spaniel & separation anxiety

Following the unexpected loss of our other dog, Callie unexpectedly developed separation anxiety. 10 months have now passed and Callie now manages between 5-6hrs on her own in a calm and relaxed manner, and is back to being her happy, cheeky self.

A big thank you to Ellen who called us quickly after we reached out to her following a recommendation from our vet. An in depth assessment was carried out along with reviewing video footage and a face to face meeting, followed by a detailed report which was sent to myself and our vet. Ellen started us on a plan to initially look at calmness then onto a tailored programme where Callie would eventually get used to me leaving the room, house etc, building on duration. Callie and I worked together as a team, learning skills as we went along. Yes, emotionally it was hard work, but Ellen supported me every step of the way so that I could support Callie to grow in confidence. We had regular check ins which I looked forward to and found reassuring, discussing our daily diary records, progress and next steps.

Ellen truly is very professional, friendly and approachable, and very knowledgeable, working in partnership with myself, Callie, and our vet. I would not hesitate reaching out again if I needed to.

A big thank you Ellen!

Leo - Problems with using car ramp and socialisation

Leo was 11 wks when he got kennel cough and was seriously ill with it for a month. We then discovered he had Elbow Dysplasia. Both of these greatly restricted how much socialisation he could get. As playing with other dogs was just too much for him. We started taking Leo to Hydrotherapy but were told we needed a ramp for the car as jumping out was bad for his legs. It could take 20 mins to get him up the ramp and into the car, even had people laughing at how long it took when we were at Pets at Home car park. Very stressful for us and Leo.

We contacted Ellen, she came to the house and watched Leo with the ramp. Straight away she made suggestions. But explained it would take time and patience. She also suggested Licky mats and a Snuffle mat – which Leo loves! Great stress release. We even got a Licky mat for our cat! Ellen came with us to Hazelhead Park and various other locations to help with socialisation. Made a huge difference both to Leo and helped improve Karen (Leo’s Mum) confidence.

We really appreciate all Ellen’s time and suggestions. It made a big difference. We will continue with all the training and games. Big thanks Ellen!

Corrie - the Cocker

Following an operation, Corrie was put on a special diet. He turned very aggressive and attacked any and every dog he met. We were getting to the end of the road with him. We contacted Ellen as a last resort. She immediately identified the cause as medical. The dog was under a lot of stress due to hunger. Changed his diet following a second vets’ advice. Ellen gave us the basics on how to read dog body language and made a few minor changes to the way we handled the dog. A year down the road, and we have two very happy dogs. Typical merry cockers.

Nelly's training & separation anxiety

We found Ellen last year after getting our first ever dog and realising that we needed some help with training – and that was us, not the dog!!

Ellen was absolutely great, and a couple of sessions set us on the right track for training Nelly. We then had some issues with Nelly this year and were worried she was developing separation anxiety – if we were at the beach she became distraught if I went in swimming. We contacted Ellen again and recently had another session with her. Once again she sorted us out, giving us the tools and techniques to work with Nelly, and now we have a much calmer dog on the beach. Ellen has a vast depth of knowledge, experience and empathy, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone who needs help and guidance with their dog. It’s so reassuring to know we can call on her if we need to, and also to see the benefit of putting her recommended techniques in place

Wilson-Golden retriever would not go into car

Our 5 year old golden retriever developed an issue with cars and would not go in or near our car. It became a major issue as we could not take him on holidays, to the vet or walks further a field than from our house.

We consulted Ellen on a one to one session who came to the our house and witnessed Wilson’s refusal to go near the car and noticed behavioural and postural mannerisms which only a trained professional would recognise.

Ellen wrote a detailed report which she gave to us and our vet with a plan. We were given techniques and exercises inside and outside to do with Wilson. We exchanged emails weekly on Wilson’s progress.

It was not a quick fix and took patience and perseverance but Ellen had told us this. It has been well worth all the hard work as we now have a dog who willingly gets in the car and is relaxed and calm on car journeys. We can’t thank Ellen enough for all her expertise and support and couldn’t have done it without her!

Puppy journey

Ellen has helped us since the very beginning of our puppy owning journey and I honestly think we would have been totally lost without her.

We started off with a very frustrated little pup and two pretty clueless owners – with Ellen’s help and the tools she gave us, our puppy is turning into a very lovely girl. We have truly been on an emotional rollercoaster with our pup and Ellen has been invaluable support. Ellen has guided us on everything from diet to puppy classes to managing behaviours at home and outside. There is so much conflicting information on training and dog behaviour out there, and we trust Ellen over anything else. Her knowledge of dogs is astounding and she also seems to have a calming effect on humans too!

Now we are in the middle of adolescence and our journey is far from over but knowing Ellen is behind us is hugely comforting. We are so grateful to have had her involvement from the start – we owe her so much.

Woody the Golden Retriever

My vet recommended Ellen as our 16-month, male golden retriever was demonstrating some aggressive behaviours. He was jumping and biting at our arms, and had caused bruising several times. This behaviour appeared to be unprovoked. He was also on the very excitable end of the spectrum. Ellen came to our house and worked with us indoors, as well as in the garden and on a short walk. She provided a detailed report, with some key recommendations and a forward plan.

Initially it was suggested that we changed his food. We saw an almost immediate improvement in his behaviour and he was so much more affectionate. We worked on calmness using protocols and training provided by Ellen. We had regular check-ins and one to one sessions in the following 6 months. This included continuing to work on calmness, as well as his stealing and general over-excitement. We also kept a daily diary which helped Ellen to help us.

I would strongly recommend Ellen if you are experiencing issues with your dog. She is professional, knows her stuff and uses only positive reinforcement. I have used other dog trainers in the past and given up on them after a couple of sessions.

We have worked hard with Woody using Ellen’s approach and support, and he now a different dog. I feel comfortable letting my children walk him, and he is now a lovely boy when their friends visit. It is a process, and it continues, but he is becoming the family dog that I dreamed of. We have come a long way in 6 months.

Thank you so much Ellen!

Harris

When our puppy started behaving differently, we had no idea what was wrong with him. Our fantastic trainer asked us to get him tested for Giardia. We were surprised when his results came back positive, but it explained the low-level aggression issues that had started in the house. It was beyond hard work and we had no idea what to do. Our trainer recommended Ellen to help and we honestly cannot thank her enough for taking the time to help us.

Working alongside the whole family and the vets and recommending supplements to help short term, Harris is like a completely different dog. He’s calm and playful and everything you want your family pet to be and more. I honestly don’t think this would have happened without Ellen’s help. Thanks so much for giving us our wonderful dog back Ellen, it meant the world to us. Cannot recommend you enough.

Stressed Teenage Labrador

Our vet recommended getting in touch with Ellen to help when our 11 month Labrador puppy started growling and lunging for other dogs. We had recently moved house and he was also coming into his hormonal, teenage phase. He was going through a lot and was feeling stressed and was showing this with his behaviour.

Ellen gathered lots of information through a questionnaire, videos and an online consultation and got back to us with a comprehensive plan, tailed to our dog. She included links to further reading and videos to support us putting the plan in place.

The advice was easy to follow and Ellen was always happy to clarify any points we were unsure of. We have noticed a big improvement since following the plan and we are all feeling much happier and more relaxed. We kept in touch with weekly updates which Ellen then gave feedback on. After 4 weeks restrictions were eased and Ellen was able to visit in person to see how we were doing. The visit was so helpful and reassured us we were on the right track.

Ellen has been friendly, helpful and professional throughout our experience, she has a wealth of knowledge and ideas. Our dog may not have been ‘out of control’ but we are so glad we got some help which allowed us to put steps in place to help our boy feel more relaxed and happy.

We would definitely recommend Ellen to anyone needing help or advice with their dog.

Lola - Rescued Street Terrier Cross

We sought Ellen’s help with our 4 yr old “rescued street” terrier cross Lola who had become so sensitive to loud noises that she was too fearful to leave the house and was becoming quite withdrawn.

Initially Ellen visited us at home, taking time to gain Lola’s trust and carrying out a detailed assessment. She provided us with a clear explanation of her findings and what she recommended we do to help Lola. This included a range of tools and techniques initially starting with exercises using clicker training to improve Lola’s confidence levels. Ellen also liaised with our vet to discuss supportive medication. Over the following months Ellen assessed our progress each month and showed us how to introduce different exercises using positive behaviour strategies, all supported with handouts & videos that have continued to transform Lola into the happy, relaxed, animated, interactive dog that she is today. We greatly appreciated the positive feedback Ellen gave us about our commitment to practicing the training techniques with Lola and we would stress that it is important to do the “homework” between sessions. Not surprisingly for a “rescued street dog” Lola’s training will continue to be an ongoing process but thanks to Ellen helping us to understand her better we now have a stronger bond that makes further training possible.

We would happily recommend Ellen to anyone, she is an extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and dedicated professional whose friendly and approachable manner makes it a pleasure to work with her.

Cooper - Reactive Dog

Our dog Cooper was reactive to most things before we met Ellen – cars, bikes, dogs & mainly people which meant every walk or visit was a nightmare. He would lunge, bark and growl and letting him off the lead was out of the question. We tried to overcome this ourselves and tried other behaviourists until we met Ellen who quite honestly has changed our life. With her help, Cooper is so much happier and so are we, knowing how to help him! Ellen has always been so helpful, only a phone/email away with any issues we had inbetween visits as well as sending us a review of each session & tips to work on going forward. Her advice has helped us see what triggers he has and also how to overcome them, without her help we don’t know where we would be. Now Cooper is off the lead most walks, his reactivity to cars is gone and he is now comfortable meeting most people even males which was a big trigger.

I would recommend Ellen to anyone – her professionalism & advice is second to none not to mention just an all round understanding and lovely lady.

Thank you for everything Ellen!

Stressed Border Collie

We got a one year old Border Collie to help me with exercise after an illness. He is a great dog and very eager to please but we soon realised that although he had been trained as an agility dog that he was not accustomed to walking on a lead and busy traffic. As we live in a busy residential housing estate this posed us a problem. He also was not used to being in a house so the whole experience was stressing him out.

On recommendation we called Ellen. She was delighted to help and visited us at home to see the problems for herself and offer advice. She employs only positive behaviour strategies and has endless patience with both dogs and owners. We worked initially on simple commands using clicker. He quickly picked up touch, leave and other commands. Ellen visited us on several occasions and sent helpful training leaflets to assist us with work. The walking in traffic took much longer as we took this slowly to avoid further stress. We used treats as advised but got him interested in a ball so that it then became the ultimate treat. He now walks without lunging at cars and bikes and sometimes will walk without a lead but that is being built up too as he has an avid interest in chasing cats. We will continue to work on this.

I can’t praise Ellen highly enough as she is absolutely a dedicated professional in her field.

A tiny word of warning; Ellen is fantastic but it also depends on the dedication of the owners to do the home work to ensure the behaviours embed. We can’t believe the difference in our dog; he is now a happy boy who is enjoying life.

Thank you Ellen.

Uncontrollable Barking

I came to Ellen for help with my 2 small dogs about 6-7 months ago. Ellen came to my house the first time to assess them inside in and outside.

I was feeling quite desperate at this time, my dogs barking uncontrollably at any other dog and anything that was moving. I felt like I had tried everything and was feeling like a terrible dog owner.

Ellen was great, made me realise that we could work on this together, and get results. It hasn’t always been easy, but with continuity and persistence my dogs are different. They’re not so scared of everything that moves anymore. They don’t bark at everything that moves. Some days are better than others, but looking back 7 months ago my dogs are more confident, happy doggies, and I’m a more relaxed happy dog owner who loves my little monkeys.

Thank you Ellen.

Springer Spaniel - Aggressive Behaviour & Recall Issues

My springer spaniel was lovely at home and a nightmare to walk. He was showing aggressive behaviour towards any dog (and sometimes person) near or far/on or off lead when out for walks, it was getting very difficult to go anywhere without worrying about what was going to happen. The last straw came when he no longer listened to recall and he terrorised a lady out with her dog quite far away from me. I did not want to be that person who was known to have a scary dog.

After seeking the help of the internet and reading up on what kind of help I might need, I got in touch with Ellen. She had good reviews, actual proper qualifications and a passion for dogs. She came and took everything in. We sat down and she analysed everything, from food to daily dog routine and history. We went for walks to see him in action and we discovered that my dog was showing fear aggression due to his history.

Straight away Ellen implemented an action plan to follow. This involved using a click and treat method, where she showed me what to do when and where and other techniques to help my dog. My dog loves to work and really took to the clicker straight away, she made sure I understood what training was need and even gave me extensive notes to back up and read, which was most helpful. Over a period of 4 – 6 months, I really noticed a difference in my dog. He was calmer when out, recall good and he could look at other dogs without going crazy.

Now a year later we can walk right pass most other dogs and remain calm. Due to this confidence with my dog and myself we are working towards competing in agility at KC level, which we could not have done before. Ellen has been most helpful and understanding throughout this year. Her guidance works wonders and I can highly recommend her

Fearful Spaniel

Ellen allowed me to unlock the potential of my fearful rescue spaniel by taking a careful history, observing our interactions closely and providing me with a personalised, achievable plan of action to improve his psychological and physical health. Ellen’s experience, training and ongoing support has encouraged me to become far more attuned to my dog and to have confidence in my own ability to understand his needs, and he has become a dog full of joy with a huge zest for life. We have grown in our partnership so much that we have together helped another rescued spaniel to find his joyfulness in our family with great success.

Freddy - Coping Mechanisms

I was put in touch with Ellen to help me with some issues I was having with my young dog. Ellen was brilliant, initially she took time just sitting with Freddy letting him become comfortable in her presence& gaining his trust. Ellen went into a lot of detail explaining why Freddy reacts or behaves the way he does in certain situations. She gave us tools to ‘cope’ with the fear he shows. All Ellen’s methods were positive & reward based, Freddy was never pushed to beyond a point he wouldn’t be able to cope.

This summer we took our dogs on holiday to the Lakes, a lot of the coping mechanisms Ellen taught me meant Freddy coped well in & around busy situations with strangers & other dogs.

We’ve still work to do, but thanks Ellen…you’ve made such a difference to Freddy’s everyday life!