Top 5 Dog Trainers in Pinhoe

Our neighbours recommended Tricia's training classes to us and We're so glad that they did. We have a Golden Retriever puppy, Gemma,, now aged 22 weeks but she started Tricia's puppy class when she was fourteen weeks old. She was a very feisty, hard to handle, puppy, but Tricia has worked wonders, both with advice, and showing us in class how to reinforce training but always in a fun way. Gemma is now far more settled and a much happier dog now that she knows her boundaries. We'll probably attend more classes soon, as she enjoyed them so much.

Tricia is an excellent trainer of the dog owner as well as the dog! She has a calm, relaxed and fun but firm way with her training. Luca , our black standard poodle loved her and was eager to get her approval. We had a few 121 sessions at home for Trisha to assess Luca’s behaviour and devise a treatment plan. We joined her weekly Friday classes which Luca loved. The classes in the Longdown village hall, a great venue, were relaxed and fun. With a set number of dogs of different breeds and sizes in the class it was amazing how calm and contained the dogs and the people were!! I can highly recommend Tricia and when Luca and I need a top up we will be back. Maggie

I recently contacted Tricia for help with a problem with our dog not sleeping through the night. We spoke briefly on the phone about the issue and managed to book a session for 2 days later, incredibly efficient. The session lasted approximately an hour, Tricia supplied us with the tools we needed to rectify the problem. I couldn’t quite believe how quickly our dogs behaviour changed going from waking us up at 3am to getting a full nights sleep within 2 days this behaviour is now consistent and there is no longer any issues through the night. If you have any problems with your dogs behaviour I would highly recommend reaching out sooner rather than later as it can drastically improve quality of life and the relationship with your dog

Recently contacted Tricia after a quick google search for local trainers for my golden. Her knowledge of the breed was pretty amazing and how much we learnt about the breed in a short period of time was really helpful. Would 100% recommend. Thanks

We came across Leaps and Hounds when looking for something to do with our puppy when visiting family for a fortnight. Honestly could NOT have been HAPPIER with the sessions! We attended the Puppy Play sessions, which were a perfect mix of free play for the pups, plus guided games and clear and compassionate tuition from Lucy and Howard. Our puppy, Kenny, was quite shy initially, but there was no pressure on us or him, and instead, just a whole bunch of reassurance that that was absolutely normal. The pups were split into size and confidence, and we were guided on games to play, what to watch for, for signs of happy play, avoidance, when to step in if puppies aren’t reading the situation well, for example. As the session progressed, he found his confidence and we left with an extremely happy and tired puppy! When we returned the following week, our pup was pulling to get inside and over to the field because he was so excited. The session followed a similar format but without being exactly the same, again with tips and tricks of what to look for. Our pup played and played and played until he had to sit down, haha. His confidence was brilliant and he was so happy. The classes and set up was honestly so much better than we could have hoped for and if we lived close, we would be enrolling on classes AND going to the puppy play sessions without doubt. Our puppy has gained so much from just two sessions - and now we are frantically trying to find something similar near us at home! We’re going to make sure we go when we come down here: it’s an absolute gem of a place and we will be telling all we know around here (and my in-laws will do, too!). Thanks so much, Lucy and Howard - we can’t thank you enough for giving our nervous pup such a super experience for these few weeks away from his normality! ❤️ Photo attached is of him absolutely shattered after playing 😁

Lucy and Howard are simply amazing. They are deeply caring and truly know how to help puppies learn.

We honestly can't thank Howard at Leaps and Hounds enough. After trying multiple training courses and methods for our spaniel puppy with limited success, we were beginning to feel stuck. Meeting Howard was a complete turning point. His calm, knowledgeable, and practical approach helped us understand our dog in a way no one else had, and the progress we've made since working with him has been incredible. It's not an exaggeration to say he's helped us more than we can describe, both in building our puppy’s confidence and in giving us the tools to handle the day-to-day challenges of spaniel ownership. If you're struggling or just want to give your dog the best start in life, we couldn't recommend Howard more highly. He's made a world of difference to our little family.

My show cocker Herbie has just graduated puppy school and has also been attending puppy socials. Their approach is very refreshing as the training includes understanding puppy behaviour & development, how we can communicate & support them. The training environment is very calm, relaxed & fun. I feel I have bonded really well with my new pup and am looking forward to the adolescent classes. Thanks Howard & Lucy!

Bonnie my puppy and I have just finished our Puppy School, foundation course. At the start of the 6 weeks my Puppy was a nervous and anxious dog, but very soon I started to see her confidence grow. Howard are instructor was very informative about all dog related issues and also included fact sheets in emails every week. One to one training is also available. Bonnie and I also attended Puppy play taken by Lucy which was also great fun for all. Would recommend Leaps and Hounds a 100%. Thank you Howard and Lucy.

Our first session with Sally was when our dog was 3, reactive, anxious and suffering from separation issues. We had already become overwhelmed by all the information available online, followed online reactive training plans, had in person behaviour sessions and worked with an online vet behaviourist. Despite all of this we weren’t making progress and at our wits end. We suspected there was more going on with Oggy and had raised concerns with our vet, but had been told it was normal. One of the issues we faced was the combination of Oggy and a busy vet practice. Unless Oggy was stood on the exam table he was mostly reacting making it hard for him to be properly examined. Initially Sally carried out a gait analysis and picked up a number of abnormalities. We also discussed his digestive issues and she felt these didn’t sound right either. Talking the issues through with Sally gave us the confidence to advocate for our dog at the vets. Sally sign posted us to a local physio who was fantastic. Confirming Oggy had a number of issues mostly muscular skeletal but couldn’t pin point the source so suggested further investigation. She highlighted he was a dog struggling, in pain and uncomfortable. She again gave us confidence to advocate for Oggy at the vets. We changed to a force free vet practice who have longer consultations and easier environment for Oggy. Turns out Oggy doesn’t just have complex behaviour he’s complex physically. He has been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, Canine epileptoid cramping syndrome (CECS) and muscular skeletal issues, with a few complications along the way. It’s been a slow process unpicking all of these issues with the help of our local vet and specialists but we are making progress. The link between Oggy’s physical health and behaviour has been so clear to see. During in health dips we have seen a direct link to his behaviour deteriorating. It feels like it was the missing piece of the Oggy puzzle. As we have made improvements with his physical health he has become a much happier dog in general, more receptive to training, allowing us to effectively tackle his behaviour issues with the support of Sally. Our behaviour sessions have been really productive. Each time Sally has tailored the location to Oggy, ensuring the environment hasn’t been too overwhelming, whilst still challenging him. Sally has used her wealth of knowledge, thinking on her feet and suggesting different management and training ideas to help Oggy progress towards our goals. One session Oggy wasn’t well enough to train so we met without him and discussed ways we could support him in everyday life and watched videos we had taken during previous training sessions. We always come away from sessions feeling we have progressed and have more in our tool box to help Oggy. Sally has gone above and beyond with the support she has given us, always providing us with comprehensive notes and relevant recourses after sessions. Between sessions she has always been happy to answer questions and offer advise and guidance. This was particularly helpful when trying to differentiate between if symptoms are behavioural or physical. It has been a journey to find answers and the right people to help us but also one learning about dogs and most importantly becoming an expert in our own dog. Sally has been instrumental in this process, I honestly don’t know where we and Oggy would if we hadn’t met Sally. She has been so supportive through out the whole journey. She genuinely cares about the dogs she works with. Is very knowledgeable and inquisitive, always learning. Over all she is passionate about helping you and your dog to live the best life you can together.

Sally is an amazing behaviourist who works in a science based, holistic and empathetic way. I not only happly refer cases to Sally but also use Sally's understanding of chronic pain and gait in my own referrals. As a level 6 behaviour practioner myself I would not hesitate to refer Sally. Not only is she knowledgeable and experienced but also compassionate, kind and enjoyable to work with.

We started working with Sally in August last year. We have a rehomed Doberman who has the most beautiful temperament at home with our baby, but is highly reactive when out (with people and dogs) and also has separation anxiety- it's not been easy, but she is 100% worth it! We couldn't get with 60 metres plus of another dog when she was on lead, but with Sally's help, we are now down to about 10 metres, less on a really good day. We've also just started to have some brief successful trips to the pet shop, which this time last year never seemed possible! Her separation anxiety has also improved, we can actually pop to the pub for a quick drink which again we never thought to be possible. We couldn't leave for more than 6 seconds without her howling at the beginning. Sally is very understanding and knowledgeable and without her I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have been able to keep Fig. The social walks have also been great to take part in. We can't wait to see how Fig progresses over the next few years with Sally's help! We can't thank Sally enough for her help!!!

I just completed an online programme about dog welfare on walks with Sally. I found it very interesting and informative. Sally was supportive, helpful and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend to any fellow professionals considering doing a course!

Thank you Sally! I stumbled across Sally’s reactivity seminar and as a dog walker, I decided to attend and there I bought her book. The seminar was such an eye opener to dog behaviour, but I knew it was only touching the surface. My pup was showing signs of fear in some situations so I booked a 121 with Sally and we’ve had a couple of meetings now and each time I am blown away by her observations and knowledge. Darcy is slowly but surely becoming a more resilient pup and Sally’s support has been invaluable. She even spotted a slight irregularity in her gait so I got Darcy in with a physio who has given us some exercises to do. Darcy isn’t even 1 yet but I feel like with Sally, I have given her the best start to her little life! I’ve also booked on to do the Wellbeing on Walks programme for dog walkers and I’m really looking forward to the knowledge I will gain. Sally has a great reputation for a reason, I live 45 minutes away from her and even my local vet referred to her as a “proper adult behaviourist” 🤣 Thank you Sally!

Outstanding facilities! Soo much doggy enrichment. Dogs had a blast. Highly recommend for a stress free walk. We'll be back 🐾

We completed a 6 week course with Rose and our puppy. The classes were engaging, relevant and most of all, fun! Our puppy loved it and we saw a noticeable improvement in her focus during the course. Rose has a brilliant understanding of how dogs think and as such, how to train them in a way that works! She has given us a fantastic foundation to build on. Thanks Rose!

Rose has been fantastic helping us to train our border collie puppy. She has worked with us as a family, showing us what we need to do to help our puppy grow into a calm, well-behaved dog, and has been really supportive when we have found it difficult.

I had taken my puppy to other dog training classes and, other than socialist her, she didn’t learn much. After one session playing Rose’s games I took her to see my 5 year old grandsons, and let her off the lead to play football with them. I thought I would have problems getting her back on the lead, but she kept checking where I was, and every few minutes she would sit at my feet. Rose had told me that with her training methods I would be the centre of her world, but I didn’t think it would work so quickly! Thank you, Rose!