Esk Valley Dog Training

★★★★★

“Another brilliant training session with Nick!! Nick is always so reassuring that I am getting it right for Nala and between sessions, I have the reassurance that I can message Nick , which puts my mind at rest, when we have days, where it feels like a backwards step. Can't thank Nick enough for helping me and Nala to have a more confident and happy walks.”

★★★★★

“Before working with Louise, we were really struggling with day-to-day life with our 1.5 year old Golden Retriever, Oakley. She was very anxious and lacked confidence, making walks very stressful and resulting in very uncomfortable behaviour in the house, even resulting in aggression sometimes. Oakley also struggled with resource guarding from puppy age, and we felt we had exhausted all training tips we could find online. Training with Louise has helped in multiple ways. Firstly, we now have a much deeper understanding of Oakley’s behaviours and reactions. We are able to recognise potential triggers ahead of time, and adapt our own behaviours to advocate and support Oakley in the moment. This allows us to train Oakley in the most appropriate time and place. We are also much more aware of how important body language is both to and from Oakley. Being taught how to recognise when Oakley is feeling tired, anxious or stressed has allowed us to change our approach - whether that’s changing what we’re training in the moment, or stopping altogether if she’s had enough and trying again at a later time. This has allowed us to meet both ours and Oakley’s expectations without pushing her too far. The training methods and games we have been working on are quick, fast-paced and fun, making sure Oakley is having the best time while learning! Oakley’s confidence has improved so much, and she is much more receptive to our commands and expectations. Louise has been able to pick up on things we never would have thought of, such as what treats we are training with or where Oakley is sleeping at night, to ensure Oakley is in the best possible mood to receive training, which is super important!”

★★★★★

“I attended a webinar that Nick ran on resource guarding in November 2025. I found the session incredibly helpful. Nick is evidently very experienced: he provided a really clear explanation of why dogs resource guard and I learnt about a range of strategies to help work on this behaviour. His approach was gentle and compassionate, and entirely positive focused. Nick gave me a real sense of hope about how I can start to change my younger dog's resource guarding of me (with me being the "resource"). I left the session feeling much more confident about how to approach this and already am seeing significant changes in his bullying and aggression, and a more confident dog. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. Louise (owner of Aoife and Alby)”