Structure

Name: Sussex Dogs
Address: GB
Price range: ££

My methodology is different to other training that you’ve seen or used:

I use visual assets to explain the theory, so that you understand the why as well as the how
We review progress at every session, to ensure that you’re progressing towards your goals
We pause the training whenever you need, to give you as much practice time as necessary

Consultation Call

Is this the right type of training for you?

A short video call. This gives you the opportunity to see how I work, and gives me an idea of your dog’s needs. It’s your opportunity to ask any questions you may have about how I train.

In some cases, I may ask you to take your dog to the vet to check for certain conditions before we continue. The sudden onset of certain types of behavioural changes could indicate an underlying medical condition, and in those cases we must rule that out before making assumptions.

Everyone’s situation is different, and the exact structure of assessment and training you’ll need (see below) will be unique to you – during the call, we can chat about the best approach for you and your dog.

Assessment and Action Plan

Working out what’s required

This doesn’t oblige you to start training with me

We’ll meet at your home. I’ll ask you lots of questions about your dog(s) and your situation, and we’ll examine your training goals and any current behavioural struggles.

From this, I’ll create a basic ‘profile’ of your dog, explaining you what’s going on for them – and what skills they’ll need to learn to go from where they are now, to where you want them to be.

This is a valuable, in-depth, consultative process – you’ll learn about dog physiology and behaviour, you’ll probably have some myths dispelled, and (depending on the situation) I may be able to give you some strategies to start using straight away.

It’s entirely your choice whether you want to start training with me after this session – either way, you’ll already be armed with some extremely valuable knowledge.

Tailored Training Courses

Bringing theory and practice together

Highly targeted training courses, carefully designed to help you achieve transformational progress with your most important training goals. Each course, and each session, is unique to you and your dog(s).

During each session, I’ll teach you some theory about your dog’s behaviour, then show you games and strategies to change it, then make sure you understand the concepts – and that your mechanics are good for the things you’ll be practising until the next session.

We’ll work as a team – you, me, and any other ‘important humans’ that interact with your dog(s) on a daily basis. This is because a consistency of knowledge, and of the application of the games and strategies you’ll be using, is important – dogs don’t learn well if their important humans each handle situations differently!

Each session is supported by graphical assets – ‘cue cards’ that I create while working in person, which we use as a growing collection of reference to build on at each subsequent session.

You’ll learn lots of theory, the ‘Training Loop’, situational management, advanced training techniques, and more. My entire purpose is to make you the best trainer that your dog(s) could wish for.

Between sessions, we will communicate over WhatsApp to make sure that you’re on track and making good progress – this ensures that you’re getting the most out of the time you’re spending practising your new knowledge and skills.

By the end of your course, my goal is that you’ll not only see significant progress – but you’ll also be thinking and acting like a trainer. You’ll understand why your dog does what they do, you’ll have go-to strategies to deal with emergencies, and you’ll have the confidence to help them navigate the world around them in a safe and rewarding way.

My approach (making you the trainer) is wildly different to traditional ‘dog training’ – and it works, time and time again:

     
 
 
       
   David S 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I cannot recommend James highly enough.  We have a nervous large dog that makes walking an ordeal.  We were at the point where we had no hope things would change for Lolli & our family but 6 weeks of training has transformed life for us.  We have learnt to read our dog better so we anticipate situations and we are prepared with tools to deal with them.  I am more confident and Lolli is so much happier.    James is a real-life dog whisperer!
  
 
      
   Sophie F 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +6
We worked with James for 6 weeks this Autumn when we were ready to train our first whippet. While both of us are “dog-people”, it amazed both of us how much we could learn about the shared importance of mindset/regulation/neural development for the dog-human-relationship. James has lovingly overhauled our understanding of what it takes to be a good dog-parent, and we’re so glad he did! Our whippet Newt is now 8 months old and is a total joy to own. “You’ll never be able to stop a sighthound chasing chickens/running off/[insert limiting statement here]” - said the many! Newt peacefully lives with a variety (and mass) of free-range chickens, ducks, cats and horses. He’s calm and gentle with our elderly cockerel and trots alongside my horse when we ride together. He calmly and confidently turns his hand (or paw) to any adventure with any new friends! He’s now calm and regulated in public and is so well behaved in all manner of situations. He is just such a cool character! James’ help has not only helped us both to create, in the words of many, an “easy” dog, but he has also helped us to be more mindful, aware and advocating for our boy. I often struggle with anxiety, and working with James has helped me to feel confident in my abilities to care for Newt in difficult situations. With brain-based concepts and surprisingly simple to implement strategies, James’ methods are a breath of fresh air in the minefield of dog trainers! We can’t recommend James enough, and look forward to working with him again on a refining our skills as Newt gets older. Thank you James!!
  
 
      
   Ingrid V 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. James is the first real dog whisperer I have met. After having spent money on dog trainers who were unable to help my dog, I was so grateful to meet James. You can tell he loves dogs and cares about their wellbeing. James is highly professional and very compassionate about his job. He has superb knowledge of dog psychology and training techniques and has been absolutely brilliant from the start of the course. James could instantly  understand my rescue dog Logan's behaviour without me giving him my dog's background information. His assessment of Logan was very helpful and spot on! James has educated me and given me the tools to train Logan and I feel very confident and have already seen a change in Logan after the first few training sessions. James is very kind and patient and has a great sense of humour. During our sessions James explained everything in a way which was easy to understand and showed me easy-to-implement training methods. I feel the that the training plan he created for us is very effective. I am very grateful for all his help and support. James has also been very flexible when arranging the training sessions. He will go the extra mile for you and your dog and offer you very helpful practical training skills. I highly recommend James. Thank you James for everything you have done for me and Logan. I feel very positive after our training course with you.
  
 
      
   Kaycee C 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +1
We had used a couple of dog trainers in the past, however never found them to be beneficial. We had a very tricky dog and decided to ask for James’ help as a last resort. James’ guidance, advice and training exceeded our expectations and we felt that we were able to understand our dog from a scientific standpoint, which in turn helped us to understand and handle his behaviour. We would highly recommend James to anybody who needs professional help with their dog!
  
 
      
   India J 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
James warned me that it was going to be difficult with a big pack of chihuahuas. They could turn nasty and the brawls were getting serious . I signed up for the longer training session , and within half an hour I could see the impact he was having on ( one in particular) was good . But it wasn’t easy , partly because I saw that I was the one who needed training , none the less I persisted and the results have been astonishing. This is a totally non violent , non punishing , calm - dog , calm - owner training . It works and I will apply his method for the rest of my dog life . I am really grateful to him and he has inspired me to become far more intelligent about the way I care for my dogs .
  
 
      
   Petrushka L 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
I can wholeheartedly recommend James. The work he's done to help educate me on my dogs physcology is amazing. I have a dog with separation anxiety and low confidence and over the last couple of months her behaviour has transformed. I now feel empowered and confident to be able to continue training her on my own, armed with my new knowledge and skills. James really understands dogs and people, he's been a great teacher and I'm so glad I reached out for help. Honey is thrilled too and it's wonderful to see her confidence growing everyday. Thank you James! 🙏🏼
  
 
      
   Jessica A 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +1
We are first time dog owners and decided to bring some joy into the family by getting a border collie XPoodle puppy. We worked with James for 6 fantastic weeks, building on strategies from the week before. Vinnie (our puppy) is a smart, confident dog and we wanted to make sure we were the owners that he deserved. I believe that James delivered this, and more! The confidence in our ability as owners is priceless and watching vinnie thrive as a result is such a reward. I've recommended James to 2 friends already as his methods and understanding make so much sense. They are actionable, and measurable. Every strategy he has given us has worked and we wouldn't be where we are without him. We are so grateful to James for giving us the confidence, and in return a happy, confident and calm (most of the time 😉) puppy.
  
 
      
   Alice P 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
James has equipped us with a wealth of knowledge and techniques to help us reduce our dog's anxiety. Our weekly sessions were great, with plenty of humour, kindness, games and tasty treats (Rufus very much approved!). We're really pleased with progress made and feel confident that we can continue to build on this. The future is looking far less daunting, for both Rufus and us!
  
 
      
   Ruth K 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
So pleased we decided to undergo structured training early on with our lovely, crazy PBGV pup. Discovered Sussex dogs in a google search and after a brief introductory video call with James it was clear that his approach was exactly what we all needed. Inviting a pup into a home with 2 kids can be a very stressful and tiring situation but the change in a few short weeks has been remarkable. James’s training is uncomplicated and extremely effective. He doesn’t train the dog, he teaches you to train the dog by understanding their psychology and what makes our canine friends tick. Hounds are notorious for their strong hunting instinct and I was nothing short of amazed when at a mere 21 weeks of age our dog returned off lead on a training walk with James. We have been given games to play to reinforce the techniques which are fun for everyone and we are really looking forward to implementing James’s recall training. I can not recommended Sussex dogs highly enough and would love to continue our training as there is so much more to learn. Thank you James!
  
 
      
   Izzy K 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +1
We had a wonderful experience with James, he was always attentive, flexible, and genuinely cared about not only our pup, Zelda, but our comfort and knowledge on everything we needed to know. We've come out of the experience feeling fully equipped to tackle anything that being a dog parent can throw at us in the years to come, and Zelda has come out of it as a calm, confident pup! Could not recommend James more!
  
 
      
   Natalie M 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +3
I lost count the number of times that I considered contacting James, before finally reaching out. I just wish I had done it sooner. 2 year old Malamute x GSD who had zero recall and was up hourly throughout the night. James visited us at home for an initial assessment, but as we lived far outside of his area we agreed to proceed with a course of 8x 30 minutes online video calls. I was initially sceptical how this would help us, but after spending ££££'s on previous trainers without getting any results we decided to try this different approach. The weekly sessions were designed to teach us as owners the skills and understanding of our dog. The weekly lessons were highly informative and exercises were simple to complete. We've now finished our online sessions, and it's unbelievable that such small changes have had such a dramatic impact on our dogs behaviour. I also feel this short online course has given us the skills and understanding for life. Our dog now sleeps through the night, every night! And he is completely off lead, with the most amazing recall. I know I can confidently call him away from mid playing with dogs, chasing squirrels, birds, even footballs. We've had so many compliments and shocked people regarding just how fast and reliable his recall is, I honestly couldn't have asked for more. My biggest regret is that I didn't contact James sooner. Thank you for all of your help and support James. We've certainly been enjoying some lovely walks.
  
 
      
   Lea H 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
We reached out to James after our pup’s fear-based reactivity worsened after his operation and our own training efforts just didn’t seem to help him enough. James was brilliant at explaining how dogs see the world and really challenged us to think about our own assumptions and training methods with him. After each lesson, James gave us homework/games to play with our pup. As we became more knowledgeable and confident as trainers, we then started to see changes in our pup’s behaviour. He’s now calmer on his walks and we have the tools to manage his ‘bucket levels’. The work continues, but we now feel that we are on the right path and able to help our pup grow into a happy and confident dog.
  
 
      
   Amanda M 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +3
James is just the most fantastic trainer of dogs and people! I cannot recommend him highly enough. He has completely turned things around for us with Rumpus. We were struggling badly in developing a recall - any sort of recall let alone a reliable one… His behaviour would become out of control when things got exciting and taking him out had become really daunting and stressful. James explained in a straightforward and easy to understand way about dog psychology and behaviour so that we understood why Rumpus was behaving  in that way. He created an achievable training plan for us all. We are so pleased with the results and the positive change this has had on our relationship with Rumpus and the improvement in his recall. James has given us the tools and knowledge to train our dog consistently and effectively but in a fun way. We will all really miss James (especially Rumpus) and his fantastic training sessions.. Thank you James!
  
 
      
   Coachsam S 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Having recently got a new puppy, I looked around for puppy classes and stumbled on James’ website and his approach of 1:1 concept training really appealed. Having previous experience with an anxious dog, which in turn made me an anxious owner, it was really important that we both received some behaviour training to ensure she had the best start. James has helped me understand the theories behind dog behaviours and has taught us lots of ‘games’ which help manage every day situations which, if not addressed, would have resulted in bad routines being embedded. I also appreciated the opportunity to ask questions between sessions as things cropped up. Some of the techniques were things I had never heard of and felt very strange initially – like ‘bin the bowl’, however, they really do work and I have a very calm, well-behaved dog to prove it! I highly recommend James and will be keeping in touch as puppy continues to grow and develop. Thank you James!
  
 
      
   Sarah H 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
I contacted James at the beginning of the year to help me with my anxious rescue spaniel. I had tried a few different trainers and methods before, but James' training has really hit the spot. I really liked his gentle and kind approach, plus the bespoke and individual way he treats each dog and owner. He clearly has a huge amount of knowledge into canine psychology and behaviour and communicates this in simple terms so it's understandable. Over the course of a few months, with a lot of hard work and training, my dog is so much calmer and better able to cope with life. He can regulate his emotions, calm himself down and just seems so much happier and more relaxed in himself. I can't thank James enough - it's been a real game-changer! I highly recommend James and his training to anyone who would like to better understand their dog. Thank you!
  
 
      
   Sandra G 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
We had no idea what we were taking on when we agreed to  adopt our border collie puppy. We soon fell in love but felt quite inadequate to cope with such an active insecure destructive dog. 6 visits from James and we feel more confident and knowledgeable about what makes our collie tick and how to handle it. Following the plan James gave us has changed our lives. Ongoing work has become so enjoyable. We now have a beautiful, calm loving and obedient dog. (most of the time). We can't thank James enough, his expert help and advice has been invaluable.
  
 
      
   R C 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +8
I had a fantastic and eye opening 6 weeks with James and my cocker spaniel puppy, Ghillie. I used to have a big aversion to dog training from the experiences in my youth of going to the chaos of group dog classes and this had been a long term barrier to getting myself a puppy. I was determined to get one to one help when and I got Ghillie and couldn’t have asked for better with James. His method of training helped me to overcome my previous dog training aversions and fears and I found that I could help Ghillie grow into a calm and lovely boy with relatively little stress. Ghillie is now a loving and happy 6 month old who everyone comments is so well behaved for a puppy. I have a long way to go with him but know what I need to do thanks to James’ teachings. I have attached pictures of Ghillie being calm in situations such as in the pub and my new house to show how well he is doing and that cockers are not necessarily maniacs.
  
 
      
   Nina S 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +1
James has been absolutely wonderful helping us understand our new rescue, Bodhi! The care and detail he brought to our dog training made us confident dog owners and Bodhi a happier dog and family member. James' amazing skill to break down complicated science into relatable day-to-day situations worked wonders. I can barely believe the change we've seen in Bodhi going from constant hypervigilance to a calmer and funny boy. I can't recommend James enough to be honest!

      
 5.0 
   Top Rated Trainer 
 verified by Trustindex 
 Trustindex verifies that the company has a review score above 4.5, based on reviews collected on Google over the past 12 months, qualifying it to receive the Top Rated Certificate.