Real dogs. Real lives. Different versions of progress.
These stories show what change has looked like for different dogs and guardians, from better recovery to more confidence and a clearer understanding of one another.
Book your free Discovery Call →Read their stories
Ronnie & Mavis’s Story
From feeling isolated to welcoming friends into their home again.
Support: RESET Programme Training Walks
When Ronnie and Mavis were attacked twice by much bigger dogs as puppies, it changed how they experienced the world.
The two young dachshunds began barking and lunging at people and other dogs. Walks became stressful, and having visitors over was difficult because they struggled with people entering their home.
For their guardian, who had recently moved to the area, this meant more than challenging walks. She was feeling increasingly isolated, anxious about encountering other dogs and unable to comfortably invite people over.
We began with the RESET Programme.
Our initial focus was on helping Ronnie and Mavis feel safer, reducing their stress and gradually rebuilding their confidence.
We also worked closely with their guardian, teaching her how to recognise the early signs that they were becoming uncomfortable, what to do before a reaction happened, how to respond if they did bark or lunge, and how to help them recover afterwards.
They then continued with Training Walks.
These gave Ronnie and Mavis regular opportunities to build on their progress, while giving their guardian a much-needed break from the anxiety of walking them herself.
She could enjoy some time to herself, knowing her dogs were being supported and cared for, without constantly worrying about encountering another dog.
Today, life looks very different for all three of them.
Ronnie and Mavis have grown in confidence, and their guardian now has a much better understanding of their needs and how to support them.
One of the biggest changes has been at home. Where having people visit once felt impossible, she can now welcome friends over for a cuppa.
She’s also made new friendships along the way, something that had been difficult when she first moved to the area.
Their journey hasn’t been about creating two dogs who never bark or react. It’s been about helping them feel safer, giving their guardian the confidence to support them and making everyday life more enjoyable for everyone.
“My dogs have changed a lot since I’ve been with Jess! She has massively helped them after they both got attacked by much bigger dogs including myself. Things would definitely be much different if I didn’t meet Jess. She has made my little pups gain more confidence in the outside world again and not fear everything like they used to. Her services are amazing and my dogs love her! She gives the best care and keeps you updated on them during visits and sends you photos of your pups. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to look after/ walk my pups!”
Darcy’s Story
From hiding away and pulling on walks to building confidence, trust and enjoying the world around her.
Support: RESET Programme Training Walks
When I first met Darcy, a West Highland Terrier, she was so unsure of me that she hid when I entered her home.
Her guardian had reached out for help with Darcy’s barking and reacting to dogs, squirrels and things happening outside in the garden. Walks were difficult too, with Darcy pulling on the lead and becoming easily distracted by everything going on around her.
Her guardian had already tried so much.
Online courses, YouTube videos and even working with another trainer. They’d previously been advised to use a slip lead to stop Darcy pulling, but despite trying the advice they’d been given, nothing seemed to make a lasting difference.
By the time they contacted me, they were understandably frustrated and unsure what else to try.
I asked them to give me a chance to approach things differently.
We started with the RESET Programme.
Rather than focusing solely on stopping Darcy from pulling or reacting, we began looking at why she was finding certain situations difficult.
We worked on helping her feel more comfortable in her environment, understanding what was happening when she became overwhelmed and giving her opportunities to make choices rather than constantly being told what to do.
Her guardian also began learning how to recognise Darcy’s communication, respond to her needs and support her through situations she previously struggled with.
Darcy then continued with Training Walks.
These gave us the opportunity to build on what we’d started, helping Darcy practise moving through the world with more confidence, without the pressure of constantly needing to respond to instructions.
And somewhere along the way, the little dog who once hid from me whenever I visited decided we were going to be best friends.
Now, rather than hiding, she’s all over me when I arrive, excited to spend time together.
Today, Darcy’s walks look very different.
She walks beautifully on her lead without needing a slip lead, and she’s able to watch other dogs passing without immediately barking or lunging.
Her guardian has gone from feeling like they’d tried everything to seeing Darcy make progress through an approach that considers how she feels, not just what she’s doing.
Darcy isn’t a different dog. She’s still the same little Westie with her own personality, interests and opinions.
But she’s learning that she doesn’t have to respond to everything around her, and that she has someone she can trust to support her when things feel difficult.
“I first met Jess at a Dog Support group a few months ago, I have an adolescent westie and had tried lots of on line training but I needed help, I had questions and had nowhere to go. Within a few weeks of attending the support group Jess had already imparted loads of help and pointers and I took advantage of her free 1-1 chat. This young lady has delved into a dog’s life and her primary objective is the wellbeing of the dog. From there we have had a few sessions and the change in Darcy and myself is amazing, from noticing how she operates to understanding why is at the heart of her training. No judgement, just honest advice, we now have Darcy walking on a loose long lead and are dealing with how she views the world and how she reacts to it. Jess has literally changed our life and we are progressing and learning how to read Darcy to make walks and our home life less stressful and a joy rather than a chore.”
Zena’s Story
From being labelled ‘aggressive’ and ‘dominant’ to finally being understood.
Support: RESET Programme REGAIN Signature Programme
Zena is an Akita who was struggling around other dogs. On walks, she would lunge and pull towards them, constantly scanning her surroundings and finding it difficult to connect with her guardian.
She’d previously been labelled as ‘aggressive’ and ‘dominant’, but those labels didn’t explain why Zena was behaving the way she was or what she needed to feel more comfortable.
Her family had already tried working with another dog trainer, but nothing seemed to be helping. Walks continued to be difficult, and things had reached a point where they were beginning to feel ready to give up.
We started with the RESET Programme.
Rather than focusing on stopping Zena from lunging or trying to gain control over her, we started by looking at what was happening underneath those reactions.
We looked at her environment, stress levels and what she was actually able to manage when other dogs were around.
One of the things we quickly learned was that food wasn’t particularly meaningful to Zena when she was outside.
So rather than constantly asking her to take treats or pay attention to her guardian, we found something that mattered to her.
Sniffing and exploring her surroundings became part of how we supported her, giving her opportunities to make choices, decompress and engage with her guardian without having to ignore the world around her.
And within the first few sessions, things began to change.
Zena started checking in with her guardian more often, responding more easily and showing moments of connection that had previously been difficult.
Her guardian was already noticing the difference.
Instead of constantly trying to get Zena’s attention, we were beginning to see her offer it herself.
It wasn’t about expecting her to walk perfectly or never react to another dog. It was about helping her feel more comfortable and building a relationship where she could make choices and look to her guardian for support.
Her family then chose to continue with the REGAIN Signature Programme.
RESET had given us a starting point, but Zena needed more individual support to continue working through her difficulties around other dogs.
REGAIN gave us the time to build on those foundations, understand her needs more deeply and adapt the work as we learned more about her.
Rather than trying to fit Zena into a particular training approach, we could develop one around her as an individual.
Zena’s journey is still continuing, but things are already changing.
She’s beginning to show more connection with her guardian on walks, and her family are seeing that progress is possible without needing to control her every movement. For a family who once felt close to giving up, that’s a meaningful change.
She needed someone to look beyond the lunging and pulling and begin understanding the dog underneath.
Because a label might describe how someone sees a dog, but it doesn’t tell us what that dog needs.
“We have tried a dog trainer before and it didn’t work…
This is Zena she is very reactive towards other dogs, we were ready to give up on her until we found Jess.
100% recommend Jess
Omg she is amazing with my dog.”
Every dog’s journey looks different
Bosco: more confidence around other dogs
Watching another dog without lunging.
Bosco is a young Patterdoodle who became easily overwhelmed around other dogs. His guardian had already been working hard, but everyday situations still felt difficult.
My work focused on understanding what he found difficult and finding practical ways to support him in real life.
“We’ve seen noticeable improvements in our dog’s focus, confidence, and ability to stay regulated around other dogs. Just as important, we feel more confident handling these situations ourselves.”
That confidence mattered at both ends of the lead. His guardian could see changes in Bosco and felt clearer about how to help him when other dogs were around.
Learn about REGAIN →Your dog’s progress will be their own
Every dog has their own history, needs and pace. These stories show individual experiences, and we’ll work out what meaningful progress looks like for you and your dog.
Book your free Discovery Call →