As dog owners, we are in the privileged position of sharing our homes with members of another species. The name of my business, Dogs R Dogs, never lets me forget that we are not living with furry people with waggy tails, but another social species with different rules and communication system to our own. It never ceases to amaze me how well humans and dogs co-exist for most of the time and indeed, many of us consider our dog to be a family member as well as perhaps a work colleague or a competition partner.

My aim is to help you live in harmony with your dog. I encourage owners to understand their dog's view of the world and all my training methods are based on trust and cooperation rather than fear or force. Having said that, I also live in the real world and know that there are some situations that have to be handled right here, right now. Where this occurs I work closely with both dog and owner to find mutually acceptable solutions to any problems.

All my teaching is done either on a one-to-one basis or in groups of no more than six dogs so you can be assured of good attention at all times. For more information on the services that I can provide, please read on.

Who am I?

My name is Sally Jones and I live in Devon with my husband, Steve. I am a qualified behaviour consultant (post graduate diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling from Southampton University), an agility competitor and judge (competing at Championship level) and an owner of multiple dogs, all rescues and mostly taken on as adults. I therefore benefit from a sound academic background bolstered by daily hands on experience. I have been teaching dog sports on a casual basis since 1990 but it was not until March 2001 that I realised my dream and became a full-time trainer and behaviourist. I have my own indoor and outdoor training facility so teaching can go ahead whatever the weather.

I also lecture for the Psychology Department of Exeter University, write for the UK and US's leading dog agility magazines, hold seminars as far a field as South Africa and the US, and am a trustee of an animal rescue charity. I am also a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (Membership no 749).

Give me a ring or send me an e-mail. I won't bite.

Behaviour Consultations

In spite of our best endeavours, our relationship with our dogs does not always work out the way we had imagined. It is no fun living in close quarters with a companion animal whose behaviour has become unacceptable to the humans in the household. Although vets are fabulous at sorting out physical problems with your pet, it takes a properly trained behaviour counsellor to help you unravel the reasons for your dog's behaviour and help you come to an acceptable solution.

I have obtained one of the few recognised professional qualifications in companion animal behaviour counselling. This training enables me to look at all aspects of your dog's behaviour and to assist you in developing a modification programme to put your relationship back on track. There are many books on the market that claim to have the answer and many an unqualified person who claims to have a magic wand. Unfortunately there is no 'one-size-fits-all' solution when it comes to behaviour problems and every animal has to be assessed as an individual.

Bad behaviours rarely get better on their own and the more the animal gets a chance to practice at them, the more likely it is to engage in them. It is important to seek help as soon as possible. The first step is to visit your vet just to make sure there is no physical cause for your pet's behaviour. The vet will then refer you on to a behaviourist. I am happy to take referrals from any UK veterinary practice.

If your pet suffers from any of the following problems, I should be able to help:

Puppy classes

It has been proven beyond any doubt that the first few months of your dog's life are the most important in its behavioural development. It is during these precious weeks up to about 16 weeks that your pup learns how to interact with the world around it, especially how to act appropriately with its own species (other dogs) and alien species (humans, other animals). Once these weeks are past you do not get a second chance, no matter how hard you work at it. It is therefore absolutely essential that you put in a lot of work to your puppy during these formative weeks.

Puppy classes are an indispensable foundation for the rest of your dog's life. At my classes puppies learn how to act around humans, be handled by strangers, play and interact with other puppies and adult dogs, and start to learn the basic commands like 'sit', 'stay' and walking on the lead without pulling. I also play CDs of various noises such as thunderstorms, guns and fireworks every week so that the pups grow up not worrying when they first hear them.

All training is gentle and fun and first time owners in particular will learn everything they need to cope with their rapidly growing bundle of fur and needle-like teeth. Handouts on topics such as bite inhibition and house-training are given out every week and there is also homework to be worked on before the next session. All the family is welcome to attend, especially controllable children. It is very important that puppies and children learn how to behave around each other. Pups that attend properly run socialisation classes are far less likely to develop behaviour problems later on in their life. Before attending a class make sure that it is run using effective reward based methods. Other than personal recommendation, the best way to ensure this is to check that the trainer is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.co.uk )

Agility

Agility must be the most fun you can have with your dog. Nearly all dogs thoroughly enjoy running and jumping and scrambling through tunnels and over ramps. Not only is it a great physical and mental workout for both handler and dog, it also requires a very high level of obedience. The great thing about agility is that sits, downs, waits and recalls are all taught as part of the process and the very informality means that the owners are far more likely to do their homework. As a way of bonding with your dog, it does not get much better than attending agility training.

Dogs can start as young as 6 months old, depending on breed. For the very young pups I run a kindergarten where everything is planned so that they do not put pressure on growing bones, yet learn all the skills they will need to be proficient performers when they are grown up. For all dogs I ask that they be physically fit and not overweight before they are allowed to attend classes. If you are in any doubt, please consult your vet before booking up for classes. There is no upper age limit for dogs starting class as long as they are still very fit.

I teach to competition standard. Most people who start the courses say they will never enter a competition but I still train them to the highest standard anyway as in my experience most people get lured by the chance of a rosette with their clever dog. But if you just want a good workout with your dog, that is fine by me. If you are less than able yourself, I can help you train your dog without you having to move very much at all.

One to one training

If you want to get ahead, go private. This applies to many areas in life and is certainly applicable to dog training. People opt for private training sessions for many reasons. Some dogs are too distracted in a class environment and cannot learn with another dog in the room. Some may be too nervous or perhaps too aggressive to be integrated into a class straight away. Other people may not be able to make the times when the classes are held. Competitive agility handlers may want to work on a specific area of their dog's performance and may come alone or share a lesson with a friend with a similar need. It could be that the owner is hard of hearing and finds a class environment difficult.

If you are not sure whether a one-to-one or class situation would suit you best, please contact me and we can discuss your needs.

Clicker training

This method of training animals is gaining in popularity and deservedly so. Firmly based in behavioural science, it is a kind, fair and effective way of communicating with your pet. I have used this method exclusively with my own animals since 1996 and encourage my pupils to do the same. I have studied the science behind the method at university and now lecture on it at Exeter University. I learned the more hands-on approach of the method from the people who first used it commercially in the 1940's, Marion Breland-Bailey and her husband Bob Bailey. Bob and Marion use chickens as the teaching model and I can assure you it was quite an experience teaching a chicken to do an obstacle course!

All puppy and obedience courses will include instruction on clicker training and a clicker is included in the price of the course.

For more information on clicker training, please go to my links page and browse some of the many sites available.

Whilst I am happy to hear from you, please understand that it would be unprofessional and potentially unsafe for me to give behaviour advice by phone or e-mail.