Testimonials

Practical Pooches is a very professional organisation run by people who care about both the owners and their dogs.

The training advice you are given is tailored to each individual dog and the environment they live in, so is easily manageable. I have attended both classes and workshops and found both to have been of great benefit. I also use the dog walking service which is reliable and I have peace of mind whilst at work knowing that my dog is being exercised and in the company of other dogs.

I have attended other training clubs in the past but highly recommend Practical Pooches, who not only have helped me train my dog but also trained me!! I now have a much happier well balanced dog then when I started training over 18 months ago.

Jenny Hipkin with Buddy

Testimonial

Fiona and Burak Kose

We met Sam about a year ago when we were having issues with our current trainers who we found to be very disappointing and unhelpful. We contacted Sam under the recommendation of a local Pet Store owner.

Sam did a house visit to meet Dexter and establish what issues we had and if we could solve them. Dexter is a very strong minded Dobermann who was not responding to our previous trainers. Sam gave us advice on how we should deal with him and told us that these issues could be overcome.

Although we have not been able to attend many classes we have taken on board Sam’s instructions and found them to be very effective with Dexter. He responded straight away (which he had not before).

Regarding a recent incident with Dexter, Sam again instructed us on how to deal with him (especially regarding his breed) which we are now enforcing and again he is responding well. We had lapsed in OUR training of Dexter and as Sam said he took full advantage of it!

We quite often go abroad for holidays when Sam takes in Dexter for home boarding. We are extremely happy to leave him with Sam as we can see that she genuinely cares for dogs and we do not feel that Sam does this job merely as a business but through real care. Dexter skips off without a backward glance when Sam takes him and keeps us informed as to how he is getting on. We can tell that he enjoys his ‘holidays’ with Sam and is really pleased to see her when she visits but he also listens to her.

All in all, Sam has a great way with dogs, her firmness but caring attitude with Dexter has really impressed us and we are very grateful for her help and support. We know we can count on Sam if we ever run into real difficulties. I would thoroughly recommend Sam and her team (and I do on my walks) for excellent, calm, efficient training methods. We feel very relaxed when he is in Sam’s care and know we needn’t worry about a thing! Nothing is too much trouble.

Testimonial

By Jacqueline Knight

My Partner Colin and I first met Sam Trussler briefly when we attended puppy training classes with put Alaskan Malamute Dillon, as she was working for the class providers, approximately 20 months ago.

Last year in August we ran into some pretty awful issues with our dog Dillon , who is now 1 year old, the foundations of which had been set at the previous puppy classes.

We were quite desperate to find some help with these issue and Sam was recommended by a local Pet Store owner.

Sam made an assessment of Dillon, and involved the local dog warden service and other dog specialists to determine the root cause of his problems. She had been working with Dillon and with my partner and I since then, and has been a great support to me and Colin, through Court hearings and other stresses.

Sam determined that Dillon had learnt an aggressive response to be touched by anyone other than my partner and I, He did not trust anyone outside the pack. Sam has been able to break through this behaviour, by working calmly and gently with Dillon, and has gained his trust enough to be able to touch him all over, which has been a really big breakthrough.

We are also eternally grateful for the opportunity to be able to let our dogs run free without restriction in Sam’s 5.8 acre secure training area. We call it a runaround and believe me they really do love it. The use of this facility has also been completely flexible to our needs.

Overall Sam has shown herself to be calm firm and in control of our dogs when she has been working with them. I think most people would have backed off Dillon and told us that they would not be able to help us, but Sam diagnosed Dillon correctly and didn’t give up on him, as most would have, for which I and Colin can’t thank her enough.

A practical approach to dog training.

Practice makes progress