Testimonials & Reviews

Catriona and Bea the Coacker Spaniel

"Nick is brilliant! 2 weeks in and I have a completely different dog. Both my cocker spaniel and myself are really enjoying the training and reaping the benefits. I feel much more comfortable knowing I know how to react and handle my dog if she becomes too reactive. I'd highly recommend Nick's services."

Lorraine, David and Frankie the Frenchie

"Good afternoon Nick

It was lovely to meet you yesterday.

I have to say you're definitely in the right job. The minute Frankie our French Bulldog who is usually very reactive to strangers saw you she went and got a toy. We've only ever seen her like this with people she knows. Your calm, non intrusive approach and how she engaged left myself and David speechless. We have never encountered this reaction from her with any starngers. 

I cannot thank you enough for making our first meeting such an amazing experience watching our Frankie engage, wanting to come over sit next to you, smell and generally just curious was brilliant to witness. 

I'm sure she will be looking forward to seeing you again very soon for more treats and attention.

Your definitely a dog whisperer, not sure everyone will believe this but seeing it with your own eyes, wow.

Thank you again and we look forward to working with you very soon.

Lorraine, David & Frankie 🐾"

Susan & Buddy the Rescue

"Nick is an amazing trainer. His wealth of knowledge is incredible. I have learnt so much about my dog and what to look out for in terms of triggers. He is always on hand for advice and his support is first class. Buddy and I look forward to our training sessions. Each time we learn more and more. I would highly recommend him if you are in need of a dog trainer. The after care is superb"

Kirsty, Stuart & Echo the Cocker Spaniel

"We have known nick for a long time through previous employment and when he moved into dog walking we asked him to take our older spaniel Pip out. 

Pip absolutely adored nick , and waited at the front door for him every Tuesday, it was amazing watching his interaction with her , and she became a very well mannered and fully trained dog very quickly due to nick spending time with her. 

Unfortunately we lost pip just  after nick moved over into training and we replaced this love with a new little spaniel called echo and nick was the first person we contacted to get our puppy trained . 

Echo has now had two sessions with nick and has already came on leaps and bounds , from a crazy , barking , lead pulling puppy to a calm, and very intelligent little girl .

She absolutely adores nick and it is so heartwarming to see this relationship starting to flourish, and brings back so many emotions of his relationship with pip. 

I cannot wait to see what the next few months bring for our training and how much chicken echo will manage to convince nick to give her in an hour. 

Thank you nick for your help so far. "

Lea

"A Game-Changer for Me and My Dogs

While I haven’t had the chance to work with Nick in person yet, I’ve been an avid follower of his posts and reels—and the impact he’s had on me and my dogs is undeniable. He has an incredible ability to break down his vast knowledge into clear, practical advice that’s easy to understand and, most importantly, easy to apply.

But what truly sets Nick apart is how much he genuinely cares—not just about dogs, but about the people who love and work with them. His warmth and relatable approach create an environment where you feel supported, even from a distance.

Before discovering Nick, I was overwhelmed, particularly with my highly reactive dog. Walks had become stressful, and I was at my wits’ end. But through his online advice and the WhatsApp group, things have started to change. My confidence has grown, and that shift has rippled through to my dogs—they’re more settled, and so am I. The difference this has made is something I honestly can’t overstate.

Nick doesn’t just train dogs—he empowers owners. I’m so grateful to have found his guidance, and I’d recommend him to anyone looking to build a better relationship with their dogs."

Veronica & Freyja, the Boxer

"Nick has a great way about him with dogs and people. My normally anxious boxer took a liking to him from the get go. He has also been really good at making sure that the exercises are tailored to the speed the dog (and handler) need to go at. We have been working on Freyja's reactivity now for over 4 months and the difference in both of us has been quite noticeable. I feel much more confident in handling all sorts of situations and Freyja has gone from barking and growling at any dog around her to giving a quick growl if they come very close and being happy to walk past. Can't recommend him enough. You have to put in work in between sessions but his methods show great results."

Olive & Odie, the Labradoodle

"Nick has been absolutely incredible in helping us with our dog, Odie. Before his training, walking with Odie was stressful and filled with anxiety, as he would bark excessively when meeting other dogs or people. Thanks to Nick's expertise and guidance, Odie has made remarkable progress, and we now feel much more relaxed and confident on our. We can't recommend Nick highly enough!"

Ellie, Dave and the gang!

"Our Journey with Nick so far 🤩

We contacted Nick @ Esk Valley dog training to help us with our Working Line German Shepherd Puppy Breagh, she was 12 weeks old when she started training. We are experienced dog owners, we used to Breed and Show our dogs but we knew we would need help with Breagh, this is the BEST decision we made ♥️.

Breagh is a 42kg powerhouse yet she is a dream walking on her harness and lead, her behaviour is impeccable and she is the sweetest girl, Nick has done an amazing job training her, so much so he still comes once a week, she doesn’t need it but she adores Nick and I think him being involved in her life is a must 😃.

So Nick then went on to do some top up training with our older German Shepherd Ava who is 6yrs and our Sprolly Taz 3yrs and again made a huge difference to them, Ava used to pull on her lead and Taz was very nervous, not any more ♥️

We have our 7 month old Working Cocker Brodie, he is an absolute sweetheart and we were ready to get Nick to do some training with him but were thrown a curve ball ‼️

Our 5yr old Grandson suffered from Infantile Spasm as a baby which left him with severe brain damage 😢. On the 29th Dec 2024 this little 9 week old fox red Labrador Archie was gifted to my son for our grandson to be his Assistance dog and guess who is doing his training 🤩 Nick of course, his 1st training session is on Thursday (16th January) he is 12 weeks old and Uncle Nick will be taking him to hospitals, Dr surgeries and wherever is needed so that he is calm and not distracted, as Archie will be going everywhere with Jacob ♥️

Brodie will get his turn with Uncle Nick soon 😉

So if you are reading this we recommend Nick 1 million percent, our dogs have benefited as have we and we trust him so much, that’s why he is training Archie to be our grandsons Assistance dog  ♥️ Nick is The Best!!!"

Emma & Ernie the Whippett

"I would recommend anyone with a reactive dog to take up training with Nick. 

He is so knowledgeable about how dogs behave, how to work with reactive dogs

and help owners gain confidence and learn how to engage with their dog.

I attended his reactive workshop which I found fascinating and then went on to book a training package.

I am already seeing the difference in both me and my dog and am enjoying every step of my training with Esk Valley Dog Training."

Jodie & Meg the WCS

"I initially had contacted Nick at Esk Valley Dog Training following noticing a change in the behaviour of my 18 month old working cocker spaniel Meg. She had became increasingly barky to people walking past the house, but had then started to constatly bark and jump up at people who had come into the house to visit, even if she knew them or had spent time with them outdoors before them coming into the house. Following an initial discovery call with Nick we arranged for him to come to my home to assess Meg as this was where she was the most reactive.

On the day of the initial assessment I was very nervous as I did not want to put Meg through the anxiety, however I knew that this was what we both needed to help her feel safer and more calm with people entering our home. Nick arrived, knocked on the door and Meg instantly started barking and becoming very anxious. I opened the door to Nick and he instantly made me feel less nervous. He was brilliant with Meg and although she was barking and jumping up at him initially, he got down to her level and took everything very slowly. Initially I could feel myself welling up as my eyes filled with tears, I felt like I was the worst dog mum, but Nick was very reassuring. Following the initial assessment Nick was very responsive in sending across a few different options to help Meg and I ended up booking an initial 7 session bespoke package to assist Meg.

We have only had 2 sessions so far but the change that I have seen in Meg's behaviour has been incredible. Yes she still barks at people going past the window, however she is now distractable with her favourite game of 'Ready Ready' or 'to the fridge'. We are just back from our first solo trip to Liverpool to visit family and even though Meg has always been an angel in the car sometimes trips into service stations could end up in her barking at anyone who attempted to approach her, even after the friendly warning from me not to approach her. This time however she was in busy environments, she was looking at me for reassurance, however no signs of anxiety at all from her. She allowed people to approach her and to stroke her under the chin, with only one barking episode which was the stereotypical dog barks at postie who she then happily accepted a biscuit from.

I would recommend Nick from Esk Valley Dog Training to anyone who is looking for someone to help them with their dog. I have had a very positive experience so far, from the initial discovery call to the sessions we have completed he has been very calm and reassuring throughout. The difference that I have seen in Meg has been amazing and she has became more and more comfortable with Nick, even giving him some nose kisses during out last session. The sessions are spread out well to allow you to work on the exercises before building on them in the next session. I am looking forward to our next session and seeing Meg improve more and more with time."

Colin and his Collie X

"I got a lot out of Nick's reactive dogs workshop! I've started to apply many of the methods he suggested and I swear I'm already seeing an improvement. My goal is to get to a plce where I don't always have to cross the street to avoid an incoming dog, and I feel I'm now on the right path"

Alice

"I really enjoyed yesterday's morning session, and watching the dogs in the afternoon. I feel like I learned a lot, and also much of what I already knew was better explained and underlined.  Your points about when and why to use the 'Lets Go' were clear and I'm already starting to practice doing this with our dog. 

I'm also very comforted by your point that you can't 'cure' a reactive dog, but you can get it to a situation where both the dog (and therefore the owner) can be able to cope with a stressful incident without kicking off.

Your delivery was excellent - you must have felt under pressure with other dog trainers there - the session was just the right length of time to be able to listen and take it all in. The information was clear and concise, and the Q&A brought up good points and good answers. I feel confident that you really know what you're talking about, and that your advice is reliable."

Dave and Taz, the Sprollie

"Hi Nick

I just thought I would give you a wee update on our wee Taz after the GSD rescue show yesterday.

But first I’ll give a wee bit of back ground into Taz for anyone else who may read this.

When we got Taz, he was a very poorly pup with giardia (a very serious parasitic stomach condition) and parvo virus. Needless to say he didn’t get any training whatsoever when he was ill, or even after because he had been so ill and was very nervous.

Enter Nick. He has worked with Taz for a good few months now to get him over the nervousness and teach him how to behave on the lead.

Ok so now back to the point of this email/testimonial. The GSD rescue show yesterday is the first real time I’ve had him out on the lead on my own, without uncle Nick with us. What a delight he was to take around the show. We were there from around 10am until around 4:30pm, with all sorts of other dogs around and some major distractions. He didn’t put a foot wrong and just following your training of me not the dog, just made it a really pleasurable experience for both of us.

Thank you so so much for all your hard work and advice from both of us.

Kind regards

Dave"

Jemma, Derek, Angus the Collie X GWP & Ollie the Black Labrador

Thank you again for all the help and support with Angus. We really miss our sessions, they had become very enjoyable.  I hope this is OK for you. 

We recently completed the reactivity training with Nick for our one year old Collie cross German wirehaired pointer. He had not always been reactive, it sort of came out of the blue and it became stressful to walk him for both myself, my partner particularly so, and Angus himself. 

We contacted Nick for a free consultation, we got booked in pretty quickly, Nick  came to our home to meet us and Angus. Nick is such a kind, friendly and knowledgeable dog trainer. We found out so many useful things in the consultation as to what could be behind his behaviour, typical breed behaviour and at the same time had a laugh along the way. He made us feel very relaxed and we were very confident pretty quickly that he knows his stuff and we can trust him.

Each session was excellent, again learning so much about dogs of all breads, other experiences Nick has had, not just about ways to better work with Angus and make him happier and confident out in our world but just through general conversation along the way. We really felt we got to know Nick well and he felt like a really good friend. 

Angus came on leeps and bounds from our first session to our last, even though we now understand his behaviour and it is going to be a continual ongoing process, there has been a huge improvement. He is now more responsive to us, paying more attention to us when out on walks and overall we are all enjoying our time out so much more. It really made a huge difference for us, seeing him come on so well and how much happier and more confident he is. 

We can not thank you enough Nick, you have been wonderful and we really miss our sessions together. We will come back to you soon to do the new Calm course as I think that would benefit both our boys.

Thank you again

Dave & Breagh the German Shepherd

I went out with Nick and Breagh for a training session today. It’s been a while since I’ve been out with them to be totally honest, so to say I was impressed by both of them is a bit of an understatement.

We started the session at the entrance to our drive, just to ‘get her going’ as Nick says. She walks on the lead with no tension on the lead at all, totally slack. We me several people on the session and her manners were impeccable as they were when we met a dog and his owner. Moving on into the field, she was doing off lead training and doing everything she was told to do. Even at the entrance to the school with patience training she was absolutely perfect.

I have to say Nick, your methods really do work and Breagh is amazing having been trained by you. I know we still have a ways to go, but so far the results are astounding.

To anyone reading this, I can’t stress enough how important good training is and Nick is probably the best trainer I have had the pleasure of working with. He not only puts your pooch at ease, but does the same with you. Every pound we’ve spent with Nick is definitely a pound well spent I would have no hesitation in recommending Nick to anyone who needs a wee bit help with their dog.

Ashley & Beau the Black Labrador

I have an extremely loving, smart and fun 2-year old Labrador called Beau, but he is also excitable and strong-willed!

I really wanted to make sure that Beau’s lead walking and recall were good, so that we were able to enjoy safe and well-controlled walks (especially when having just moved to a new area).  Beau is also reactive to push bikes (and generally anything with wheels – scooters, prams, pushchairs) after getting a fright when he was a puppy.

I’d attended both group training and 1:1 sessions previously with different trainers, but each gave slightly different instructions, resulting in confusion on my part in terms of how to approach training, and ultimately Beau’s confusion due to my mixed signals.

I saw Nick’s webpage online and decided to sign up to the reactive dog package before Beau got much older.

Nick literally is the dog whisperer and has the patience of a saint.  Beau liked him straight away and during our first consultation, Nick was able to explain certain behaviours Beau had and what might be behind them.  But mostly, he provided me with some much needed reassurance that I wasn’t doing all the wrong things and that all was not lost.

Over the next 5 sessions, Nick worked with Beau and I and took us through really basic exercises which have been the foundation of our training so far.  I was worried I didn’t have enough time to spend training Beau properly, when in actual fact, these basic exercises can be achieved in small and frequent bouts, which were easy to fit into my day.  I now embed these exercises into our daily walks, as it’s all about the repetition! 

Whilst we are only in the early stages of learning together, I have seen such a difference in Beau (and others have noticed this too).  He makes regular eye contact with me and really pays attention (most of the time!).  His lead walking is much improved and his recall is generally good.  We’ve a bit of work to do on these skills when there are other people and dogs around, but I’m confident that will come in time.  Reducing his reactivity to bikes is a long term goal but Nick has given me some techniques to use in these situations, that will hopefully undo the reaction he currently has to seeing a bike coming towards him.

All in all, the training package has been a really positive experience for Beau and I, and we will definitely be signing up to some follow-on sessions in future to make sure we are still on the right track and making progress.

Thanks Nick.

Heather & Ian, Raasay & Jura the German Shepherds

Nick was friendly calm approach with us and the  dogs. He took time to get to know the dogs   The dogs love “ the man with the chicken ! “He provided an enrichment tuggy toy and other training aids.
Nick has a clear Structured approach.The lesson was easy to follow all activities were demonstrated first by Nick. Nick explained the benefit of the various activities. None of the activities were rushed. He took time to ensure we were comfortable carrying out the lesson ourselves.
We are looking forward to the next lesson

Andrea & Filly the Hungarian Mudi

Nick has been super helpful with our reactive 3-year-old dog. We were really struggling with how much Filly was pulling on our walks and how strongly he was reacting to the world around him - dogs, people, noises. Nick has been helping us understand Filly more, in order for us to get to know him better in general, but also to recognise when he was starting to get uncomfortable. We have been learning how to notice and get out of triggering situations, and what to do to make him feel safe(r). We've also learned exercises to get Filly to engage with us more, as well as exercises we can do to distract him and tire him out. He has improved tremendously and we are now enjoying our walks being calmer and less noisy :)

Anne, Andrew & Woody the Collie

We are so thankful that we found Nick from Esk Valley Dog Training when Woody, our Border Collie, transformed from a model puppy into a barking, lunging nightmare around 6 months old. We were shocked and didn’t know what to do. We weren’t able to take him to fun places any more for fear of what might happen. After lots of internet research we came to the conclusion that he must be “reactive”. We took action quickly and sought expert help. Nick came highly recommended by friends and we felt reassured that he had first-hand experience with his own reactive dog as well as with Border Collies. We booked the reactive dog package and it was key in helping us to understand Woody’s behaviour and how to help him through it. 

From the first session, we had tools to help us manage Woody’s reactivity and this gave us the confidence to get back out again. Coaching us is a big part of this! Nick’s practical sessions include activities at home, taking us out on walks, teaching us how to interpret our dog's body language and handle situations that trigger reactivity. Woody is back to enjoying walks in the woods, beach and hills. We're having success with loose leash walking now too - this is a challenge for Border Collies and Woody is doing really well with Nick's method.

Having a reactive dog is really hard and can be overwhelming. We realise now that it doesn’t go away in a few months and have signed up to the membership programme for ongoing support. If it weren’t for Nick, we would probably be on a path to rehoming which would break our hearts. If you’re also dealing with a reactive dog or any other behavioural issues, Nick is the trainer you need. His calm and personalised approach, deep understanding of canine behavior, and practical solutions make him exceptional. 

We also recommend that you watch Nick’s video series on how to enjoy stress free walks – full of brilliant tips for all dog owners!

Jacqueline & Lola the Pomchi

I took out a reactive dog package with nick because my 10 year old pomchi Lola was showing signs of aggression towards other dogs and people. She would constantly bark whenever we were out on a walk. I worked with nick to discover her triggers and we learned that it was more fear and anxiousness than aggression. Working with nick has been the best thing for lola she has shown so much improvement and I have learnt a lot from him on how to help ease lolas anxieties. Lola is a much happier dog when we go on our walks now.  Nicks approach to training is all about making sure the dog is happy and not stressed.  I would happily recommend him to friends and family and would not hesitate to contact him if I ever needed help again. Thank you Nick. Jacqueline 

Dave, Ellie & Breagh the German Shepherd

Breagh our German Shepherd has been training with Nick since she was around 3 months old, she is now 13 months old and what a wonderful girl she is ♥️. GSD’s are notorious for going through a nervous stage around 6 months old, this can last until they are around 18 months, this is a very tricky stage because the wrong handling/training can make them become reactive, this is something we definitely didn’t want to happen hence having Nick involved from the start. Nick is absolutely amazing, he also coaches/trains us pesky owners 🤣. We have a very busy house, lots of people and children around and Breagh is very vocal, I was worried she might react if we had a whole bunch of people arrive at the same time, Nick soon sorted this out for us, I invited 10 people round for lunch, Nick was already with Breagh in our living room monitoring her as they all came in, and wow she was amazing, Nick continued to assess her watching her body language and said he wasn’t worried at all as she eventually lay down with her back turned to them all, (relaxed behaviour). What Nick doesn’t know about dogs is not worth knowing, he truly is a dog whisperer and we are very lucky to have found him, Nick is now part of The Harrison family, he will be involved with our hairies long term for sure as training should never stop 🤩 the phrase ( You Can’t teach an old dog new tricks) is a Lie ♥️

Andrew & Jasper the Boxer

I first reached out to Nick to enquire about his walk and train package for my Boxer pup, Jasper, or Mr Jasper as Nick likes to call him. He responded quickly and addressed any questions or concerns i had at the time before the training started.
After the initial consultation with Nick I could just tell the training was going to be amazing. He has this positive and calm personality and you can just tell he loves what he does. We couldn't wait to get started!
In such a short space of time Jasper and myself have learned so much! I can't believe the difference in Jasper and when friends and family notice these things it makes it all worth while.
What I like about Nick is he takes time to chat and help if i have any issues with Jasper out with the training which I must say has helped me enormously with certain situations I was struggling with. And above all that Mr Jasper loves him! Thanks Nick 

Wendy, Chris & Mr Finn the Red Fox Labrador

Today we had our first one to one training session with Nick, a day Iv been so excited to come!  Finn is a very nervous lab  mainly to people, and although I had his reactivity on the whole under control, there were definitely aspects of his training that I was absolutely struggling with.  We both had a really bad experience with an off lead dog who had tried to attack us both, and my confidence was a rock bottom, I knew we both needed some extra help. I felt tremendous guilt that I stopped letting him off lead unless in an enclosed freedom field, and I knew his lead walking looked a bit like I was taking scooby doo out everyday as he sniffed absolutely everything with his tongue hanging out looking a bit deranged!  Nick has such a way with dogs, I’m not going to lie, I was so nervous about how Finn was going to react, after our first consultation when Finn just barked and growled at him the whole time whilst he  continued to eat his squeezey cheese, however from the moment he came in got down to Finn s level, Finn relaxed even feeling confident enough to give kisses, something that never happens with strangers.  Nick has put in place different training exercises to get Finn to pay attention to me when we are out walking, games to help his focus, and most importantly good heel work, and after just my first session I’m excited that we will be able to get him comfortable and focused enough to start competing in tracking or scent work! Can’t wait till my next session and I’m so excited to take his training to the next level! Thank you so much Nick looking forward to our next session!

Lee, Emily & Angus the Collie X

We had sought out some advice and training for our adopted rescue dog Angus.  He has had some trauma in the past and this can make him very nervous and reactive when out walking him.  We started to feel that we might not be suited to looking after Angus.

We had our initial consultation with Nick, who suggested we meet outside as Angus can be a bit of a handful.  As expected, Angus had decided to start reacting to the new stranger.  Nick just calmly threw some treats on the ground which Angus went snuffling for.  With a few minutes Angus was sitting down nicely and waiting for treats while we talked to Nick.

This first meeting was a breath of fresh air, we had never managed to get Angus to become calm so quickly.

We were able to have Nick come into the house, which has always been a challenge for us to do.  We discussed the options open to us and decided to take the “Reactive Dog” package.

Over the five sessions we had with Nick we could see a vast improvement in Angus’ behaviour, also we learned to spot the Angus’ signs before he became reactive.  We were given personalised guidance each step of the way.  Angus is always super pleased to see Nick.  After feeling very low about our chances of dealing with Angus, we now have a good framework to build on and understand how to better understand and deal with various situations we might find ourselves in

Elaine & Harris the Border Terrier

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for tonight, the seminar was super helpful. Reminded me how we have to continually think about how our actions are perceived by our dogs! 
After battling for 3 years to get Harris to settle down when we arrive home, instead of being an absolute crazy whirlwind. Tonight I waited until he stopped barking and then straight away opened the door and gave him a huge fuss. 
It’s heartbreaking to think that’s all he wanted, bless him within 2 mins he was happy and calm instead of running around my feet trying to get my attention. 
Sometimes it’s the small things that make such a huge difference. 
We will definitely book in to do a course with you. We have a super little dog who just loves life and loves everyone, it’s just learning how to harness that excitement and as you said tonight making him polite. 
We’ll definitely start training the magic sequence and hopefully by the time we book in we’ll have already made progress

Suzzanne, Mark, Jamie and Bella the Chocolate Labrador

I just wanted to say thanks again for yesterday.  We initially had Bella on her 8 week training programme when she was just 15 weeks old - feels like a lifetime ago!

Almost a year later we enrolled in the 6 week follow up training programme and - as expected - it's been amazing.  

I was lucky enough to be able to join you on your session with Bella yesterday and it's even more obvious how much time you invest in getting to know your clients.  

I'm so thankful for everything you've done - and continue to do - for us and Bella.  Having never owned a dog before you have taught me so much and made for a very contented and confident owner.

And Bella agrees!

Thank you.

Suzanne 

Ellie, Dave, Breagh & Ava the German Shepherds and Tax the Sprollie

Our story with Nick so far!! We contacted Nick when we brought our 8 week old GSD home Breagh 💗. We wanted to ensure the best training/coaching with our precious ball of fluff knowing she was going to be a big strong girl and we didn’t want issues arising common with the breed. We have owned GSD’s forever as we are now in our later 50’s 😫 (really dont feel that old 🤣) and know that our mistakes with her could be detrimental, hence having Nick come on board!! Well things have progressed because Breagh is doing brilliantly with Nick so he is now working with our 4yr old Ava who is also a GSD 💗 She really is the sweetest girl and loves everybody but we have not managed to get her to walk well on her lead, Nick in the first couple of sessions has worked wonders with her, he really is a Dog Whisper and she is so excited when he comes to visit. Nick is also training Taz our 2yr old sprollie and wow, he adores Nick and is training exceptionally well with him. Moral of the story………if you are a dog lover like us, employ Nick to do his “stuff” with your dogs, this is what Nick specialises in, and we are learning so much from him 🤩 like I say you wouldn’t employ a baker to build your house!!  👏👏👏👏👏 Nick you are Amazing 🤩"

"So, where do I begin!! We are probably bonkers in most people’s eyes, thankfully not Nick’s 😊. We have 4 dogs (Gyn) 14yrs Golden Labrador , (Ava) 4yrs German Shepherd, (Taz) 2yrs Sprollie and (Breagh) 6 months German Shepherd. I first contacted Nick when Breagh was about 12 weeks old because my husband and myself are getting older (50’s) and we wanted Breagh to be good on the lead and not pull which our other GSD Ava does. On our first meeting with Nick the dogs adored him, Nick has an aura around him and the dogs are instantly drawn to him, as are their humans 😊 we have owned dogs for 40 plus years, we used to breed and show some of our dogs ,  so we have some knowledge,  but wow Nick is on a different level!! Our baby Breagh has hit the dreaded nervous stage and Nick is calmly getting us all through it, his techniques and advice really do work, so with Breagh doing really well we asked Nick if he would kindly take on our Ava and Taz and train them to as we are Uber impressed with the results in such a short time 👏👏 we are letting our old lady Gyn off with the training, she is such a good old lady and just likes to potter about in the garden now, but Nick always goes to see her when he visits and let’s her out in the garden for a bit. Nick genuinely has a love for animals and really cares about their wellbeing. I am recommending Nick to all our friends with dogs, we know first hand how AMAZING he is. Huge thanks for all you do Nick

Gillian & Pookie, the Lurcher

My 5 year old lurcher used to be so happy go lucky. He'd happily play with other dogs, any size, age, colour or breed,. Never in a million years did I think that I'd be dealing with a reactive dog 5years down the line. His issues started around 1.5 years of age. Over time, they gradually escalated(several reasons, Nick has explained to me but I won't go into here). Until I'd got to the stage where every walk became a mammoth expedition to try to find somewhere quiet to let him off the lead, with me in constant fight or flight mode that a dog may appear or an incident might happen. Weren't dog walks supposed to be meditative, a chance to relax and explore off lead, meet other people, perhaps let your dogs play together, in one big “happy dog/owner extended family”? Not for me and my boy. I blamed myself. I felt inadequate. I felt a bad owner. I felt a failure. I felt bad for Pookie, as I know the lovely boy he is. I felt lost, lonely, stressed , like I was going round and round in circles trying to achieve “normal” . I felt like I was constantly holding my breath and ready to either burst into tears or hide away from everyone. 

Then enter Nick. From the get-go in our initial email and phone-call correspondences, I felt like I could finally exhale. I had read very positive testimonials from other owners, but the proof would be in the pudding when we started to work with him. First impressions: both me and Pookie took an immediate shine to him. I felt like I'd known him for years....and Pookie seemed to think that too. Yes, Nick has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience with reactive dogs, but first and foremost he makes you and your dog feel at ease, makes you feel like you ARE normal and what you are experiencing isn’t some flaw of nature – in fact the very opposite, it’s a very natural and understandable conditioning in dogs! He doesn't set unrealistic happy, frills and fancy fairy tale endings. Instead he explains things simply, clearly, honestly and realistically, setting small achievable goals that set me and Pookie up for success.

 It soon sunk in that Pookie's behavioural work was going to take more time, patience and commitment then I had first naively anticipated. But that this would also develop and strengthen my relationship with Pookie. Nick helped me to see how much a sensitive dog can give back when they start to trust and feel safe again. This took the pressure off me to want things to be perfect now. And I realised my vision of perfect may not be Pookie's vision– Nick helped me to understand Pookie's world of fear, Pookie's anguish and the need to go at Pookie's pace. He taught me to understand and genuinely listen to Pookie. Small steps, even big steps, could be made and as cliched as it does sound “the goal is in the journey” 

Pookie adores Nick. I often knew when Nick's van was passing our neighbourhood(2 roads away!) as Pookie started to howl in the living room! And Nick is just brilliant with Pookie, instinctively understanding him and gaining Pookie's trust. Nick exudes a genuine love and passion for his work and for dogs. In fact, Nick is perfect for his job – not simply as a dog trainer but as a coach. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying I need coaching, (calmed, encouraged, taught, supported, reminded, praised and guided) as much as Pookie does in this journey. Nick certainly makes it feel like a team effort and I think I can talk on behalf of Pookie that we love our sessions with him. 

The challenge is me now being able to do this out on my own but I know with continued future sessions with Nick, that this will come. 

Thank you Nick,for believing in me and Pookie.

Ray, Jill & Kip, the Springer Spaniel

I'll be honest, we initially had some reservations; what could Nick do that would be different to the 700 YouTube videos, 10 books, Puppy Classes, etc... that we had sat, watched and read through already!

What a difference a day makes! Kip (absolute mad Springer Spaniel) was all over him from the moment we met and in those first few initial sessions, I learnt more about Kip and his behaviours, his love for a challenge and what a quick learner he was; than I had in the 12 months prior.

Work for both me and my wife was a challenge, but Nick made sure we knew what he was doing with Kip and provided great explanatory notes for us to follow, allowing us to work as Kip carried on his sessions.

In terms of the progress made, it's still going to take some time, but we see the foundations that Nick has put in place each time we go out with him in the garden or out to the Loch, we can let him off the lead, something that we could NEVER even dream of doing before the sessions and 8/10 times he will come back on command and the other 2/10 times he will come back when he's good and ready to do so, but he comes back!

Walking with Kip, which was our biggest challenge, is still our
biggest problem, but as per the point above, we can both see the
foundations work, he looks at us, he comes back when the lead pulls and we stop and we can therefore see a light at the end of a long long tunnel. However, Nick had pointed this out all along from the start of training, that this has to be a 2 way interaction between us and Kip and training isn't an overnight success, it just takes engagement and time.

It really was a pleasure working with Nick and worth every penny spent!

Victoria & Bailey the Golden Labrador

Bailey was your typical lab… excitable, hyper and danced to his own tune (literally… we nicknamed him happy feet).

I reached out to Nick after reading the reviews and testimonials and I signed Bailey up for the 9 week intensive training package.


Nick worked his magic from the meet and greet… I had never seen Bailey so well behaved in someone’s company. Whatever vibe Nick was giving off… I wanted to learn it and adapt it as quickly as possible.


Nick continued to work with Bailey and I joined him on as many of the sessions as I could. I’m in awe of Nick’s knowledge and the difference he has made with our boy.


Bailey is a different dog. He listens, he’s calmer, he his recall is on point, he walks by my side, he behaves.


It’s now a delight to take Bailey a walk… I feel proud to be his owner, which is a far cry from how I felt before working with Nick.


Nick goes above and beyond with his training and explains everything in terms that are easier to understand and apply. I’m using some of his techniques with my horses too.


I’m booking a follow up package with Nick as his training is invaluable and I want to continue learning and doing the best I can for Bailey. Bailey and I will now always have Nick as a part of our lives. Yes he’s our dog trainer but I also class him as a friend.


I’ve went from considering rehoming my unruly bundle of fun and Nick being our last chance of hope, to now loving having Bailey as part of our family and being proud of the very clever, well behaved dog that he is. All thanks to Nick.

Andy & Max, the German Shepherd

Nick was the second dog trainer we engaged to help train Max our German Shepherd puppy and while the first trainer was good Nick is a different level.

His understanding of dog behaviour and his passion to pass on his knowledge makes training interesting and fun both for the owner and dog.

Max loves his training sessions and is a much calmer and more easily controlled dog now walking calmly on the lead and remaining attentive most of the time. Still work to do but I have no doubt of the benefit of engaging Nick and we will continue to do so for the  foreseeable future.

I can’t recommend Nick highly enough and I know Max agrees!

Lisa, Paul and Lola. the Red Fox Labrador

We recently had the pleasure of working with Nick 6 weeks ago when he started training our fox red lab. Our dog Lola started her training at around 8 months of age.  From our first session, we were very impressed with his professionalism, knowledge, and friendliness.  Nick took the time to understand our dog’s unique personality and needs, and tailored our sessions accordingly.  The results have been fantastic!  Lola has made tremendous progress in a short amount of time, and we are so pleased with her behaviour and obedience after only 6 weeks. He has also helped Paul and I understand what Lola needs from us. We plan on continuing the hard work that Nick put in.

Nick was always available to answer any questions and provide us with additional guidance and support.  He was patient and kind, our dog Lola has responded well to his training methods.  We would highly recommend him to anyone looking for an excellent dog trainer. We are so grateful for his services and Lola will definitely miss his weekly visits. 

Thank you

Pam & Otto, the German Shepherd

Otto has had 9 sessions with Nick. Yesterday we went up to unleashed with the dummie dogs and I couldn't believe how well Otto had come on with his training lessons.

Nick goes above and beyond just training the dogs, he really cares for their welfare and makes such a difference to their lives. Otto has always been anxious and lead aggressive, but he come on so far since Nick started his training. I know I still have a lot of work but I have been given the best tools yo help me do it with Nick.

Highly recommend him to anyone with a dog that has issues.

Thanks Nick

I contacted Nick as, although our girl is only 5 months old, I'm desperate to work on recall with our pup. Nothing I do seems to work.

Nick came to our home for the initial Meet and Greet and our girl was delighted to meet him. He has a calm, reassuring presence which not only put us at ease but our puppy too.

Just talking with him and seeing how he interacted with our girls fills us with nothing but total confidence about our journey moving forward . We just need to get our first one to one appointment booked. January is pretty full, if that's not a testiment to how good he is I don't know what is

Linette, Cameron & Jura the Visual

Reached out to Nick for his 3 week walk and train package to get us back on track with our 18month Vizsla after experiencing increasing reactivity with other dogs and recall going completely out the window. This really helped gain our confidence back and by training alongside Nick we saw some quick results from our efforts. Nick showed us techniques to manage Jura's reactivity, explaining dogs body language and spotting triggers. All the way from the meet and greet to the end of week 3, Nick was extremely calm and patient with Jura and us! I definitely recommend Nick to anyone seeking support with training and figuring out ways to deal with any behavioural issues. Looking forward to continuing with a few more 1 to 1s and keep building on the progress made in the last 3 weeks

Nick is fantastic with my super energetic, 11 month old, Goldie pup and reassured me that things will get better. He has a very kind nature and Kya was very at ease with him from the start (she would rather look to him for treats than me!!! LOL 

). He is moving at her pace and adapting the sessions to her attention span and willing to learn which allows it to sink in better for both of us. 

He instills confidence in the owner and ensures I understand what is expected of me. I look forward to our next session and Kya does too. 

I met with Nick on our meet & greet at my house yesterday, I was a bit nervous that everything I had been doing with my German Shepherd was wrong. Nick made me feel at ease straight away and more importantly he made my nervous gsd feel happy in his company too. I know we have a journey ahead to help my boy with his reactivity, but I am sure with Nick's help and guidance we will make life a lot easier on walks for my boy and myself.

Look forward to working with Nick and seeing a difference in the weeks to come.

Thank you again for all your understanding and advice yesterday

I would just like to leave a review for Nick. What a job you’ve done in helping us with Charlie. He is off the lead with his buddy Rocco. It was scary at first as he refused to come back and stayed about six feet away even though we had the tastiest if treats. I remembered what you said about his safe space so I threw his treat for him. We did this a few times and eventually he came back to me for the squeeze cheese. He was determined that Rocco wasn’t having it all

. We go for a walk with Rocco every Friday and now as soon as Charli