Owner And Dog Training
I could not recommend Rob highly enough. Without meeting our dog, just from knowing the breed and the food we were giving him, Rob described Crumble’s health issues which weren’t even the reason we called him!! On the new food Crumble is flourishing with no skin issues or chewing, scratching etc. Our initial reason for contacting Rob was to help us integrate a new puppy, whose temperament, whilst delightful to us, was intensely irritating to Crumble, to the extent that we feared a fight and real damage to the pup.
Rob was unbelievably helpful, had loads of ideas some of which seemed a bit strange but Rob always explained why they would work and they did. Absolutely everything worked as expected, and over time, after working with them separately, the dogs started to be able to spend time together and again, over time, with less and less active supervision on our part and for longer and longer periods. It was time consuming at the start, but well worth it and without his help we genuinely feel we might well not have been able to keep the pup. It was a tough time, my sister had just died and Rob knew this and therefore knew the limited emotional resources I had. Rob gave us work to do, then visited a second time a week later to be there when the dogs met for the first time. He just took control on that occasion which was good, as I couldn’t even look I had my eyes shut. I felt able to text, ring or e mail Rob, and he always spent the time to talk me through the next step and the reasons behind it. He also contacted me, to ask how it was going if he did not hear from me, every conversation ended with the phrase “keep me informed”.
Anyway, from needing to keep a barrier between them at all times, and even in those circumstances seeing much aggression, we can now put them in the boot of the car together confident there will not be an issue. I would even go so far as to say they are friends, they don’t just tolerate each other, they get on very well. An amazing result due to a combination of Rob’s skill, and our time to follow it all through, even the strange sounding stuff!
Rob kindly came to visit us some years ago to help with our boisterous Airedale Terrier puppy – Rufus Hound. He helped us (me in particular) understand that I needed to change my behaviour in order adjust my dog's behaviour. Rufus Hound has never been perfect behaviour-wise but is a perfect dog for us, and Rob went a long way towards helping us achieve that goal. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Hi Rob,
Just wanted to give you a quick update on Biscuit. He has moved onto a no grain diet and seems better for it all round, his scratching has reduced and I think this may now be related to bites he gets on walks. The spray collar has changed him immeasurably – we now take him round the estate without a lead and he comes to heel and sit whenever a car passes by. He is also able to go off lead in the forest park nearby and despite is natural desire to truffle around with his nose down, never strays too far. This has a huge benefit as he is no longer fighting against a lead which tires him and increases the chance of sickness. Around dogs he is absolutely fine and i have no issues about he going up to and playing with other dogs if they are friendly and their owners are of a similar mind – only today another passing owner say they wished their dog was a well behaved as Biscuit! He doesn’t go on the sofas unless invited to do so and overall he is a calm and relaxed dog – or one that can easily be calmed if things become naturally exciting for him.
In short, he has retained all of the personality he had, but is now relaxed, responsive, more healthy and not a danger to himself in any way.
Thanks again,
Joe
Hi Rob,
We are still treating when passing strangers and moved him on to town walking at night and he is seeing more people than he did at forest walking.
Sometimes he glances at people then carries on walking, sniffing etc and doesn’t seem bothered about them. The rest of the time when seeing people he looks back to Paul for his treat. Sometimes we feel he looks at people just to get a treat. We have cut the treats down as now combining a cuddle as well.
Massive improvement with him and Dolly. We now all sit watching TV relaxed which we never could have done before.
My washing has been staying on the washing line which is wonderful.
He is much better at not jumping up the work tops.
We are still ignoring him and giving attention on our terms, our son and his girlfriend also do so on visiting and have said they have seen a massive difference in him.
He doesn’t demand attention no where near as much as before.
We are really happy with his progress and since meeting with you we haven’t had any negative experiences with people.
many thanks for your help.
Teresa , Paul and Mummies Boy Benson
(Also Dolly loves you lots as she can relax now )
I would like to say a huge thankyou to you for all your advice and help. After hearing you talk at a recent dog behaviour seminar I contacted you regarding some issues with our two black Labradors. I cannot thank you enough for your time and assistance, and, for being at the end of the phone when we’ve needed a chat. We can see a big improvement already in just a couple of weeks and its lovely to see our wonderful dogs over come their issues and our house feels calmer again.
Thankyou
Claire x
Hi Rob.Thank you so much for the enlightening and eye opening session yesterday,This morning we have been doing some simple rattle can exercises on things that always provoked a big reaction from percy like the broom, the curtains tea towels etc. The results have been amazing!! I have barely had to shake the can after the first few times as he responds to the command leave beautifully ( So far!! ).We’ll keep you posted on further developments.Thanks againSarah & Nick
A big thank you for sorting out Cleo’s problems.After spending nearly 2yrs at Battersea Dogs Home the last thing l wanted to do was to have to take her back,(Mind you l would never have done that!)
It is reasurring that with the right advice and support, these behavioural problems can be resolved.
Cleo is now a dog anyone would be proud to own.Once again Rob, l cant thank you enough, keep up the good work
I cannot recommend Robert highly enough. From the initial consultation through to the home visit, assessment and practical training Robert put us at ease. With a friendly yet still highly professional approach Robert has been a pleasure to work with. I feel very comfortable discussing any training issues or queries with Robert and I never feel embarrassed to ask what might seem like a silly question. Both my dogs have come on tremendously since working with Robert. The mix of both behavioural advice and practical training is ideal.
I originally met Robert Alleyne in late November 2012 when I enrolled my very young puppy, a Parson Russell Terrier, in his Monday night dog training class. I did extensive research into which
was the best dog training class in London and his name kept coming up. I went to visit his class a week before picking up my new dog and was so impressed that I signed up on the spot.I live in North West London and am surrounded by dog training clubs. Robert’s class is in South East London, so couldn’t be further away. Despite the hour plus journey I had to make each
week, I was convinced that this was where I was going to receive the best instruction.The pet dog training I received gave me an excellent foundation and a year later I was heavily involved in the dog sports of agility, flyball and dock dogs Because of the good early start I received at Robert’s school, I got bitten by the dog training bug and was often seen in the local park teaching my dog some new thing.
It wasn’t long before people started to approach me and ask if I would train their dog for them. So two years after completing Robert’s pet dog training class, I enrolled on his12 week dog
training instructor course which I have now completed. Robert is an excellent teacher and has the added advantage of being both a dog trainer and a behaviour consultant, so can really get underneath any training issues students may have with a particular dog.I also believe Robert has a far greater concern for the welfare of dogs than many other trainers out there, so will only teach what really works. A blessing in a world full of theoretical dog training techniques that often don’t really do the job.
In addition to the Thursday evening course, Robert holds what he calls Education Days for his instructors. One of these was held at his house where we watched videos of other trainers working and discussed what we thought worked well and what didn’t. This was great, as Robert likes to get you thinking for yourself rather than just following instructions by rote without any real deep understanding.
Another day was spent at the amazing Medical Detection Dog Centre near Milton Keynes, where we learnt how they teach their dogs to detect cancer, alert diabetes sufferers of poor blood sugar levels and warn those with nut allergies not to go in that room, because someone in there ate a peanut butter sandwich some 24 hours earlier and it’s still on his breath.
If you want to be a dog trainer I urge you to take Robert Alleyne’s instructor course. In a country where more dogs die because of behaviour problems than due to illness, it is up to us as instructors to stop this happening. We can only do this if we learn to do our job properly and to teach dog owners the most effective methods for training their friend. Not enough dog trainers are doing this. Don’t be one of them.
Just to let you know I had a party at my house and was quite nervous at first as I had invited around 50 people over !!!! But was a good test for Romeo. I couldn’t believe it, nor could my guests, he was so well behaved. He didn’t growl or bark once, he happily wandered around everyone, sometimes sniffing around peoples feet to find myself or Lev as there were so people there. People that had only seen romeo once before were like “oh my god” as they were waiting for some kind of reaction from him. I’m really really impressed with him .
Thank you so much.
Instructor Courses
“I attended Rob’s instructor course in the Spring/Summer 2014, those 12 weeks flashed by. Rob is patient, generous with his knowledge and time and an amazing sense of humour! Rob simplifies instructing without confusing the dog owner and dog or the person learning to be an instructor. The other instructors and trainees on the course are fun, friendly and encouraging. The talks after the class are informative and he encourages you to think and talk through scenarios. Rob helped me when I got my first puppy consultation a few months later and he gave me the courage to give a go. Thank you Rob – the tea, biscuits and cake were a bonus too!!”
Robert not only has a wealth of experience and an immense knowledge of the canine world; he also understands people. Through careful guidance, encouragement and humour, he has the skill of being able to teach each individual trainee instructor to the best of their ability. It is because of the support and encouragement I got on Robert’s instructors course that I now run my own dog training school. It is a special skill to be able to teach someone else to teach; Robert has an abundance of that skill and that is why I would encourage anyone who wants to learn how to be a good instructor, to sign up and learn from the instructor who is second to none.”
I joined Robert Alleynes instructor course in (sorry couldnt find exact date). I needed to gain practical experience to add to my Behaviourist qualification.
Robert was very supportive and helped me gain more confidence in a class environment. He has a great sense of humour which helped all the instructors to relax.
Robert encourages all his students to follow their own path in training.
I just wanted to say I had the most amazing time on your Instructors Course, I learnt so much. I have already started to use the training techniques from the course. Thank you for all you support and guidance during the course it has made me a better instructor.
On a personal note, I now also feel so much more confident in standing up in front of the class and running an exercise or even the whole full class.Thanks again
I originally met Robert Alleyne in late November 2012 when I enrolled my very young puppy, a Parson Russell Terrier, in his Monday night dog training class. I did extensive research into which
was the best dog training class in London and his name kept coming up. I went to visit his class a week before picking up my new dog and was so impressed that I signed up on the spot.I live in North West London and am surrounded by dog training clubs. Robert’s class is in South East London, so couldn’t be further away. Despite the hour plus journey I had to make each
week, I was convinced that this was where I was going to receive the best instruction.The pet dog training I received gave me an excellent foundation and a year later I was heavily involved in the dog sports of agility, flyball and dock dogs Because of the good early start I received at Robert’s school, I got bitten by the dog training bug and was often seen in the local park teaching my dog some new thing.
It wasn’t long before people started to approach me and ask if I would train their dog for them. So two years after completing Robert’s pet dog training class, I enrolled on his12 week dog
training instructor course which I have now completed. Robert is an excellent teacher and has the added advantage of being both a dog trainer and a behaviour consultant, so can really get underneath any training issues students may have with a particular dog.I also believe Robert has a far greater concern for the welfare of dogs than many other trainers out there, so will only teach what really works. A blessing in a world full of theoretical dog training techniques that often don’t really do the job.
In addition to the Thursday evening course, Robert holds what he calls Education Days for his instructors. One of these was held at his house where we watched videos of other trainers working and discussed what we thought worked well and what didn’t. This was great, as Robert likes to get you thinking for yourself rather than just following instructions by rote without any real deep understanding.
Another day was spent at the amazing Medical Detection Dog Centre near Milton Keynes, where we learnt how they teach their dogs to detect cancer, alert diabetes sufferers of poor blood sugar levels and warn those with nut allergies not to go in that room, because someone in there ate a peanut butter sandwich some 24 hours earlier and it’s still on his breath.
If you want to be a dog trainer I urge you to take Robert Alleyne’s instructor course. In a country where more dogs die because of behaviour problems than due to illness, it is up to us as instructors to stop this happening. We can only do this if we learn to do our job properly and to teach dog owners the most effective methods for training their friend. Not enough dog trainers are doing this. Don’t be one of them.
I did Rob’s instructor course from November 2013 until March 2014. Through the duration of the course, my confidence grew week by week. I learnt a lot in helping the owners learn along with their dogs, and it was great to watch their progress. After the class, we always had a discussion, which was beneficial in analysing/understanding how the evening had gone. Definitely a course worthwhile doing.
Having met Robert about 6 years ago, I had heard him talk about possibly setting up a dog training instructors course. As soon as I heard it was running a few years later I signed up immediately – Rob’s advice for my dog walking business had been spot on, so I knew the course would be good.
The course is set indoors, so weather can’t stop training. Nerves of course can be an issue, but Rob understands and the course is set up to build confidence in every way. We were taught all the basic exercises, the why and the how and then how to teach these to owners, all reward based training with food and toys. We also learn about lesson planning so we can be realistic about how much to train in each session.
We were working with members of the public and their dogs, which is actually quite rare in a learning environment and it really makes a big difference in confidence levels. We learn how to work with people from all walks of life, with different motivation levels and abilities, and help them to train dogs of different breeds and ages. If things don’t go quite right Rob is there to help us work out the solutions ourselves, under his expert guidance.
After training with Rob I set up my own group classes and ran them successfully for 18 months, until ill health meant I had to shut down. Rob kindly visited while I was training a class to give me very valuable feedback so support wasn’t suddenly withdrawn after the course was over. I still use the techniques he taught me in my 121 training sessions. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to be a dog training instructor as being extremely valuable experience.
Robert Alleyne’s Trainee Instructors’ course is unique.
It’s a ‘rolling’ course where first you observe other trainees carry out the class, under the guidance of Robert. Then gradually you are eased into instructing, supported by him along the way. By the end of the course having the ability to fully instruct a class of pet owners the basic essential training that pet dogs need.
You learn the theory first and then you have the invaluable experience of putting it to practical use. Furthermore, there is an appraisal after every class to consider how to improve each week plus the opportunity to attend an Education Day one weekend. You won’t find this anywhere else.
Robert is a leading figure in the world of dog training. He has a huge amount of knowledge of canine behaviour and dog training experience which he is generous to share on his course. I feel privileged to be learning from Robert and would highly recommend his course to other dog enthusiasts and budding dog trainers.
I attended Robert Alleyne’s Instructors course in 2012. I had been instructing at a dog club for several years at this point, however, I found out a fair bit about my instructing skills on this course. The course enables you to analyse the way you teach, gives you a chance to learn new ways of teaching and equally gives you a chance to observe others teaching. At the end of each lesson we were given the chance to discuss ideas, listen to critiques about our own teaching skills and debate with Rob himself about why he teaches the way he does. I found the course very enjoyable and extremely beneficial in furthering my work with pet dog owners.
We spoke on the ‘phone yesterday discussing my aspirations towards a career as a dog behaviourist. Thank you again for giving me some of your time. I cannot tell you how great it was to speak with someone as open and genuine as yourself. This journey I have found myself on can feel a bit frustrating and lonely at times and I came away from our chat with a new, positive focus as to what I need to do and what direction I need things to take.
I didn’t realise until I looked you up on net that your ‘that bloke from dog borstal!’ so I am even more grateful of your time. (I’ll get the gushing bit out of the way-you were the only reason I used to watch it and loved your approach to the dogs AND their owners- I’d like to think our core approach is quite similar and you’re a great role model- by the way that other guy seemed a bit of a plonker at times! I’m sure he’s a lovely guy when he’s not in military mode )
Thanks again, take care
Andy