Co. Cavan
Ireland

DOG DILEMMAS

Dog Behaviour, Training, Obedience, Agility.       Behavioural problems requiring home visits are available..


 
 

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Testimonials
Below is a small selection of testimonials, I'm sure you don't want to spend hours reading them all!! These are extracts of written testimonials supplied by some of my clients and all can be verified.


Bogar
Homer, a Corgi
Bruiser, a Bullmastif
Bonnie, a Labrador
Cookie, a Labrador

Sparkey, a cross breed
Pinkie
Sparky a King charles
Niamh Connors
Gizmo, Aine and Owen McConnell
Max, Great Dane, puppy foundation
Bess, Puppy foundation class
Mystic, Obedience class
Merry, Obedience class
Dewey, Obedience class
Shane, Puppy foundation class
 

Bogar
We are very happy to meet with Eileen; she is a fantastic dog-trainer and a lovely person. Her instructions were easy to follow and when my dog had some health problem, she was so helpful to find a good vet for her! We enjoyed both the puppy training and the obedience courses and would like to continue with the agility! I would recommend her every dog owners! Thank you so much!
Bogar's skin condition is much better; it could be some skin allergy. Thank you for your advice!  Bogar is our dreamdog....
Greetings, Eva, my Mother and Bogar!

Bogar is one of the brightest dogs that has been to training. She has turned into a fantastic dog and one her owners should be proud of. I even managed to learn Hungarian and Eva improved her English. Dual nationality dog!!
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Homer is a Corgi male, and was about 10 months old when he first went to visit Eileen to refine his training.  You see, we specifically went for the Corgi breed as we are also Dexter cattle breeders and needed a hand at times to move cattle around.  For those of you who may not be aware, Corgi’s are one of the oldest herding dogs of all and due to responsible breeding have retained many of their natural instincts.
Eileen has provided great insight into not only Homers’ but into our own behaviour, which will impact on his overall ability to work.  We love our little Homer, and were in reality beginning to spoil him, but thanks to Eileen’s input, we have reigned in both Homer and ourselves and things are running very smoothly.
We have not yet been able to put Homer’s skills to the test, as the majority of the cattle are still housed, but Eileen’s influence is undeniable and we are fully confident that with practice we will be proficient handlers of our little herding dog – all thanks to Eileen!  We cannot thank you enough for reinforcing our belief that Homer is a great little dog with great potential – and for all your help in his training
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Bruiser
We called on Eileen's help after realizing that we had made the big mistake of sending Bruiser our "Bullmastiff" dog to training school almost a year ago for over two weeks, to a place close to Dublin. We thought we where doing the right thing by sending Bruiser away to training, hoping he would come back a different dog. We hoped he would come when called, walk on the lead etc, however this wasn't the case. As we now know a dog should not be trained without its owners there at all times (NEVER). In recent months, Bruiser had become quite aggressive towards other people and also other dogs. We believe this is from the dog receiving physical punishment during his previous training; this is when we sought advice from Eileen who helped us no end in understanding Bruiser. In our opinion his previous trainer should not be allowed train dogs, as he broke Bruiser's spirit which we are now only just getting back on track. With help from Eileen, Bruiser's spirit is coming back and he is now getting on with people much better than before, he also seems much happier. He doesn't seem as nervous as he had been in the past. The best advice Eileen gave us was to ignore Bruiser as this pays off in many ways. When visitors call, Bruiser doesn't seem too bothered or annoyed that people are in his comfort zone. We also discovered how sensitive dogs are to body language and to be consistent with him. It will pay off in the long run.

We have to say if not for Eileen's help we would have had a very difficult time of it as Bullmastiffs are strong and quite stubborn!!... So big thanks to Eileen.

With thanks and appreciation.
 Adele & Dave

In my opinion, this is an example of how a dog’s personality can easily be destroyed in puppyhood with the wrong type of training. It was very sad to see this majestic dog cowering in the back of the vehicle; he wouldn’t look at you and had to be muzzled to get him out. This was quickly removed on his first lesson. If Bruiser felt threatened he would attack and his aggression stems from his fear of humans. After just three lessons, a lot of hard work from Adele and Dave, he is now a very different dog. They have a way to go to give Bruiser the life he should have, and I have no doubt they will succeed.

If owners do decide to send their dog away for training they should check the references of the trainer first, and watch him/her in action before committing themselves. I would also urge owners to spend a day with the handler being shown exactly what to do with the dog before taking it home; one hour is not enough to learn the skills in dog handling.

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After relocating from the Isle of Man, we decided to adopt a puppy to help our 5yr old son settle in to his new life.  We brought to our home in May, a beautiful Black Lab puppy called Bonnie.  I was determined to have some manners on her as soon as possible due to the fact that we are expecting a baby in October.  As you can imagine she was hyper and totally uncontrollable and proving a handful.  After some research and seeing a card at the local vets, I contacted Eileen for some help.
Eileen is amazing, gifted and pure magic with Bonnie.  I have learned so much from Eileen and apply all I learn subtly throughout the day with Bonnie.  She is slowly becoming a wonderful companion and a joy to have about.  Although not quite 6 months yet, with continued training and support Bonnie will be a fantastic addition to our family.  Eileen also helped my son overcome his fear of her and he now does his own training with her on a daily basis.  As I said, Eileen has a gift and I've recommended her to many of my friends and family who have dog issues/concerns.  Without Eileen I don't think I could have coped with Bonnie.
I would like to thank Eileen for all her support, help and advice over the past couple of months and look forward to continuing to work with her in the coming weeks in order for me to have Bonnie in the right place before the baby arrives.  Thank you again and I wish you all the very best of luck for the future.
 

August 2009
It hasn’t been easy for Fiona Stead with a new baby arriving soon, but due to her determination her dog Bonnie, passed the Puppy foundation course in July 2009. Fiona has now gone on to Obedience training and is due to take her test in the next few weeks. Come on Bonnie you can do it.

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Cookie was a four-month-old puppy when she went to Eileen for the puppy foundation course.  I found the course brilliant, Cookie picked up everything very, very quickly with guidance from Eileen the “Dog Whisperer”.  Not only did Cookie learn all the basics, she absolutely loved Eileen and found the training great fun.  I would advise anyone with a dog to bring it to Eileen for some training; I think I learned more than Cookie did!

 August 2009
Isn’t Cookie lovely, she sailed through her Foundation course. Well done to Fiona for putting in the hard work, it certainly paid off

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We got Sparkey from a rescue centre in March of 2007 and it is no exaggeration to say that she occupied a huge amount of our time and energy from the word go.  We never knew what to expect when we arrived home.  It became clear from early on that Sparkey had been poorly treated in her last home and we had to deal with the results of that.  Months of patience and kindness paid off and she began to settle, little by little. 
However, there were still some aspects of her behaviour that left a lot to be desired.  And that was where Eileen came in.  Three training sessions and some very welcome follow-on phone advice cleared out Sparkey's remaining bad habits and gave us the skills we needed to manage any occasional relapses.  We felt we could have confidence in Eileen from the beginning and we were right - she has an amazing way with dogs.
Now, one year later, we have a very different dog.  All that endeared her to us in the first place is still there but without the madness that was there before.  Well, most of the madness
Tina Tully

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Rita Olwell and her family have completed private training with their dog Pinkie. Joseph is the youngest handler aged 7years and his sister Sarah was afraid of dogs. In just a few lessons Sarah overcame her fear and entered Pinkie in a young handler’s competition and won a rosette, well done Sarah.

I just want to say that you have been so helpful in transforming our unruly barking pup into a lovely animal that can walk on a lead, will come back when called and can sit down etc when asked!   You made it a lovely experience that we all enjoyed, by including the children in all the lessons and making it fun to learn and the way you could get the dog to obey you from the first moment you saw her was just amazing - I couldn't recommend you highly enough. 
It is just wonderful having a person of your vast wisdom and experience in our midst.

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Pauline and Louise are going on to Obedience training after just a few lessons privately. Louise also entered Sparky into a young handler’s competition and won a first and third place. Well done Louise.

We brought our 18 month old (with very bad habits) King Charles to Eileen to see if we could restore some manners to him.  She was absolutely brilliant and after only three classes, we have a different dog now.  We're so impressed that we are going back to do the obedience classes with Eileen.  Eileen has a great understanding of both the dog and the owners and we're delighted with the work she has done. Pauline and Louise

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 Niamh Connors is also a young handler with Pheobe her Labrador puppy (this is the way that Niamh wanted to spell her dogs name). I could not have asked for more with Niamh, she certainly worked very hard with her dog and it has paid off, having successfully completed the Puppy Foundation Course. Niamh enjoyed the classes and wants to go on to further training with her dog. This is what she had to say about training.
Training class is brilliant, we enjoy our weekly visit to puppy training and Pheobe quite enjoys it as well. Eileen you are excellent at your job and the fact that you can pack so much training into one hour. When my family and friends see our well behaved dog, I will pass your name onto them. Pheobe has changed into a more settled dog in the weeks that we’ve been going to puppy training, which is good for the dog and great for the owners, and we most certainly will be enrolling for the next set of lessons and look forward to it. Thanks for your good work. ( You did the work, not me)

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Aine and Owen McConnell, a young handler, have successfully completed the Puppy Foundation Course with Gizmo. He is going on to the Obedience Course with his lively puppy. Owen did extremely well and these are mums and Owens comments.
Training was very effective and well worth the money. The trainer is friendly, helpful and takes great pains with each dog to ensure training is maintained

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Max/Great Dane, puppy foundation class.
Dog loved it and so did we. Eileen gives very practical hands on advice, demonstrations and practice. Brought the dog on further than we ever thought possible.
 Kieran, Mary Clial –

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Bess, Puppy foundation class
I’ve found the classes very enjoyable and beneficial. Having the combination of training and behavioural advice makes it all much more effective. You helped all the owners understand their dogs better which helps them to avoid giving the wrong signals and create a good bond for owner/pet. I think your manner in the lessons is very good and everyone seems comfortable and not under pressure, you also keep the lessons fun for both owner and dog.  In all I have enjoyed the lessons and will definitely progress on to the obedience training.
Karen Vincent

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Mystic, Obedience class
I found the instruction easy to follow with a lot of support from the trainer. The venue is excellent with lots of space for the dogs.
Stephen Maguire

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Merry, Obedience class
Rebecca is a young handler, her dog Merry; a Border collie did not like other dogs and was nervous. This is what Rebecca and her mum had to say about training classes.
Eileen is excellent at dog training. We found the classes very useful. Eileen is a great ‘people’ person and we thoroughly enjoyed the classes and had great fun. Her training is clear and well explained. Everybody in the class was amazed at how quickly their dogs learned with the correct instruction. Her facilities are excellent. Although our dog was difficult I felt by the end of the six weeks she had improved amazingly. We learnt what we were doing wrong in our handling of her
Rebecca Smith aged 12 years.

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Dewey, Obedience class
From day one I knew the classes would have a huge influence over me and my dog. Dewey actually dragged me into the class and in just a few lessons I could walk him with confidence. He will now walk off lead by my side in a busy area. All aspects of owning a dog were covered at some point during the classes. Any questions I had were answered even if it was not to do with training.
Eileen is so approachable, she has a special way with people and they feel relaxed and comfortable around her. When the vet told me my dog had a food intolerance Eileen was very helpful and supportive, and was always on the other end of a phone to help with any issues I had. Since starting training I have really got to know my dog, his personality and temperament. He has become a lovely dog, he has grown and so have I. I now have a second dog, Bonnie, that is currently going through obedience training. I would recommend Eileen to every person I know.
 Eugenea O’Neill  Ballyhaise

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Shane, Puppy foundation class
The training classes were most enjoyable for me and my German Shepherd Shane. The class sizes were just right, with just six in a class and Eileen could get round each dog and owner.
Her instructions were very good and constructive. Owners were able to pass them onto their dogs. My own dog is improving day by day and hopefully so am I, as his owner.
Enda Flaherty

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