Jane Stacey: My name is Jane Stacey, ADPTI, and I have had dogs all of my life.  I started to train my first Border Collie dog, Flip, when I was 10 years old, and as the saying goes, you may have many dogs, but there is always one that is extra special and Flip was the one!

 

From Flip there were many more dogs, all special in their own right and all broke my heart when they left.  Some I took to training school but not all dogs thrive in a classroom environment and it wasn’t until 20 years ago that I took up obedience training in earnest.  I rescued an 18 month old Jack Russell dog who had been living rough for at least 2 weeks that we were aware of.  Mr Chips as he was called, was in a bad way with no ID and terrified of men and other dogs, and so it began.  I started going to a dog training club purely as an exercise to socialise Mr Chips and went on to do Bronze, Silver and Gold kennel club awards with him, followed by the club’s own tests of Platinum, Ruby and Emerald.  We were also chosen to become part of the Obedience Training Team and took place in various displays at local dog shows. In 2010 I acquired two Border Collie pups Del and Flynn.  Flynn has done his Bronze, Silver and Gold KC Award and Del her Bronze and Silver.  Not forgetting Dougie, my little Shitzu x Border Terrier, who has also completed all his Good Citizen Awards and whom you will be meeting in the classes as our demo dog, he still likes to be involved at the grand age of 14. And watch him go on the agility!

 

In 2012 I made the decision that apart from doing obedience dog training I also wanted to do some instructing, having helped various people over the years. I started assisting at my local club and also attended two other clubs as I wanted to experience other people’s methods of training, and believe me they do vary from club to club. This helped me gage which method might be best suited to individual dogs and owners! 

 

In July 2015 I attended a week long course with the PDTI (Pet Dog Training Instructors) at Harper Adams University in Telford, Shropshire which was a course aimed at Instructors with an emphasis on pet dog training.  It was a tough course with up to 12 hour days but I learned an awful lot and I am pleased to say I passed my Instructors Course at Intermediate Level with a Merit.  I still continue to attend various day and weekend courses as you are always learning and picking up ideas!  I also have attended a Pet First Aid Course with Mochdre Vets and the IMDT (Institute of Modern Dog Trainers) course for the Perfect Puppy Foundations, two courses with Kay Attwood and the cream on all that, one of my dogs Dougie achieved his Gold Good Citizen Award! :)  Covid lockdowns and restrictions, unfortunately, put a hold on courses but there was plenty online to join in via Zoom and although not quite the same, we were still learning.

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My dogs are also all registered as PAT dogs (Pets for Therapy) and we attend a local Primary School where we teach the children the correct way to approach a dog, the 'do's and dont's' of treating your dog in a home environment and basic handling of a dog.  I have to say there are a lot of potentially good junior handlers out there! We also help in the reading class where the children read to Del!  This helps their confidence in reading out loud.

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Siani Harper: Siani has had dogs all of her life and they are very much a part of the family. Growing up Siani took an active role in training the family dogs with her parents. Since moving into her own home Siani was able to get ‘her own’ dog, and that’s when Bailey the cockapoo came along! He is a bundle of energy, and as Siani understood the importance of early socialization, she thoroughly researched the local clubs and  (I am pleased to say) she felt P4T stood out because of my own personal story and that whilst covering the basic obedience and good manners side of dog training, P4T felt that ‘fun’ in our training was very relevant, helping dogs and handlers relax and bond with each other. Bailey and Siani started in the Beginners class in 2018 and have come a long way from where they started and Siani and Bailey have completed their Bronze award and are now working towards the Silver award, it may have taken them a while but Bailey and Siani have grown so much in their skills, and Bailey is beginning to calm down a little bit!

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Siani has always been interested in different training techniques and through attending the classes has got the bug! In 2019 we recognized Siani's skills and empathy with both the dogs and their handlers and asked Siani to join us as an assistant instructor.  We consider ourselves lucky that she jumped at the chance! Siani has now taken on the role of Instructor and as of September 2021 has passed her formal qualification with the Pet Dog Training Instructors. (PDTI) Instructors Course at Intermediate Level with a Merit.

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Christine Twist: Chris has many years of experience in the dog world and currently has 2 Irish water spaniels and 1 Goldendoodle, sadly having recently lost her beloved Harvey.  Chris shows her dogs all over the country, including Crufts where in 2019 she achieved a 1st!!! We were all very proud of her.  Chris's knowledge and experience both in the show ring and obedience is invaluable and I am pleased to have her on the team as an instructor.

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Fiona Holdsworth: Fiona has been around and loved dogs her whole life having grown up at the family boarding kennels and has owned a number of wonderful dogs throughout her life. The current love of her life is Mabel an adorable four year old Cockapoo. They have trained hard together and have been awarded their Kennel Club Good Citizen award at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. They also compete in rally obedience, Trick training, and obedience work which is a favourite but they also enjoy hoopers and agility work too. 

We recognized Fiona's love and passion for Dogs and asked her to join the team in 2020 as an assistant instructor. 

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Tara Young: Although Tara is our youngest assistant instructor she has many years of experience behind her, having started when she was 7 years old to help her Nan train her German Shepherd.  Betty was a well-respected lady within the dog training world and encouraged Tara to follow in her footsteps.  Tara is a credit to her and Betty would be so proud! Tara has a great affinity with dogs and is quick to pick out handlers and dogs with specific problems.

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Summary: Paws 4 Training has an excellent team to help and advise you and you will find us easy to approach and friendly!!! We are all dog fanatics with the dog's welfare being our primary concern.  We attend regular seminars and training programs run by the PDTI (Pet Dog Training Instructors) and the IMDT (Institute of Modern Dog Training), and keep up to date with changes and regulations within the dog world, which we hope to share with you. All members of the team also hold their Basic Pet First Aid certificate.