dog training, teach your dog, dog lessons, developmental, teach your dog new tricks

Training:-

David holds certification in Training and Assessment in Canine Behaviour Training, International Alliance of Holistic Therapists and International Association of Neuro Linguistic Programming and Coaching together with Level 2 Canine First Aid certificate.

We know that every dog and every family is different and often the needs are very individual. From initial consultations before you even bring your puppy or dog home to recall and desensitisation. We tailor each training to the individual needs of your entire family as well as your dog. Our guide to training costs is £95 (plus travel if out of the area) for an initial consultation which could be a number of hours, and if necessary £65 for any visit thereafter.
Call David on 07775 661 300 for any information or advice.

David holds a Level 2 Canine First Aider certification

9 dogs in training at Davids home!

Staged introduction of older established dog and new puppy, now Bunny and Buster are great friends !

7 dogs working well during training !

Everyone lining up except naughty Maya :)

Four gorgeous attentive boys under Davids Instruction !

Some dogs undergo advance training!

RIGGS

We adopted our dog Riggs at 7 months and not having had dogs before and being very aware that Riggs had lived with multiple owners decided to seek some expert advice on how to train him. David visited us at home for an initial consultation and was able to advise us on everything from food choices to training as well as helping us understand how to anticipate our dog's behaviour. Riggs responded very well to him and we made quick progress with training over the next few months. Since the initial consultation we have emailed David on several occasions to ask for help with things and have found him to be very prompt at replying and he has always offered multiple techniques to try, having clearly considered the issues from all angles. We would definitely recommend David as a knowledgeable and professional trainer especially for first time dog owners. Best wishes, Holly - London

MELEU

I asked for David’s help when our puppy Meleu was 4 months old. As a first time dog owner, I was not sure whether I was doing right or not. At home, David started with asking what our typical day is like and then went on reassessing our home environment, suggested on food and gave me training tips. Meleu was immediately responsive to David’s training and I continued with the tips he has given me. The initial training session with David gave me a real good kick start and confidence that I needed and I felt there was nothing like one-to-one training with hands-on approach from a true professional. David is also a very nice and compassionate guy, which was a very important part for me. I also think that his fee was very reasonable. I would recommend David’s training to anyone who needs help with their doggy. Yuko - Mill Hill

COCOA

Cocoa, our Chocolate Lab. Almost 2 years and the sunshine of our lives. A great temperament, good looking as hell and super intelligent. However he does have his faults :-( He used to turn into a fiend at the end of a lead. HE took me for walks...or should i say dragged me mercilessly. I called David in after dithering for months....how foolish !!!. In just one visit David made me see what i was doing wrong and how me and Cocoa could actually enjoy our walks without pulling each other down. Literally from day 2 I have a dog who knows how to walk at heel. Am still working on how to get him to greet guests at home without knocking them over (just about everybody is his best friend), but i feel really confident that I can call David any time with my doubts and he will sort it out for me. Thank you, David. You are a magician!!! Lavy, Elstree

AMADEUS & WINSTON

As new owners of two St. Bernard puppies, we were delighted to invite David to come to our home and offer us some basic training advice. We all enjoyed his calm and fun approach and his very open and down-to-earth manner. David is a super nice guy. We learned some valuable training tips mainly around lead training and how to really play with your puppies which is exactly what we wanted help with.
David has been very proactive in keeping in touch with us.
We are happy to recommend David. Sarah - Aldenham

TOBY

Toby, a Toller, is our first dog. As none of us had any first-hand experience of bringing up a dog, we were quite apprehensive about the bold step we had taken. When we were collecting some puppy essentials from a pet shop, we saw the Applause4paws leaflet and gave David a call. David’s home visit was immensely useful. We liked the way he observed Toby’s behaviour and made some valuable suggestions about what we should and should not do with the puppy. David also conducted some hands on training, including taking little Toby out on a lead for a walk. David’s visit gave us considerable confidence and I would strongly recommend a home visit by David. Best wishes, Narayan - Wembley

MONTY

I booked David for some time to give me advice on training my 4 month old Tibetan Terrier Monty. In the time he was with me and Monty, David gave me lots of help and showed me tips on how to control Monty on and off the lead as I was finding that even though Monty was quite well behaved he did have selective hearing while out walking !!! Now just one week on he is able to sit and wait for up to 5mins without wandering off and is starting to obey my commands in the park. I still have a way to go but found David's techniques and advice extremely helpful to get a well behaved puppy.
David is North London's very own dog whisperer. Tracey - Enfield.

DEXTER

'I called David to help me with some 'ball possession issues' I was having with my Cocker Spaniel, Dexter. David came to us to see Dexter in his home environment which worked really nicely. He clearly has a lot of experience working with dogs and his expertise was very evident. He made suggestions on his diet, exercise and general routine as well as giving me lots if advice how to combat the ball issues! Which he pointed out was more of a general obedience problem.
I followed all of David's advice and Dexter soon made huge progress ( and so did I :) you can tell David genuinely loves and understands dogs.
Highly recommended. Regards, Nicola - Potters Bar

ELLIE

David came to our aid when our sweet dog, Ellie, developed so much anxiety we could barely get her out of the house. She had been nervous when we adopted her but fine for many years and we were at a loss of how to help her. David visited us at home and gave us some great advice. He saw that she was lacking confidence and needed to be encouraged into new environments. We were able to talk through various tactics (toys to use, games to play) to distract her. David was terribly patient with us and spent a lot of time talking about situations and how we had and should in future handle them to boost Ellie’s confidence. Over the last month we have been putting all his great advice into practice and although we have a long way to go, Ellie is a different dog today. She is so much happier and confident and we really feel that we are getting our wonderful little dog back to her gorgeous self. We would recommend David to anyone who needs help with their pooch. Emma, Barnet

We are so pleased with all David has done to help our new dog fit in with our family. He has given us much needed skills and great tips and had also broadened our understanding of dogs to make the transition easier for all. He is kind and patient and our dog adores him. I highly recommend his services. Simone - Barnet

KOJI

Dear David, Thank you for your advice regarding the training of our young puppy, Koji.
Your tips on walking him and to make sure we know his boundaries, have helped us, and that training is also fun! Many thanks and I will be in touch soon when I need some more advice, I'm sure!! Many thanks again from Simone Hooper - Radlett

LOLA

I Met with David as I needed his help in training Lola our 16 week old puppy, and what superb advice and help was provided. Straight away there was a difference. We now see David on regular times with every visit so worthwhile. Lola stays with David at the farm when we have to go away, she goes to David so happy and comes back the same way, its a pleasure to have found him. Could not recommend David enough your a star! Justin - Edgware

TYSON

I have a Samoyed who is a year old, I have used Applause 4 Paws for day care I said to David I was having real problems as he was pulling me every time I went for a walk which was leaving me with back and shoulder problems. I was very impressed with David he came to my home and we discussed at length what training I had done and he recommended a few more tips on making my life easier .He suggested using a correction collar for my dog. At first I was hesitant as it does not look very nice but my dog did not show any distress wearing it .We then took the dog out for a walk where David showed me how to use the lead for the collar to take effect Within minutes my dog was walking at heal beside me and I only had to correct him once and he came straight back. I have now walked him on my own and it is like having a different dog I hope it continues and within time i will not need to use it and he will walk automatically at heal. Thank you David ! Amanda T.

HARRY

We can see real progress in Harry's behaviour. He's still a youngster so training is ongoing but we're sure he'll continue the excellent progress.
David has a real understanding of dogs, has an approachable, professional attitude and as first time dog owners his useful tips have been invaluable to us. Louise - Mill Hill

PERRY & PIPER

David, I want to say thank you for helping us understand our dogs a little more. Perry and Piper are so special to our family and to involve them more with ease is very important!! Walking them on a lead a short way along the road to the footpath with two children in tow was always, I have to say a little stressful! Perry and Piper, clearly thought you were great, even when you disciplined them,
because it was kind, caring and straight from a dogs way of thinking! Thank you so much, our walks are even better now than they were before, even our daughter can hold Perry or Piper on the lead now, and they all love it... bringon the village fair!!! P.S.... Perry wants to know if you will come back to visit again soon!!! Thank you! Kind Regards, Rick and Sally Stainton

BILLY

Dear David, I feel I must write to tell you how pleased I am with all the help you have given me, and are still giving me with training Billie, who is my little Lowchen puppy.
He needed real discipline to be a pleasure to own, and he now is!
It has been an eye opener teaching me and Billy your techniques, and I thank you very much. Sheila - Arkley

Rosie is now 6 months old and with the help of David and Stacey she is now very nicely behaved, quite obedient (always more work to be done!!!!) adolescent. David is always available on the end of a phone for some friendly good advice which we know we can always trust to help any situation.
Sharon and Stephen - Arkley

Thanks David for helping us understand Bella and how to get the best out of her.
Training is still ongoing and the recall lead has been a great success.
Stella and Neil - Barnet

ARCHIE

My sincere thanks to David & Stacey for their understanding.
They have helped me to understand Archie's needs, how to keep his attention & how to respond accordingly. The results were almost immediate!
I've now learned that a dog's reaction depends on his/her owner's input. If you give your dog your time, you get it back double.
I've always known that Archie loves me, but moreover I now have his trust.
Barry - Barnet

SMUDGE

I am writing to you on Smudge's first birthday to thank you for the advice and tips that you 'shared' with us when you visited us recently.
I do have to say we had our first walk this week where we were not playing tug of war and in fact I walked him rather than him walking me which is a marked improvement. I know it is going to take work from us all but we are definately making small steps in the right direction.
So thank you very much for your help and we look forward to working together to achieve walking Smudge without his lead in the park.
Best wishes, Janine - Barnet

DORIS

THANK YOU DAVID! As a confirmed cat person, who suddenly became a first time dog owner to a German Sheppard Puppy called Doris (Dors), I cannot even put into words the confidence you have given us, as we are both new to this! Your training sessions, which cover all aspects of life, as and when they occur, have been thoroughly rewarding, positive and entertaining. Me and Doris are still learning, and making progress every day and trying to remember and practice your hints and tips! I'm still hoping my cats, Mary & Derek, will forgive me for bringing Dors into our home, but steady progress is being made. Thank you!! Margaret - Barnet

MONTY

We left our Golden Retriever puppy with David & Stacey for only one weekend recently as we were having management problems. When he returned Monty was happier, healthier and more mature than before. He'd obviously enjoyed his outing and learned how to better associate with other dogs and people. He is more obedient now and easier to control and we are better able to handle him thanks to the helpful advice we were given. We will cetainly continue to use their service. Dee & Roger - Arkley

Thank you David, so much for your time and patience with us. Having a new puppy is a lot of work and you brought sense into our lives with such good advice and training tips. We are very grateful! Suzanne - Barnet

BLUEBELL

David is very friendly, helpful and understanding when he came to my house to help me with my 14 week old puppy, Bluebell.
She was very responsive to David’s training techniques and if I need him again in the future, I won’t hesitate in contacting him.
I will definitely be recommending David to my doggy friends that need help with their little monsters!
Karen - Arkley

Below we have shown David and Jasper winning first prize in 'Road Safety' at the Potters Bar Dog Training Society.

Below that, David is demonstrating control over various dogs, in numerous situations.

ROYCE

Having read various dog training articles and watching numerous training videos on you tube I thought I would be just fine training my little monster (Royce). Little did I know! It had been over a year and I wasn’t able to teach Royce how to walk on leash. It was about time we got some help and luckily I found David’s leaflet in a goodie bag given by Hadley Hounds when I went to pick Royce up. I called David soon after and I am so thankful for his effective and super easy to follow training advice. Royce responded very well to the training and I learnt a lot from David too. Soon after the training I had to go away for a few weeks and I thought I had missed the opportunity to be consistent with the training and I must admit it was difficult to get back on track after a long gap. However, David’s advice was so precise and easy to follow that I started it all over again and I am glad to share that Royce has almost learnt to walk on leash. We now walk about 4 miles at least three times a week and the walks are only getting better each time. Honestly, I never thought I would be able to enjoy such pleasant walks with Royce but I guess the right training was all that we needed. Royce is still working on his social skills with other doggies and we may have to see David again sometime soon. Once again a big thank you from us. I would certainly recommend David to anyone wanting to train their fur babies! Kshama - Barnet

DOLLY

I highly recommend David. (& I'm hard to please) He was full of great ideas to get our dog better behaved. First on our list was a fast solution to stop our dog pulling on the lead. She's part Staffie so an incredibly strong dog and was pulling our arms out of their sockets. Within moments of being out with David she was walking to heel and not a sniff of tension in the lead. Heaven!
We also discussed and put into place other good behaviours incl sitting and waiting to actually let our friends through the front door and also her stressful sound phobia which is work in progress.
Book David - You won't be disappointed. Amanda Holly, Hadley Highstone

SOX

David's training advice was simple, easy to follow and very effective. Our dog Socks has responded brilliantly and this is all down to the excellent training advice given - both hands on and in those desperate phone calls. I can without a doubt highly recommend David - he is a modern day Dr. Doolittle. Thanks David from all the family and especially from socks. Jon - Mill Hill.