OUR FOCUS IS ALWAYS ON YOUR DOGS' LONG TERM WELFARE AND SUCCESS. 

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Here at RSDT, we pride ourselves in being reward based, open minded trainers who have extensively studied, trained, qualified in, and can turn our hands to a broad range of training styles and methodologies.

This broad skill set enables us to take a holistic approach and fully tailor training to each and every dog as the individuals they are and allow us to provide him or her with a sound understanding of right and wrong choices, empowering them to see the value in always making a good decision and follow direction from you, their owner. 

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We especially enjoy the challenge of working with the cases many trainers prefer to avoid or have been unsuccessful with.

These cases include highly prey driven dogs, those who are more excited by their surroundings than treats and those who have proven extremely hard to motivate. Breeds and individuals renowned for being unreliable off-lead and high-drive working breeds are our speciality.

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We will always aim to keep things as positive as possible as it is no secret that for the most part, dog training works best when it is fun and rewarding.

Dogs who began their obedience journey in this fun, rewarding manner from the outset typically require very few consequences for misdemeanours as they have always been set up for success and any poor behaviour tends to be minimal and easily managed if and when it does occur.
But of course the realities of life do not always include perfect starts. Sometimes a dogs genetics or individual personality leads owners to reach out for a helping hand and looking to the assistance of a skilled professional if they are to reach their full potential.

Even in many cases where dogs have received stellar socialisation and training from puppyhood, all the perfect puppy raising in the world doesn't take into account that dog behaviour is very rarely "all in how you raise them".

Genetics play as much, often even more of a role in eventual adult temperament and propensity towards certain drives than upbringing.

Consider a greyhound or salukis inherent drive to run or chase after fast moving small animals (when it is not upside down, fast asleep on your sofa!) or a bloodhound or beagles love for following his nose wherever it may lead him. Or the many guarding type breeds than lean towards reactivity towards other dogs or people they do not recognise.

If not given an appropriate outlet and properly managed, these hard-wired, instinctive drives can lead to problems and a dog that goes "self-employed" rather than listens when you really need him to.

So whilst we always aim to keep training as positive and fun for the dog as is possible, there are some occasions when ethically, a dogs behaviour or ingrained habit is so potentially dangerous or life-limiting that to permit them to continue to perform that action unchecked would call the dogs welfare and safety (and possibly that of others around them) into question.

A few examples of just such dangerous behaviour would be car chasing, hunting or chasing livestock or wildlife when off lead, failure to recall and lunging at or chasing passing cyclists. Where possible, we want to redirect the dog to alternative behaviours using food or a toy. But with highly driven dogs, often these alternative offerings are not enough to break the dogs fixation and bring him back down to planet Earth. 
In these instances, it is vital for everyone's safety that we do not dance around the problem or pretend that we can remain 500ft from cars, cyclists or wildlife at all times, keeping the dog under threshold whilst we slowly close the distance between him and the trigger.  Instead, we ensure that cessation of these behaviours occurs as rapidly as possible with the dog receiving a swift, clear, but fair message that what it is doing will no longer be tolerated.
This message will allow us to then immediately return to the fun, upbeat and happy reward-based training that all parties can enjoy.  At that point, we can safely teach the dog an alternative behaviour to the dangerous one e.g. "don't lunge at or try to drag your owner into the road after cars traveling at 45mph. Instead, walk at heel and periodically get paid in delicious food or praise for making good decisions".

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We feel strongly that it is immoral to both dog and owner to spend months or years charging them to lead a heavily restricted life whilst attempting to rectify an issue that can be resolved far faster with safe, clear direction.

Such training creates new, better habits and confident, happy, balanced dogs who know exactly what is and is not expected of them. It allows previously dubbed "impossible" dogs to lead much more normal lives, to experience more freedom and to enjoy more time out and about with their owners. 
 

It is vital to us that it is understood that if corrective action be necessary, no physical or mental harm will come to your dog and we will always use the least aversive (unpleasant), least intrusive option that works to remedy the issue effectively before swiftly returning to reward based methods.

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