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Welfare-focused Dog Training and Behaviour Support

Helping your dog thrive with an emphasis on nature and ethics

I am a dog trainer, behaviour support consultant, and small animal assistant based in Ireland, covering counties Mayo, Galway, Roscommon and Sligo, also offering online consultations for clients that are farther away. This means that I am happy to work with you and your pet even if you live abroad!

Why you may be interested in my help

For dogs

🐾 You have a new dog, be it from a breeder or a rescue

🐾 You are thinking of buying or adopting a dog

🐾 You have a puppy, adolescent dog or senior dog and want to help them live their best life

🐾 You are looking for one-on-one training or group classes

🐾 Your dog has ongoing behaviour problems or has developed problems suddenly

🐾 You want to do an activity with your dog that is fun and provides them with exercise while keeping their health in mind

🐾 You want to socialize your dog in a safe way while preventing sensitive or aggressive behaviours

🐾 You want to meet other dog owners and help your dog make friends

🐾 You are looking for a pet sitter for your dog who will put their needs first

Some of the behaviour topics that people contact me about:

- Pulling on the lead

- Barking, lunging at people, other dogs, animals

- Fearful behaviours, anxiety, noise phobias and general nervousness

- Separation anxiety

- Fear of certain environments, e.g. vets, groomers or car rides

- Aggression

- Resource guarding - growling/snapping near food, toys, sleeping positions or other people

- Jumping on people

- Mouthing

- Behaving around children, vulnerable people or the elderly

- Recall issues

- Chasing cars, bikes or wildlife

- Digging

- Toilet training issues

For other animals

🐾 You have a new cat, rabbit, rodent, reptile, bird, fish or other small animal

🐾 You are thinking of getting a new small animal

🐾 You want to improve your small animal's well-being and provide safe enrichment

🐾 Your pet has ongoing behaviour problems or has developed problems suddenly

🐾 You want to help your pet live their best life and learn about up-to-date safe and ethical practices and care

🐾 You are looking for a pet sitter for your pet who will put their needs first

The Oak & Howl Approach To Dog Training

I focus on helping you and your dog with a holistic, ethical and positive attitude. I see every animal as a being deserving of respect and a life that meets the five freedoms of welfare.
(The five freedoms are: Freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from fear and distress; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury and disease; freedom to express natural behaviour)

What I do

🐾 Consider the whole of your dog, from their physical to their mental well-being

🐾 Work with you and your dog together to create a training plan tailored to your and your dog's needs

🐾 Treat your dog as an individual being with their own needs

🐾 Train with you in an environment where your dog feels comfortable

🐾 Work with dogs of all ages and breeds, regardless of breed restrictions or stereotypes

I provide services such as:

🐾 Social walks for dogs to encourage healthy socialization

🐾 Sensory enriched environments for dogs of all ages and abilities

🐾 One-on-one training for dogs who are sensitive, need extra space or are experiencing behaviour problems

🐾 Group classes for puppies and adolescent dogs

🐾 Activity classes such as dog-dancing, trick training, sniffari sessions

🐾 Workshops about various topics such as loose leash walking, socialization, enrichment, and others

🐾 Support for dogs recovering from surgery

🐾 Support for dogs recovering from physical and psychological trauma, or dogs experiencing big changes in their lives like moving home, country or being adopted

🐾 Pet sitting in your own home

What I don't do

🐾 Correct your dog

🐾 Punish your dog

🐾 Use aversive and painful tools such as shock collars, prong collars, or invisible fences

🐾 Use uncomfortable tools with an easy potential of creating injury, such as head-collars, front-clip harnesses, or "no-pull" harnesses

🐾 Use loud tools that may cause fear or sensory overwhelm, such as air sprays, pet correctors or training discs

🐾 Train your dog until they are tired and exhausted

🐾 Board-and-train except for existing clients with whose dogs I have already developed a relationship and who require a pet sitter, except for drop-and-train which is a one hour training session with your dog while you go to an appointment or do a school run.

The Oak & Howl Team

Deborah

Dog trainer, behaviour consultant, Oak & Howl owner, small animal assistant and your friendly neighbourhood animal welfare advocate. A lover of tea and music.

Matilda

Chronically caffeinated coordinator, manager, admin, training assistant, and animal lover. She comes from Sweden where animal welfare laws are very inspiring and commendable.

Freki

Lunch collector and professional cuddler

Orion

Senior snoozing agent and cheese taster

Dandy

Purr-esident and company therapawst

What My Clients Say

"Bailey loves Deborah. He kept misbehaving and jumping all over the furniture when people came to the house, now he is nice when he says hello and goes off to his bed. I really recommend Deborah's training."
— Patricia, with Bailey

"Deborah really helped us with our new rescue dog. He was afraid of everything and now he is as confident as can be! He went from nervous dog to happy dog."
— Aldona, with Max

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