A fun course - Joy was fantastic! Our puppy Dylan really enjoyed it and it was good for us to learn the background behind training. We particularly enjoyed the scent games and outside games!
Thank you. The Puppy Improvers course has been brilliant for both of us. It’s given me confidence and Timm new challenges and purpose. The major breakthrough has been the ‘bounce’ which has been a revelation and really brought the two of us together as a team.
I signed up for puppy training including a home visit and I have to say that it exceeded my expectations. Helen was so helpful and also extended the service to several phone calls and messages regarding some issues with our puppy. Highly recommend Joyful dogs for puppy classes and especially Helen - also for 1-1 training sessions. I chose Joyful Dogs because they use only positive reinforcement methods. I wasn’t disappointed and I think that the exercises we did in the classes increased the engagement between my puppy and I. I definitely saw improvement in her behavior especially with the... Read more
We have just finished Puppy Life Skills Starters and it’s been great seeing Ramsey’s confidence and focus improve week on week. Such a great opportunity for Ramsey to socialise with other puppies and for us to chat to other owners about shared experiences. As first time dog owners Joy’s 1;1 training was invaluable and she always addresses our concerns during each session. Ramsey loves his “find it” game and we use to either get him in from the garden or to calm him down when he’s anxious about a new situation such as lead walking on busy roads. A big thank you... Read more
As a first-time dog owner, I was incredibly nervous about training Margot, especially as I’d read that the first three months were so critical in a dog’s behavioural development. However, I need not have worried! Joy, with her calm, caring and common sense approach, gave me the confidence to enjoy the process and both Margot and I have hugely benefitted from our 1:1 sessions with her. Lead-walking (not as straightforward as it may sound!), recall and general behaviour have all been enhanced by Joy’s excellent tuition. Joy is also extremely organised and efficient and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her.
You've taught me everything I wanted to learn! Plus, last week's "settle down" lesson has been a success too! Brody now settles on the floor beside the sofa while I work or read ... then he comes up beside me for a nap or a cuddle when I'm ready. You are an amazing teacher. Thank you for helping me to get to know how dogs tick.
I had 6 training sessions with Dannyelle who I highly recommend. She is very patient and extremely knowledgeable and has a genuine love of dogs. She is really encouraging and I have noticed a huge improvement in my puppy’s behaviour.
Joy has really helped us with our French Bulldog puppy Sybil. Walks used to be our biggest challenge - Sybil would sit and refuse to move but with Joy’s help she is now clearly engaged and walks happily next to us. Joy also helped us with road crossing skills, dropping items Sybil shouldn’t be chewing, understanding her cues and generally communicating with her more effectively. Sybil’s mealtimes are more interesting now too, Joy showed us how to put kibble in/on cartons & containers so Sybil has to work to get it, which she clearly enjoys. Our training experience with Joy... Read more
Joyful Dogs - and the training lives up to the name! Joy was recommended to us by a colleague who'd trained their puppy as a family and therapy dog. We booked 7 sessions with Joy. There are specific techniques and activities that have made a big difference to Rafferty’s development and our learning - such as scentwork "Find it” games; loose lead walking, putting on his harness, coping with distractions, and meeting and greeting other dogs and people in our local park. It has been great to have Joy with us on these outings to learn in situ. Most of all, we... Read more
We did a couple of ‘one to ones’ with Joy - dealing with our puppy’s fear of walking outside and were so impressed with her we decided to do the Puppy Starters training course. We were very pleased with all the training and help she gave us, but, most of all, it was the confidence that the training has given us in moving forward with our dog; We have also booked onto Joy's Puppy Improvers Course.
We really enjoyed the interactive encounters with other puppies in the "Puppy Starters" group training course at Joyful Dogs. Rocky's recall has massively improved. We found the course to be very informative and helpful.
I was recommended to Joy by a friend and was immediately impressed by her friendliness, responsiveness and flexibility. I signed up our 6-month old Cockapoo, Ruby, for a series of four 1:1 sessions at our family home and within the course of a month have witnessed dramatic changes in her behaviour. Joy spent some time before the sessions gathering information about Ruby so that she was prepared and focused when it came to training. Initially we worked on various games and exercises to improve Ruby’s recall, along with stimulating her mentally. Over time we moved to working on various other... Read more
Lilah and Bonnie are super-bright Collie/Springer crossbreeds. What Joy brings to our house is a calm, patient attitude that has rubbed off on us all. We watch the way Joy interacts with our dogs and listen to her advice. It works. We have made extraordinary progress in a short time and we feel so encouraged by Joy. Lilah and Bonnie, who are generally nervous of people outside the family, love her!
We chose Joyful Dogs based on a recommendation of a friend, to help out our dog Leo who was becoming more intolerant of other dogs and had decided squirrels were more fun than recall! With our 1:1 sessions we learnt how to read Leo’s body language and understand how he was talking to other dogs without saying a word! We used techniques to reward Leo for his positive responses to other dogs and built our trust in him again. Whilst Leo’s recall will always be a challenge when his favourite rodents around we are really glad for Katie’s help and... Read more
Remember Nala the Vizsler? We had individual training sessions with Joy 5yrs ago; I’m grateful for the ‘human’ training you gave is every single day. We get compliments constantly on how well trained Nala is, and its down to the things you taught us: Respect, time ... and sausages! Thank you – because we are so proud and lucky to have Nala. Our dog daycare provider – Tim at Forest Dogs – insists Nala is the best trained and most adaptable dog; and welcome in his home any time.
We found Joy through personal recommendation. We have learned so much about how our rescue dog’s reactive behaviour can be helped through the stimulus of training. We’ve learned basic commands like down and stand as well as search and retrieve techniques. We’ve also learned to use positive reinforcement to help her not be overly concerned when people visit the house. Nellie is now calmer and has learned behaviours that help her cope when people visit the house ... she has also become more playful!
Thank you again for the classes, I have really enjoyed the training. You made Mabel and I feel so welcome and were very patient and tolerant. I valued your positive feedback and the way in which you engaged with every member of the class. You certainly made me feel as if we were achieving.
Many thanks for your fab doggy training. Lauren noodle and I have really loved it! And, it’s been very helpful in guiding us with our new family member too.
Our rescue dog Blue was pulling on lead, jumping at people and could be destructive when left alone. Joy showed us many useful training techniques to make the training fun for our dog. The important thing I have learnt from Joy is 'timing' - ie treating Blue at the right time. Joy showed us Blue’s potential - and she is a different dog now. Joy is a very good trainer and it has been a pleasure to work with her.
"Joy has been an amazing help with my nervous rescue dog, Pie; he's a different dog now. When I first contacted Joy I was really struggling and wasn't sure I could cope. Pie was reacting badly to everything, and I was particularly concerned about his fear of strange men. I used to dread walking him because it was so stressful. Joy gave me lots of brilliant advice and was really supportive. I can't thank her enough"
One on one training sessions with our 18 month old French bulldog "Lola." The main issues were: pulling on the lead and not engaging with me whilst walking; bullying my old Labrador; attacking the TV when dogs or footballs on and no recall. The first thing our Trainer, Katie realised is that Lola struggled with loud, busy roads. By teaching us how to engage Lola, Lola has calmed down a lot on walks and doesn’t pull all the time. In our first recall training session - in a perfectly chosen location by Katie - it was a great success. I... Read more
Joyful Dogs popped up when I was searching for positive dog trainers for my reactive dog. The individualised attention that Bailey and I received through our four 1:1 training sessions with Dannyelle allowed us to really focus on our needs. Dannyelle taught me how to reinforce Bailey at the right time, slowly build up the criteria for rewards and, more importantly, when to step back if the situation was proving to be too challenging for Bailey. Bailey has made great gains and we will continue practising what we have learned. I will sign up for more classes with Dannyelle (the... Read more
Having had a 1:1 training session with my 8 year old dog prior to her assessment for the Pets As Therapy charity, I had no hesitation in enrolling our new addition, Minnie, in the Joyful Dogs puppy classes. The classes are not our closest, however based on the experience I'd had with the 1;1 session, I was more than willing to travel to attend the puppy classes (even on a Sunday morning at 9am!) The classes made me aware of what I was doing with MY body language and positioning and how this is interpreted through my puppies eyes. I... Read more
We have just completed the 6 week Puppy Starters training classes at Joyful dogs. The classes were small and extremely well run by knowledgeable and professional leaders. I have learnt how to walk my pup on the lead and as this was a priority for us as a family it makes me very happy to recommend the style of training and support provided by joyful dogs , thank you from Murphy the puppy and Linda the owner
"We are firm believers in positive reinforcement training - after a quick chat with Joy we knew we'd be in good hands - and we absolutely were! In just 3 sessions Joy showed us lots of fantastic techniques and games to help us and our pup Ivie with her ability to be on her own and recall - especially when distracted. Joy's knowledge is fantastic and her kind and fun approach meant Ivie was a fan from the off. Ivie has come on leaps and bounds and we have new skills to help her grow and enjoy her time both... Read more
Really enjoyed our sessions with Joy and the team. There is no doubt Tiggy has learned a huge amount – with plenty of fun and stimulation - she is always exhausted after class so that must be a good sign! Thank you for all your advice and support
Having recently welcomed Bryn, a Boxweiler pup, into my home I was keen to provide him with the best start, given the size he will become. I was pointed towards Joy by a fellow dog owner near me and couldn’t be more grateful for the recommendation. During just the first 121 session I felt confident that I would be able to “speak” Bryn. We had 4 sessions in total, ending with an off lead country walk and a ‘picnic’ with Bryn just pottering about. Joy shared many techniques, games and exercises to keep this ‘little’ bundle of physical and mental... Read more
We've just completed our Puppy Starters course with Joy and had a wonderful few weeks. Things have moved on since I trained up my last dog so I was eager to learn the current techniques. I chose Joy based upon her positive reward based training. Teddy Lola loved every minute and the classes have given us a great foundation to build on. I found Joy to be relaxed, friendly and welcoming and would definitely recommend.
We are so grateful to have found Joy when we got our Cairn Terrier puppy Bonnie. Our one to one training sessions during Covid totally put our minds at rest about missing group puppy classes. We met in secure and private spaces to start with and progressed to public parks where Bonnie became more and more confident, as did we! Joy gave us so many helpful tips and strategies and Bonnie, at six months, this morning raced around Pittville Park with us all and her recall in all situations was faultless. Joy now says ‘my job is done’, we shall... Read more
Following the Puppy Starters course, Florrie is doing brilliantly she is excellent on her daily walks & now enjoying being let off her lead, she comes back once she is called & doesn't venture too far from us which is good. She also is so good when she meets & greets other dogs which I'm sure is down to tips you gave us & what she learnt at puppy classes. All three of us thoroughly enjoyed your classes & will definitely look forward to seeing you again!
I had used a Dog Trainer before with my rescue dog but something wasn’t clicking, so I decided to try Joyful Dogs. They had come highly recommended on local dog forums. Dannyelle was our Trainer and she was attentive, understanding and incredibly knowledgeable. She has helped my rescue dog grow in confidence in only 4 sessions! I can see a visible difference in my dog and taking her for walks is now a pleasure, not a chore. I would highly recommend Dannyelle to anyone who is looking for a kind and attentive trainer who understands and loves dogs completely. Thank... Read more
Joy is an excellent trainer, she has such great knowledge and lots of time for you. Our dog, Juke suffers from separation anxiety, and was very upset every time we left him in the house. After 2 training sessions with Joy we have noticed such a difference in him. All the great tricks and advice that Joy has given us, mean we now have a much happier dog. The training sessions are brilliant, plus Juke very much enjoys the sausages!
The Puppy Improvers course was very enjoyable for dog and owner. It has given me alternative methods and exercises to try - rather than a one-size fits all. Joy was able to tailor the course to each person's requirements and we learned how to keep our dog's focus whilst other dogs played. Particularly enjoyed the open communication style which meant we could delve deeper into specific behaviour challenges and explore new training routes.
Wally is adorable but needed training quickly. A whippet's characteristic is to see and run..... I needed Wally to respond to recall and stay at heel before I could dare let him off lead. At 4 months he comes when I call him and walks beautifully (mostly). Joy was clear and concise in her teaching and helped me understand how my dog's brain works. Once I grasped this, I understood how to give instructions so he could respond in the right way. It's ongoing and practice is key, but I am confident that with Joy's help I'm going to have a well... Read more
My daughter Poppy and I have loved the last 6 weeks at puppy School. Thank you Joy for all your advice, enthusiasm, care and attention. I feel much more confident about how to handle Coco in many situations.
I had an amazing experience with Joyful dogs. I’m a new dog owner and started with puppy classes which gave a very useful base and taught me how to understand and train my pup. All the techniques I learned in class really helped to bond with my dog, and made it so much easier to manage him. I have also took additional one-to-one sessions later on once we hit the teenage phase with my pup. The one-to-one sessions were a great investment - very effective as it’s tailored specifically to my dog, and to our environment. The one-to-one sessions helped... Read more
I contacted Joy to train my dog Ludo not to chase our cats! Over four sessions with Joy we had enormous fun learning techniques to distract and discourage him from chasing them, as well as learning a few new tricks. I now have a much better understanding of my dog, and he's already far less interested in chasing. I'm delighted, and really enjoying using the techniques Joy taught us. I would recommend Joy to anyone. She has a very lovely manner and is never, ever stumped. Thanks Joy!
We really enjoyed every single lesson of the Puppy Starters course with Joyful Dogs! There was a lovely learning environment, highly supportive, great pace and very useful. We have far more confidence as first time dogs owners now!
Using positive reinforcement gave me confidence to work with Pepper. I loved our puppy training experience and would definitely recommend Joyful Dogs. Calm and happy dog and owner!
The Puppy Starters course has been really useful for understanding what Coco is thinking and to communicate with her more effectively. The exercises all help to bed in the behaviours really well. Particularly enjoyed the 'Vet' games, Q&A sessions and the mini agility course in Week 6.
After searching google and reading the positive testimonials on Joyful Dogs, we decided to book 1;1 training to help with walking Freddie. Joy taught us techniques to encourage Freddie to focus on us when out walking. This has really helped build his confidence as he used to be very timid and refuse to walk. The sessions have also really helped us understand Freddie better and made us realise how important mental stimulation is for dogs. We’ve learnt some great games like ‘hide it’ which Freddie loves to play. Would definitely recommend Joyful Dogs. Thank you for your help Joy x
I was recommended Joyful Dogs by someone who was having problems with their Cocker Spaniel. Pippin, my 3.5yr cocker spaniel had started to get snappy with other dogs and would just stand still if approached from the front or behind. We decided to have 4 x One to One Training Ssessions with Dannyelle at Joyful Dogs, which have been excellent. Dannyelle taught us that Pippin was fearful and nervous in these situations, I had also become nervous walking Pippin as I was worried she might hurt another dog, but with Dannyelle's help we have learnt to build both my and... Read more
The Puppy Starters course was brilliant and gave us confidence in how to deal with most situations we have faced using positive reinforcement and encouragement. I really liked the social interactions between the pups. Ziggy started off nervous but ended up very happy to mix with the other puppies. Helen is a brilliant trainer - thank you!
We loved the Puppy Starters course - especially enjoyed the Lead Walking and Recall training as they were the most useful skills for us to learn. The team was really helpful, knowledgeable and always checking in if we had particular questions.
"Amazing Puppy Starters course. Its our first time training a puppy and Joy was so helpful and knowledgeable. Just wanted to say thank you or your help over the last 6 weeks. Indy can be a real handful but you have really helped us with training him better."
We chose Joyful Dogs on personal recommendations, availability, location - and a positive experience when arranging classes with Joy. The course helped us to ‘read’ Bramble's doggy cues and change our approach accordingly; focussing on the smallest positive steps has been really helpful, as is understanding that puppy’s get tired sometimes! Bramble is now a much more relaxed puppy and more confident in the wider world. I would recommend Joy without a doubt - the classes were great fun and well managed.
We thought the Puppy Improvers course was excellent! Our dog Sherlock loved it! The course was really informative and helps build a base to work on at home; the 'Behaviour 101' exercises were particularly useful.
When I first had Jasper, a 4 month old cocker-jack, he was terrified of people and was too frightened to go on a walk. I found Joy on an internet search and was immediately drawn to her principles of dog training, giving choices and approaching their problems in a force-free way. From our first 1:1 meeting I was not disappointed. Joys methods were proactive, allowing Jasper to get to know her in a calm yet effective way, with games, play and food. By our third session we were walking in the park which is something I never thought we would... Read more
“Where do I start.....Joys puppy training was simply brilliant. Although we have an older dog and I have had dogs my whole life I thought this time I would do things properly! From lesson 1 we got stuck straight in with the basics, we went away learning new things every lesson (some we have used with our older dog too!) Joy has such a caring & friendly nature and has such a calming gentle way when working with both puppies and owners. I think even the craziest of puppies would respond to her positive training techniques. Joy was so informative and... Read more
Geralt had a great time! And we picked up so much that we were able to use outside class too - which has helped us both as well as our puppy. We particularly enjoyed the recall, agility and scent games.
I chose Joyful Dogs because my dog Flo has been looked after by one of the team (Helen) previously; so, Helen knew Flo’s background and I knew Helen’s feel for and love of dogs. I was easily able to explain the challenging situation and to discuss Flo’s growing anxiety around other dogs. Helen recommended working with Katie in 1:1 sessions. The 1:1 sessions with Katie are working really well with Katie’s clear demonstrations of counter-conditioning ‘in action’ and clear explanations of what we were aiming for. The use of positive encouragement during managed encounters with other dogs was carefully explained... Read more
We found Joyful Dogs through a Google search, luckily we picked the best one! Joy's 1:1 sessions were extremely helpful, especially as we haven’t been able to attend puppy classes due to COVID. We did our first sessions not long after bringing Rupert home, so it was great to start when he was young, and also importantly to train us too. We worked on all sorts of techniques based around game playing, recall, dog socialising, walking on and off lead, distractions from prey chasing etc. Joy was happy to help us with anything that we needed or had questions about.... Read more
Joy introduced us to a large number of techniques to develop Hudson’s training. To Hudson, they were just games with a treat at the end of it (eg games for ‘find it’, ‘leave it’, ‘fetch’, ‘come here/recall’) but they created a personality that is just right. The best part is seeing how it all fits together – ie from Hudson being obedient at feeding times (not going for his food unless told), to leaving or dropping items on cue, to just being very friendly around other dogs and people. I would absolutely recommend Joy.
"Joy came highly recommended as a gentle and rewards-based Dog Trainer. Our 1;1 training sessions have been a wonderful experience. Joy is highly knowledgeable and was able to meet our exact needs for helping our puppy gain confidence around other people. We learnt lots of games to increase her pride and sense of wellbeing and unlearned lots of rubbish we had previously read on the internet! Would absolutely recommend Joy"
Joyful Dogs were recommended to us; the training classes were a mix of fun, "a-ha!" moments - and stress as our puppy is full of beans and every session she took a long time to settle down but Joy and her assistants were infinitely patient in helping us ground our dog into our space. Besides the standard puppy training exercises (recall, loose lead, sit etc) - Joy helped us understand the ‘psychology’ of our puppy. It became clear to us — myself, my wife and two daughters — that our puppy was doing her best to understand us based on... Read more
"Joy has a lovely way with her: It reminds me of the type of primary school teacher who is adored by her young pupils. Joy’s puppy school classes were fun, informative and helpful.”
We really enjoyed the Puppy Improvers training course with Joyful Dogs. We use the knowledge we learned every day both at home and out on walks, thank you so much!
"Joyful Dogs has exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend them. The puppy classes were small, so Helen was able to cover things which were important to each of us, making it fun and boosting our confidence with lots of reassurance and encouragement; completely approachable and making time to help us individually. Queenie quickly learnt how to relax and be polite around other dogs. We have now been doing one to one training with Joy and benefitted from her calm, kind, professional approach and wealth of knowledge - the training activities and specific techniques have been so useful in helping... Read more
The "Puppy Starters" socialisation & training classes were very well organised and Helen progressed the skills at an appropriate speed for the puppies in class. Phoenix has come a long way! We particularly enjoyed the outdoor skills, especially focus work around other dogs.
I chose Joyful Dogs 1:1 sessions as these were convenient for me. I was having trouble with Lexi travelling in the car. The training sessions wit Dannyelle helped me to strengthen communication with my puppy. I learned a lot through a couple of sessions - it was a big eye opener. It will definitely affect how I am with my dog in the future. I had heard about Kongs and Enrichment games but I had no idea how important they were. I have definitely seen a calmer side to my pup in just a few weeks. I am impressed with... Read more
Thank you for such an enjoyable experience over the past 2 months at Puppy School; we have learnt so much, and I know Pippin has enjoyed himself and learnt a lot of important life skills! Looking forward to the Puppy Improvers course.
Huge thanks to Danyelle at Joyful Dogs. The techniques she has demonstrated have been incredible. Dannyelle listened to where we needed help & focused on desensitising Poppy to those things; Poppy is responding to the bucket game in a way that is eye opening, the ways in which we can use this game are almost never ending. I watched youtube videos previously but only after seeing Danyelle demonstrate, could we do it properly. We now see how very important it is. Dannyelle is an asset to Joyful Dogs; for the first time since we got Poppy, I feel optimistic that... Read more
Puppy Training at Joyful Dogs: We liked that all the exercises were small, direct and easy to understand. The team were friendly, helpful and happy to answer any questions. Here's Haru playing in the Giant Snuffle Bowl!
I had 121 training sessions with Joy when I got my new puppy. We covered basic training, lead walking and recall. I found the training really helpful as there were no distractions for either Jarvis or myself and we covered a lot during each session. Joy also helped with the bonding process with my pup and older dog and he attended one of the sessions as well. Joy uses a variety of locations depending on what you are working on. I would fully recommend 121 sessions with Joy!
Having spent six weeks on Joy's Puppy Starters course, my Jack Russell - Buddy - has definitely improved his obedience, along with his ability to zone out distractions and concentrate on me a lot more. Buddy is a very active puppy and has bags of energy and is into everything; the variety of games and exercises Joy taught gave him lots of new skills that I can continue to work on. I would recommend Joy highly! I will be signing up for her Puppy Improvers course soon!
We can’t thank Joy enough for helping us with 4 fantastically illuminating training sessions, aiding our understanding of our beautiful puppy Wookie. The 3 of us gained so much - we are a much happier and well-behaved unit because of the training! Thank you Jenny, Nick and Wookie
Our training experience on the Puppy Starters course was excellent - the staff were very friendly and patient and we loved the agility games! All the training exercises were delivered clearly and the progression of the course was very good. 'Lead walking' and 'Leave It' were very useful.
We contacted Joy about 1:1 training with Rudi after a really enjoyable 6 wk Puppy Course last year. We found Joy’s approach clear and straightforward. The 121 training focussed on lead walking and recall; using treats and their placement to reduce pulling on lead along with the bowling game, flirt pole, and squeezy cheese game to reinforce Recall. Rudi is not that food orientated so Joy highlighted exactly how to reinforce her using play and chase games! We found the sessions extremely useful and whilst we would have liked more before moving away, we have been practising daily with what... Read more
"Our 1:1 sessions with Joy have been helpful in understanding why Bon reacts in certain ways e.g. being anxious/barking at livestock and pulling on lead to greet other dogs. Joy’s calm approach and advice has given us confidence in managing these situations with Bon. The “find it” and “flirting” games help occupy Bon and keep her engaged with us rather than on what else is going on around her. We now have more confidence in meeting Bon’s needs when outdoors and already her focus is much improved. Would definitely recommend Joyful Dogs"
I genuinely can't reccomend Joyful Dogs enough! Since getting our first puppy, Helen has been incredibly helpful, caring and supportive both during the sessions and generally by being available to offer help and advice. We have had two 1:1 sessions so far and they have been brilliant. Helen listens to your specific needs and is incredibly knowledgeable. We also found that by being in our own home meant we could really work on the specific things we need help with and build confidence. We have definitely seen an improvement in our lovely pup's behaviour (and feel much happier/relaxed!) We can't... Read more
Training with Joy has been terrific and it’s been great to be able to tailor the sessions to what we wanted to learn or practice – both at home and out walking – and Murphy has loved it and soaked it up like a sponge! Joy has made it so easy for us to understand what we need to do to train Murphy, and taught us loads of tricks and games to make it fun for him and us! We would definitely recommend Joy to everyone, she is so lovely, calm and patient (with Murphy and us!) and has a wealth... Read more
We booked 1:1 sessions with Joy after seeing good reviews online. She has been nothing but lovely and helpful from the moment we met and takes a very holistic and positive approach to training. We got our rescue dog, Ollie, 10 weeks ago and there have been huge improvements with a whole range of things. This is all thanks to Joy’s knowledge and the skills that she has shared. Ollie has come on leaps and bounds and continues to improve by practicing everything Joy has taught us. She has always been so supportive and is easily available for advice and... Read more
Joy and the 'Puppy Starters Course' team have been absolutely amazing! They gave such clear instructions and were very supportive even if things went wrong. Pippin has learned a lot - as have I - and I would definitely recommend the Puppy Starters course to any new puppy-parent.
We were recommended Joy from the breeder we got River from, he spoke very highly of her working with his Portuguese Water Dog so we looked her up online. We found the training very useful, her knowledge and incite was priceless to us being new to having a puppy. Particularly helpful with re-call and lead training, and the use of positive reinforcement using treats. Joy was also brilliant with our two young boys, involving them perfectly when they attended the sessions. River has come on a lot, even after just 3 1:1 sessions ... as has our understanding of him... Read more
Baxter is our Romanian rescue puppy. Although he has settled well, we noticed that he was very nervous around visitors to our house and towards other dogs when we walked him. (barking and lunging at other dogs when they came too close.) I heard about Joy via recommendation and I am so glad she has been able to help Baxter. Joy explained Baxter’s behaviour really clearly and worked with us on distraction techniques whilst we are out with him (recall, finding treats and the ‘flirt pole’-he loves this!), as well as how to welcome guests into our home with minimal... Read more
I joined 'Puppy Improvers' because of how much we enjoyed the original puppy classes with Joy. The Improvers course helped Roo focus on me - the Platform exercises were really helpful, as was the introduction of clicker training! I now have a better understanding of how my body language affects Roo understanding a cue, and how I can place myself to set Roo for success! Previously, my partner struggled to walk Roo off lead but now, my partner can comfortably walk him without the stress of wondering if he'll come back. Joy offers a calm and patient guiding hand throughout... Read more
Our anxious Labrador puppy really struggles with the chaos of walking on a lead in our neighbourhood... so many people and vehicles and loud airplanes and unexpected things. Her anxiety just stacks and she becomes unmanageable, which is tough when a 25kg dog is dragging you down the pavement. Katie has really been amazing. She is so calm and gentle and definitely understands dogs (and our specific puppy) so well. She's helping her learn how to manage and teaching us, too, how to best support and guide her. She's really connected so well with our girl, and whereas we initially... Read more
We found Joy online through her website and her experienced background in dog-training & helpful blogs convinced us to book 3 x 1;1 sessions with her. These were perfectly tailored for Luther & his temperament and Joy ensured that we covered enough techniques & exercises to progress Luther's training in our own time. We saw immediate improvement in Luther's behaviour, we went from only lead walking him to having the confidence to go off lead in public parks within 3 days. We continue to use what we learnt in our sessions on a daily basis & Luther's behaviour continues to improve. ... Read more
"Puppy Starters" has been fantastic! Joy is so calm and a great teacher and to have her Assistants supporting during class has been really helpful and made a huge difference. I have learnt so many skills and will be looking forward to building on all of it - thank you!
"With Joy we learned fantastic, mentally challenging games for our puppy 'Nala' which were really successful. We also learnt how to use our body language to get Nala in to position and how to ‘leave’ ‘drop’ and 'fetch'. We particularly found ‘bowl and recall’ useful. We would absolutely recommend Joy."
George’s recall was non-existent! Consequently, I never let him off the lead. Then I had some 1:1 training with Joy; she gave me confidence and loads of useful ideas to keep George focused on me. George loved the different activities and I can now take him to the park - even in daylight when other dogs are around! He doesn't tend to jump up and comes back when called. I highly recommend Joy for any behaviour problems you have with your dog. She's so patient and kind, and she just makes you feel good!
I wanted to say thank you for your help and advice with training Noodle. We have much more confidence with handling her unwanted behaviours and she is making progress. It's up to us to continue with the positive reinforcement but you definitely helped us to speak her language! She will miss you :)
Exceeded our expectations - We had one to one training sessions with Joy, it was very fun and our Cavapoo Hugo loved Joy and every second of the training. Joy is very knowledgable, professional, engaging and an extremely calm/ kind trainer. Joy has taught us some great techniques on how our body language impacts Hugo's understanding. Hugo was constantly rewarded with treats for his positive behaviour to the learning. We had some Home Visits and some Park Walks to learn recall, find it/ snuffle box games, loose lead walking, distraction techniques. We have definitely seen an improvement in Hugo -... Read more
I just wanted to say a big thank you for the puppy training classes. Daisy has really flourished since attending classes and we couldn’t imagine our lives without her. We both had Dogs growing up, but she is our first together as a couple. We always came away from classes feeling that both Daisy and we had learnt something that would benefit us moving forward and we still use exercises and tips we picked up from Joy – who was a very patient and understanding teacher.
We came across Joyful Dogs via an internet search whilst looking for a local Trainer to help us with some issues with our rescue puppy being fearful of strangers in our home. We were recommended the expertise of Danyelle to come and work with us on this problem. She was great, very experienced and amazing at explaining Finn's body language and why he reacts the way he does. Over a few sessions we built up from Finn being uncomfortable with Danyelle in the house to not reacting, learning to relax and eventually gaining the confidence to interact in a positive... Read more
Our puppy, Bubble, is now 2yrs old and she is 'adorabubble'. The training we did with Joyful Dogs was priceless and I continue to look to Joy's "Dog Blog!" for ideas and inspiration, thank you.
We all really enjoyed the course and appreciated Joy’s approach. It gave us confidence as owners to carry on training at home and helped us understand how dogs think and the best way to interact with our puppy. There were many simple techniques or ways of training that were a revelation and have stuck with us as our puppy grows. We love the “Find it” game and play it almost everyday. We also found our one to one session incredibly helpful as we were able to discuss specific behaviours or challenges. We quite often say now “What would Joy do?" Tulip... Read more
“We chose Joyful Dogs having researched dog trainers in Cheltenham. Joy’s website looked professional and helpful, as well as her holding her qualifications which meant we were keen to work with her. Our 1:1 training has helped our dog Millie massively. We learnt recall techniques as well as games to keep Millie interested and having fun on our walks. Joy also taught us how to adapt our behaviour to get what we wanted from Millie. We found both our sessions very useful and have a number of techniques and games to take away with us. Millie’s behaviour has really improved and... Read more
We did the beginners course with Joy - brilliant! And the 'Improvers' course kept us focused. Joy helped me to understand how my actions and behaviour were important when teaching my dog, and also what I can expect at her age and stage of development. We loved the games to play with her, so have lots of fun whilst training with her. The “2 toy swap” and “Find it” are our favourites! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Joy, her classes are small and calm and give your dog the best opportunity to learn. My puppy absolutely loved the classes!
