'It should be progress not perfection,’ says south Northants dog trainer

Lisa Wrigley, founder of the training academy is a firm believer that games and a pro-dog training programme can help build a great bond between you and your canine pal.

Lisa has grown up with collies, where her passion for dogs started and since then has been on the obedience circuit and agility.

Lisa said: “Now that my children are older, I have been able to throw myself into this fully. I stopped work and then went to train with Lauren Langman. She is the owner of Blink, a working cocker spaniel who won the Kennel Club Agility final at Crufts last year and she has taught me so much.”

“I also got to work with Tom Mitchell, who is a vet and behaviourist dog trainer. Tom and Lauren set up Absolute Dogs which focuses on games to train your dog and it really is the way to help dogs with struggles.”

As well as being a pro dog trainer, Lisa has a level 3 in dog training, pet first aid and CPR. She is also DBS checked and insured.

Lisa has now built a purpose made barn for her training sessions, with equipment and artificial grass (which she hoovers) and her sessions are very different from a traditional trainer who uses a village hall with a number of dogs all sitting in a circle.

Lisa said: “I train the dog for the situation, giving it the tools to find its way to cope, not by training in the situation already. I focus on optimistic games which help a dog learn to avoid reaction, and finding its own way to lower its arousal level.

“I am all about seeing progress and not perfection. Perfect dogs and perfect people don’t exist so let's work with our dogs as a team, even ones with struggles, to create calm dogs, who respond to us and make great decisions.”

Dogs N Stuff runs agility courses, puppy classes, coffee morning classes and 1-2-1 classes.

You can visit the website to find out more.