“Lez creates a relaxed learning environment in her training classes, this undoubtedly enables both dogs and handlers to absorb the excellent training advice and techniques that are offered. Having watched Lez’s clients in action I would be the first to recommend her training classes to dog owners.” Howard Kirby, Lains Shooting School

“Following Lez’s visit, I immediately felt more relaxed and confident around Fudge. Lez made me see that Fudge wasn’t an evil dog – just one that had stepped up to fill the vacancy of leader – the role that I wasn’t filling. I have been amazed at how just a few seemingly small changes have made a big difference to Fudge’s behaviour. Overall he seems more relaxed and much more biddable. I no longer feel nervous around Fudge – the discs were brilliant in giving me, as Lez put it ‘a set of teeth’ with which to remind Fudge that I was in charge, not him, but without forcing a confrontation. The first time he displayed his possessive aggressive behaviour I used the discs and they worked. it felt so good to be back in control. We still have a long way to go but the small victories really do mean a lot and with every one I feel more relaxed and confident with Fudge, which in turn creates a positive cycle instead of the negative one we had got stuck in.
Lez’s calm, friendly manner really put me at ease and she explained her methods in a clear and easy to understand way. When she said she was always at the end of the phone or email for questions I knew she meant it. Thank you Lez!” A

“Firstly many thanks for your help with raine on wednesday I could not believe how much that needed addressing and how simple you put it across. I am very pleased that I brought her to you and didnt leave it any longer. The most amazing thing was she slept when we got home until we went for a 10 min walk around the block that night and I only had to correct her 3 times, the rest of the walk was sheer bliss and not the usual fight. Hopefully you will see the difference on our next visit.” Malcolm Dicks

“When I first started Grade 1 training with Lez, I brought with me what can only be decribed as a very scatty and badly behaved 9-month old working Cocker Spaniel, who 8-weeks later went on to pass the grade with flying colours. This is all thanks to Lez's simple techniques that have helped me to completely transform my dog into something I can be proud of, rather than avoiding other dogs and people at all costs! I am currently half way through Grade 2 and can see no reason why he won't also pass this grade and go on to become a well trained and obedient gun dog. I have no hesitation in recommending Lez to anyone who wants help with understanding the basics (and advanced techniques) of how to train their Labrador or Spaniel into becoming a well disciplined pet or working dog.” Julian Barrett

“Although training with Lez is enjoyable for dogs and owners her understanding of dogs' behaviour and psychology means that there is also a serious side to her teaching methods. The great benefit of this is that she can interpret where communication is failing through lack of understanding on the part of the owner leading to confusion in the mind of the dog. It is amazing how quickly this knowledge can sort out seemingly intractable problems making the training more rewarding for dog and owner.” Mary Quincey

“Thank you so much for all your help in guiding Khita and I to a wonderful high today – wow I still cannot believe it 100%. These last few weeks Khita has shown me she loves to learn and she so enjoys her Gundog lessons, so do I, especially your throwing technique of the dummy through the air!” Christine Rogers

“I have thoroughly enjoyed gundog training with Lez Graham. The programme is excellent and very focused. Despite having a scatty Cocker the lessons have proved most rewarding, my dog has come on in leaps and bounds as have I - despite being an OAP! She tailors the lessons to the owners as well as the dogs which I think is extremely important because if the handlers cannot understand the orders the dogs never will either. I would not hesitate to recommend Lez to anyone seeking a gundog trainer.” Margaret Armand Smith

“When I started training my 12 month old Springer Spaniel was a little head strong. She had basic training, but I wanted to tap in to her natural breed instincts, she wasn't going to be used for shooting but a family pet. Classes are small and friendly and don't feel intimidating. We have just passed the grade one Gundog Club grading which was great because it is not a competition and you are judged on you own ability. I would highly recommend classes to anyone who wants to have fun and enjoy their dog to its full capabilities.” Lisa Powrie

“Lez’s classes are small, mutually supportive and non-competitive, allowing all dogs (and owners!) to progress at their own pace, with the emphasis on steadiness. It all makes sense!” Sally Cockcroft

“Lez has made a tremendous difference to how my Springer behaves towards me and the impact he has at home. Her teaching, guidance and counsel throughout has been instrumental in helping a five year old Rescue dog settle into a new environment. Gun Dog training has proved a revelation with training to command and the dummy proving that ‘Pete’ has the potential to be a working dog as well.” Stephen Williams

"As a Gundog Trainer in Hertfordshire I like to offer my clients exposure to other trainers who I feel match my style of training, that will inspire them to keep up the good work, and maybe give us a few new tips and tricks of the trade. I invited Lez Graham to come and spend a day with us and help with some problem solving and give us some new exercises to try with our experienced dogs and handlers. We had a lovely day!
Lez is a great teacher and communicator. She showed us many useful methods to gently get our dogs smartened up and everyone took inspiration from her happy outlook on training. Lez is very well qualified and experienced in dog handling at all levels and in many disciplines. One of those people who's knowledge we envy!
I will look forward to our next day in the Autumn and am excited to see what else we can learn from her." Avis Ashleygrove Gundogs

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'Adding Finesse' Training Day.
"The course gave us opportunities to practice retrieving and hunting skills in increasing degrees of difficulty, under the watchful eyes of an extremely professional trainer. By learning about the mechanics behind the handling, made us appreciate what we are asking our dogs to do, and therefore we were able to be more considerate in our handling and get better results.
It was a very enjoyable day, and both the dog and I learned a great deal."

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"These training days are as much about owner training as dog training; they are instructive,revealing and sometimes very amusing. They have been a great chance to watch others work their dogs and the chat on and off the training area is always interesting. Sally’s delicious food is not to be missed either!"

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"The Upping the ante course was a brilliant day for me and my dog, Sonny. It was a busy day building up lots of retrieve exercises along with control. There was plenty of time to practise each exercise individually with Lez and Sally coming to check you were doing okay. Working outdoors with the wildlife smells and distractions was an added bonus to push the dog’s concentration. There was also time to discuss the exercises with Lez and Sally, they also showed you how to push the exercises on. In the afternoon we went into the woods to test what we learnt and again the dogs all had great fun."

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"I have attended 3 training days so far this year with Lez who is ably assisted by Sally. The first two were with my 9 month old Labrador bitch - Myrtle - and because she came into season just before the 3rd day I brought along a slightly more advanced bitch - Inca who is 3yrs old. All of us greatly benefited from all the advice, training and help. The days were fun, interesting and thought provoking. The training methods calm, quiet and very successful. Not only have Inca, Myrtle and I thoroughly enjoyed our days out socialising and learning with other like minded 'bods' but all the rest of the pack at home can up their game too with all the extra information which I can pass on to them. Hopefully improved my handling skills too.
Loved the whole experience and wish I had the time to attend more and with all my dogs ... what ever their age or level of experience there is something for all of them and us to learn!" Jill

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"Great full day of training , I learnt things that you can never know or learn from a book.
The day was set at a good level for my young lab and me, I look forward to the next training day."

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"I was very impressed with my training day. Even though it was a back to basics, I learnt new skills which I am able to work with my more experienced dog and a lot of skills to impart on my newer dog. I can thoroughly recommend Lez Graham as an instructor. The day presented excellent value for money."

“Harry (my son) just said that you are like a wizard the way you can make your dogs do what you want them to do!! Isn’t that sweet!” Margo

“I have just been doing my accounts and have decided to put my dog classes under 'Holidays & Entertainment' because I look forward to it and can quite easily forgo going to the cinema or whatever to fund it!” Nicola

“I've been breeding Cocker Spaniels on and off for 30 years, the Oneida kennel was founded by my parents in the early 1960's, and yet I still learn new things about dogs at gundog training.” Margaret

“Thank you for the amazing classes we have had this year. I cannot believe I looked so long for a local gun dog training class and won the jackpot when I found one!” Pam

My story I suspect, knowing what I know now 18 months after I first met Lez, is a common one. Slightly embarrassed, and feeling very inadequate about how my dog was behaving, I decided that I needed help.

I already had one extremely biddable and steady Labrador, Fern, who comes out beating and picking up with me on the local shoot. I decided that she would be the ideal mother for my next dog; I thought at the time having a duplicate Fern would be perfect. I set about finding a Field Trial Champion sire from a local lady who is very successful at Field Trails as I thought this was what was needed. Everything went well, Fern produced 7 lovely puppies, one of which we kept and named Poppy. Poppy demonstrated some interesting character traits from as early as 3 weeks old; many of which were the tell tale signs of her alpha position in the pack. She is very different to Fern and is a little more headstrong to say the least. These characteristics may well be easy to handle when you are a professional, but as an amateur they came as a bit of a shock to me. In the time from her birth to 11 months Poppy learnt that she could manipulate us to do virtually anything she wanted. She wouldn’t walk to heel, she would run off if I let her off the lead, and she wouldn’t return when called; quite frightening when you live next to a busy road.

When I rang Lez I was very nearly at the end of my tether. Lez assessed our abilities and put us in a group with others with similar abilities and dog handling skills. I found both Lez and the group extremely supportive, and I found the group work benefitted the dogs to learn steadiness, and the handlers from each other. It’s been hard at times, but Lez has helped me understand how my every day actions impact on the way the dogs behave. I now have an obedient happy dog that loves to work and is eager to please. You don’t need to be interested in shooting to learn from these sessions, it’s all about basic obedience and giving the dogs something to focus on.

I would thoroughly recommend Lez to anyone who is prepared to take on board and put into practice her valuable advice. Lez freely shares her experiences and offers solutions to almost any canine problem.

Jill Thorpe

Too much love can seriously damage a relationship

The story of Lenci and I so far.

It all began 17 months ago in deepest Cornwall when this little brown wrinkly came forward and introduced herself from a litter of nine. Within minutes she was in my arms asleep and snoring. I thought, hey she feels comfortable in my presence that’ll do for me.

Months go by and gun dog training beckons. I meet Lez Graham on a one to one basis for the first time, scary or what!! Lenci and I were obedient from day one!

Weeks roll into months and through various trial and tribulations, Lenci progresses well despite my lack of high pitched voice and exciting nature.

Then a brick wall appears out of nowhere, Lenci won’t retrieve, anything that a dog could pick up was tried and failed. The only sign of interest was a string of plastic sausages, but they soon lost their appeal.

Then it happens; Lenci and I fall out of love. Things seemed to be going so well.

It was a nice sunny day, the place was Kennet Long Barrow, Avebury, Lenci on a long lead, 30 minutes walk followed by 10 minutes off the lead as I had been prone to do since she responded to a whistle. During her 10 minutes sniff and search (she gets great pleasure from this, running around at 100 miles an hour) she disappears, no sign of her despite many blasts on the whistle.

After much frantic searching for approximately 30 minutes, a little head pops up from the middle of a rape field then disappears again. I walked up to her to find her curled up showing no sign of interest in me at all. Lead attached and a drive home in silence, neither of us talking, does she not know how upset I am?

Three days later at training I break the sordid detail to Lez. It then dawns on me, at long last, that had I listened to Lez from day one, Lenci is a dog and NOT a love puppet, things might have progressed differently.

I am given a list of dog leadership rules to take away and work with. After only one week I notice a dramatic change in my relationship with Lenci, its better than ever.

Back on the long lead, waiting for me to go first through gates and doors, an hour on her own with me in a different room, her whining at first, (yes that hurt), just a few of the things on the leadership list that I followed.

Then after the 2nd week of sticking to the rules, it happened; the big breakthrough, Lenci retrieved the dummy three times, yes three times.

To sum up, Lenci has shown a desire to please me at every opportunity and shows great excitement in everything she tackles.

In my naivety I thought letting Lenci do her own thing whenever she wanted I would get the reward, but at long last it filtered through my small brain, she and I get so much more from our relationship with me leading and being firm than we ever did before, all she wants to do now is please.

A big thank you to Lez for her guidance, patience and understanding, to me that is, after all it was me that needed training not Lenci.

I now feel more positive in everything I do with Lenci and Lenci is a much happier dog.

Clive
Hungarian Vizsla Owner.

P.S I still love her to bits!