www.wowdogs.co.uk
susanjanereed@yahoo.co.uk
07941806352

 Welcome to WOWdogs!
Games Based Dog Training based in Edinburgh



WOWdogs

Play to Train

A super fun, relationship building method of positive dog training, using short fun games to teach skills to achieve real life results. This training addresses the emotional response  eg fear or excitement that drives dogs to choose  unwanted behaviours, rather than just focussing on trying to change a behaviour in situations. Fun, positive and sky rockets your relationship with your dog.

About me

I’m Susan, and am an accredited Pro Dog (games based/ force free trainer). I have experience owning and working with dogs of all shapes and sizes. My current dog is a gorgeous wee cavapoo called Tiggy.  I have recently given up my dietetic post in the NHS, to focus full time on my long term desire to work with dogs and owners. I have a big interest in all things dog behaviour, nutrition and puppies. I have experience walking dogs at a local dog rescue and am a mum of an animal daft teenager and very passionate about how animals can can enrich families.


My Training:


Absolute Dogs :

  • Accredited Pro Dog Trainer plus Geek add on (brain health, separation, resource guarding, noise reactivity, health, dog dog reactivity, multi dogs, the bucket, concept training)
  • Residential Pro Dog Training at Bowerland, Devon - 7 days Train the Trainer
  • Off leash freedom, household manners, reactivity - boot camps - over 6 months
  • Prodog 
  • Canine First Aid 
  • Puppy pathways, Absolute Puppy
  • Absolute Adolescence
  • Small dogs
  • Poodle and crosses
  • Calmness
  • Mini courses - stop barking, stop pulling, stop jumping


School of Canine Science

  • 6 week Puppy Course
  • Behaviour and Nutrition
  • Business in a box
  • Dog dog reactivity 


Genius K9

  • Foundations for Life course plus add on masterclasses eg play, recall, lead walking


Behavet  - Veterinary Behaviourist Group Teaching

  • Dog Dog reactivity 
  • Separation
  • Happy handing - grooming and vet visits
  • Chaos to Calm
  • Barking 
  • 

I continue to keep up to date on the Help my Dog hub, alongside the above training providers

I would love to help you with any struggles your dog may have, whether just scared of life or pulling on lead, barking, to general training or preventative advice for puppies, adolescents, senior, or rescue dogs. If you just want ideas for enrichment, games I can help with this too. Please scroll down for info on options and pricing.


Additionally, I also offer adhoc local dog walking in the EH13/EH14 areas, covering when regular walkers on holiday) or walk and train, puppy coaching at my home, puppy, cat, rodent home visits. I am first aid trained and fully insured.

Recall booster - Stepwise approach to improving recall with you dog using games to power this up. Includes help with reward strategy and supporting plan & resources.


Loose lead - Simple games and techniques to really improve your dog’s skills on a lead. Includes info on how your dog perceives the walk and how this piece of the puzzle is crucial to getting loose lead walking nailed.


Creating a foodie dog and interactive play- This session covers how t0 improve your dogs motivation to train for food or a toy. Reward strategy is huge for dogs to help overcome struggles and for general training which becomes so much easier if they desire a certain reward.


Games fest - Games are amazing enrichment for your dog, they can replace walks, boost your relationship (value around you), are super fun whilst teaching your dogs skills too.


Calmness and dimmer switch - The ability to be calm is an amazing skill for your dog and  leads to less undesirable behaviours (barking, reactivity etc), a calmer house and better life skills. If your dog is a 0 or 100 in terms of arousal, we can help grow a dimmer switch so they react more appropriately to the things the environment throws at them. Learn about the dog’s bucket, which can be the missing link in reactivity.


Confidence - The biggest skill you can give your dog is confidence or optimism, grow early as a puppy if able. Confident in dogs reduces other struggles and teaches dogs to look for opportunities rather than worrying about where is the threat is all the time. We can grow this through confidence boosting games.


Reactivity on walks - I can give you games/power poses to work through with your dog at home then to take out on walks. Simple games/techniques can improve things when out and about. This initially is a session to make walks better as reactivity is a bigger struggle to tackle so would require much more input.


All things puppy- A masterclass in covering the main puppy skills, through games which all feed into recall, loose lead, manners, confidence etc. Supported by many resources and game cards.


Brain booster - Primarily for senior dogs to help brain flexibility, general fitness, nutrition all which can prevent brain/fitness deterioration. Research shows we should be proactive with our senior dogs, not reducing their world.


Barking - Can be a real pain point and can spread like wildfire. Learn how to massively improve this by some management strategies and games. Supported with resources.


What I offer:

With all packages I offer a 15 min free phonecall  to see if I can help/good fit and how games based training might help.  Please contact me via form below or via facebook page wowdogs_edinburgh or whats app.


New client package

  • A Discovery 60min first session (can be over zoom if preferred) - behaviour questions, history and some foundation games to get started. This will immediately start working on the struggle eg barking, reactivity, loose lead, confidence, rescue dog help.
  • 3 x 1hr in person sessions - ideally roughly 2-4 weeks apart, this really is the minimum amount of time to implement a plan and see transformation.
  • Email with plan of action and relevant resources provided. Full support via what’s app given between sessions.
  • £155


Puppy Package - 1 to 1 support

  • 4 -6 x sessions (initial one - 90mins, others 45-60mins) of 121 structured coaching sessions with you and your puppy, ideally weekly.
  • This is a massive opportunity to create a confident and optimistic puppy and give them skills early on to help teach loose lead walking, recall and good household manners via simple games.
  • Socialisation option to meet my calm, friendly dog.
  • E resources to support your learning, demo of games
  • Pre puppy arrival call available too at no extra cost.
  • £150/£210


Adolescent Package

  • 4 x 1hr session with you and your dog
  • This is when dogs can test the boundaries, develop bad habits and lose confidence. It is an important time to continue to relationship build with your dog and manage blips/prevent rehearsal of unwanted behaviours.
  • Free eresources.
  • £155


Enrichment/Brain Boost/Confidence Package/Rescue or rehome support

  • 4 x 1hr sessions covering all things of your choosing, optimism games, how to provide enrichment via food, interactive play, relationship boosters
  • £150


Other Options

  • If you are familiar with games based training and looking for a top up, or have a minor struggle or just want a single session - £45 (60-75 mins)
  • Follow on packages for clients who want to continue after initial package -4 x 1hr - £120 or £35 per hour.
  • Online training- A great option and can work really well with games based training. Please ask for details.
  • Walk and train - I can walk your dog, introduce games based training and provide some feedback/suggestions- from £25 per hour
  • Local adhoc dog walks 30-60 mins, regular dog walker away, no probs, get in touch to see if I can help- from £15 (solo or with my dog if appropriate)
  • Other drop in pet services, puppy, cat, rodent visits - from £15 (local)


What to expect:

During our session, I will provide explanation to why your dog is behaving that way, how we can transform it., I will show you games to play with your dog for a few minutes a day (of course life gets busy). Some management strategies will be discussed too. It is important to remember we are training outwith the situation to skill up your dog in the situation. I don’t necessarily need to see how the dog behaves in certain situations if it is stressful to your dog, but you might want to send me videos etc.


For puppy coaching, I will work with you and your puppy to grow their skills, teach them life skills, confidence and basic obedience.


The really cool thing about games-based dog training is that it’s small, consistent daily actions and input that make the most significant difference over time. Little by little and day by day, you can reshape your dog’s brain and grow your dog the direction you want and achieve your dog owning dream.

What is Concept Training?


The fundamental difference between concept training and other more traditional forms of dog training is the understanding that you cannot change the behaviour or outcome in the moment. Every dog behaviour is linked to an emotion eg fear, excitement and we aim to address the emotion driving the behaviour, instead of focussing on just suppressing the behaviour.


Instead, you need to reshape your dog’s brain outside of the situation, so that the next time your dog is presented with that same situation, their brain is better equipped to make an appropriate choice ie not chasing the jogger/squirrel or lunging at a dog.


This is powerful, because it goes way beyond training behaviours eg sit, down, or stay. Those behaviours alone do not transfer to success in day to day life. The great thing is that all of these concepts are dynamic, but you need to step into the picture and actively build and grow the concepts your dog needs, otherwise you will find that the environment does it for you. There is a focus on what you do want rather than what you don’t want.

The Geeky Stuff!

Every dog has a brain, which is shaped in a particular way with different strengths and weaknesses.


Your dog’s personality is made up of concepts aka building blocks. When put in a situation, that brain will give an ‘outcome’ (the dog will behave in a certain way), based on that individual dog’s particular strengths and weaknesses. This is the basically the behaviour the dog has picked to deal with the emotion they are feeling. However, this outcome may not be appropriate but your  dog is not displaying a ‘problem’ behaviour – they are just displaying ‘dog’ behaviour.  Behaviour is always linked to an emotion eg a lunging dog could be labelled as aggressive but alternatively be excited, scared, or worried.  We are working to address the emotion the dog experiences alongside the behaviour offered.

.

This is where concept training comes in as I identify the concepts that you and your dog need to work on to help with the struggles and make better choices.


Aversive training (inflicting pain or discomfort) may look like it gives quick fixes but this is behaviour suppression not modification and the underlying emotions are still there eg if the dog is lunging because he is scared and has now stopped as wearing a prong or ecollar,  he is still scared but now can’t communicate that and increases the likelihood of redirecting  into a bite.  Aversive training does not result in long term behaviour change. Games based training can happily pair with positive based training methods but not aversives.

Get in touch

Contact Us

Contact us

Call Us Email Us

Address

Edinburgh, Colinton, United Kingdom


Thank you WOWdogs Edinburgh - they had a blast. Fabulous service - would highly recommend. I know the dogs are well looked after and cared for with you. 🐾

Rhiannion James


My first training session with Susan @wowdogs_edinburgh yesterday

Susan is a wonderful teacher and I can't recommend her highly enough if you are an Edinburgh pup looking for fun based training

_uptown_frank_


I have known Susan nearly all my life and I have never met someone so dedicated to animals especially dogs. With years of experience and now fully qualified, I can’t recommend highly enough. If you are in need of advice, training assistance or support look no further. 

Lesley Brander





Susan has done incredible work with my dog. My dog had a challenging experience last year, having been bitten, and it left him wary of interacting with other dogs.


Susan employs a unique games-based training technique that not only showcases her deep understanding of canine behaviour but also reshapes their brains in a way that fosters positive choices. The results have been remarkable. He has not only regained confidence but has also developed the skills to make wise decisions in social situations.


The tools she provided have not only repaired the aftermath of a traumatic event but have also empowered me as a dog owner.


 Thank you, Susan!

Angela Verity 




Susan is absolutely amazing! My anxious dog loves her! And I've learnt loads from her already!

Mhairi Shewan 


Susan has a wonderful way with dogs, and our golden retriever Corrie absolutely loves her! Susan has walked Corrie for us as a friend on a couple of occasions, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend her dog caring skills in any situation.

Fiona Cohen


Susan is great with my puppy, really caring, reliable.

Sent me updates about puppy and videos how they got on. Gave me advice when I needed. Highly recommend her dog services.

Bea Zelman




Terms & Conditions

Please ensure you have read and understood these Terms and Conditions.

Definitions

  • Course, training, class, classes – the service(s) we provide.
  • You, your, client, owner – a person or persons buying products or services from us and attending our classes.
  • WOWdogs, us, we, our) – The person or people providing dog training services.
  • Dog (dogs) – the dog or bitch brought to our training session or course.

General Terms & Conditions

  • Your dog(s) must be fit and healthy. Training your dog when they are unwell, injured or in pain is unfair to the dog. 
  • WOWdogs accepts no responsibility for loss of or injury to your dog whilst training with us.
  • All dogs must be kept on a lead unless otherwise instructed by us.
  • All children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. 
  • We believe in using positive reinforcement as the most effective way to train dogs. We do not allow dogs to be handled forcefully during our training. The use of punishment as a training method has been proven to create negative side effects in dogs.
  • WOWdogs accept no responsibility for any damage to, theft of, or from your vehicle. Please do not leave valuables in your car and any dogs left unattended in a vehicle is done at the owner’s risk.
  • By choosing to undertake training, you agree to take full responsibility for your own safety, the safety of all parties accompanying you and the safety of your dog.
  • We must be alerted to any behavioural problems prior to accepting a booking. 
  • Please check with us if your bitch is in season.

Booking Procedure & Cancellation Rights

  • For packages, normally payment for new clients would be after the initial room for the package (or for zoom if decide not to proceed) No refunds are issued unless your training is cancelled by WOWdogs but if >48hrs notice, will aim to reschedule.
  • By paying for the service/s of WOWdogs you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

Group Classes -( Not running these at present)

  • We have a limit on the number of dogs that can attend classes no credit or refunds will be offered for group classes you do not attend but we would endeavour to reallocate a place if possible (no guarantees).
  • To make the most of the classes, regular short daily training sessions at home are the best way for you and your dog to practice the lessons and games prior to the next class.

Puppy Classes or sessions.

  • Only puppies over the age of 12 weeks will be accepted to a group class but WOWdogs can offer 1:1 training to younger dogs.
  • All puppies must remain on a lead and be kept away from contact with other puppies in the group unless specifically instructed by your trainer.
  • The course covers important aspects of puppy training, so for optimum results it is important you attend all classes.
  • To make the most of the classes, regular short daily training sessions at home are the best way for you and your puppy to practice the lessons and games prior to the next class.
  • Your puppy is required to wear a flat collar and have a well fitted harness.
  • Extendable leads (flexi-leads) and head collars are not permitted for puppy class unless agreed with your trainer..

Individual Training Sessions

  • Cancellation: In most occasions I require 48 hours notice of cancellation, otherwise you agree to forfeit the full cost of your session.
  • Payment can be within 7 days after the session, a reminder will be sent.
  • All behavioural training or advice is offered based on information provided or observed in your session, we do not guarantee that such advice will resolve issues for you or your dog.
  • If your dog has a bite history it is imperative you inform us before booking a session.
  • We reserve the right from time to time to change or amend these Terms & Conditions without notification.
  • By confirming a booking, you are accepting the terms and conditions.

General Data Protection (UKGDPR)

  • We will ask you for minimal personal information and information on you and your dog. This information will be used to record details of your training requirements.
  • We will ask your permission to use still or video images of you and your dog, in advance of any being taken while at the training session.
  • We may use your contact details to contact you about your appointment/booking.
  • All data is securely stored in hard copy and/or electronically with restricted access.
  • If you click on any links on our website, you may be directed away from our website and we are not responsible for the privacy settings on other sites.
Share by: