IMPORTANT!
Due to unforeseen illness we will be unable to work from Friday 1st March 2024. This is likely to continue into April 2024.
Email/message enquiries will be replied to as soon as we are able to. If you need directing to another supplier/resource, check out our recommended 'shop' below!
Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience - we hope to be back working with you and your dogs soon.
Annabel - Founder, ABC Dog Training & Behaviour
Offering basic obedience training right through to solving difficult behavioural problems with fear free, positive reinforcement based work.
'Let's start from the very beginning'
Annabel Chinn (Bedfordshire), working with a Level 3 PETbc Accredited Canine Behaviour Diploma from the British College of Canine Studies (BCCS) and Diploma in Pet Nutrition (New Skills Academy). Currently working towards a Level 4 PETbc Accredited Advanced Canine Behaviour Diploma and other diplomas related to dog training, breeding, and care. More details on these in the 'About' section.
(For your information, our site views best on a laptop rather than a mobile phone or tablet, although all features and content are available to view on any platform!)
Annabel, Behaviour Consultant for Canines
About me
I have a deep love for dogs of all shapes and sizes and seeing a harmonious relationship between a dog and their owner makes me incredibly happy to see. I work with dogs of all shapes and sizes, and refuse to discriminate in any way if someone comes to me for help. I will always endeavour to apply all of my knowledge and experience to find the ideal outcome for you and your best friend. Spaniel or Bulldog, Mastiff or Cockapoo, they all deserve the same kind, understanding approach.
Working with an intelligent creature like a dog which experiences feelings and emotions similar to our own should be done in a considered, empathetic and respectful manner. This is why I will only work fear free, praise, and positive reinforcement based training methods and techniques. Aversive tools, intimidation, or fear based techniques are not my style... I don't think that they are humane or that they are as effective in helping your dog in the long run to heal, and build their confidence and relationships. For this reason I am listed as a supporting professional for the Position Paper produced by the 'Initiative for Force-Free Dog Training'.
I have a Level 3 PETbc Accredited Dog Behaviour Diploma from the British College of Canine Studies (obtained with Distinction) and Pet Nutrition Diploma (with New Skills Academy.) At present I am working towards a Level 4 PETbc Accredited Advanced Canine Behaviour Diploma. In addition to this I am also undertaking a Dog First Aid Diploma, a CPD Accredited Puppy Socialisation for Breeders Course, and Puppy Profiling Course (with Pupstarts Breeders.) I am a firm believer that 'knowledge is power! so am always studying and researching to improve and increase my skills, in order to help you and your dogs.
I am also fully insured for all the services I offer, am REC First Aid Trained, hold a full UK Driving Licence, and a clear DBS certificate.
Additional Professional Development:
-
International Dog Behaviour Conference Online
-
Certificate of Attendance - 12 Hours, (2020)
-
-
Pet Summits, Dog Anxiety Summit Webinars (2022)
-
Coaching Call , That'll Do Academy
-
Martina Miradoli - Border Collie Specialist (2023)
-
-
APDT Webinar, 'The Border Collie Brilliant Brain'
-
APDT Admin and Martina Miradoli, (2023)
-
-
Education for dog professionals: Canine Neutering Webinar
-
Jo-Rosie Haffenden, Dean Nicholas, and Nando Brown (2023)
-
-
Dogs and Children: living safely together - Masterclass Webinar
-
Dogs Trust School, Suzie Douglas & Louise Chambers (2023)
-
-
TTouch Camp 2023, Online
-
Tellington TTouch Introduction Training, 5 hours, Online (2023)
-
-
Animal Behaviour Kent, Pain 'or' Behaviour Webinar
-
with Dr. Robert Falconer-Taylor (2023)
-
-
The Border Collie Summit 2023, Online
-
3 Days, 15 Seminars, Speakers including: Sarah Hedderly (Dingbat Dog Training), Pauline Whittaker, Di Martin (Click-2-Heel), Roz Pooley (The Mutty Professor), Kamal Fernandez, Simone Müeller (Predation Substitution Training), Dr Holly Tett (Paws Up Dog Training), and others.
-
Services:
How can we help you?
Any breed, any age, any problem.
Basic obedience and manners training for dogs of any age including puppies and rescue dogs. We can also take you through exercises and techniques focused on helping to improve the relationship, trust, and respect, between you and your dog. This in turn can help improve obedience and manners naturally too. We put a heavy focus on helping your puppy or rescue dog settle in as smoothly as possible by looking at diet, routine, and lifestyle, as well as training.
Find out more below.
Help resolving problems and issues including: all types of aggression, resource guarding, fear and anxiety, leash pulling, barking, chasing, jumping up and other unwanted/anti-social behaviours. This sort of work would be identified as Behaviour Modification rather than just Obedience Training. We put a heavy focus on taking every aspect of the dog's life into account to put together a holistic behaviour plan. We don't do quick fixes; we look at changing your dogs entire mental space.
Find out more below.
Services List
Our Services include: Behaviour Modification Training, General Pet Dog (Basic Obedience) Training, Puppy Training, Dog Sitting, Dog Walking, Drop-In Visits, and a Wedding 'Chapawrone' Service.
Please contact us if you have any questions or believe a more bespoke quote would suit your needs best.
Initial Consultation Service
from £20
This initial consultation is a chance to assess what issues are presenting themselves, and how to help you further.
The benefit of an In Person Consultation is that we will be able to read the dog's body language in more detail and get a better understanding of how they're thinking and feeling. Consultations are followed up by a Short Summary Sheet outlining our findings from the Consultation and any immediate management strategies you can put in place. This service is carried out before the start of ANY training together. We also offer an online/telephone service which is ideal for overseas clients as well as those in the UK who cannot travel or are too far away for an In Person Consultation.
Consultations typically last anywhere from 1hr to 2hrs and are charged at £20 per hour. A 1hr Consultation would cost £20, a 1.5hr Consultation would cost £30, a 2hr Consultation would cost £40 and so on.
Puppy 101
£50
Whether you're just staring to think about bringing a puppy home, or your little furry bundle of joy has just arrived, the Puppy 101 is the service for you!
The Puppy 101 is a 2 hour slot where we discuss all things puppy related. Any puppy related concerns, worries, questions can be asked at the Puppy 101. Things like 'which breed will suit our family?' or 'how do I know which lead to buy?', nothing is a silly question! We will provide demo toys, equipment, resource sheets at the session, and a summary sheet (pdf) after the Puppy 101 linking you to any specific recommendations we have made for you and your puppy.
If your puppy is already home, then alongside general advice, we will also show you some basic good training habits/techniques to help you have the best start on your puppy parenting journey.
£300
Our Puppy Training Programme, consists of 6 hours of work together, and is designed to make the process of your new addition to the family go smoothly! We will cover all of the following things (and probably more!)
-
Puppy proofing the house, being prepared for the new arrival, and settling them in.
-
Responsible ownership and consent based handling
-
Toilet training and crate training
-
Enrichment, play, and confidence building
-
Approaches to training and learning theory
-
The foundations of Training and Obedience including: puppy 'life skills', manners, recall, settle, and loose lead walking foundation skills
-
Puppy development (emotional and physical)
-
The importance of appropriate socialisation opportunities
(Additional sessions can be added in and will booked as standard 1 hour Training/Obedience Session at a discounted price.)
Puppy Training Programme
Our 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Behaviour Modification Programmes
Basic Programme: £330
Enhanced Programme: £380
(Plus Initial Consultation Fee on both Programmes)
The Behaviour Modification Programmes both offer 6 hours of contact time and are designed for a dog who is struggling with a severe or stubborn issue which needs intense work to solve. We put a heavy focus on taking every aspect of the dog's life into account to put together a holistic behaviour plan. We don't do quick fixes; we look at changing your dogs entire mental space. This will include considering how your dog's environment, routine, diet, health, and history are affecting them currently.
The Behaviour Modification Programmes are structured as follows:
-
The programme begins with an Initial Consultation and is followed up by: a Short Summary Sheet (with the Basic Programme) or Detailed Written Report (with the Enhanced Programme).
-
Then usually 3-4 training sessions (totalling 6 hours of training time) is undertaken.
-
The Enhanced Programme is supplemented with a Working Document which includes Session Summaries, links, and videos, phone and email support.
-
Completion of both Programmes grant access to 2 hours of discounted training once the course has finished if required.
1 hour Training/Obedience Session
£50
These 1 hour Training/Obedience Sessions are great for puppies, or well mannered dogs who you'd simply like to improve their basic obedience with. We would work on things you would like your dog to know such as basic manners and commands like: sit, stay, down, loose lead walking skills and recall. Depending on the situation it may be most appropriate to go on a walk during these sessions as well as teaching in the home. They are not designed to help with behavioural challenges. or stubborn issues.
These one-off sessions can ONLY take place after/in combination with an Initial Consultation.
1 hour Behaviour Modification Session
£60
During a 1 hour Behaviour Modification Session, your dog will work with us on solving specific problems through fear free techniques and positive reinforcement. Depending on the situation it may be most appropriate to go on a walk during these sessions as well as teaching in the home.
These one-off sessions can ONLY take place after an Initial Consultation, and are best suited to dogs who are presenting with only mild behavioural difficulties. You will be advised by us at the Initial Consultation if ad-hoc sessions or a full programme will get you the best results. In most cases a full programme is recommended so we have time to work on issues holistically.
Our ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stay and Train Service
Our Stay and Train Service is aimed at those who have reservations about the traditional Board and Train Services (where your dog stays at the trainer's boarding facility,) or those who would like their property to be lived in when they go away.
Our Stay and Train Service is on offer to those who are going on a (minimum) 7 day trip and combines our first class Dog Sitting Service with a 6 Hour Behaviour Modification Programme.
🐾The Initial Consultation and Report Service will happen before you go away, so you have plenty of time to implement our management suggestions before we stay.
🐾Then we start all of the Training and Behaviour Modification for you whilst you are away.
🐾Whilst you're not here, we keep an interactive journal for you, so you can keep track of what your dog is up to.
🐾Upon your return a in person handover session is included to run through what's been covered during the Stay and Train.
Typically, a 7 day Stay and Train quote starts from £1000. However a bespoke quote will be gladly provided upon request.
Dog Walking & Dog Sitting
*WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS FOR DOG WALKING*
1hr Dog Walks
£15 per hour walk
(additional dogs from the same household incur an additional £5/hr charge)
We offer our walking service to clients who live in the MK41 area postcode (excluding Clapham).
We offer 1-2-1 walks, pairs, and trios, as well as additional pack walks organised when possible/where suitable. Walks range from off leash field walks to town centre pavement walks. We try to offer a variety of environments to your dog to encourage confidence and adaptability. That said if your dog is a real creature of habit, the same walk can be provided for them each time we see them!
*WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS FOR DOG WALKING*
1hr Training Walks
£20 per hour walk
We offer our walking service to clients who live in the MK41 area postcode (excluding Clapham) unless they can meet us at a mutually convenient location.
During a Training Walk we navigate each situation as it arises and then move on. It's coaching you and your dog how to handle scenarios in real time. Usually Training Walks are offered to dogs (and their owners) who are already in a Behaviour Programme with us, but they are also available for dogs who may just need a little extra guidance and structure on a walk, or extra time to build on some pre-existing training. Dog's can discern between walks with a trainer and walks with their owner however, so at least one Training Walk would need to be with you and your dog together, so we can show you the training to keep up with on your own walks.
*WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS FOR DROP-IN'S OUTSIDE OF A VERY LIMITED AREA*
Drop-in Service
£10 for 30 minutes or £15 for 1hr
We offer our 30 minute Drop-in service to clients who live in a specific MK41 area postcode
And 1hr Drop-in's to people in the general MK41 postcode area (excluding Clapham) and the Town Centre.
Perhaps your dog is elderly, recovering from surgery, or otherwise unable to go out. Maybe you're having an afternoon out shopping and want to make sure your dog has a toilet break and someone to play with. If that's the case then our Drop-in Service is the one for you. We provide enrichment, brain games, play time, toilet breaks, and cuddles.
Stooge Work/Drop-In's
We offer our 'drop-in' service for aiding with 'stooge work' for dog training too. 'Stooge Drop-In's' are charged at £20/hr and are aimed at people who are looking to practise training scenarios which may not ordinarily occur frequently enough to train reliably without the help of a second person. With our knowledge of canine behaviour and body language, a 'Stooge Drop-In' would be perfect for you if you want to do your own training with your dog who has doorbell reactivity issues. If you need someone to come and ring the bell, enter the house in an appropriate manner, and interact with your dog in a specific way then this service is the one for you. (You don't need to have participated in any training with us for this service, but we will only participate in positive reinforcement based training scenarios.)
Our 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dog Sitting Services
We offer 4 Dog Sitting Packages for your dog, from the comfort of their own home.
These are our Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Services. We offer partial day care (charged at our hourly rates), full day care (charged at our Package prices), and multi day stays (a bespoke quote is put together for you for this).
Hourly Rates for Partial Day Care: £15/hour during daytime hours and £5/hr during overnight hours.
💎Full Day Diamond Service (24hr period) = £125
Your dog will get their usual exercise as standard, plus additional solo or group walks where possible during the stay. Alongside this we will provide lots of breed specific enrichment activities to help keep them occupied and entertained whilst in our care. As a Behaviour Consultant and Trainer, we will work on maintaining any basic training you are doing with them such as recall practise on walks, or trick training in the house. Any rooms we have used during the stay will receive a vacuum, tidy, and the surfaces in those rooms will be wiped before we leave the property. We will also put the bins out if this is required during the dates of our stay. Your dog is not left unattended unless there is an emergency.
🥇Full Day Gold Service (24hr period) = £115
Your dog will get their usual exercise, plus an additional solo or group walk where possible each day. Alongside this we will provide lots of breed specific enrichment activities to help keep them occupied and entertained whilst in our care. Any rooms we have used during the stay will receive a vacuum and tidy, and the surfaces in those rooms will be wiped before we leave the property. We will also put the bins out if this is required during the dates of our stay. Your dog is not left unattended for more than 2 hours in any 24hr period.
🥈Full Day Silver Service (24hr period)* = £100
Your dog will get their usual exercise, plus an additional solo or group walk where possible each day. Alongside this we will provide lots of breed specific enrichment activities to help keep them occupied and entertained whilst in our care. Any rooms we have used during the stay will receive a vacuum and tidy before we leave the property if necessary. Your dog is not left unattended for more than 4 hours in any 24hr period.
🥉Full Day Bronze Service (24hr period)* = £80
As a minimum, your dog will get 2 x 1 hour drop-ins in a 24hr period plus overnight care. During the day, these drop-ins may be: walks, playtime, indoor/outdoor enrichment, and toilet breaks. Your dog won't be left alone for more than a ~4 hour period (where at all possible.)
*Not recommended for young dogs/puppies, those with separation anxiety, hyperactivity, destructiveness when left alone, or health issues which affect bladder control/toileting. If there is any doubt, the Silver and Bronze packages may only be booked after an initial meet and greet to ensure that this package is suitable for your dog’s welfare.
(Mileage charges on all Dog Sitting Services being provided at homes over 15 miles away from our location or 30 minutes travel time (whichever comes first) will be charged at a cost of 50p per mile or per minute from that point for each trip made by us. This will be made clear to you when we are discussing the initial arrangements for your services, and the cost may be calculated and invoiced before final quotes, after the initial payment is made, or even after the service has been provided.)
Special Event 'Chapawrone' Service
Contact us for a bespoke quote for this service as each special event is unique!
(Quotes start at £125)
We know your dog is a much a part of the family as any other member.
That's why our 'Chapawrone' Service includes premium features such as:
💍Transportation for your dog to and from the Venue
💍Transportation for your dog to and from their lodgings
💍1:2:1 Care for your dog throughout the day
💍Candid photographs of your dog during the day
(we leave the professional pictures to your photographers!)
💍Bow, corsage/flower, or bow tie provided for your dog to wear (if they are comfortable)
💍Meet and greet before The Special Day
Add on Services:
💍Additional day/overnight care at your home available
(charged at our Full Day Package Rates + Hourly Rates for Dog Sitting)
💍Extended/additional meet and greets before The Big Day
(charged at our hourly rate for Drop-Ins)
💍Transportation for your dog to and from the groomers on one occasion ahead of The Special Day
(charged at our hourly rate for Drop-Ins)
💍If you would desperately like your dog to attend your wedding with us as a chaperone but they dislike crowds of people or are a bit anxious, we can offer (and recommend) Training Sessions or a Behaviour Modification Programme before hand to help with anxiety and desensitisation. We can also offer a more bespoke package to you upon request. This might include just bringing your dog for photographs for half an hour in which case a separate quote will be provided.
(Mileage charges on 'Chapawrone' or Dog Sitting services exceeding an overall total of 25 miles over the course of the service being provided, will be charged at a cost of 50p per mile from that figure onwards. This will be made clear to you when we are discussing the initial arrangements for your services, and the cost may be calculated and invoiced before final quotes, after the initial payment is made, or even after the service has been provided.)
Photo by Mustard Yellow Photography (@nomandmalc)
Latest
News
We love new shiny things... and our latest discovery which we're delighted to announce we are now an affiliate partner with, is Touchango Toys!
Touchango have over 30 years of experience and 'aim to bring you some of our favourites, quality gear that has been used and loved by our own dogs. Every product is tried and tested - if we wouldn't use it ourselves, we don't stock it.'
Use our affiliate link or discount code ABCDOGTRAINING for 10% of your tug toys with them!
Testimonials
Our 'Recommended' Shop
All the items and services in our 'shop' come with the very best recommendation from us here at ABC Dog Behaviour. If we have spoken about purchasing a new harness or lead with you for example, then we will have referred you here to find links to those items.
ABC's clients have access to exclusive discount codes to use on the fantastic items sold by: Church Products UK (CPUKABC10 for 10% off), Westley (ABCDOGBEHAVIOUR for 15% off), and Tug-e-nuff (ABCDOGTRAINING for 10% off). PoochPass have also provided an affiliate code so please be sure to use ABCPOOCH when you sign up for their membership!
Please ensure you've used these codes or our affiliate links to get great discounts before you make your purchases with them!
NB. These are items and companies are ones we have personal, hands on, experience with and are recommending them based upon this. We take no responsibility for failures, guarantees, or warranty issues with any of these products or services - this will be held with the manufacturer or supplier as per usual laws and regulations.
Our favourite Training Harness
Heele
Our favourite Double Ended Leash
(We suggest 2.4m +)
Our favourite
Tug Dummy
Our favourite Traffic Handle
Our favourite Stylish Walk Sets
Our favourite
Pet Food Supplier
(Bromham, Bedford)
Our favourite
Dog Photographer
Our favourite
Boarding Services
(Kempston, Bedford)
Our favourite
Treat Pouch
Mikki Pet Products (Amazon)
Our favourite
Holistic Dog Groomer
(Bedford)
Our favourite Doggy Discount Club!
(Online Subscription)
Our favourite
Dog Toys
Contact
We look forward to hearing from you with any questions or queries you may have! You can submit the form below with so we can get in touch with you to see how we can help you best.
Please check out our Facebook and Instagram to also get in contact with us.
Bedford, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
Get in Touch
To make initial contact with us please fill out the form below or contact us on our Facebook or Instagram Pages.
