UK Enterprise Awards 2018

48 SME NEWS / UK Enterprise Awards 2018 , Best Canine behavioural Trainers 2018 - United Kingdom The National Dog Training Academy UKE18009 Drawing on the vast knowledge and experience of its dedicated team of staff, the National Dog Training Academy is a Southampton headquartered dog training specialist supporting a wide range of clients from across the UK. We invited Founder Sandra Lawton to talk us through the companyinmoredetailandprovideuswithafascinatinginsight intothesecretsbehinditssuccess. “Currently there is no government legislation or qualification for dog training, which is horrifying, and as such we aim to put professionally qualified training services as far and wide as we can across the UK. To ensure that we are always offering a truly cutting edge service that meets the needs of today’s dog owner We keep up to date with new training methods and we are always researching and trialling the best methods. We have a bigger team than most dog training schools and training outdoors gives us the upper edge on success rates, because we do not believe you can train a dog or puppy in a hall or indoor environment. Dogs cue in their environment when learning things so when they get to the park the training becomes ineffective around all the distractions.” Working with dogs may be a dream for many, but Sandra is passionate about only using the most experienced, dedicated trainers so that her clients receive a high quality service they can rely on, as she highlights as she explains her firm’s internal culture and interview process. “As part of my commitment to client excellence, all of my team have to undertake our full Train the Trainer programme before being accepted onto the team. Our interview process is unique, in that it is a day long and people have to carry out tasks. Our customers get to work with prospective new team members before they are accepted and Offering a wide range of solutions for all types of dogs of all ages, the National Dog Training Academy pride itself on putting customers at the heart of the business. Sandra discusses how this is achieved thanks to the academy’s specially designed courses. “As part of our commitment to putting our customers first, here at the National Dog Training Academy we provide innovative dog and puppy training programmes which have been developed over many years and are proven to be effective. We are passionate about making sure people can enjoy their time with their dog, and we know that this can only happen if dogs and pups are well-behaved. Clients come to us from all walks of life, sometimes with a new pup, sometimes with a new rescue dog and sometimes because their dog is offering behaviours that are not acceptable to them and their family. We offer class training and one to one training. Our passion is about reducing the number of dogs that end up in rescue centres due to behaviour issues.” Thanks to its licensing agreement the academy has training centres throughout the UK, and is constantly seeking new opportunities to support clients and ensure that they have a happy, fulfilling relationship with their pet. Sandra is keen to highlight the importance of this in such an unregulated market. offered work. This way we get customer feedback as well as team feedback, and we know that our new staff member is a good fit and able to provide our clients with the exceptional level of service that they expect.” Moving forward, providing this quality service will remain paramount for everyone at the National Dog Training Academy, as Sandra seeks to grow the business even further and work with more owners and their dogs. Her ultimate goal is to offer her firm’s services throughout the UK, which will ensure that dog owners up and down the country have access to fully qualified, registered dog trainers despite the lack of regulation in this industry. Company: The National Dog Training Academy Contact: Sandra Lawton Address: Riverside Boatyard Blundell, Lane, Southampton, SO31 1AA, UK Phone: 07714 769 260 & 02381782170 Website: www.thenationaldogtrainingacademy.co.uk