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I am so glad we found James. We rehomed our springer spaniel and was about at our wits end. She was so fearful of the world but also incredibly hyper and defensive at the same time. the more traditional training technics were too stressful for her, even asking her to sit to calm her stressed her out. James had an incredible insight into dog behaviour and the difference in our dog having met with James is enormous. He not only provided training in the sessions but was a real support in between not just with advice but reassurance to us too. We still have ways to go but now we can enjoy take her for walks and she is able to be a functioning part of the family. And the most wonderful thing is that we see that she is now enjoying life. Thank you James ☺️ ~ Laura K

I would like to thank the trainers for their help and support. After just one session Cloe (rescue dog age 5) is walking with the figure of 8 lead it was such a pleasure taking her for her walk not to be dragged along. I can now take Cloe for walks safe for me and her. Thank you Kathy & Cloe I am adding more to my post as my first session was only an hour (Ste & James felt we needed to practice the first session) so my 2nd session was yesterday and it was equally as good as the first, not only is the practical side invaluable but the knowledge you get it great. We have been helped a great deal and would highly recommend. Thank you again to you both looking forward to mre videos on the members page. Just an added note being a member is very worthwhile especially life time. ~ Kathy D

James is truly an amazing trainer - cool, calm and collected, just like we all should be with our dogs. On top of which, he is the owner's psychologist too, helping you understand what your dog is trying to teach you because it is always a two-way thing. The fact that he could read and understood my Border Collie, Floss, within 5 minutes of meeting her was impressive. You think you know your dog....and then you meet James!! He listens and doesn't judge, offering clear advice and a perfect understanding of all behaviours - yours and the dogs. I came away after one session feeling lighter, more capable and confident (and in my head, there was my dog looking at me saying...'finally you understand'). I would 100% recommend James and can't sing his praises enough except to say he is our very own Cesar Milan! ~ Barbara B

Willow James is a true dog (and owner) whisperer! Willow our 3 year old springerdor was getting so anxious and excited that she was struggling with walking on the lead and being near any other dogs without showing aggression, within a few hours James had assessed Willow (and us) and was able to help us transform what we were ALL doing that was creating this negative situation. With a few simple changes, plenty of practice and a growing confidence, walking Willow is now a totally different experience. she’s become far more relaxed, content and a joy to walk again. Can’t thank you enough James! We fully recommend you and your abilities to anyone seeking help with their dogs (and their own contributing) behaviour! ~ Christine T

James is such a knowledgable behavioural trainer. I approached him a few months ago as we were getting nowhere with our then 4 yr old Goldendoodle. Such a lovely natured dog at home but outside very reactive with dogs when on and off the lead. We had tried veterinary behavioural support who gave medication and two other trainers before seeking help from James. He is so calm and reassuring with both the dogs and their owners he builds a trusting relationship. Within a short time we have made such great progress with our girl we will be forever grateful. To see her interact with dogs now is simply amazing and although she still has a bit of a journey to go, I believe with James she will get there. Thank you James your your support. I would recommend a ‘A Dogs Way’ and James without hesitation. Helen, Sharon, John and Amber ~ Helen P

We recently had a session with James and Steve and we can’t speak highly enough of them. Our boy Otis, a 3yr old lab x golden retriever with a huge amount of energy, wasn’t easy to walk on the lead due to strong pulling and wanting to say hello to everyone. James and Steve didn’t just teach us techniques to manage this, but also spent time helping us understand Otis and his behaviours. We’ve now walked Otis in busy towns, stopped at cafes for lunch, walked on the beach and in the woods with friend’s dogs, and he has done fantastically. Before taking him to these places would have been hard work, but now our walks are an absolute pleasure. We really feel that what James and Steve have done for us is priceless! We honestly didn’t think we’d ever achieve this. We’re looking forward to many walks and trips away this year. Thank you! ~ Georgie D

Our journey started with our Border Collie that was terrified of low bass loud noises, ranging from a car boots slamming, to crow scarers and obliviously fireworks also and dustbin lids, after having 3 x one to one training sessions with James at TheDogsWay, the change in or dog is immense. Certainly not cured but massively changed in respect of his ability to cope when he is challenged. The tools that James has provided us with and generally the way that we now see thing from our dog point of view. I would definitely recommend booking in, if your furry friends are suffering with any issues. Thank you James your advice and tools that you provided have made a huge difference in our day to day lives. ~ Robin H

We were having behavioural issues with our 8 month old puppy, he had become very reactive towards other dogs and his behaviour was very unpredictable. I started trying to avoid busy areas when taking him out, and even started walking in the opposite direction if I saw dogs heading towards us just to avoid the situation that I knew would erupt. I booked the two hour S.O.S session with James and it was worth every penny. He was really knowledgable and didn’t take long to pick up on the reasons behind Lemmy’s behaviour. We have taken away the advice James gave us, and started putting things into practice, and within less than a week I am already noticing very small differences in Lemmy’s behaviour. We still have a long way to go but I feel confident that if we remain consistent and persistent then we will definitely get there. ~ Nicola

We can’t recommend James at The Dog’s Way highly enough. From the start, he was patient, understanding, and genuinely committed to helping both our dog Milo and us as owners. Despite being experienced dog owners, we quickly realised that some of our well-intentioned habits were contributing to Milo’s reactivity. James coached us with empathy and clarity, never making us feel judged and always taking the time to explain the “why” behind each approach. His calm, no-pressure style and focus on building trust made all the difference—not just for Milo, but for our confidence as owners. There was no hard sell, just genuine support and tailored advice that delivered results. We couldn’t be happier with the progress Milo has made and are incredibly grateful for James’ guidance. Highly recommended. Thank you James! ~ sara l

The wrong side of collecting a pension, a dog that was supposed to be easier than all the rescues I had owned - but turned out to be a nightmare, remorselessly biting every person and every dog in the household. I knew I needed help, so after a lot of research and frankly unhelpful information, I found James. I was no longer alone and for the first time I believed that with work, the problem was solvable. James explained to me why Dina the dog was behaving so badly. Most importantly, he explained to me what to do about it. And it worked. Please if you have real problems with your dog get in touch with James - he truly understands dogs, is non-judgmental and he offers solutions. Worth every penny. ~ Christina A

Just back from an excellent session with James to get help and advice on puppy training. Information was explained extremely clearly and he backed this up with clearly a great knowledge of dog behaviour and research. The dogs warmed to him as did we. 100% recommend if you are having problems / just need a bit of guidance. Thank you James 😀 Edit one year on: We went back for a second time for help with some issues with over-excitability in our cocker. James helped me to change my attitude and this has resulted in excellent improvement - I am more confident and Angus is more responsive and respectful. The result is a lovely bond developing. We are still a work in progress but the results are so good! A further 5* review. Thank you James. ~ K R

James provided us with a wealth of observations, insights, wisdoms and advice! Our one year old Airedale/Kerry Blue cross (one of our own pups) has recently started becoming reactive towards dogs she does not know. James' approach is one of taking a whole picture view, gaining a real understanding of circumstances and desired outcomes, and offering realistic, relevant strategies. We now accept that at this young age she is still developing and learning, and whilst we won't get everything "right", we now have new handling techniques to work on to give her the reassurance and confidence that she does not need to protect me. James' ability to cut through to the nub of the issue (my anxieties), and his non-judgmental guidance have really resonated with us. We left feeling considerably lighter and have enjoyed today's walks and off-lead time all the more! Thank you ~ Zoe M

James demonstrates exceptional expertise in his field, with a confident presence that is immediately apparent upon arrival. He maintains a calm and composed manner, delivering explanations in a clear, logical, and highly practical way. I am genuinely looking forward to putting his training into practice and can already see how beneficial it will be. I’m confident that the techniques and guidance he has provided will make a lasting difference in how I work with my two dogs, helping to build a stronger, more positive relationship with them in the future. It will also help me feel more confident leaving them at home, giving me greater flexibility and a sense of freedom in my day-to-day life. ~ Ann C

We have been working with James for a little while now, it’s really helped with our confidence and leave very session feeling upbeat as dog owners. We never wanted a ‘dog trainer’ but somebody who would focus on us and our relationship with our dog and the understanding of our dog and breed. After session one I think we realised we didn’t have a bad dog, a bad behaved dog but owners who needed more confidence about what was happening and why. Every session we have had we have left with bits of knowledge we can keep for life and a lot more confidence The biggest compliment is I would like James to be a part of our journey with our dog for life, that might not be always seeing him, but he be there for a catch up about even the littlest things we might have going on with our dog. Highly recommended!! Michael, Liz & Solo the Border Collie ~ Mick C

James was my fourth trainer for Toby who has quite severe separation anxiety . He spent a long time at my house , garden and surrounding area to help really understand him . Whilst Toby is not ‘cured’ yet he has made improvements and James has been so generous with his time and expertise on the phone following his home visit . He has a strong believe that the human psychological state and experiences impact on your animal and he’s helped me understand how my life needs help in order to help Toby . I’ve never met a trainer such brilliant insight and emotional intelligence. Thank you for your patience James . I’m hoping if we stick with you our lives will improve .😀 Liz and Toby x 🐕 ~ Liz

We have just had 3 training sessions with James at The Dogs Way and James has transformed our handling and relationship with our 2 year old Labrador. James has given us confidence in how to manage our dog and the environment related to her. Having previously become reluctant to take our dog anywhere because of her anxiety-related reactivity to other dogs, we now feel confident to take her with us, knowing that the methods James has taught us work instantly to calm our dog and give her quiet confidence. In the space of just 5 days and 3 training sessions, we can now walk in busy places with other dogs and our Labrador does not react. We highly recommend James at The Dogs Way. ~ Philippa Y

Myself and my partner visited James yesterday for a session with our Labradoodle and both of us were blown away by the wealth of knowledge and understanding of dogs James has. James initially watched Chester and how he reacted to both of us. He then gave a really detailed explanation to us about the reasons and the whys behind what Chester was doing and it’s given us both such a clearer understanding of him and how to respond going forward which is only going to enhance Chester’s life. We have already begun making changes and are both really looking forward to making progress and being able to go back for a follow up session. James has given us the confidence to work with Chester moving forward and the guidance we have had will lead to Chester being calmer and a happier dog and that’s really the goal. I can’t recommend James highly enough. 🌟 🐾 ~ Jessica B

Today we had our second session with James at The Dogs Way, we have a reactive 3 year old German Shepherd named Ziggy. Throughout our first session James talked us through our issues with Ziggy and thoroughly explained techniques to assist Ziggy with his reactivity. We implemented these techniques and 8 weeks later went back today for our second session. Again James went through further techniques with assisting Ziggy, again not only explaining the techniques but how they assist Ziggy with his reactivity. Throughout the sessions James is calm, clear with his directions and instructions. My wife and I enjoy the sessions and now look forward to walking Ziggy. ~ Edward K

110% recommend James. We’re new puppy owners and James spent a good two hours with us today focusing on walking outside, lead training and aggression/biting. Within 5 minutes of James entering the room, our puppy was like a different dog. Completely obedient and the biting stopped really quickly. James was lovely and we had a fantastic time and laugh with him. He was extremely calm and gentle towards our dog which was a concern as we knew a few dog trainers who take the harsher approach. If you have a puppy or have any dog issues, don’t even think twice about booking James. This evening was the best evening we had, extremely controlled and relaxed after 3 weeks of teething and biting. ~ James C

We are so glad to have found James. His patience and knowledge allowed us to really understand the route of the issues we were facing.We were really struggling with Kiefers separation anxiety and couldn't leave him alone without alot of stress and howling the moment we left. After one home visit, he gave us the key tools and advice to get us to where we are now...where we can leave Kiefer in the house alone for a couple of hours without him getting stressed and actually being able to settle by himself. Can't thank James for really helping us and we are now working together on his reactivity training which is going really well. Sarah, Steven and Kiefer! ~ Sarah B

James is one of those people who you truly cannot say enough good things about. Since our very first interaction with James he's been amazing. We've been struggling with our 1 year old cockapoo, he's a fabulous dog but is very over excited all the time. Whilst we're still having some issues as he's still only young we're in a much better place with him now all thanks to James' support and guidance. James is unquestionably the kindest, most generous, caring and compassionate person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He is always there to answer questions and concerns and gives information in a cohesive and relatable manor. I cannot recommend James and The Dogs Way enough. ~ Matt

We've been working with James now for a few month, both face to face sessions and telephone support and can't recommend The Dogs Way enough! Not only have we worked on practical steps to deal with issues we've had, we have also gained a wealth of knowledge to understand our dogs behaviours and how we as owners impact upon them too. We have definately seen a huge improvement and feel confident that we can over come the issues we have leading to happier dogs and happier humans! We cannot thank James enough, he's knowledgeable, explains things in an easy to understand way and is very clearly passionate about doing what's best for our dogs! We look forward to continuing our work and progress! ~ Kathryn M

We've been working with James since before we adopted our 2 year old cross Cosmo. He came to us with reactivity towards people and dogs. We got in touch with James to find how best to introduce Cosmo into our home. Since then we have been working with him on Cosmo's reactivity issues. Four months on and we can now walk Cosmo past most people within 2 meters with little to no reaction. When we first adopted we couldn't be within eyesight of another person. We still have a long way to go but I'm sure we'll get him there. James has been amazing throughout the whole process. He's helped us learn how to manage Cosmo and show him how to behave when something stresses him out. I would whole heartedly recommend getting in touch asap if you have issues or are thinking of adopting for the first time. Odds are you'll learn just as much as your pup will. ~ Aaron P

I contacted James when my Ridgeback would not eat although the vets had examined him and done an ultra sound and told me he was perfectly fit and well. The vets suggested it could be a behavioural problem. Benson had lost 2 kilo at this stage. James confidently assured me that with his help and advice Benson WOULD eat. His professionalism gave me the confidence to follow his advice even though I was extremely stressed. James contacted me for daily reports and encouraged me all the time By day 4 Benson was eating and has never looked back. I would like to recommend James for his knowledge and understanding of the dogs mind. Joyce Stephenson and Benson ~ Joyce S

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