Testimonials
Dog training West Oxfordshire / Help with dog behaviour challenges Oxfordshire and Surrounds
Jane Wardle, Witney
“Fiona is just a marvel with dogs whether it be with initial attentive puppy training, or with a particular dog behavioural problem. Her dedication and knowledge are second to none. We have recently worked through some dog training sessions with her to help solve a few behavioural problems developed by our teenage terrier. Her dog training techniques have really worked wonders with both dog and owners! There is also always plenty of valuable feedback after the sessions. We now have a much more contented pooch. I cannot thank her, and recommend her enough.”
Eliana, Witney
"I reached out to Fiona after my dog, Honey, unfortunately experienced a house fire. As a consequence, she had become increasingly nervous in her behavior. From the first contact, Fiona was nothing but professional, kind, and helpful. She met with Honey for an initial assessment and provided a large amount of useful resources and information. Then we started the training sessions, and within months, Honey went from being a stressed-out, traumatized dog that pulled the entire walk and barked non-stop in the car, to a dog that now walks with a loose lead, is calm, and can even sit quietly next to me in the car. Honey is like a new dog, and I look forward to continuing to work on training and seeing even more results. If you are considering using this service, do it! It really is amazing!"
Kim Boreham, Minster Lovell
"We cannot thank you enough for your time and expertise today. You truly are amazing at what you do. Everything you said today made total sense and we learned a huge amount. I'm almost afraid to say it, but we have seen a massive difference in Martha's behaviour already! The grandchildren came to us after school and we taught them how to treat Martha with regards to her barking for attention - they thoroughly enjoyed hearing about the reasoning behind it. We also took Martha for a walk this afternoon and acted exactly the way you taught us this morning. We came across another dog and she didn't bark!!! I know we have a way to go yet but I can definitely see light at the end of the tunnel - and I never thought that could be possible. I am so chuffed at the prospect of Martha having a much happier life - thank you so very much."
Ellie, Witney
"Fiona has taught us with one to one coaching how to communicate easily with our puppy and have so much fun training him! With her help, our 5 month old puppy has sailed through group puppy training classes and is the envy of everyone we meet. We are aiming to train our puppy to KC good citizen dog scheme gold level and with Fiona's guidance I know we will get there, and quickly."
Jill, Eynsham
"We were feeling overwhelmed by our 5 month old puppy Rosa and didn't know where to start with puppy training, worried that we were reinforcing the wrong behaviour. Rosa warmed to Fiona very quickly and we were able to get through a lot of different aspects of dog training and coaching within a relatively short period of time. Just one puppy training session made a huge difference to Rosa, and us, and has set us off with confidence and enthusiasm to continue our training journey. Rosa has also been much calmer in general following the puppy training. The dog training notes provided after the session were incredibly helpful too. Would recommend Canine Potential to everyone!"
Lucy Gough
"We have been working with Fiona to help our incredibly anxious whippet overcome the challenges we face daily. Despite only being a few sessions in we are already seeing a remarkable change in Jimmy. Fiona offers her dog behaviour training and support with an incredibly kind approach and her passion for dogs is abundantly clear. We cannot recommend Canine Potential enough - absolutely brilliant."
Helen Walker, Coombe
"We contacted Fiona because we were experiencing challenging behaviour with our 15 month old fox red Labrador. Fiona was amazing with both her and us. She was very perceptive and very quickly we started to see improvement with our pup. She spends a lot of time getting to know the issues and I was very impressed with the way she prepares for each session with amazing care and attention. We now have a vastly improved, calm attentive dog with good recall! I would recommend Fiona whole heartedly."
Susan Foster, Oxford
"Fiona's advice, insight and encouragement has been invaluable. Working with Fiona has given us the techniques, the confidence and the understanding to help our rescue dog Honey with her behaviour training. Fiona, we have loved your consistent, gentle approach and you have made a huge difference to Honey's life and to ours."
Michael, Swinbrook
"I arranged some personal dog training sessions with Fiona for my 6 month old Ridgeback Zola. Zola is a large and lively puppy and we worked on greeting people and animals calmly and eliminating his habit of jumping up and mouthing. Zola was transformed in just the first session. He became calmer and less anxious and this effect continued after the session. Fiona is a very experienced and knowledgeable dog trainer and I found the sessions extremely valuable and very helpful."
Lois, Witney
"I was really desperate when I contacted Fiona about my two dogs. There had been several serious dog fights between them and I was seriously considering re-homing one of them, with a very heavy heart. Fiona came and immediately tuned into the situation. She is very perceptive and picked up on my stress levels as well as the dogs. She was also very diplomatic in her approach to correcting my behaviour as well as theirs, explaining everything clearly and thoroughly as she went along, giving practical advice which was backed up by written notes afterwards. I now have two very happy dogs, who are progressing well, and I am far more aware of the trigger points for both of them. I have recommended her to several of my dog-owner friends already."
Ashleigh, Witney
"My 2 year old lab and I had a fantastic dog training session with Fiona. We focused on loose lead walking but Fiona also introduced us to some great recall games. Fiona has an endless amount of patience and was very encouraging towards me and my dog. My dog responded incredibly well towards her. Fiona has an in-depth understanding of dog behaviour and provided me with a variety of strategies to help. After the session she also provided me with notes of the key points from our session, which was great to refer to in the weeks that followed. I would thoroughly recommend Canine Potential. The session has made a huge difference to my dog."
Mark Hilsdon, Long Hanborough
"We contacted Fiona because we needed expert help with our adolescent cocker spaniel Polly. Our main concerns were with socialising and recall. Dog training sessions are always productive and fun and Polly thoroughly enjoys each one. Polly and I have gained immeasurably from training with Fiona. We are now more confident owners and Polly is a happy, fulfilled dog."
Olivia, Crawley
“Fiona is very calm and has an excellent way with Poppy. In just the first few weeks Fiona taught Poppy to drop, wait and had given us excellent advice on how to make her come back to go on the lead, which worked every time! We have seen such a huge improvement in Poppy's behaviour and would like to thank her ever so much for her help.”
Kimberly Cox A.P.D.T., Kimberly Cox Dog Training School
"Fiona is a gentle, dedicated and effective dog trainer"
Alison
"Whoever coined the praise 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' had clearly never encountered Fiona, her patience and evident love for the animals which underpins her successful and, most importantly, kind and consistent training methods. Over the past 15 years, I have watched Fiona 'convert' a number of rescue dogs who had the most dubious starts in life into responsive, well-trained and, most importantly, happy canine companions. Inspirational work."
Linda Green
"Fiona is totally committed to animal welfare and the condition of her own animals is testament to this. She demonstrates a wonderful rapport and empathy in her dog training and obtains excellent results. She is thoroughly reliable and responsible and I have no hesitation in recommending her dog training and behaviour services."
Sam Thorne, dog trainer, Fsdc Canine Behaviour and Training
"I have known Fiona for some time now and have every confidence in her ability and reliability as a dog trainer".
“Fiona is just a marvel with dogs whether it be with initial attentive puppy training, or with a particular dog behavioural problem. Her dedication and knowledge are second to none. We have recently worked through some dog training sessions with her to help solve a few behavioural problems developed by our teenage terrier. Her dog training techniques have really worked wonders with both dog and owners! There is also always plenty of valuable feedback after the sessions. We now have a much more contented pooch. I cannot thank her, and recommend her enough.”
Eliana, Witney
"I reached out to Fiona after my dog, Honey, unfortunately experienced a house fire. As a consequence, she had become increasingly nervous in her behavior. From the first contact, Fiona was nothing but professional, kind, and helpful. She met with Honey for an initial assessment and provided a large amount of useful resources and information. Then we started the training sessions, and within months, Honey went from being a stressed-out, traumatized dog that pulled the entire walk and barked non-stop in the car, to a dog that now walks with a loose lead, is calm, and can even sit quietly next to me in the car. Honey is like a new dog, and I look forward to continuing to work on training and seeing even more results. If you are considering using this service, do it! It really is amazing!"
Kim Boreham, Minster Lovell
"We cannot thank you enough for your time and expertise today. You truly are amazing at what you do. Everything you said today made total sense and we learned a huge amount. I'm almost afraid to say it, but we have seen a massive difference in Martha's behaviour already! The grandchildren came to us after school and we taught them how to treat Martha with regards to her barking for attention - they thoroughly enjoyed hearing about the reasoning behind it. We also took Martha for a walk this afternoon and acted exactly the way you taught us this morning. We came across another dog and she didn't bark!!! I know we have a way to go yet but I can definitely see light at the end of the tunnel - and I never thought that could be possible. I am so chuffed at the prospect of Martha having a much happier life - thank you so very much."
Ellie, Witney
"Fiona has taught us with one to one coaching how to communicate easily with our puppy and have so much fun training him! With her help, our 5 month old puppy has sailed through group puppy training classes and is the envy of everyone we meet. We are aiming to train our puppy to KC good citizen dog scheme gold level and with Fiona's guidance I know we will get there, and quickly."
Jill, Eynsham
"We were feeling overwhelmed by our 5 month old puppy Rosa and didn't know where to start with puppy training, worried that we were reinforcing the wrong behaviour. Rosa warmed to Fiona very quickly and we were able to get through a lot of different aspects of dog training and coaching within a relatively short period of time. Just one puppy training session made a huge difference to Rosa, and us, and has set us off with confidence and enthusiasm to continue our training journey. Rosa has also been much calmer in general following the puppy training. The dog training notes provided after the session were incredibly helpful too. Would recommend Canine Potential to everyone!"
Lucy Gough
"We have been working with Fiona to help our incredibly anxious whippet overcome the challenges we face daily. Despite only being a few sessions in we are already seeing a remarkable change in Jimmy. Fiona offers her dog behaviour training and support with an incredibly kind approach and her passion for dogs is abundantly clear. We cannot recommend Canine Potential enough - absolutely brilliant."
Helen Walker, Coombe
"We contacted Fiona because we were experiencing challenging behaviour with our 15 month old fox red Labrador. Fiona was amazing with both her and us. She was very perceptive and very quickly we started to see improvement with our pup. She spends a lot of time getting to know the issues and I was very impressed with the way she prepares for each session with amazing care and attention. We now have a vastly improved, calm attentive dog with good recall! I would recommend Fiona whole heartedly."
Susan Foster, Oxford
"Fiona's advice, insight and encouragement has been invaluable. Working with Fiona has given us the techniques, the confidence and the understanding to help our rescue dog Honey with her behaviour training. Fiona, we have loved your consistent, gentle approach and you have made a huge difference to Honey's life and to ours."
Michael, Swinbrook
"I arranged some personal dog training sessions with Fiona for my 6 month old Ridgeback Zola. Zola is a large and lively puppy and we worked on greeting people and animals calmly and eliminating his habit of jumping up and mouthing. Zola was transformed in just the first session. He became calmer and less anxious and this effect continued after the session. Fiona is a very experienced and knowledgeable dog trainer and I found the sessions extremely valuable and very helpful."
Lois, Witney
"I was really desperate when I contacted Fiona about my two dogs. There had been several serious dog fights between them and I was seriously considering re-homing one of them, with a very heavy heart. Fiona came and immediately tuned into the situation. She is very perceptive and picked up on my stress levels as well as the dogs. She was also very diplomatic in her approach to correcting my behaviour as well as theirs, explaining everything clearly and thoroughly as she went along, giving practical advice which was backed up by written notes afterwards. I now have two very happy dogs, who are progressing well, and I am far more aware of the trigger points for both of them. I have recommended her to several of my dog-owner friends already."
Ashleigh, Witney
"My 2 year old lab and I had a fantastic dog training session with Fiona. We focused on loose lead walking but Fiona also introduced us to some great recall games. Fiona has an endless amount of patience and was very encouraging towards me and my dog. My dog responded incredibly well towards her. Fiona has an in-depth understanding of dog behaviour and provided me with a variety of strategies to help. After the session she also provided me with notes of the key points from our session, which was great to refer to in the weeks that followed. I would thoroughly recommend Canine Potential. The session has made a huge difference to my dog."
Mark Hilsdon, Long Hanborough
"We contacted Fiona because we needed expert help with our adolescent cocker spaniel Polly. Our main concerns were with socialising and recall. Dog training sessions are always productive and fun and Polly thoroughly enjoys each one. Polly and I have gained immeasurably from training with Fiona. We are now more confident owners and Polly is a happy, fulfilled dog."
Olivia, Crawley
“Fiona is very calm and has an excellent way with Poppy. In just the first few weeks Fiona taught Poppy to drop, wait and had given us excellent advice on how to make her come back to go on the lead, which worked every time! We have seen such a huge improvement in Poppy's behaviour and would like to thank her ever so much for her help.”
Kimberly Cox A.P.D.T., Kimberly Cox Dog Training School
"Fiona is a gentle, dedicated and effective dog trainer"
Alison
"Whoever coined the praise 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' had clearly never encountered Fiona, her patience and evident love for the animals which underpins her successful and, most importantly, kind and consistent training methods. Over the past 15 years, I have watched Fiona 'convert' a number of rescue dogs who had the most dubious starts in life into responsive, well-trained and, most importantly, happy canine companions. Inspirational work."
Linda Green
"Fiona is totally committed to animal welfare and the condition of her own animals is testament to this. She demonstrates a wonderful rapport and empathy in her dog training and obtains excellent results. She is thoroughly reliable and responsible and I have no hesitation in recommending her dog training and behaviour services."
Sam Thorne, dog trainer, Fsdc Canine Behaviour and Training
"I have known Fiona for some time now and have every confidence in her ability and reliability as a dog trainer".