Testimonals
Barbara and Mark with Bob the Lurcher - new rescue dog with mouthing and over boisterous behaviour along with separation anxiety.
Claire was recommended to us by our vets after we got our Lurcher, Bob. Bob is a stray with no history, we encountered some initial problems with mouthing and over enthusiastic behaviour, which Claire was able to assess when she came to visit us. She sent us a very thorough email detailing some methods to try, which worked very well. We also encountered problems with separation anxiety, again Claire came up with some strategies to put into place, which have worked. She has always been available to us via email or phone, which has been a great help, especially when we felt that we might be creating a problem with Bob which we would have to undo in the future.We would recommend Claire to anyone struggling with behavioural issues with their dog, she is calm, practical and non-judgemental.
Jane and Martin with Lucy and Larry the Bichon Frise -aggression between the 2 household dogs.
I wanted to Thank you for all the advice and support you have given us regarding Lucy's behavioural problems. My husband was ready to rehomed her but thanks to your assessment and your advice we have been able to reduce Lucy's resource guarding and eliminate her aggressive outbursts towards Larry. Your recommendation to review her medication with her vet with a view to changing it has also contributed to an improvement in her behavioural problems. We can't thank you enough.
Angie and Taffy the Welsh Terrier - resource guarding
Thank you so much for your help with my problems with Taffy, I have learnt to understand the reasons behind his actions , which has made life so much easier. I know he will probably always have “issues”, but you have given me the confidence to deal with any problems as they arise. The hand signals alongside simple clear commands are definitely working, I am actually managing to send him out of the room just by pointing my finger...pretty good I think ! I find Taffy responds much better if I remain calm, even his recall has improved. Hopefully things will continue to improve, but it is reassuring to know I can ask your advice if I need to.
Martin and Christine with Kashi the Staffordshire bull terrier - stick obssessed and taking over the bed!
He is definitely cheekier but in a lovable way, so all is pretty good at the moment. Christine’s nephew saw him yesterday for the first time in some months and his first comments were “He’s looking really good and he’s so much calmer.” The bed solution is also working really well. Every night he just jumps up onto the bed, curls up in his basket and stays there. No more of him trying to snuggle into my back all night; I can now easily forget that he’s there at all. I think this may be as good as we get but I can certainly live with it as we are. So 2 problems solved. So I think that at present we are OK and now have no real problems with him to worry about. Thank you for your very insightful help in solving them, which has been absolutely invaluable.
Alison and Jerry the Norfolk terrier - barking at car, bikes and lorries
Things are progressing well with Jerry and we are definitely seeing an improvement!
He is much more relaxed in the street and walking well with the halti on the way out and sometimes we take it off on the return.
Jill and Ben the Border collie. Ben would aggressively bark and chase joggers, cyclists, men and had started to bark at children.
1 week after the visit. Thank you very much for your visit. I found it illuminating and inspirational. It's early days, I know, but I can't believe how much calmer, more responsive and well-mannered he has become already. And we've been past several unattended men, groups, cyclists, without Ben even batting an eyelid.
1 Month after the visit. Going out with him is so much easier now, and also more enjoyable, possibly for both of us. We engage more, in both directions and I think we both get so much more out of it. So thank you for inspiring me to do this further training. I did loads when I first got him, but it was uphill work. Then, when he got to an 'ok' level, I just stopped. Poor Ben must have thought I didn't want to 'play' any more. But our bond is much stronger 4 years on, and now it's getting even more so.
5 Months after the visit. He is so much better, and always improving. His basic training is much improved. He generally comes instantly, if not at too hurried a pace. And I have more control over him at a significant distance, like 100 yards. I'm very pleased.
Tom and Luna the Cocker Spaniel - Luna was showing aggression to other dogs in the park
Thank you so much for this. The training has started really well and your advice has been fantastic.
Becki and Freddie the pug - separation anxiety
We found you really helped up with Freddie’s anxiety issue and he is now the model dog at home.
Sven and Nelly the Labradoodle - not coming back when called
Thank you for all your help and putting our minds at ease. We knew it was our lack of knowledge that was holding us back and we definitely feel more confident now that we can teach Nelly how to be an even better dog!
Ellen and Poppy the spaniel cross breed - reactivity to unfamiliar people and separation anxiety
If anyone is struggling with their dog's behaviour then I would highly recommend Claire Francis. Claire has been working with me for the last five months on my rescue dog Poppy's barking, reactivity to strangers and separation anxiety.
Claire is brilliant and it has been so helpful to have one qualified voice to listen to as I was getting very overwhelmed with all the different bits of conflicting advice from the internet and well meaning people.
She is very knowledgeable, approachable and understands rescue dogs and their complicated needs. All her advice is tailored to our situation and it is so great to have someone to talk through all the highs and lows of dog ownership.
I am lucky enough to be able to bring Poppy in to work with me, so after I filled in a very detailed questionnaire, Claire came to my work and did a lengthy assessment there. We then went back to my flat and she spent a time with us getting to know our home situation also. She then wrote me a very long and tailored report about why Poppy behaves the way she does, what we need to focus on, and a step by step guide on how to deal with it. I have to keep a diary of Poppy's behaviour so we can see how she gets on with the different bits of training. We had weekly follow up calls and we have now progressed to fortnightly calls where we talk through what is working and areas I need to tweak. I feel I can discuss anything with Claire and she will always give me helpful and constructive suggestions.
I have really noticed a difference in Poppy’s behaviour since we started and I have had lots of friends and colleagues comment on how much she has improved. We have a way to go but she is so much less wound up and I am less stressed. I have stopped doubting myself and can now focus on Claire's strategies, which I can see are working. If you are struggling with your dog’s behaviour then Claire is definitely the person to call.
Cath with Poppy and Benny the rabbits that needed some help to get along
We were really pleased to have Claire's advice for improving the relationship between our rabbits. Claire asked questions and observed them to gain an understanding of their dynamic and she gave us a variety of strategies that have helped turn things around. We are so happy to be seeing a lot less chasing and bullying and a lot more snuggling and grooming!
Katrina, moving to New Zealand with her cats
We contacted Claire to ask for advice about whether or not we should relocate our cats to New Zealand. Claire has really helped us to decide to bring the cats with us. She has put my mind at ease and we will bring the cats with us.
Jess, with her cat Norman, inappropriately urinating in the home
Claire was so supportive with our cat spraying issues. She was very thorough, and I feel she really understood our issue, and we felt listened to. We were at the end of our rope with our cat and didn’t know where to turn. Claire got us to fill in a detailed questionnaire and she came prepared with lots of tips and possible solutions. They have really made a difference. She explained that it wasn’t a quick fix, which was realistic, but she did give us hope and things have improved. We still have a way to go, but we are on the right path thanks to Claire
