Client Testimonials

I cannot express how glad I am that we found Rich and completed the recall training. I contacted Enrich k9 as my nerves couldn’t take another incident where Chico was off chasing a deer 🦌 funnily enough when Rich called me for the first consultation I was in the woods yet again looking for my dog who had run off after a deer 😂 we had previously had e collar training but it just wasn’t working when he got the thrill of the chase. Walks were no longer enjoyable.. Rich showed us exactly how to use the collar in different situations explaining adrenaline etc.. he even let us practice on him 😂 roll on now we are walking deep in the forest totally relaxed with the knowledge that Chico will return to me 😊 we have had a long and expensive journey with training and wish I had found Enrich k9 at the beginning 😃

We had a great experience being trained by Rich. For me, I picked up a huge amount of experience and confidence to continue to work on our recall. For the puppy, it has enabled him to really develop and enjoy his time off the lead in a safe manner.

We have just had 4 sessions over 4 days with Rich and our 2 dogs and can't recommend him enough. We have 2 HPR dogs with high prey drive and at the end of the 4 days the dogs have been exceptional on off lead in high distraction environments. In fact we couldn't even get them to chase anything! Rich makes it very easy to work with him in a way that brings dog training not only to the dog but also the owners. He ensures you leave feeling confident and in control of your dogs at all times. In fact by the time we left our dogs were not displaying any of the unwanted behaviours we had been experiencing. These were chasing other animals, including other dogs and also their interaction with other dogs was a pleasure and not a stress.

Having completed Rich’s recall training package a few weeks ago I’d like to thank him and recommend him to anyone who is struggling with a prey driven dog. Our story is like so many others, we have a beautiful 22 month GSP, Pepper, who is wonderfully behaved in so many ways, however, it became apparent at about 10 months old that her drive was very strong and chasing was the best thing in the world, better than warm ham, cheese and roast chicken! At the advice of trainers she was put back onto a long line and not allowed to self reward or reinforce the chase. We’ve trained in group classes and had more 1 to 1 sessions than I dare think about, all force free and positively reinforced. We worked tirelessly with a long line to condition recall in different environments under different distractions and we attend gundog training to help with steadiness and focus and yet, I’ve still had a line ripped from my hands and she’s still taken off in pursuit of feathers or fur. The communication between us was blurred and frankly I’m not sure either of us were really enjoying our walks. Certainly I wasn’t, they had been stressful to say the least. I’ll admit that it was with reluctance that I knew I wasn’t making progress and that I needed to consider an alternative. Rich had been recommended on a GSP specific site and so I began my research. I was still skeptical of the use of an e-collar and I had preconceptions of it as a tool. After emailing Rich he called me to talk through what I needed and he allayed my concerns. My husband and I found Rich to be wonderful with us and fantastic with Pepper who responded to him immediately and was very excited to see him each session. He explained things very clearly to my husband and I, recognizing that I was quite anxious about using the collar, he explained how it worked and what we needed to observe in Pepper. He was insistent that we both use the collar in different scenarios on him before Pepper and he built my confidence beautifully. The result, four weeks on in our training is that Pepper and I have the most fantastic walks, no more do I wake up and wonder where I can walk her because I can walk her anywhere. We’re walking in the woods, something impossible with a line, and I am completely confident that I can keep her and wildlife safe. The communication between us is clear, she checks in with me regularly and recalls in any situation. I hadn’t realised how exhausted I was and I am now so happy and loving all of our walks. Rich told me this would be life changing, and it is. I cannot recommend him enough.

What a great 4 days! I feel so privileged to have met Rich! I thought E-collars were just for recall but actually they are so much more than that! Pick a behaviour you don’t like and Rich will guide you to putting it right. We are just at the beginning but I can see that we will have the dogs we have always dreamt of owning. Rich is also at the end of the phone if you need help afterwards. Already, my revved up high prey dog is checking in with me, staying close and I feel a stronger bond with her, the one that I had before she discovered squirrels! Rich takes the time so you can go at your own pace. He emboldened me and my husband to have the confidence that we can take this away and and continue his work. We shall be returning with our puppy and our 12 year old deaf Dalmatian. Do yourself a favour and give this a try, you will not regret it.

We have just finished our 4 day E-Collar training with Rich and I cannot recommend him highly enough. Caesar is a 15 month old Vizsla who has extremely high prey drive for all things furry, which has started to become a cause for concern. Both for his safety but also that of wildlife and livestock. Rich has a wealth of knowledge and from day one we saw results, he was happy to answer any questions or concerns and has incredible insight into the breed. I would encourage anyone who is sceptical, to look beyond the stigma that often comes with E- collars to do some research and see that when used correctly and alongside positive reinforcement they are truly brilliant tools! I can now confidently say I can recall Caesar reliably and consistently even when faced with distractions. I am truly grateful for Richard’s expertise and help on our training journey and would thoroughly recommend to all ☺️

I have just finished 4 sessions of e-collar recall training with EnrichK9 and i am absolutely blown away buy the level of improvement in my dog. i have gone from being worried to let my dog off lead in case he catches a scent and is gone for hours, or scrambling to get him on lead when i see another dog, to having very calm and relaxed off lead walks and much more positive interactions with my dog.

I’m not sure where to start! Our training journey for Boston has been a long (and expensive!) one. We live on the outskirts of a busy city - walk left we’re in the middle of town, right we’re in beautiful rolling countryside. Boston needs to be able to walk nicely in both situations. Although very kind and gentle in nature, Boston is 72KG and when he pulled on the lead, I could not control my dog in public. End of. Bostons heel training was ok but he was easily distracted and knew he could pull me along if he wanted to and his recall was non existent. We tried everything from dancing around a field with jazz hands to carrying raw food in our pockets - nothing seemed to work. Boston was getting frustrated, he wasn’t getting the exercise he needed to burn off all of his energy - long lines and flexi leads were out of the question due to his size so it was private rented fields on weekends for his true ‘run around’ - not the life I envisaged or wanted to give my dog. Following a number of ‘hiccups’, for Boston, as well as my own safety, I left his walks for my partner to do. I felt like I’d failed as an owner and my relationship with Boston in particular deteriorated as I couldn’t and wasn’t meeting his needs. As a last resort and after extensive research we decided to give e-collar training a go. I researched local trainers - none of which I felt were a good fit for us and then came across Rich. Someone I felt was open and honest about his training methods, both past and present, as well as passionate about giving dogs the life they deserve. I spoke to Rich multiple times on the phone ahead of our session. He detailed how the training would work and continued to reassure me that he’s never met a dog where e-collar training had failed - something that I was initially really worried about! I also called Rich before our session having had a few incidents happen with Boston. He listened and advised what he could in order to carry us over until our session a few weeks later. When we met Rich, he was welcoming, understanding and personable. He explained again what would happen over the next 4 days and the varying stages Boston would go through. We tried the e-collar on ourselves, practiced our recall on Rich and then started to expose Boston to varying real life scenarios - other dogs, deers, squirrels - all of which would have been impossible to go anywhere before working with Rich - on or off the lead! As a bonus, Boston started to learn doggy etiquette as Rich taught us how to lower his adrenaline when we met dogs out and about - this really helped with Boston’s cocky and confident approach towards other dogs - we’ve had no ‘incidents’ at all since working with Rich. It’s now been 4 weeks since Boston passed his training with flying colours, our lives have been flipped upside down - all for the better. We’ve exposed Boston to more and more experiences and situations all of he’s taken in his stride. Bostons recall is on point every time, he no longer pulls on the lead when in heel, he can now sniff, play, chase and run safely and responsibly. He’s a much happier dog for it and I genuinely look forward to every single walk I have with him. I can’t thank Rich enough for the training, on going support and freedom he’s given us, the world has now opened up for us - my only regret is that we didn’t find Rich sooner! Photos below of our most recent off lead adventure to a VERY busy doggy beach!

Where do I start with our journey, a little context: Master Wu is a 4 and half year old wire-haired German Pointer. We have until our training with Rich been completely out of our depth. Wu has been on a long line all his life because his prey drive is very fitting to his breed, nose to the floor, constantly seeking the scent of prey in the air. If we ever risked letting him off the lead he would bolt and be gone for hours. This always felt very scary and unsafe. We have previously done training with the breeder who is a gun dog specialist and that wasn't successful, so we tried another trainer and that didn't fix it either. We had really tried with this dog. I listened and was patient but no matter how interesting I made myself or what treats I took out on walks (steak in some instances) Wu never came back when called. I was at my wits end in November 2023 and knew that I had to change our narrative, otherwise we might look to re-home Wu which would devastate our 10 year old son and maybe me but I'd had enough at that point. Walking the dog had become a chore that I dreaded. As well as not having a reliable recall he would pull on the lead, so no part of walking Wu was enjoyable. I was recommend Rich by a neighbour, I spent a long time reading up about e-collar training, weighed up the cost and contacted Rich. The initial consultation was excellent, Rich took the time to understand my issues with Wu and also ensured that he had a detailed analysis of exactly what Wu was like. Initially I felt that Rich really wanted to assess whether the training would be beneficial to Wu, at no point did I feel that he would just accept us as a client regardless. It was about whether the training was appropriate for us as a family and for Wu. Thankfully Rich did think the training would be suitable. We started our training on 2nd January, my husband was so sceptical, because nothing had worked previously. Rich has a brilliant manner that made the whole family feel at ease, my husband commented that he never felt talked down to like he has with other trainers. Rich was fantastic with Wu. Wu had the best morning sniffing around Rich's training environment. Rich spent a long time talking about how the e-collar worked, we all got to feel what it would be like for Wu when he would wear it. I think I found this so reassuring because it immediately eliminated my fears that it was cruel. It really is like someone tapping you on the shoulder to remind you and in Wu's case this is to come back. Wu actually did really well on day one and tuned into the e-collar straight away so we were able to meander along the lane. I felt so safe in Rich's presence and I felt that he had so much knowledge and experience that he knew exactly what to do if there was an oh sh*t moment. I could tell that Rich was reading Wu's body language the whole time. Day two we spent learning how to use the collar but Rich testing our reaction times on him rather than us using Wu. This was invaluable because it taught us when we were maybe too slow with our reaction or we didn't have the e-collar turned up high enough when the dog would be in an adrenalin fuelled environment. Once we'd practiced on Rich he demonstrated it on Wu, and then handed us the reins to ensure we could use it. Day 3 we spent out on the area in a high scent environment that is packed full of deer and wildlife. This would have been impossible with Wu prior to the training, he would have been gone, of course he wasn't, if anything we were almost tripping up over Wu, unheard off! Day 4 our final day and I left feeling on top of the world. I could now safely walk my dog and I would always have a reliable recall. Rich also recommend that we get a figure of 8 lead to stop Wu pulling on the lead. An absolute game changer. I also ordered one for my friend who has a cocker spaniel and she says her dog has stopped pulling! I simply cannot recommend Rich highly enough. He has changed our lives, and Wu is one happy dog bounding amongst the undergrowth doing what he should be doing sniffing, yo-yoing back to us. This is the best money I've spent this year. Rich has enabled us to have at least 10 years of love and joy with Wu. Our Spring/Summer is looking so exciting as we'll be able to go for long evening walks. Thank you so much Rich. Kay, Foxy, Otis & Wu.

Where do I start? I honestly thought my reactive rescue was doomed for a life on the lead until I found Rich through a mutual friend. I'd tried 3 or more local trainers who proved, for want of a better expression, rubbish. So, off I drove from Bristol to Surrey for our first meet and consultation for Rich to work out our nutcase and whether he could help. I'm not lying when driving home after seeing Rich for the first time I cried. it was such a relief to think he could help and I was happy to try anything to give Asa his best chance at life. Some thought I was crazy for travelling so far for a trainer, I saw it as a new lease of life for us both and pinned so much hope on our forthcoming training. Fast forward a few months to the start of training (mid December 2023) I'm a nervous wreck over thinking everything and despite listening intently got so many things wrong but we were in the safety of Rich's garden / grounds and with his patience I got there!! We're now mid January 2024 and Asa is a different dog when we're out and a pleasure to walk. I'm way more relaxed, he's relaxed, he doesn't feel the need to protect me and the youngest so much and is happy running off on his own, greeting other dogs and playing with his Vizsla friends 💙 His recall is fantastic to say the least! I generally need to use a level 2 on his collar if he's not listening (I personally can't feel it until it gets to at least 34!), it literally just breaks their focus and redirects their attention to you. I can't thank Rich enough for his patience, wealth of knowledge and support. Eternally grateful for giving Asa his best shot at life, thank you so much.

Our vizsla, Fern, has always been a “rangey” dog, she loves to chase and be chased, nothing is more exciting to her than a walk (hunt…) in the woods. At a young age her recall was adequate, but as she matured it started to decline. By sixteen months of age she was confined to walks on the lead. Shortly after she started to show signs of aggression toward other dogs. There is a lot of advice available from well-regarded trainers, books, the internet, other well-meaning dog walkers and it is difficult to know who or what to trust. One consistent message is “there are no bad dogs, only bad owners” and having followed the most credible advice, I felt a strong sense of dismay and anxiety about our prospects. So the decision to e-collar train Fern was a last resort, it followed a lot of research and many months of contemplation. When we first spoke to Richard, he took the time to answer all of our questions, to understand our situation and try to put our minds at ease. At this point Richard was unknown to us so just another person offering advice, the decision remained a leap of faith. The first day of training with Richard was somewhat overwhelming, it left Fern and me exhausted. Richard emphasised positive reinforcement and reward-based training, even when incorporating the remote collar. The collar was used as a tool to reinforce commands and encourage desired behaviours rather than as a punitive measure. Fern was genuinely excited and eager to learn. During the next two days of training Richard educated my wife and I on how to use the equipment properly and enabled us to practice as he pretended to be the dog. Hilarious fun, but more importantly an exceptional approach for us to become accustomed to the timing and consistency needed to use the e-collar properly whilst making mistakes without detriment to Fern. On the fourth day we walked Fern amongst a herd of deer in Penrith Park. It felt like playing with fire at first, and it is not something we would have contemplated without Richard to accompany, encourage and coach us. It soon became clear how much Fern had learned and how much control we had gained, a truly remarkable experience. Taking Fern out in the days subsequent to the training removed any doubt that her transformation might be temporary. What has been achieved are lasting results without any negative effects. All signs of aggression have gone and she is a tired and fulfilled dog after her walks. For all of this I am truly grateful for Richard’s expertise, his genuine passion for his work and his use of the remote collar which has been highly effective and implemented with the utmost care and consideration for Fern’s well-being. I consider myself lucky that this technology exists and am grateful for the positive impact Richard’s training has had on our lives. This has been a journey and I wholeheartedly recommend Richard’s training to anyone who can relate to our story.

We have a 2 year old Vizsla who would happily chase deer, foxes, squirrels and was becoming dog reactive. When contacting Richard he didn't seen phased and wanted to meet Redd for an assessment in a forest. It's the first time a dog trainer has asked to see Redd in "his" environment where you can witness his actual behaviour with maximum distractions. Ecollar training has changed our lives within 3 days. I'm blown away. Redd has been to 4-5 previous trainers who all told me to persist with treats and long leads. 1.5 years of persistently trying these methods I was out of options and had been miserably (for me but more so Redd) lead walking him for 3 months. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. Richards approach is nonsense and results guaranteed. I am so glad we found him. I would have found him sooner if other trainers didn't try to insist that the problem was my lack of effort rather than Redds temperament and DNA! He is so much happier and so am I. Thank you Richard. We will be joining you for confidence walks soon (which I also think is a great touch!).

We've just completed Richard's 4-day recall training using a high-quality e-collar and it was a real education. Having been down the typical "reward, reward, reward" route we had good recall in easy situations, but anything in the woods involving a squirrel or a deer would cause all rewards to be ignored. The e-collar's ability to provide prompts and reminders at a distance has added the missing piece of the puzzle. Richard's approach is well-structured, informative and customer-oriented. He listened carefully to our specific requirements and our dog responded enthusiastically from day one. We're now walking off-the-lead in all situations with a very happy dog. Highly recommended!

I can’t recommend Rich enough, he is so knowledgeable about everything dogs. It wasn’t an easy decision for me to take this route but I am so happy I did. My collie cross could not be trusted off lead. She has a high prey drive and when in that mode also deaf to any commands. She was always on a long line when off lead as she would disappear and chase deer, pheasants, horses! Walks were very stressful. Rich sorted her and us in 2 sessions and cemented this in 3&4! We are now completely safe off lead. She listens to my every word and I haven’t had to use the stim in weeks. She understands what is required of her. She is happy and has amazing freedom. It’s like having a secure boundary around you where ever you go. If you are in 2 minds just do it, it’s completely changed my life! Thank you Rich! Wish I’d done it sooner.

Just completed our prey drive course with Rich to try and get more control of our vizsla Roman and stop him from chasing anything fluffy that moves. The absolute last thing I thought I would witness Roman doing, was walking amongst 200+ deer off lead and being recalled off from chasing them. And this was made possible with just 3 sessions with Rich. We are literally blown away. Rich was an amazing trainer, with tonnes of knowledge and made us feel at ease throughout the whole process. What we initially thought was going to be a challenging few days, quickly turned into a stress free time due to the confidence we had in Rich’s guidance. I personally feel like I can now walk Roman stress free and be able to give him the freedom he loves. My only regret is that we didn’t do this sooner. If you are thinking about e collar training, then we 100% recommend Rich’s training course. Hands down the best thing we’ve done & worth every penny. Thankyou!

We have a Vizsla with a very high prey drive and he was causing danger to himself and livestock. After trying different training methods without success and following months of research, we took the plunge and booked an E collar training session with Rich. What was immediately apparent to us was Rich’s depth of knowledge and incredible insight into the breed. He was friendly, approachable and professional. His primary concern throughout was our dogs welfare and it was clear for us to see that the E collar training was the kindest thing we could have done for him. It has been life changing and given him such incredible off lead freedom. We are able to explore new walks, visit new places, walk alongside horses, cows, goats, ducks, all with the complete confidence that we have 100% recall. We could not recommend Rich highly enough!

We first went to Rich in March with our 2 year old Vizsla, Stanley. He’d caught a squirrel in January and since then his prey drive had become out of control. He would run across roads, through car parks, all for the thrill of the chase. We thought that his life was going to be limited to being walked all along line as his recall had gone out the window, Rich changed that, he literally gave Stanley his best life back. Ecollar training means that Stanley can run around doing all the things he loves to do, but we know that he’ll return to us in a second. Six months later, we were back with Rodney our one year old Vizsla. Unfortunately, he had a different problem in that he really didn’t like intact males. We spent weeks avoiding all dogs, which was a shame because he had actually loved to play with females and neutered males, but because he’s scared he would ‘get them, before they got him’ with intact males. Again, after Ecollar with Rich, we are able to walk freely in any park we want as the ecollar has given Rodney the confidence to be able to say hello to intact, males and Walk on without any fear or aggression. He’s a different dog, he’s happier, so much more confident. Rich has given us 2 well behaved dogs, that we have had so many great comments about. But most of all, he has given us their safety and well being, we now have 2 very happy boys. Thank you Rich.

I confess to being almost a whole year late with this recommendation. However, despite the lateness, the truth and sentiments of my review remain the same. So, apologies Rich for the lateness and for the length of this. When I got my gorgeous English Bull Terrier in July 2021, I thought I knew dogs. I had always had dogs and had previously had a well-behaved pack of dogs. My pup taught me how very little I actually knew when it came to non-biddable dogs. Though my girl was sociable, despite my best efforts, her recall was unreliable at best and pretty atrocious at worst. Her 'prey' was people rather than deer or rabbits. She just loved everyone and would run after them to say 'Hello'. She would pursue complete strangers over increasing distances just to get what she wanted. I was often the distressed owner who could be seen running after her dog shouting, 'It's okay, she's friendly!' Short-hand for ' Watch out, I have no control over my dog!' Increasingly, I was anxious about her behaviour as I rightly feared one of the following: her upsetting walkers, being injured, being attacked by another dog or stolen. I was in constant fear when I walked with her. By November, I saw Rich for the recall issues I was still having. At the time, Rich suggested that she would benefit from e-collar training but I just wasn't ready to commit - I thought that I was an experienced dog owner, I'd be able to sort it myself since I had some brilliant training tips! So, I embarked on messing things up myself for my dog for the next 8 months. With each failure of my dog's recall, my confidence diminished, and my enjoyment of going out with her lessened. But I was too embarrassed and prideful to go back to Rich. I felt like a failure and I felt awful about it. Things became so bad that I ended up dreading taking her for a walk and only went for walks in places where I didn't think I'd meet anyone. My whole world had reduced and I felt miserable and stupid. By July 2022, I finally accepted that I needed to do something - anything - to get things back on track. I contacted Rich again. Rich was utterly lovely and understanding. Totally non-judgemental. We talked through the options and Rich reassured me that with the e-collar training, we could solve things within 4 days. So, I bit the bullet and went ahead with booking Rich and ordering the e-collar. To say the results were miraculous is an understatement. Rich's clear, kind, patient, and humorous way of training set us on the right track again. From the moment the training ended, I was able to get my life back with my dog. I could walk anywhere and know that she was safe and that I could get her back. Fast forward to now, well over a year later, and the training that Rich initially gave us is still going strong - if anything, I'd say it is even better than before. And here's why. Though I always have the collar on my dog, I rarely actually activate it. Her recall is better than solid. She turns on a pin to my call and is always under my control. I can, and do, feel completely safe and happy letting her run in any place. If I see a walker with their dog on a lead, I can call my girl back instantly - it's never an issue. Having Rich train me and my dog was the single best thing I've done for both my dog and me. Like many others, my only regret is that I didn't start the training sooner. If anyone is considering getting training help from Rich, I would urge you to just do it. Your life and that of your dog will be immeasurably improved.

We rescued a troubled husky with a bad start in life, though a lovely dog she was very difficult to walk on lead, pulling, prey driven, over excitable and easily overstimulated and absolutely could not be trusted off lead. We tried different methods of training with Eevee and came to the conclusion we needed to try something different, after many recommendations we decided to go with Rich for ecollar training. Though we were initially skeptical due to the stigma surrounding ecollars after just 4 days of training with Rich we were amazed! Eevee is now able to roam free off lead and we are able to confidently control her prey drive impulses and recall her for both her safety and the safety of local wildlife/livestock. After no time at all the difference in Eevee is staggering, she's happier than she ever was and we are now able to trust her off lead, which has also led to her being able to meet more new dogs and make new friends! We never would have believed a husky could have this level of freedom and after just a week ecollar training has completely changed our life with her. We couldn't recommend Rich more for dogs like Eevee - thank you so much!

What a journey. I must admit, before Monday I was very sceptical. Hess or hooligan like Richard calls him😅my handsome, intelligent but hugely prey driven and dog aggressive 2 year old GSD is a handful and in reality shouldn’t be a family pet.After going through numerous “trainers”,some very well known,I really thought that it’s just how it’s going to be-lead,constant corrections,embarrassment of the looks you get when you pass another dog,avoiding crowded places and a dog having no freedom.He will hunt & kill anything that moves-bees,birds,squirrels,rabbits,mice,foxes,deers,cats AND DOGS(especially small fluffy yappy ones). I heard it all-you bought wrong dog,wrong line,not a dog for a women.My frustration led me to researching e-collars and after surfing the internet liked the sound of dogtra.After a very long conversation with Ian and recommendations which unit to buy, he also led me to Enrich K9. The decision was made to bring my both dogs, the kangal only needing it for recall. 5 days later , not only Hess has freedom of being off lead around deers, but we pass dogs off lead!Today I had the most enjoyable walk with my friend, we didn’t turn around,we didn’t avoid anyone-we went straight on. The propaganda that surrounds these collars being cruel,making dogs shut down is so wrong.What people need to understand is not everyone has a shihpoo.I have a very happy playful dog that now has a freedom he deserves and our communication is without a fail. I will always be grateful for the training to Enrich K9 and cannot recommend Richard enough A very happy owner and two very happy dogs

Within the space of a single week I had needed to rescue our beautiful, intelligent but hugely prey-driven working cocker from a barbed-wire fence and a frozen duck pond. As well as endangering wildlife, Willow’s adrenaline-fuelled episodes of chasing birds, squirrel and deer were putting herself and us at real risk of serious injury. We had deployed the full arsenal of positive-only techniques; kept her stimulated with gundog lessons, Cani-X and agility, whistle-trained her to assorted commands and done our best to ensure that every piece of kibble she ever ate was delivered by way of enthusiastic reinforcement of a desired behaviour. I had consumed countless books, podcasts and YouTube videos and attended group, one-to-one and online classes (the Jamie Penrith “Post Puppy” programme on Patreon is brilliant, by the way). But the increasingly polished behaviour 90% of the time only highlighted the problem of the other 10% when a sudden stimulus would flip a switch and send Willow into a frenzy. Had there been a single and obvious source of this over-excitement then the “non-aversive” methods of controlling exposure might have been more effective. A fundamental shortcoming of these techniques, however, is that in the real world the various things which animate a dog do so unpredictably, in combination with each other and will often be imperceptible to a human. Playing “Engage/Disengage” (a favoured game of outfits like Absolute Dogs) does not work with a hard-hunting spaniel who picks up a trail only after burrowing into dense undergrowth: the scent was always undetectable to the owner and the dog becomes invisible before the owner can tell the difference between a casual sniff and the start of an intense chase. Keeping a dog below “threshold level” by giving the duck pond a wider berth is all very well until a dog who was just about managing to control her duck-chasing impulse has to deal with a squirrel unexpectedly dropping from a tree in front of her. In all but the blandest and most predictable of environments, therefore, the most freedom a dog can hope for is to be at the end of a long line. This is no fun for anyone, least of all in woods and dense cover where an exuberant spaniel is at her happiest. The hardcore gundog traditionalists at least acknowledge the challenge of harnessing the hunting instinct of a working-bred spaniel. However, their solution is totally incompatible with ownership of a spaniel as a family pet since it typically involves preventing any sort of free-running, dispensing with family walks and only letting the dog loose to execute a retrieve. My frustrations led me into researching remote collars, and in turn to Rich Hallam of EnrichK9. The sessions with him were without doubt the best time and money I have ever spent on anything. His explanations and demonstrations as to use of the collar were clear, candid and refreshingly free of jargon. By the final morning I found myself standing in the middle of a field with a large herd of deer running in front of me and a flock of sheep running behind. To my amazement and delight, Willow was sitting calmly at my side, off-lead and unbothered. When we resumed our walk she was every bit as playful and confident as she has always been. The misinformation and propaganda surrounding the supposed cruelty of remote collars is inexcusable. No other tool enables the same speed and clarity of communication with a dog or gives the dog equivalent freedom. The urge to ban them is to me inexplicable. The efforts of Rich Hallam to promote their responsible use should be celebrated. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

My husband and I have 2 GSPs who have had some HPR training in the past, but who still chased deer, muntjac, hares - basically anything that moved! Once they’d gone, they’d gone and often returned with scratches and injuries. We knew deep down that we were the problem rather than the dogs, but we couldn’t seem to put it right, despite hours and hours of reading and research. Following a recommendation on Facebook, we booked the 4 day recall package with Richard Hallam of Enrich K9. Although it involved a lot of travelling, it was the best 4 days of training we have ever experienced! He really assesses what needs to be done on an individual level and he agreed to train the 2 dogs at once - which not every trainer will do. Day 1: he assessed what we wanted from the training and then checked where the dogs were at, in terms of what they already understood. Day 2: he trained us on the use of the e-collar, using himself as the sacrificial ’dog’ and demonstrated the different levels and how and when to use them. He clearly loves dogs and wanted us to be able to do the right thing with ours. Day 3: we went to the Common to try out what we had learned under Rich’s supervision. Although this went well, the dogs were too well behaved and didn’t chase anything. (We didn’t see deer, although they are commonly sighted there.) Day 4: Rich made the decision to meet us at Petworth Park where we would be sure to meet deer - hundreds of them, and also sheep! We were totally astounded to find ourselves walking amongst herds of deer and sheep, apparently in control of our high prey GSPs!! On day 4 of training! How did that happen?? Well this is where we highly recommend Richard - he is relatable, patient, very clear and exceptionally good at what he does. In addition to the course we had signed up for, he taught us other ‘quick wins’ to help with lead walking, our female’s occasional reactivity with other dogs and what we thought was her anxiety about getting into the car. (According to Rich, she’s been ‘playing us’ for nearly 3 years and the matter was quickly solved!) We’ve had 2 days since our training ended and we are delighted with the progress we’ve made - I was a little anxious that the ‘magic’ of day 4 would disappear when Rich was no longer there, but thankfully, we are still in control of our dogs! I wish we had discovered Enrich K9 sooner as life with our lovely dogs would have been so much richer. 🐾

We have spent a small fortune trying to fix our beautiful Romanian rescue - Mabel. She has extremely high prey drive with speed. Trainers said leave her be, she’ll soon settle down, or don’t walk her in the countryside stick to the pavements, finally - just keep practicing your recall😮 Money had run out so I took a cheaper option for ecollar training which was just awful & after 5 sessions we were still on a long line getting nowhere! I had followed Rich for ages but after my failure with ecollar didn’t think it would be worth doing. Then we lost Mabel overnight - worst night of my life & realised Rich was our last hope From the first meeting with Rich I absolutely knew it would work. Mabel bonded quickly with him despite being timid & nervous she picked up very quickly what was asked from her. I think Rich’s biggest problem to overcome was ME I was nervous & clumsy with huge doubt. But he patiently taught me & Mabel responded. The 4 days were just amazing & I drove home confident & excited. We did our first solo walk last night & she was an absolute angel. I would say to anyone considering this programme PLEASE don’t waste your money on a cheaper option of training, it can do so much damage. Trust your instinct & go with one of the best, kindest & knowledgeable trainers out there - Richard Hallam

I have lost count of the times Nelson, my 3.5yo GWP has gone missing on walks…sometimes for over an hour at a time and I have been to various trainers over the last 3 years to try and find a solution, but nothing seemed to work, despite hours and hours (and a lot of money!) on trying to find something that would click into place. I had got to the point where I just didn’t dare let him off the lead other than in a few very specific places, then I found Rich on Instagram and finally felt some hope! I’m based in the North East and wondered if I was mad to travel the 6 hour journey - who knew if it would even work!? All I can say is I’m so glad I did. From the moment we started training I could tell Rich has a genuine love for dogs and quickly made a bond with Nelson and introduced the e-collar really carefully on the lowest setting. Nelson picked things up quickly thanks to Rich’s consistent approach and making things fun for him, and soon we were able to walk up the lane with Nelson off lead and actually recall him from a cat he spotted - unbelievable after only an hour or 2 of training! After the 4 days I was blown away by the change in my dog - we walked on the common for a full hour with Rich’s dogs and I was able to recall Nelson whenever I needed to, no issues at all. Since getting home we have gone from strength to strength and I’ve been able to walk with Nelson off lead in places I could only dream of going! Today we have been to a remote woodland, to cool off in the waterfall - a haven for deer- and Nelson has been off lead for the whole thing! I can’t describe how happy I am to see Nelson finally off lead and enjoying life to the full, so thank you Rich. If anyone is considering e-collar training then please don’t hesitate to use Rich’s services - the training has given me and my dog a whole new life together and I’d recommend to anyone having issues with recall.

After a difficult year with our now 18 month old male Vizsla, the E-Collar training with Richard has turned our dog around in 4 days! We’ve had months of advice from trainers and behaviourists using positive only reinforcement. On their advice he even went on Prozac for anxiety. We put our faith in these people, but all of these methods failed our dog despite our very best efforts. Working with Richard has made us understand our high prey drive dog, and understand the breed so much better. The E-Collar has given us the recall we know he needs to keep himself and other animals safe, and in 4 days I reckon we’ve cracked it. He managed to walk off lead past wild horses and some reactive dogs returning to our side immediately! Richard has trained us to use the E-collar for recall and also for correcting problem behaviour tailored to us. He has given us the skills to continue to work towards improving our life with Rocky. We can’t thank him enough. Myself, Steve and Rocky will always be grateful for his help and support.

It has been a month since we both joined Rich for our training with our 3 year old Vizsla. Our boy had very good recall all until his high prey drive was teased with the scent or sight of deer, pheasant, sheep, ducks … then he was off! He has always been off lead in woodland and fields but walks were restricted to the same handful of places away from roads etc. We had always wanted a dog we could walk anywhere and have the freedom to be off lead the majority of the time. After doing our research and stalking Rich we booked in for our training. WOW! On day one we were greeted with a warm, friendly and very relaxed welcome and he put us both at ease immediately. With Rich’s experience he knew exactly how to respond and work with Chester our Vizsla, in no time at all Chester was responding so well to him with total respect and adoration. Our first two sessions were held at Rich’s place which was simply perfect for our dogs needs, his nose was in overdrive with all of the different scents. Its a super location (very jealous). I’m so pleased that both my husband and I could attend all of the sessions so that we were both properly educated and trained. For the last month we have been putting our training into practice and wow!! Chester has now walked past ducks and swans with no reaction, stood next to me whilst two deer ran across a field in front of us! He’s walked past cows and along side horses with no reaction just a very relaxed dog!! We are now able to have the confidence to take him to new places and not be scared about what might be around the corner. He is having the time of his life exploring new places and most importantly he is safe. Our goal was to achieve 100% recall and we certainly have. What we have found over the past month is that his engagement with us has really improved, always checking in and extremely responsive when his name is called whatever the situation. He is a total joy to walk - we can’t thank you enough Rich. In addition the other tips you gave us to help with some of his behaviours were all resolved pretty instantly. You are extremely knowledgeable, fun, passionate, relaxed, professional and most importrantly Chester loved you. I'm so pleased I picked up the phone to talk to you and you gave me the reassurance I needed that rather procrastinating any further, thank you.

I almost don't have the words to explain how grateful we are for the E-collar training Rich provided - it's honestly completely changed our lives, and we have a much happier dog as a result (dog walks are actually enjoyable now, and not filled with constant stress and worry). I was slightly skeptical about E-collar training at first, as it's never been explained to me in the right way before, but from the very first conversation I had with Rich, he gave me such a clear understanding of things, and immediately put my mind at ease. Our lovely rescue dog, who is naturally incredibly prey-driven plus very reactive/aggressive with other dogs (and some people), responded so well to the training. She was relaxed throughout the four days, tail wagging, and genuinely seemed to enjoy it. Rich really took the time to get to know her individual needs and work in a way that was best for her, and communicate every step to us as owners along the way so that we fully understood it. I never thought we'd get to the point where our dog could be off the lead safely, let alone approaching other dogs without reacting, which she's now doing with ease. It's also incredibly comforting to know that should we need to recall her in a high risk, adrenaline-fuelled situation (for example, if she were chasing a rabbit towards a busy road) we would be able to confidently get her back every time. For me as an owner, this is something I wish I had known about and done sooner - I have a much happier, more relaxed dog now, who has so much freedom compared to before; it's so reassuring to know that both me and her are now safe whilst out and about, and my mind is finally at ease on dog walks. I honestly can't thank Rich enough, and would HIGHLY recommend EnrichK9!

It’s been a couple of months since we had a weeks training with Rich. Rich was super patient, understanding, and really helped us to find another way to work with Chester. (Our nutty Vizsla) Chester is nervous with pretty good recall, but utterly useless walking on the lead, and quite unpredictable off lead. Now, we can walk Chester with ease. The freedom he now has makes it’s totally worth it. We still have work to do, but we are committed to the process. We are so grateful to Rich to opening our eyes to another way. We would 1000% recommend Rich. Thank you, thank you 😊

It’s been two weeks now since we completed our training with you, and WOW! What a difference. We have tried really since we got Coco, our Greek rescue, to gain a stronger relationship and a robust recall. Sadly all our efforts failed as her prey drive is so strong nothing can deter her once she’s ‘on the hunt’. Combined with a nervous reactivity means she has had to be on a long line for over two years (adding to the frustration for both of us). Well what a difference four hours with you has made to us and most importantly Coco. She is enjoying off lead walks again, she comes when she’s called (and often when she isn’t!) she checks in with us regularly, and a gentle reminder and she is walking to heel passing lots of dogs and no reaction. We’ve had a trip to the beach and it’s been amazing. We are now so much more relaxed and she is too. We are so glad we found you. You have definitely improved Coco’s life immeasurably and naturally ours too. We will not worry again about any dog we get with a high prey drive as there is a solution! Thank you, thank you.

My dog, Winnie, and I have just completed our training with Richard at Enrich K9 and the difference is incredible in such a short time. For her 1st 18 months I couldn’t let Winnie off lead outside of secure dog fields or quiet places where she was anchored by a dog friend to play with, for fear of losing her. I actually did lose her for 15 mins in woods when she yanked the lead out of my hand chasing wildlife the VERY DAY day before our first training session. She’s a lab/golden retriever cross, so very friendly but big and strong and was dragging us about on the long line, ignoring us, wanting to go after smells and wildlife and would bounce all over other dogs and people. Both my husband and I have been pulled over and hurt and it must have been horrible for her too to be so restricted. We had four sessions with Rich and can now walk her happily off lead, trusting she’ll recall reliably and she actually looks so pleased to come back. Local deer and other wildlife are now safe from her and she’s safe from chasing something out of sight and getting herself into danger. She gets excited when I get her collar out and we can now look forward to enjoying the next 10+ years of relaxing walks. Winnie is also having a total blast being an off lead dog, sniffing and exploring to her hearts content. Positive reinforcement only recall training just didn’t work for us. Smells were more interesting than treats for Winnie. Having initially been horrified at the thought of ‘shock collars’, I now honestly can’t recommend e-collar training with Richard highly enough. He’s a lovely person and makes the training fun for the dogs and owners alike. Explains everything very clearly and patiently working with each dog as an individual. Building up the training gradually so the dog clearly understands what is expected. I am so so glad I found Richard, who has improved our lives beyond belief. Thanks Rich. 😃😃