"I would not hesitate to recommend Stephen and The Dog House Rules. It is amazing the knowledge he has. We truly had our money's worth and a whole lot more."
Maureen & George Sahm
“Stephen transformed our rescue dog Brannigan, who lacked confidence and struggled to communicate. His personalised approach helped Bran express his needs — crucial because he needs medication twice daily. Despite limited history, Stephen worked wonders. We cannot recommend him enough.”
Helen Chadwick
"I can thoroughly recommend The Dog House Rules, as it is a professionally run business, with the dogs needs as paramount."
Marion Milliner
“We contacted Stephen due to our dog Pepsi’s resource guarding. His force-free methods, dedication and flexibility were outstanding. Pepsi made incredible progress, and Stephen supported us with detailed guidance outside sessions. Highly recommended.”
Jacob Blackburn
“We were so grateful for Stephen’s help with our pointer after she suddenly became aggressive towards one of our other dogs. We were devastated and considering rehoming. Stephen is calm, professional and incredibly knowledgeable. He gave us tools and techniques that have allowed us to keep all our dogs together. Highly recommended.”
Hilary Bellwood
“We’d only had our rescue dog Lenny for a week and felt we’d made a mistake — but we couldn’t give him back. He was gentle with people but extremely reactive with dogs. After just one session we felt hopeful. Every session was rewarding, and Lenny benefitted enormously. Stephen is exceptional: calm, responsive and a supreme professional.”
Abbi Shafto
“Stephen is amazing. Our rescue dog Mari was completely shutdown. He personalised a programme and supported us throughout. I now have a dog who can live her life to the fullest — and I now have the confidence to keep working with her.”
Paula Davis
OUR PURPOSE
OUR PURPOSE
RESCUING THE DOG
**HAVE YOU RESCUED A DOG?**
Is he/she showing fear, anxiety, nervousness?
Were you not told what to expect... or even misled?
Do you despair that he/she will ever settle and bond?
Owners commonly report issues with:
- FEAR of MEN - grey hair, work clothes, standing
- RESOURCE GUARDING - food, bed, owner
- TOILETING - inside/outside; only away from home
- FOOD/EATING - won't eat; only outside
- AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR - dogs; children; cyclists
- SPACES - won't go out; won't come in
- HANDLING/EQUIPMENT - can't touch; collar/lead/harness
- NOT SHOWING AFFECTION/NOT BONDING
Physically rescuing the dog is just the first step...
I CAN HELP!
RESCUING YOU!
**WHO IS GOING TO RESCUE YOU?**
It is overwhelming and emotionally draining
You may be feeling just as distressed as the dog
The journey may be long and challenging
You are just as much in need of rescue!
However, the outcome is immensely rewarding
As both professional dog trainer and people coach...
I CAN HELP!
OUR APPROACH
OUR APPROACH
POSITIVE, SCIENCE-BASED PHILOSOPHY
"I can train any animal to do anything it is physically and mentally capable of doing"
Keller Breland
("...without touching it and without correction or punishment") Karen Pryor
Keller Breland
and colleagues (Kruse, Bailey) built on the work of behavioural scientist B.F. Skinner with practical applications in positive-based animal training. This was picked up by Karen Pryor, initially with dolphins (you can't force a dolphin to do anything!) then dogs, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Karen Pryor Academy
and the world-leading Dog Trainer Professional
programme
(see Our Qualifications). Every owner should read her seminal work "Don't Shoot the Dog!".
RECOGNITION + REACTION -> RAPPORT
"Humane training is possible when we understand each dog in a nuanced way that reflects who they are as a social, cognitive, emotional and physical being."
Suzanne Clothier
At The Dog House Rules, we follow a set of "Rs"
(Rules - hence the name!) The over-riding aim is to build or enhance Rapport ("a
close and harmonious relationship
in which there is
common understanding"
- Oxford English Dictionary, 1999) between owner and dog. This is a strong, positive word that implies empathy
and a mutually beneficial partnership, rather than "I say, you do...". Recognition of what is being communicated leads to understanding and the desired Reaction
(both ways).
FORCE-FREE, FEAR-FREE
"The dog is always right!" Sarah Fisher
What all this means, simply, is that the animal works for reward (anything appropriate
and to the animal's preference
- often food) by choice, not force. A "marker" is used to associate behaviour with the reward. For the dolphins, the whistle marks
the desired behaviour and indicates that fish is coming! A small plastic device ("clicker") was developed for dogs and other animals, using a metal strip to produce a double click sound. This allows even something as brief as an ear twitch or lip lick to be captured the instant it happens (like taking a photo). There are other markers (e.g. flashlight) and a word can be used, although it is not as consistent or precise.
REINFORCEMENT = REPETITION
"What gets rewarded gets repeated"
John Fisher
Something is always reinforcing behaviour, otherwise there would be no Repetition. The reinforcement may be inadvertent - e.g. petting a dog when they jump up. So, we Reward (Reinforce) what we do want, such as all four paws on the floor. Using reward as opposed to punishment is often referred to as "positive reinforcement", although they carry specific meanings in behavioural science. Punishment may appear to work, but has serious consequences - producing uncertainty and suppressing willingness to learn, as well as introducing other unwanted behaviours. It is totally unnecessary. A positive approach leads to Rapport!
OUR
SERVICES
FOCUS AREAS
We have a special interest and experience in
rescue dogs
and the various issues they may have, whilst the techniques we use apply to any training requirements. We promote a set of
"foundation" behaviours
- the basis for a vast range of activities:
1. Touch a Target - 2. Respond to a Cue
3. Attention - 4. Offer Behaviour - 5. Settle
This changes perspective, opens communication and gives a real insight into the learning & teaching process. It is also
fun
for dog and owner alike!
We encourage
children
to be involved -
welfare
and
safety
for animals and humans is paramount.
The focus is on teaching the dog
What To
Do, rather than what not to do. We have an extended curriculum to build on the foundation behaviours.
For specific
behavioural issues, we use an
extended consultation
before producing a tailored plan for you to follow.
See OUR PACKAGES
Call for a Chat
CONSULTATIONS
Our formal process always begins with a
consultation session, so that we can gather information on you and your dog and the goals for your training.
This typically lasts about 90 minutes and covers health,
nutrition,
exercise/stimulation
and the
home environment, as well as options and plans for behaviour & training.
We also offer the option of an
informal, general discussion
so that you can appreciate what we do and how we can help you. This can be up to 20 minutes and is
free of charge.
Our consultations use the
Zoom
online
conference system, which is free for you and straightforward to use on your PC, laptop or smart phone.
We dedicate a proportion of our time to those of
limited means, with
special pricing.
We also give
free time to
local shelters and rescue centres.
See OUR PACKAGES
Send a Message
COACHING
We can
coach
you to
train your own dog, starting with the general principles, then your particular interests.
We can provide
the
basic equipment
needed, such as clickers and treat bags. We can recommend (and source if preferred) an appropriate harness.
The
techniques
we teach are based around
clicker training, the basis of the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional programme and can be done
online
or in your
own home.
You can see an introduction by
Karen Pryor
by clicking on the link below. It is also under Our Qualifications.
The initial session is always without your dog, to introduce and practice the techniques.
See OUR PACKAGES
Karen Pryor
TRAINING
We can
train your dog for you
through
Day Training at home (while you are out) and/or
Walk and Train, where we collect your dog and do the training on walks. Both of these include basic initial training and weekly review sessions.
We can set up specialist programmes
for your specific needs, at progressive levels, tailored to both dog and handler (children for example).
You can see an
example in the video below
of what can be achieved, which shows Jesse doing a
10-part Chain practice session, incorporating a range of different behaviour and cue types.
In a behaviour chain, the cues themselves (visual, verbal, object, touch) act as reinforcers and markers, as well as bridges to the next behaviour in sequence.
See OUR PACKAGES
Behaviour Chain
OUR
PHOTOS
(Click to enlarge any one...)
OUR
PHOTOS
(Click to enlarge any one...)
View more
OUR LOCATION
OUR LOCATION
Contact Us
OUR QUALIFICATIONS
OUR QUALIFICATIONS
Stephen and Friend!
QUALIFICATIONS
Stephen Bell is Coach/Trainer at The Dog House Rules.
Stephen holds BSc (Hons)
and MBA
degrees.
He is a Certified Training Partner (CTP)
with the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA), registered with the
Animal Behaviour & Training Council (ABTC)
and a Supporting Member
of the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC). He is an Assessor for Wag & Co, who arrange for volunteers and their dogs to visit the elderly and infirm in care homes, hospitals and their own residences.
Stephen is also a qualified Dog First Aider. We
are fully insured
and DBS
(Disclosure Barring Service) checked.
TRAINING & EXPERIENCE
Stephen initially trained with Sarah Whitehead on the
Think Dog! Certificate
and Think Dog! Practical
at Battersea Dogs Home
Old Windsor.
This was followed by the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional
qualification, a rigorous, world-leading programme of teaching and training leading to the status of Certified Training Partner
(see video ->), with your own and other dogs, plus a horse!
Stephen has worked with the Dogs Trust
as a foster carer for dogs with training and behavioural issues, rehabilitating them for re-homing.
Ongoing education is vital of course, as the science and knowledge continues to develop. This is actually a core requirement for KPA CTPs to maintain accreditation and part of our Pledge.
We regularly attend conferences with leading experts, such as the KPA ClickerExpo/Luminos, Woof! and the Dog Behaviour Conference, along with various courses, workshops, seminars and webinars.
This includes BAT (Behaviour Adjustment Training)
for fear, frustration and aggression with Grisha Stewart.
The Karen Pryor Academy
Certified Trainer Partner Programme
Jesse Practice Session
KPA 10-Part Behaviour Chain
OUR
PACKAGES
CONSULTATIONS
To offer the most appropriate recommendations and develop a
plan
for you, we must collect detailed
information, which always remains
strictly confidential.
Behaviour is affected by physical and mental
health,
diet,
exercise routine and any
changes, as well as the
surroundings and
specific
experiences.
We may ask for a
vet check (if not done recently), to identify/eliminate any potential issues.
We normally use an online
Zoom
session, including
video
(with your smart phone
or
laptop), so that we also have the chance to see the dog and the home environment.
You can have a general chat
free of charge before you make any commitment. Just
give us a call
or
send us a message
to arrange.
The initial consultation
lasts around
90 minutes
and there are no forms to fill in - we do that for you! At the end, we will offer initial recommendations, which may include initial
"management" solutions.
We use an
extended consultation for specific behaviour issues and may refer you to another
specialist for certain cases.
INITIAL CONSULTATION
£125
COACHING
Coaching
is where we
teach you
to
train your own dog, including basic concepts and principles, together with a set of foundation behaviours that you can build on and develop yourself, with our ongoing guidance as necessary.
We use the smartphone app
WhatsApp to provide support through messages, videos etc. between sessions.
Full sessions are up to 90 minutes and bonus sessions 30-45 minutes. At least the first one is without your dog.
The packages include the initial consultation and these are
tailored to your specific needs. Some
examples are given below.
If you take up a package at the end of your consultation, we will discount to the package price.
You can also
upgrade
your package at the end of the final session to take advantage of the additional discount.
Specific behavioural issues involve the extended consultation and a plan for you to follow.
RESCUE PACKAGES
(INCLUDING CONSULTATION)
ADAPT £175
EXPLORE £250
INTEGRATE £400
ADD-ON PACKAGES
£150
ADDITIONAL SESSIONS
£80
TRAINING
We appreciate that your time may be very limited to commit to training your own dog and we can do this for you during the day through
Day Training and/or
Walk and Train.
We do this from your own home and conduct weekly review sessions with you to provide updates and hand-overs so that you can learn the cues and behaviours we have trained.
We can start with a Foundation Package, covering core behaviours and/or work on your specific requirements.
However, every situation is different, so we will always review this through our initial consultation before recommending a package.
Again, the example prices
are shown below just for your guidance.
FOUNDATION PACKAGE
(INCLUDING CONSULTATION)
£400
UPGRADE
£305
ADDITIONAL SESSIONS
£80
OUR
TESTIMONIALS
"We decided to take out the full package with Stephen due to Pepsi's resource guarding being a lot worse than what the previous owner had told us. The online sessions with Stephen worked very well, it meant that there was much more flexibility with when he could be available.
Stephen goes above and beyond outside of the sessions too, answering emails with very detailed responses, it's clear to see how dedicated he is to helping and working with you. Overall a very positive experience and I would not hesitate to contact Stephen in the future."
Jacob Blackburn
🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺
“Finn and Stella love their walks with Steve and Jackie. Finn has always played enthusiastically with Jessie ever since he was a pup. Even Miss "Too posh to play" is coming round to the idea. I can thoroughly recommend them. It is great that I can rely on them to wear the dogs out when I am away for the day.”
Louise Badcock
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“Steve and Jackie are brilliant dog carer's our dog Spud stayed with them... He was very well cared for... He was well exersized and treated like part of the family...I have no problem in recommending them one hundred percent...Arthur and Beryl...”
Arthur & Beryl Ellison
🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺
“Dylan gets so excited when he realises we are on our way to see Jesse, Steven and Jackie and charges into their house like he owns the place. I would never leave him in kennels, so The Dog House Rules was a real find - he is so well looked after there, and comes home happy and relaxed, a bit like he's had a really good Spa Day!”
Jeannie Sutherland
🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺
"We can go to the shop and leave a happy contented dog and get a really happy excited greeting when we return home. He is calm, happy, still full of character and playfulness. Now when he does something we need to change, instead of us trying to shout out orders to stop him we try to understand the reason why he is doing what he is doing and then solve it.
I would not hesitate to recommend Stephen and The Dog House Rules. It is amazing the knowledge he has. We truly had our money's worth and a whole lot more."
Maureen Sahm
🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺
““My dog Buzz loves his walks with Steve & Jackie they are true dog lovers. Being with other dogs was great fun and educational for buzz as he's just a puppy. I knew Buzz was going to have fun on his walks (whilst I was stuck at work) and he was in brilliant care. I would definitely recommend The Dog House Rules. ”
Louise Carson
🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺
“Maddie just loved her holidays away with Jesse, Steve and Jackie, so much so, I think she would have happily stayed on a permanent basis. I can thoroughly recommend The Dog House Rules, as it is a professionally run business, with the dogs needs as paramount.”
Marion Milliner
🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺
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OUR
BLOG
Collars & Harnesses
The Scientific Evidence
Collars
of various types are used routinely for dogs and more often than not, a lead
is directly attached when out walking and for other activities. It may be obvious that the likes of spike/prong collars, choke/check chains can cause serious physical and psychological damage, yet some still recommend and use these. E-collars and shock collars are also a major concern. Some of these are already banned in a number of countries. Imagine wearing one of these yourself, or even putting one on your child...
The belief may be that this is the only way to get dogs to do what we want, but this is completely false, as the methods we and many other positive trainers use clearly demonstrate.
Most owners do care about the welfare of their dogs. However, what they may not realise is that even a regular collar can cause pain and injury. A recent study by Dr. Anne Carter
and colleagues published by BMJ (British Medical Journal) tested seven types of collar and found:
"Collars may be a suitable method of displaying identity tags and a means of restraint for dogs that consistently walk on a loose lead. However, where dogs pull on the lead or the lead is jerked, this study suggests there is a risk of injury
to the neck for all collar types and styles
tested, even where collars are padded or wide fitting.
No single collar tested provides a pressure considered low enough to mitigate the risk of injury when pulling on the lead."
You can download and read the full article by following the link in the reference below. There are other related studies listed there at the end.
We can teach you "loose-lead walking" techniques using positive reinforcement, but there is always the chance that the dog will pull or you may inadvertently "jerk" the lead. We always recommend the use of
a suitable harness to which the lead is attached. A "breakaway" collar can be used for holding identification tags.
There are a number of appropriate harnesses on the market.
Give us a call if you would like
free advice on this. We can give you a couple of alternatives and even source a harness for you.
Carter, A. , McNally, D., Roshier, A. (2020) "Canine collars: an investigation of collar type and the forces applied to a simulated neck model". Veterinary Record. ISSN 0042-4900. Available from:
(Accessed 10 May 2020)
Training Centre
We now have a
Training & Assessment Centre!
We will be offering workshops, individual and group sessions.
If there is something you would really like us to cover, please get in touch. Examples could include loose-lead walking, recall, adopting a rescue dog, clicker training, children's classes, husbandry and a whole lot more, but it is always worth asking us because whatever you are interested in, there will no doubt be others who are too!
Reilly's Blog
The Life of Reilly
Reilly is a rescue dog. He was reported as a stray and then found abandoned - muzzled and tied to a tree, so it is no surprise that he had a whole range of problems.
He was rescued by the
Dogs Trust
and we took him on as foster carers for rehabilitation. He is the softest, most affectionate dog and perfect in the house. However, he is highly reactive to other dogs (except for our own Jesse!) and sometimes other animals too, understandable given what happened to him. This is something that needs a long-term plan and after 9 failed re-homing attempts, we decided to adopt him. We addressed issues such as incessant barking, impulse control and strong pulling on the lead.
He started
BAT ( Behaviour Adjustment Training)
with a helper dog, but unfortunately this is on pause (or is that "paws"?) at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to restart soon and Reilly will give you regular updates on his progress.