Testimonials

We are proud to show what other people have to say about us, so here goes ...

Three years ago I was adopted by a gorgeous yellow show Labrador puppy called Boo. We shared good success in the ring and got to know each other in his formative year. I felt there was more to Boo than simple show life and decided to train him to work towards his Show Working Gundog Certificate and, when he was 18 months old and after a few breed clubs organized training days, we achieved our SWGC under Alan Rees – Panel A KC Field Trial Judge. Most show people stop there but there was something niggling at me – was he capable of more? It’s just that the show Labradors are supposed to be more beautiful than able…..

So, after a season picking up at a very friendly shoot, a friend recommended Gaynor Gent so off we went to Great Glen…. After an initial assessment, Gaynor suggested that we join her regular weekend class and Saturday mornings saw us joining the Open dogs at their training. I was impressed at the ability of the dogs and, despite all being working dogs; my show dog was treated with the same patience and professionalism; importantly I felt like I belonged. Over the course of our regular training sessions, my confidence levels grew proportionally to the rise in ability of Boo. We entered a few Novice Dog Novice Handler working tests and posted some very nice scores including more than one or two perfect 20’s!! The feeling from such success is wonderful and shared; Gaynor I know feels more pleasure in seeing her trainees do well than her own successes!

To date I have spent over a year training with ‘the Genius’ as I call her. Training is varied and fun and lines up with the world of the competitive gundog. Instruction is available for the summer’s working tests and field trials alike. Training is available for the new beginner, the puppy and the developing team of dog and handler – I stay behind now after the Open class to watch and gain experience - everything contributes to the overall picture and enriches me with my young dog. Gaynor spends time getting to know the handler as well as the dog – to maximise her approach to training each partnership. She will compliment when everything goes well, guide expertly when things don’t go quite as expected and will have only one reason in her mind as she trains – to see both dog and owner succeed and grow. As a team, we are also encouraged to learn from one another which make a better learning curve for us as individuals and strengthen the whole team – I particularly like this aspect of her group training

 In the time I have spent with her, I have enjoyed the weekend classes, the occasional One to One training sessions and the shooting field based walk up classes. My boy has grown from a ‘show dog’ to a useful disciplined member of the working world – I am delighted with his and my own progress, so much so that I am not allowed to use the title ‘show’ anymore….and, we have indeed trained on. At the age of two, Boo went to the next step and won his Working Gundog Certificate in The Savernake Forest.

I wonder what is left in the tank. We will find out – watch this space – there’s more to this story…

Julie from Leicester wrote: Agility - I have been attending training classes with Gaynor for a couple of years now with my two English Springer Spaniels – Millie and Emma. 

These were two dogs who loved to hunt and their noses took over no matter what they were doing. 

I realised I needed help when I would be in one field and the dogs were another couple of fields away.  I completely lost my confidence and felt I had no control over them.

I had also started agility training with the ‘girls’, but as their noses kept going to the ground this was affecting their speed around the courses.

With a lot of help from Gaynor my confidence came back.

Attending her weekly classes I learnt how to keep the ‘girls’ closer to me and to stop their hunting instincts from taking over, which meant their noses were not permanently on the ground. 

This also greatly helped with the agility – there is nothing worse than having a very capable dog and running round a course only for it to suddenly decide that there is a great scent on the other side of the ring!

Through the classes I have made friends with another Springer owner who has now taken up agility with her dogs.  Vice-versa a friend (Helen) who also competes at agility with her Lurcher took up ‘gundog’ training. 

At first she was apprehensive as Jake was clearly not a gundog, but I assured her she would be most welcome. 

Jake was very excitable at agility and wouldn’t listen to Helen’s instructions, but through the training classes with Gaynor he has become a calmer dog and Helen is now enjoying running him.

Helen and I are now regularly competing at agility shows with our dogs and getting clear rounds, which is a major achievement as we were consistently eliminated when we first started.  A couple of weeks ago Emma finished 9^th out of a class of 70 at a show and I was absolutely delighted – the sniffing hasn’t been eliminated altogether yet as she put her head down a couple of times which cost us a higher place finish, but we are getting there with the constant support and encouragement from Gaynor.

It is a great challenge to get your dog to learn to complete a course fast but accurately, making sure that they touch all the contacts on the equipment such as the seesaw, which if not taken correctly they will get propelled into the air!

No matter what breed of dog all can enjoy gundog training and agility.