Grafham Water Canines Reviews 40

TrustScore 5 out of 5

4.8

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Nicky is very knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your puppy. Her emailed links and videos are excellent and help you get a handle on what you are trying to achieve... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I found the home study flashcards course enormously useful. Professionally produced with quality content, step-to-step advice that works. Nicki is a real expert and I love her approach. Highly recomme... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Nicky has been absolutely essential to the training of our Puppy Atlas! She gives you so much information and guidance on how to have a well mannered little member of the family! It’s also lovely for... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed the course as did my golden retriever, Stanley. Nicki made the experience fun and was very informative. She was patient, calm and always ready to answer questions from the group. Th... See more

Company replied

Company details

  1. Dog Trainer

Written by the company

We provide professional, friendly and fun dog training classes for owners who want to train their dog using modern, scientific, and dog & family friendly methods. We train exclusively in the great outdoors and have a beautiful lakeside training area with loads of free parking right next to the training field. We offer: • Puppy training & socialisation courses for puppies 10 weeks old – 18 weeks old, • Adolescent courses for young dogs 19 weeks up to two years old (often the most challenging time!), • Advanced obedience classes, • Dog Agility classes, • Adventure Pack walks around Grafham Water, • And affordable 1:1 private training for help with specific issues. We are professional members of the dog welfare alliance and are passionate about spreading the word about force-free motivational training. All our training methods and handling techniques are grounded in: • The use of Positive Reinforcement for desired behaviours and good choices, • Avoiding the use of punishment, physical intimidation or fear, • Understanding the misconceptions of dominance theory, • Learning about the canine experience from the dog's point of view. When we’re not out and about helping people with their dogs and running classes, we’re writing and publishing articles and developing video tutorials and content for the website and via Youtube and Facebook to spread the word about positive reinforcement training and behaviour modification. Our specialist area and one of the biggest joys in our work is guiding and helping first time puppy owners understand and train their new canine best friend from puppyhood right through adolescence. We are here to help you raise a happy, healthy and obedient dog!


Contact info

4.8

Excellent

TrustScore 5 out of 5

40 reviews

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent value for money

Nicky is very knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your puppy. Her emailed links and videos are excellent and help you get a handle on what you are trying to achieve with the training.

November 24, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Elaine, very many thanks for leaving such a super review and well done again with lovely Stanley. He is a really super pup and an absolute credit to you! :-) Catch up soon, Nicki x

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Home study flashcards are excellent

I found the home study flashcards course enormously useful. Professionally produced with quality content, step-to-step advice that works. Nicki is a real expert and I love her approach. Highly recommended.

November 11, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Karen, thanks so much for leaving such a super review of the home study 'Let's Get Started Training' flashcard course! Hope little Alfie is keeping you on your toes and you're all looking forward to your new furry member of the family arriving soon (if not here already?!). Thanks again, truly appreciated, Nicki x

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The Puppy 1 training class was perfect.

The Puppy 1 training class was perfect for our 16 week old madcap Sprollie and taught him good manners and behaviours that are an absolute joy to see. We have seen him move on from being an uncontrollable energy bomb to a delightful , sociable and friendly dog that is a pleasure to be with and to work with on his training. We will certainly sign him up for future courses to develop his training further, and he seems to enjoy it too.

October 19, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Steve, thank you so much for leaving such a wonderful review which was really super to receive. It's been an absolute pleasure having you both in class and Freddie is an absolute credit to you. His recall is just amazing! Very well done for everything so far and see you on a pack walk soon :-) Very best, Nicki

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Nicky has been a absolute essential to…

Nicky has been absolutely essential to the training of our Puppy Atlas! She gives you so much information and guidance on how to have a well mannered little member of the family! It’s also lovely for all of the puppies to get used to new people and dogs each week in a friendly and supportive environment. In the five sessions we can’t believe how much our dog has retained and the foundation it has created for him to continue to learn. I would recommend this course to anyone who gets a new puppy in future.

October 17, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Mollie, thanks so much for your super review! I'm so pleased you've enjoyed everything with Atlas - he is such an amazing pup and you have an absolutely wonderful bond with him. So much to look forward to in the future with him! :-) Very many thanks again, truly appreciated, very best, Nicki xx

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great course

Great course - wide variety of exercises followed up with very helpful written information and you tube clips. Knowledgeable trainer aware of needs of differing breeds of dogs. Supportive atmosphere in class.

October 17, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Lynne, thanks so much for leaving such a great review - really appreciated! Very well done with your wonderful pup Barney - he is such a character and an absolute credit to you! Very best, Nicki xx

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic training

My Labrador puppy has now gone through puppy 1 and 2 courses with Nicki. Happy to say she has improved massively and Nicki has been great in the sessions, flexible and helpful with all questions. Would highly recommend!

October 4, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Jenny, very many thanks for leaving such a great review, truly appreciated! You've done so well with your beautiful girl - she is absolutely fab! :-) Very best, Nicki x

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great!

Engaging classes and very thorough "homework" with video instructions. Nicki is helpful with answering general questions about puppy training and full of helpful suggestions for our particular dogs. Toby has benefitted hugely from the courses (and so have we!)

October 4, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Very many thanks for leaving such a fab review! Truly appreciated - Toby is such a super duper little chap! - well done for all the great progress so far. See you soon, Nicki x

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Having a new puppy and all the…

Having a new puppy and all the challenges that brings, attending the puppy training really helped to reinforce positive behaviour in our puppy and increased his obedience no end

October 2, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Rebecca, very many thanks for leaving a super review and huge well done for completing the course with your super pup! Very best, Nicki

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

FAB!

So pleased I found the adolescents to 2-3 year training course for myself and my standard dachshund - Otis. Nicki presented real structured lessons, which repeat, revisit and build on skills taught. The accompanying training with videos to complete at home have also been so useful. Both Otis and I have enjoyed and benefitted so much. He is a calmer, happier dog and we have bonded much more. Thank you.

September 7, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Carol, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a great review! - truly appreciated. It was an absolute pleasure having you & Otis in class. Looking forward to catching up soon, very best, Nicki x

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great puppy trainer. Great venue

If you are looking for a good start to puppy training then Nicki is a great trainer. She is very friendly and knowledgeable.
The outdoor location is a definate bonus...this is my 2nd puppy and its much less stressful as an owner and to puppy being outdoors.
I am looking forward to our next steps

September 6, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Jenine - thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a fab review - truly appreciated! :-) It was really lovely having you & Billy in the class - he's such a super pup and an absolute credit to you! Catch up soon, Nicki x

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great training all round

Great training all round, highly recommended!

September 2, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Earl, many thanks for taking the time to leave a super review - greatly appreciated! :-) Very best of luck with Storm - fantastic pup! Nicki

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We've really enjoyed the Puppy 1 course…

We've really enjoyed the Puppy 1 course with Nicki. Our black lab has learnt such a lot through Nicki's guidance and we are definitely going to continue onto the next course of classes. Our dog is learning to be a polite and adorable pet with good manners, which is just lovely.

September 1, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Georgie! Thank you so much for leaving such a fab review - I really appreciate it! :-) I'm really glad you enjoyed Puppy 1 with Bramble, she is such a beautiful pup and is always amazing in class! See you all for Puppy 2 soon! :-)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Such a wonderful class for young pups

Such a wonderful class for young pups. Especially being able to socialise with similar aged pups. Every week I always come away better informed and eager to try and put what I've learned into practice. Lilly has come on in leaps and bounds since the first week. Long may it continue. Looking forward to the next step in puppy 2.

September 1, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Ed, thanks so much for taking the time to leave such an awesome review - truly appreciated! Really glad you enjoyed the sessions and see you soon for Puppy 2! :-) Nicki

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Wonderfully structured sessions

Wonderfully structured sessions. With plenty of variety and practice space as well as guidance and encouragement. Nicki is so knowledgeable on all things canine related but so softly spoken you never feel apprehensive about approaching her. If you have a puppy you will not regret signing up for training sessions here.

September 1, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review for me, truly appreciated! :-) Really glad you enjoyed everything and good luck with your super pup! Nicki

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Clear and fun training that gets results

We have just completed an amazing foundation course with Nicki, and the difference in our 14 month old puppy is incredible.

Nicki explains everything so that dog novices like us can think dog, and therefore understand and master the exercises. Be prepared to put in the work in between classes, there’s plenty of homework which Nicki sends on email with helpful videos. But it’s absolutely worth it to get the most out of the course. We will definitely be enrolling in the follow on course, and we thoroughly recommend Nicki to any one who wants a well trained pooch. Thank you Nicki!

August 27, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Hannah, thanks so much for leaving such an awesome review! Truly appreciated - thank you! It was an absolute pleasure having you all in class and super well done for all the hard work with your beautiful boy Monty. So pleased you enjoyed the class and got so much out of the course. Looking forward to catching up soon, Nicki x

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

fantastic thoughtful kind and effective…

fantastic thoughtful kind and effective training. just 5 classes made a huge positive difference to our relationship with our lovely rescue dog and his behaviour. Looking forward to more courses in the future!

August 16, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Harriet and thank you so much for leaving such a super review! It's an absolute pleasure having Leo in class, you've really taken on board the training and have the results to prove it! I'm so pleased to see the progress you're making and isn't it lovely when class mates notice the change in your dog too! Hope to see you soon, Nicki x

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Training Classes

Excellent Training Classes

Nikki clearly has plenty of experience and has lots of enthusiasm for the training classes. She also provides lots of tips and tricks aimed at each individual dog.

AND you get to play on the obstacle course too!

August 14, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Andrew, many thanks for leaving such a super review! Truly appreciated :-) Great to see you at the pack walk today too! Well done with your boy, you handle him beautifully. Catch up soon, Nicki

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed the course as did my…

Thoroughly enjoyed the course as did my golden retriever, Stanley. Nicki made the experience fun and was very informative. She was patient, calm and always ready to answer questions from the group. The course developed well through the various stages of training with very good back up material via email. The setting was beautiful and we are now looking forward to group dog walks. Thank you.

August 6, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Jean, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a super review! Really greatly appreciated and so glad you enjoyed everything, it was an absolute pleasure having you & Stanley in the group. Looking forward to seeing you again on a pack walk soon! All the best, Nicki

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very well organised

Very well organised, friendly and fun for the puppies, small groups. The emailed reminders really helped.

July 11, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a super 5* review, truly appreciated! Ollie is such a super pup - very well done for his first set of classes and hope to catch up with you soon :-)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic Dog Training!

We attended the puppy class with Nicki at Grafham Water Canines earlier this year.

We are first time dog owners and have never attended any kind of dog training in the past.

I think the puppy class has been fantastic and has taught us so much as first time dog owners.

There is such a vast difference between our puppy and a friend's - the two are only a couple of months apart in age, but the discipline our dog has gained through training along with the understanding he has of how to play nicely with other dogs far surpasses that of dog who has not attended any training.

We have also learned so much about how to read our dog from the training exercises, classes and socialisation provided. When visiting our friends with the puppy - their dog is relentless and will not leave ours alone, even when ours clearly has had enough. Whilst our dog was not reactive in terms of vocalising his frustration, we could tell from his body language that he was finished playing and wanted to be left alone and we were able to remove him from the situation before it escalated. He returned to my feet when called and sat nicely - even with the excitement of other people and dogs around him.

I think the classes have been great, and are so informative - we were given recommendations for the best equipment to buy for training with direct links to Amazon.

At the venue, there is an obstacle course for warm up/cool down and it is a great bit of fun. The area itself feels so safe and is away from distractions. The time given to practice each exercise is spot on - long enough for the dog to learn and practice, but not so long that the dog gets bored.
Being able to see Nicki and Jim perform the exercises is great because you can see how the commands should be given and how the dog should be reacting.

Nicki is amazing, she is so friendly, calm and patient. The classes are incredibly well run and Nicki communicates everything you need to know for the classes well in advance.

July 7, 2021
Unprompted review
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Reply from Grafham Water Canines

Hi Jenni, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed and amazing review! Appreciate it hugely! :-) Can't wait to catch up with you soon on Puppy 2 and see how Ramsey has grown! Nicki xx

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