"My little Border Terrier, Stella, is my first dog. Because she is my first dog, and I have no experience with dog training, I decided it would be a very good idea to get her started on training as soon as she was able. I called Sandra and we agreed that 12 weeks was the perfect time for Stella to start clicker obedience training.

Stella bonded with Sandra straight away and gave her her full attention. Within the space of a few short clicks, Stella was sitting down on command. By the end of that first session she was able to 'sit', 'leave', and 'watch me'. From that time on, I believe that Stella was happier in herself because she knew what was expected of her and she behaved beautifully. As the weeks went on, Stella learned to 'lie', 'come', walk nicely on the leash, and most impressively (for me, that is) walk off leash and respond to her recall command.

Although all four of Stella's sessions were quite incredible in terms of speed of learning and general ability, I think the last session was by far the best. Sandra and I agreed that it would be great for Stella if she could go to the Kelvin Park and be let off leash amongst other dogs. I admit, I was a little nervous but those nerves soon calmed when I noticed how focused Stella was on me and Sandra. We took a slowly, slowly approach at first and called Stella back whilst she was still attached to a very long leash. After that exercise it was clear that she would come back equally as well off leash and so we let her off. Stella came back every time she was called. Even in the midst of a scrum of very big dogs, Stella was the one who came back after she was called. I could never have anticipated that at 16 weeks old, Stella - the smallest and youngest dog in the park - would come back every single time she was called.

Stella is 18 weeks now and continues to go from strength to strength. The work that Stella and I did with Sandra has proven invaluable. Stella is a happy, well-adjusted little dog who has most definitely blossomed from her clicker training. She is confident, sure and is now showing a lovely adventurous side, a side which I believe has been encouraged by her knowing what is expected of her and knowing her boundaries.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this method of training to any dog owner and I would recommend getting started as soon as possible because it really is amazing what can be achieved."

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Alison and "Millie" - Lenzie

"Thanks again for your time spent with us and Millie over the past few weeks. Millie is a completely different puppy now and responds so well to her training. I can now take my 4 and half month old puppy around the Moss or down to the park, let her off the leash (when it's safe) and feel really quite confident that she will come back to me. Even encountering other dogs and distractions, she comes back every time I call her. Other dog walkers are amazed at how well she behaves for her age and although I feel quite proud of that, I know it's actually because of you!

I'm so glad we got in touch with you to help with her training as your methods have proved a great success. Millie's a joy now because she listens to us (albeit she still has her mad puppy moments!) and it's all been done with love and rewards, something I previously doubted would work on its own. Matthew is forever going on about how good "Sandra the Teacher" was and what a difference she has made to Millie, which is praise indeed - from a 9yr old!

I can't recommend you and your methods highly enough and will continue to recommend you to anyone I talk to who might be interested in getting some help with their dog".

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Claire and "Rufus" - Barmulloch

"Rufus was about a year old, when we got him from Cardonald Cat and Dog home. Being so young he had boundless amounts of energy which we found hard to contain, from jumping up on everyone to taking mad half hours where he was literally running rings around us. Sandra at A-grade dog training was a great help. Using positive reinforcement, Sandra taught us how to use the "clicker" response which Rufus responded very well to. Sandra helped us realise not only that Rufus needed a lot of exercise to tire him out, but that he needed to be mentally stimulated.

Once we implemented the lessons- the change was huge and we started to notice a difference from the first lesson. Once we saw these changes- this gave us the incentive to continue with the training which we still do as it keeps Rufus stimulated as well as having a calming influence on him.

When we had an "incident" with a neighbour and Rufus, Sandra gave us advice on what to do- which was greatly appreciated! We only had 3 lessons with Sandra and we now have a chilled out dog, but who hasn't lost his personality and is a pleasure to have in our lives."

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Nanette, Kay and "Ellie & Co" - Maryhill Park

"Ellie is our third dog - a female border terrier to join our two older boys (Jock & Cal)- both border terriers. We did all the usual puppy training classes which Ellie responded to well.

However, she remained hard to control with all three on a walk- she barked at other dogs, jumped up on people and was obsessed with fox scents and routes.
We found Sandra and began our [yes our] training and learned about positive behaviour control with clicker training.

Sandra immediately had Ellie's attention and we learned to progress from responses to commands in the house, outside and then outside with all three dogs.
Sandra was keen to get out of the house and help us with the issues in the local park. She was patient with us and practical with advice.

Over the weeks we have observed the changes we wanted to see in Ellie. She now comes back on command, we can distract her from scents and she approaches other dogs without lunging or barking.

A major lesson is that training never really ends and we need to keep it going with all our dogs. We really wish we had found Sandra earlier. She is practical, patient and professional and Ellie [and the rest of us] has benefitted enormously from the training.

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Colin and "Harry" - Milngavie

"Sandra - I'd just like to thank you for the help I got from you in getting Harry trained- I could not believe how fast you got results when I had been trying for weeks. The clicker you gave me is great and I still use it 3 months since you first showed me how to use it in his training programme.

I will contact you again when puppy no2 comes! Thanks again".

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Carol and "Bella" - Bearsden

"We found with our dog Bella that training made a huge difference to her attitude. She now respects us more and is a lot more mature. She was taught many commands which have been very handy and was trained how to walk without pulling the lead. We found training was fun as well as very helpful.

The Trainer, Sandra at A-Grade, gave us some easy steps when we followed on the training, which made what seemed impossible, extremely possible. Bella had a great time".

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Anne and "Miya" - Bishopbriggs

"My husband and I recently became the proud owners of a tiny cross breed puppy called Maya. Since it is many years since I have owned a puppy and my husband has never owned one we decided that we should have training sessions for her so we were both working off the same page.

After much searching we decided on contacting Sandra of A-Grade Dog training. Sandra offers one to one training at home, which we felt would be of benefit as Maya would be comfortable and there would be less distraction. We could not believe how quickly she struck up a rapport with Maya and was almost instantly able to get her to obey a few simple commands (something we had not been able to do).

Maya has now had three sessions and is able to listen when asked, sit, stay, down, leave, and come when called even when distracted by toys,other dogs etc. She also walks well on leash and will allow us to check her over including her teeth - a great help when having checkups at the Vets.

Our only regret is that the sessions are now over for a while until we decide on further training.

Sandra has left us the tools and skills to continue to encourage Maya to be a happy and well behaved puppy and we cannot thank her enough.
We would and do recommend Sandra to any dog owners we come across.

I have no hesitation in allowing Sandra either my email or telephone if anyone wants a reference in the future".

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Mark, Sarah and "Millie" - Bearsden

"When Millie became part of our family our aim was to have an obedient family pet. Sandra came highly recommended and her enthusiastic, practical approach to training Millie - and us - was fantastic.

The format of weekly training sessions at our home with clear follow up sheets for " homework" worked brilliantly. A few sessions later and we had passed puppy obedience...more importantly we had a well trained puppy who absolutely adored her training sessions!

We found the one-to-one training invaluable and would have no hesitation in recommending Sandra, a wonderful experience all round."

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Maria and "Sherlock" - Anniesland

"Sandra, I would like to thank you for your help in training my wee Westie puppy, Sherlock. He continues to work so well with the clicker training. I could not believe how quickly Sherlock responded to your commands and saw how much he enjoyed your sessions. This was all done in a kind and positive way, which has helped us bond even more with Sherlock if that is possible!

Sherlock not only learned the commands every dog needs like toilet training, sit, down, stay, stand, stopping jumping up, leave and recall, but he also had a few other issues which were really helped with your training.

Sherlock was very apprehensive about going into his crate, especially when the door was closed and became upset and vocal - however, you very quickly showed us how to encourage Sherlock to enjoy his own space, and now he loves his crate!

You also helped Sherlock with his anxiety over being separated from us so that we can now leave him alone downstairs at night, and also when we are going out, and we're continuing to encourage him to settle quickly and happily.

Sherlock had also been a bit scared of traffic such as lorries and vans, and we now know how to work on him being calm in busier traffic times.

The best lesson Sherlock has learned has been in a fabulous recall - on your final visit when we went to the park, I was amazed at how focused Sherlock was on me, and how he came back like a shot every single time he was called!

It was not only Sherlock who enjoyed your visits - myself and my Mum and Dad also had fun learning from you on how to have a happy, well trained dog we can enjoy for life.

I've taken Sherlock to Pets at Home on a couple of occasions, where other dog owners were very impressed at the way Sherlock obeyed his commands, and I'm sure he even showed off a little!

I've recommended you to other owners already and will continue to do so to anyone who might be interested".

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Shona, John and "Trixie" - Old Kilpatrick

"We recently became the proud owners of Trixie, a Cocker Spaniel puppy. We decided to look for a dog trainer in order that she got the best start in life and would end up being a 'dream dog to take anywhere' and we were recommended Sandra of A-Grade Dog Training.

This turned out to be a great recommendation. Sandra offered training at home, and within three visits she had quickly taught us and the dog the basic commands of sit, lying down, stand, stay, recall, leave, and walking without pulling on the lead. Also some fun stuff like paw and high five came later.
On top of this Sandra was very helpful with information on toilet training, puppy biting and jumping up etc.

Basically she was very approachable with any problems you had been encountering, we could not believe how quickly she struck up a relationship with Trixie who recognised her and enjoyed each visit.

Sessions are also backed up with a hand out on what had been getting taught in each visit and Sandra e-mailed them to us, which was most helpful. The sessions are over now but it's great to know we are welcome to phone her with any problems or request another visit.

Sandra has left us the knowledge and skills to continue to encourage Trixie to be a well behaved dog and it's up to us now to continue and be consistent with her training.

I have and would recommend Sandra to new and existing dog owners whom we come across.

Trixie says: "Big thanks Sandra - I have two great parents now who have been taught to continue to bring me up correctly without shouting or losing patience with me, life's great - High Five!"

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Lorna and "Beau" - Bearsden

"Sandra, I would just like to thank you very much for all your help with Beau, my Cockapoo.

As you know I have trained dogs before and knew the basics but I was a bit out of touch with modern methods and lacked direction. Under your clear instruction I was able to re-focus my efforts as I now knew what I was trying to achieve. Beau responded very well to the reward based methods you used and was an eager student.

I regularly tell the dog owners that I meet about you and I wholeheartedly recommend you to anyone who is looking for a trainer. Your methods are kind and fun and equally enjoyable for both dog and owner. Many thanks".

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The McQuades and "Copper" - Balornock

"Copper, our Kings Charles Spaniel, is our second family dog. Unfortunately our first dog was a very negative experience for us, and when we decided to try again with a new dog we were determined to make it a more positive experience.

When we got Copper we decided to get help from a trainer and we found Sandra. Copper bonded with Sandra right away and was so responsive to the training. Copper had four sessions with Sandra and we are all having so much fun with him - he also likes to show off at times with what he has learned!

He's a wonderful addition to our family and a joy to be with as he is so well trained. Copper learned all basic commands such as sit, down, stay, stand, leave, greeting other dogs, walking well on the lead and a great recall. He's also learned some fun things like paw and fetch, and we're working on rolling over! Copper is always learning and enjoys the training very much.

Sandra provided useful advice and strategies to enable all of this - thank you Sandra" !

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Ross, Kirsty and "Millie" - Dumbarton

"We felt the training provided by Sandra for Millie was great as she was still a youngster adapting to her surroundings. We had problems with her puppy biting and, as a large breed, her pulling on the lead. We were shown various techniques which we continued to use over some months to see excellent results in modifying Millie's behaviour.

The clicker training we were taught to use played a big part in rewarding Millie for her good behaviour and showing her how to act both indoors and outdoors, for example with teaching her to come back each time she was called.

In the end these training techniques were invaluable both for our peace of mind and Millie's safety".

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Carolyn and "Jack" - Bearsden

"Our Lakeland terrier, Jack Sparra, was bred for showing and spent his first year living in a kennel with his extended family. He came to live with us after the breeders decided to re-home him. On arrival he was shy and found it difficult to settle, constantly carrying out an inventory of whatever room he was in! The most immediate issue (at least from our point of view) was that he wasn't house trained. He also pulled while on the lead and had not been taught any commands.

Because of his age, we sought advice from Sandra of A-Grade, as we wanted to make sure that we were taking an effective approach to Jack's training. She gave us advice on how to engage with Jack and ensure that we were giving him the correct message and clearly letting him know when he was doing something good. We also gave Sandra our initial 'wish list' and all boxes have now been ticked! Following just three sessions (and a lot of patience and practice in between) Jack walks well on his lead and responds to commands to sit, give both paws and lie down - he can even do a 'high five'. We also did recall training and can now let him off the lead, which makes for much more enjoyable walks for all of us. Whilst the house training isn't 100% sorted, there has been a huge improvement and Jack is starting to understand the difference between outside and inside - that one was always going to be a longer term project!

We are delighted with the results of Sandra's input - Jack is much, much more confident and very settled now that he can understand and respond to commands. Thanks again for all your help".

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Jim & Doreen Park & "Purdie" - Bearsden

"Having a puppy again at just 7 weeks old was a bit of a shock for us and for our 12 year old lab, Penny.

However, our life has been made easier after we contacted Sandra at A Grade Dog Training. We were very pleased with her help, commitment and affection towards Purdie. We have managed to teach her a number of skills using the clicker system and some tricks which our grandchildren love. This included effective toilet training, watch, sit, down, stay, leave, puppy mouthing, walking on the lead and recall.

Purdie is now a happy, mischievous young dog, and fellow dog owners often comment on how well behaved she is at just 5 months old.

She is the best trained lab we've ever had! Thanks Sandra".

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Heather, Rory and "Ralph" - Stepps

Sandra, we would like to thank you for all your help in teaching us the training techniques for our wee Westie, Ralph. Within the space of a few training sessions, Ralph grasped the most fundamental commands - sit, down, stay, watch, leave, come, walking on the lead etc... We had never heard of the clicker training before and were extremely impressed at how Ralph has responded to it.

The clicker is a positive, friendly method of training and combined with Sandra's amazing techniques, Ralph really took to the learning and did so at speedy pace. We thoroughly enjoyed it too and still use the clicker for teaching Ralph new things.

Ralph was only 3 months old when we started the training and now at 4 and a half months old people are amazed at how obedient he is at such a young age. He does still have his cheeky-chappy moments as most puppies do, however we are much more confident in controlling his behaviour and he is very responsive to the positive training techniques.

We would certainly recommend Sandra to any dog owner. The training techniques we learned are invaluable skills that we will treasure and, along with Sandra's magical way with dogs, makes for both happy owners and waggy tails!

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Romana and "Sheikha" - Maryhill Park

Hi Sandra. As you know, our collie-cross Sheikha had become afraid of going out for walks, initially at night time and then also during the day. We had no idea why this had happened, but knew that we needed help to get her back to enjoying being outside. When you first came to see Sheikha, the mention of a walk had her cowering and unwilling to progress from our lounge to the front door. This began to change from the first session, and by our second session Sheikha was going up and down our street.

Can I update you on progress: Last Saturday Sheikha went off for our morning walk without me needing to use the clicker or treats. She has kept this up for all our morning walks, although she is still wary at night time. We have now been able to go to the Kelvin walkway and she is off the lead. However she is still very nervous around other dogs, which I know needs work and you will be working with Sheikha soon to help deal with this.

Slowly but surely we are getting there. We have some more work to do, but I can't thank you enough for getting us to this stage!!!!!

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Gill and "Murphy" - Bearsden

We have recently completed our 4 week puppy training plan with Sandra and are over the moon with our new, improved version of Murphy.

He is now well on the road to being fully trained and I am able to carry on with day to day top up training thanks to the feedback printouts which Sandra emailed after our sessions.

What I hadn't expected was just how much fun we had together and how responsive and willing to learn Murphy was; he absolutely thrived on the praise he was given after each achievement. The whole process has been a pleasure from start to finish. Sandra had such a wonderful way with Murphy, a very calm and confident presence while dealing with a very excitable puppy- her patience with both Murphy and myself was endless!

Thanks again Sandra for a really lovely experience.

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