"We have a small but feisty Poochon who quickly became a very important part of our family. Sadly along with her intelligence came an anxiety and frustration that led to aggression. My daughter has a central line and low immunity and when the dog started to bite this became a very serious situation. We tried all the usual things, herbal remedies to calm, plug ins and collars. Read multiple training books and invested in trainers but nothing helped and the situation became impossible. Faced with the unthinkable I visited the vet one last time and told them through tears that we were going to have to let her go, we were desperate for help. They recommended we work with Simon and we were very happy to try.
We have worked really hard with her while using Simon’s Plan and listening more to her body language and needs as he instructed. Small changes that we would never have considered have made big changes to her… she literally is a different dog and we are so grateful. I only wish we had found Simon sooner. We are still very much a work in progress but the future looks so much better with her in our lives."
- Dawn and Lauren with Maple, referred by Northlands Vets, Kettering, January 2024
"Our vets gave us Simon's details to help with our reactive rescue dog Tofu who had been struggling to settle after a recent house move as well as struggling with people coming into the house. After previous experiences with other behaviourists, we were sceptical as to whether Simon would be able to help Tofu but I'm glad to say we had no reason to be concerned! Simon was really quick at getting back to us to arrange an initial consultation where we were able to talk through Tofu's history and the current issues we were facing before arranging an in-person consultation. Following the in-person meeting, Simon sent us a detailed behaviour plan, as well as recommending we start a pain trial through our vets and arranging medication for stressful events such as fireworks. He also arranged a follow up review promptly and was able to give us further pointers. After conducting the pain trial for a few months now, it's made a huge difference to Tofu's temperament and the behaviour plan has allowed us to slowly introduce other people in the house without Tofu constantly barking and growling. Simon's help has been invaluable with our day-to-day and larger behavioural problems and we wholeheartedly recommend him if you're struggling with your dog's behaviour. Thank you Simon!"
- Kathryn and Barney with Tofu, referred by Lake View Veterinary Centre, Nov 2023
"Simon was recommended to us by Oakham Veterinary Hospital because of Flynn’s high excitement levels and the behaviour that was arising towards us and our older diabetic dog. Simon spent loads of time with us at our home demonstrating ways to train and stimulate Flynn, and offering advice on how to improve his interactions with other people and dogs. He’s not 100% yet but at 11 months Flynn is a much calmer, happier dog whose behaviour has improved immeasurably. Thank you Simon. We also know that we can always contact Simon if we need further help and advice."
- Mike and Jackie with Flynn the Labradoodle, referred by Oakham Veterinary Hospital, February 2023
"We contacted Simon when our 8-year-old cocker began being frequently aggressive towards our younger 6-year-old-dog. After seeing the dogs together and discussing their history thoroughly, Simon was able to recognise the anxiety both dogs were experiencing around each other and the potential pain underlying the onset of increased aggression. In order to improve the relationship between the dogs, Simon was able to advise us of different strategies to use - one being two painkillers. The aggression stopped immediately and 5 months down the line the relationship between the dogs is back to normal! Many thanks to Simon for his expertise."
- Jenny with Bessie and Fliss, referred by The Vet Centre, Maids Moreton, October 2021
"My vet recommended Simon to us after our 2yr old Cocker Spaniel was showing some anxious behaviours. We have seen a huge improvement from the him since Simon came and helped us - our dog and the family are a lot more confident. Simon taught us what his behaviours meant and showed us techniques to help, Simon also spent the time to write out a very detailed plan for us going forwards. Simon is still in contact with us and continues to offer help if needed. Would highly recommend."
- Anonymous, referred by Spinney Lodge Vets, Northampton, July 2021
"Simon's help has transformed our rescue Bearded Collie's behaviour when out and about. His recommendation that she take medication to help manage her anxiety has proven to be game-changing and she is no longer reactive to many of the things that she used to be - cars, birds, cats etc. We can now get her attention and hold her focus when out on a walk - something we have tried and failed to do for the past two years despite various training programmes, dog trainers and our best efforts. Simon's treatment plan is clear and his support invaluable. Thank you Simon!"
- Jackie and Ben with Solo, referred from Garston Vets (Somerset) June 2021
"Simon was our saving grace in a seemingly hopeless time. While only having one 30-minute conversation on the phone, Simon was able to help us find most of our issues and made our dog change his behaviour by a 180 degrees. He was always friendly and never in any way, shape or form condescending or judgemental. He gave us the time to explain ourselves and answered every question asked with ease, kindness and understanding. Due to changes in our life, I haven't done a 2-hour consultation with him. I however have to say that I can't recommend Simon enough. If he can turn our dog around in 30 minutes, I can't even imagine what wonders he will bring to a longer consultation."
- Dennis with Rolo and friends, referred from Rushden Vets, October 2021
"We are very happy with the service we received from Simon. The original pre-visit questionnaire was very thorough and helped us focus on the main issues. At the first visit Simon had clearly studied our answers carefully and had a good understanding of the problem. He discussed it all with us and and made a number of suggestions of changes we could make with the way we interacted with Rusty and our other dog and what we could do to avoid conflict between the two dogs. This visit was followed with a written behaviour treatment plan which we have found most useful and supportive. Thank you Simon."
- Peter and Mary with Rusty and Barney, referred from Stamford Vets, April 2020
"Having both worked with Simon and referred cases to him I can highly recommend him. He is brilliant with pets, and the clients I've referred have been very happy. I've also attended a lecture/seminar by him and the information I have learnt has been invaluable. He is very friendly and happy to chat through cases and give advice over the phone, which has been extremely helpful."
- Nishi Jani MRCVS, March 2020
"We are very happy to recommend Simon. We have several cats, who weren't getting on well together. There was a lot of stress for them, and some fighting. We really wanted them to feel happier and more relaxed. Simon was recommended to us by our vet. He arranged a home visit and spent a while looking at the environment, the individual cats and asked us about our concerns.
Simon also asked about a typical day, examples of problems and watched our cats interacting. He helped us understand how cats think and prefer to behave. Simon also offered us some immediately helpful suggestions and wrote a great report for us.
After making a few small changes we saw some great improvements and this went on for months after. Simon also kept in touch to see if this were on track. Now our cats are definitely much happier, relaxed and tolerant of each other. Simon has been kind, thoughtful and approachable. He's also a very knowledgeable and kind person who cares about animals."
- Clients from Astonlee Veterinary Hospital And Surgery, Newport Pagnell
"We contacted Simon in relation to some major behavioural issues we were experiencing with our then 8-month-old border collie, Bonzo (including escalating aggressive behaviour). The result is that after six months of working with Simon we have a very different dog, and the difference Simon has made to all our lives is remarkable.
Simon visited us at home on several occasions for consultations, and was able to observe firsthand the difficulties we were experiencing. The treatment plan he compiled and his recommendations on how we approach our dealings with Bonzo were extremely clear and thorough.
The support we received from Simon in the months that followed his initial visit to us were invaluable, both by email and by telephone. There were times when life was pretty unmanageable during this transition, and we honestly couldn't have carried on the way we were without knowing that Simon was on hand to guide us in the right direction.
Simon's caring, patient, understanding approach, coupled with his excellent knowledge of animal behaviour, enables him to 'mediate' between dog and owner. I genuinely know we wouldn't be where we are today if we hadn't had Simon's support and guidance, and I would highly recommend him to anyone that is encountering issues with their pets, or maybe just wants to learn how to 'think like a dog'."
- Nikki, Duncan and Bonzo, Wellingborough, Northants (Vets4pets, Kettering).
"Simon has been a huge help to me and my dog Meeko. He has lots of ideas that really work and are realistic to achieve.
I felt he really listened to the problems I was having with Meeko and made the effort to understand and find the best route for us to take.
Simons help has made a massive difference to day to day problems I was having with Meeko and also has been a huge help with Meeko's dog desensitisation.
Thank you Simon, you've been a great help, Meeko is a happier dog and I'm a happier owner!"
- Becky, student vet nurse, Bridgwater, Somerset.
"Simon worked with us and two German Shorthaired Pointers, one of whom was a rescue, the other with us from 8 weeks old. We were reluctant to spend money on a behaviourist, having already spent around a £1000 pounds already on different holistic foods, leads, harnesses, haltis, bed set ups, calming tablets, vet bills, training classes, calming t-shirts, and calming plug-ins. We loved our dogs and thought that we could research and sort things ourselves without someone coming in and 'judging' our dog ownership skills. We were very wrong!
Simon put us at ease very quickly and said that he had wished that we had gone to him sooner, and in hindsight we could have saved ourselves money, time and effort. It was a massive relief when he said he could see how hard we had been trying. He reassured us that he could help us to do things differently and get different results. It was no surprise to learn that some of our efforts were hampering our dog's progression.
We had one dog who was very excitable and required less interaction, he was getting too much. We had one who turned out to be phobic of people and needed lesser and more appropriate interaction with others, rather than us trying to 'socialise' him like a new puppy. Simon gave us a variety of very specific exercises to do with our rescue dog for all different aspects of his struggles, including not able to be left alone. We were impressed that Simon identified and got to the root of the problems very quickly. Implementing Simon's advice requires work and dedication, some aspects are taking time but within a week we could see big improvements and that encouraged us to continue.
It's been around two months since we first met Simon and all of our lives have improved, we have calmer, happier dogs and we are much more relaxed. We no longer have to worry about the food shop as our dog is comfortable to be left at home, something that we just couldn't do until we had worked with Simon. We can even go out for a meal knowing that he isn't howling whilst the neighbours are getting ready to sleep! It's difficult to summarize the work he did with our us and our dogs, as our situation was complex, but I have no hesitation in recommending Simon, his knowledge of behaviour in dogs and his ability to give honest feedback on how quickly things can be resolved, has turned out to be spot on."
- Gem and Mark with Chilli and Pepper, Corby, Northants.
"We can’t thank Simon enough for his invaluable help and assistance with our pug's behaviour. At two years old, Rocco was becoming hyper and demanding in some everyday situations and could sometimes be aggressive when he didn’t want to do something, which became very upsetting for us.
Simon came to visit us and was immediately able to help and assist us in how to deal with Rocco’s changing behaviour, and put our minds at ease that this was all perfectly normal. He has devised us an excellent and thorough treatment plan which is very clear and easy to follow and it has worked absolute wonders with Rocco.
We are also extremely happy in the knowledge that Simon is always just at the end of the phone or email if we ever need any assistance at all, at any time.
Thank you Simon.
- Jayne, Brian, and Rocco, Wellingborough, Northants. Referred by Johnstone's vets.
