Start Teaching Your Dog To Overcome Their Emotions
Reactivity is not a single-sided problem; it develops due to multiple factors, the biggest two being poor genetics & poor…
Read
Valorant K9 Academy
Our New
Socialisation
Board & Train Programme
A 2 week board & train experience centred around improving your dog's social skills and better walks
How can we help you?
Is your dog a little nervous
or overexcitable around other dogs?
Have walks become stressful?
Our 2-week socialisation board & train programme has been designed with you in mind.
This programme helps to improve the errors commonly made in your typical dog-dog socialisation. Whether your dog is too pushy and boisterous around other dogs, or too shy to engage with confidence, they will spend two weeks with our expert trainers and be carefully integrated into a pack of exemplary adult stooge dogs.
During their stay they will learn how to understand and respond to body language from other dogs in a carefully controlled setting, as well as start to see strange dogs as background noise to simply be ignored. Your dog’s stay will be tailored to their exact needs, and they will finish their stay with an improved understanding of dog neutrality, the ability to make better decisions around other dogs, and building their confidence around other dogs in general.
What will the socialisation board & train experience look like for my dog?
Each stay is a unique, bespoke experience, meaning no stay will be the same. However, all dogs will learn to co-exist calmly in our own home and how to behave on walks.
Your dog’s days will consist of supervised 1:1 sessions with our expert pack of stooge dogs, carefully planned walks and free time with the group, along with structured neutrality lessons. We will also work on other basic obedience and manners like leash pulling, recall, impulse control at thresholds, and improving focus.
We will help your dog to learn a range of body language and play styles, and to feel confident in a safe, controlled and fun environment. Additionally, you will be invited into a private WhatsApp group to discuss your progress with our other clients moving forward.
We're proud to introduce
Our expert pack of
professional stooge dogs
Teaching appropriate social skills requires the right exposure to socialised well-balanced dogs
Our expert pack of personal dogs have helped hundreds of dogs throughout the United Kingdom as part of their professional roles as stooge dogs, in both 1-1 behavioural training and our board & train programmes.
Each dog is correctly socialised, have a strong and stable temperament, and are neutral or social on command.
Panzer
German Shepherd
Hannya
German Shepherd
Ava
Labrador Retriever
Nina
German Shepherd
What's next?
Here are some of the aspects of socialisation your dog will learn during their stay
Providing an intensive opportunity to integrate your dog into a balanced pack
What our clients think
Don't just take our word for it, check out what some of our amazing clients have had to say.
I had a half day session with Adam yesterday and I'm so pleased with how it went. Adam could tell me just about straight away what the issues were with both me and German Shepherd, Duke. He is extremely knowledgeable and gives very clear advise and instructions. He also uses his own dogs to practice around (his dogs are amazing!) Both Adam and Lauren are very down to earth lovely people and make you feel at ease instantly. Overall I'm so pleased I found Valorant K9. Onwards and upwards for me and my doggo! Thanks guys.
I was sceptical at best about meeting Johnny after my Mrs spending a small fortune on dog trainers and behaviourists with limited results trying to get our GSD Zak to walk without pulling and to stop being so reactive to other dogs. Within less than 10 mins we had loose lead walking sorted and by the end of the session Zak was ignoring horses dogs the lot. The approach of balanced training rather than just force free simply works. Don’t get me wrong Zak is a well loved pet and far from hurting him nothing more than a well timed flick of the lead is all that’s required when you know what you’re doing. Wish the Mrs had found these guys first as it would have saved us a lot of time money and hassle! Actually enjoying dog walks again now cheers.
My GSD was reactive towards everything and anything including sounds of normal household things. Very nervy and unsettled. Pulling on leash getting on his back legs to get to anything that made him react. Got a dog trainer involved within a week to support me with Pablo during this time Pablo got worse. He bit my family members including myself twice. Arranged for a dog shelter to rehouse Pablo but they couldn’t get near him, called many dog charities for support but unfortunately as Pablo has a bite history there was only one place now for him either locked up in our house or put to sleep. I found Adam through an online dog academy and took Pablo to see him. He was now my last hope. We had a quick chat and went straight into training Pablo. By the end of my first session Pablo stopped reacting and he showed me how to get back to basics with Pablo and a year on I have a totally different dog and will forever be grateful!
Started training with my GSD Mac, at Valorant K9. I have had a fare few GSDs over the years, but I am not a dog trainer. So the plan was for me to learn as much as possible for Mac from both Adam and John. The Lads have been amazing with both myself and Mac, the amount we have learnt and the quality of the training has been excellent and I would recommend the lads to any serious dog owner and look forward to many more training sessions with my friend and partner in crime Mac.
We brought Miles to Adam to help deal with his reactivity problems. I cannot believe the difference we seen within the first hour. Miles was walking without pulling and he was alot calmer. Adam showed us how to correct his pulling, and when to mark and reward his behaviour. I'm so glad that we made the decision to bring him because we feel like we brought a different dog home. I am still in shock that I was walking Miles on a loose lead and past dogs without him reacting! Adam knew what was wrong with Miles from meeting him and he's told us so much to help with his training in the future and gave us the confidence to carry it through. I cannot wait to go for a walk with Miles without detouring or waiting behind cars for dogs to pass. Thank you so much!
If you’re thinking about reaching out to Adam and Valorant K9, stop thinking and just do it. We did a half day session for my massive German shepherd who couldn’t concentrate on a walk to save his life and would throw his entire body weight towards other dogs, new smells, lampposts, pigeons, you name it. I took him for a big walk today and I feel like I’m walking a completely different dog, it was great! Adam is so knowledgable and I could tell straight away when he was handling Oscar that he was really in tune with how my dog thinks. Not a single second of the session was wasted and he passed on so much knowledge to us. Huge thank you!
The training and advice was second to none and within a couple of hours there was massive progress to be seen with my German shepherd, who not only likes to pull but also reacts to other dogs. By the end of the session, he was walking on a loose lead and hardly noticing other dogs. Took away lots of advice and skills to continue with his training. Worth every penny.
We are just so pleased we decided to go to a training session with Adam! After recently moving house with our German shepherd Floyd, we thought that this would be a great opportunity to support Floyd with his reactivity. From being a young dog Floyd had struggled to cope with other dogs nearby. After meeting someone with a German shepherd on our estate, we were recommended to go and see Adam. He was not wrong! After just one session of three hours we walked away with the most amazing transformation. At the start of the session Floyd was quite reactive towards both Adam and his dogs however at the end of the session Floyd was able to walk close by the other dogs with the appropriate corrections and praise, as well as comfortably letting Adam handle him.
We are continuing to work with Floyd but really couldn’t have done it without the amazing support and advice from Adam. Now I don’t know who enjoys a walk more, us or Floyd!
We took our now 18 month old German Shepherd to Adam firstly in August 20. We’d made great progress with our trainer but we couldn’t get a breakthrough with her reactivity/barrier frustration, to the point my wife dreaded taking her out.
Fast forward 5 months after our first session we’d made good progress but we wanted some feedback from Adam so we booked another half day to help us reinforce what we’d put in place as Nina was quite inconsistent, which really was more to do with our handling. With some cracking feedback and one month on we both look forward to taking her out. We’d never considered balanced training, however, not all dogs are the same and some need a little extra communication. Not only has the reactivity improved but loose lead walking at heel is now consistent. Our engagement is even better than it was and we have a fantastic well-rounded dog. We’ve seen so many dogs and owners make amazing progress with Adam, including those we’ve recommended.
I can honestly say Adam was the turning point for me and Sky. She was/is a reactive German shepherd and I had seen many trainers with no joy, things got from bad to worse then I done a course with Adam and OMG ..... the change in both of us was/is AMAZING.
He explains things clearly and makes everything to easy to understand and his way of training is just BRILLIANT !!!!
Sky has gone from reacting to everything and everyone to now enjoying our new found freedom as her reactivity is almost completely gone and the small bit she does have left we can manage thanks to the tools Adam’s training has given us.
I couldn’t recommend a better trainer as Adam managed to do for us something that others couldn’t and that was help make Sky’s life better through her training with her reactivity.
I did an online reactivity course with Adam and my god did I get my moneys worth!
he is a fountain of knowledge and he isn't afraid to share it! in depth! excellent experience all round, but explained in a way everyone on the course could grasp easily. One awesome thing I will say about Adam, he isn't in it for the money, what do I mean by that? Well he WANTS to help dog owners help themselves. If he can get you sorted in one session? He WILL do that!
He won't bamboozle you with scientific jargon (not that he doesn't know it!) and waste your session so you have to book back in a few times before you see results he! He gets it done, he just keeps things simple for pet people to understand, so we can implement his advice and training into our own lives, easily and with confidence. Adam is a genuine kind and compassionate dog trainer, he will help your dogs in the gentlest way that the dogs understand, friends first, build a relationship with your dog and then he gets to work. He is ALL about the dogs and making sure they're comfortable most of all. Highly recommended
I was fortunate that a friend of mine knew Adam and suggested that I book some training with my beautiful girl. Unfortunately, Ember was presenting as anxious and reactive with other dogs when on her leash. I had one training session with Adam last August, which has proven very beneficial. Adam showed me exactly how to teach Ember to focus on me and my reaction to her being reactive with other dogs. In short, she is now a very well trained obedient and loyal German Shepherd. The training that we received remains in place and I remain in Adam’s debt. Thank you.
I visited Adam for a half day session as I’ve been having reactivity issues with my German Shepherd Vinnie. Vinnie was a rescue who’s been with us for approx 1.5 years. He’s got the most amazing personality but he’s so reactive with other dogs. We’ve been attending a German shepherd training group and he’s improved great with the dogs he’s familiar with however he was still reacting to new dogs we met. Adam witnessed this behaviour as soon as Vinnie saw one of his stooge dogs and immediately showed me how best to deal with it. Within no time at all he was walking past the dogs and not reacting at all. The best thing was the way Adam explained why Vinnie was behaving the way he did and how my actions would have such a big impact, thus reducing his reactiveness over time. The techniques I learned from Adam are now incorporated into daily life with Vinnie which has massively improved the bond between us, which in my opinion is the best outcome of all.
Frequently asked questions
What do you want to know about the Socialisation Board & Train programme?
Who is the socialisation board & train programme for?
The Socialisation Board & Train is suitable for dogs who are either too timid or too confident around other dogs. Your dog will learn to have a healthier association of other dogs, including dogs in their group and unknown dogs encountered on walks.
We aim to teach your dog an overall concept of neutrality concerning strange dogs encountered on walks, and that polite interactions with dogs in our group are not only acceptable but encouraged.
We are aware that every dog is an individual, so integration into the group is carefully planned & managed on a daily basis. Your dog’s unique thresholds of comfort & preferences are honoured at all times.
Is the programme unsuitable for any dogs?
We cannot accept dogs who are very reactive or aggressive. This is because the programme is centred around polishing socialisation, not resolving complex behavioural problems. Dogs with severe reactivity or aggression should do a behavioural residential stay instead. We also cannot take dogs who are physically unable to join group walks, as these are in a variety of settings and can involve high-impact exercise.
Where will my dog sleep?
Your dog will sleep in a crate with bedding in our own home, alongside our personal dogs.
How much exercise & training will my dog have?
Your dog will have at least one walk a day. Whilst we do not believe in over-exercising dogs, the Socialisation Board & Train is centred around behaviour on walks; as such, your dog will spend a lot of time out & about with our pack.
Your dog will also be exposed to various social situations to practice & consolidate dog neutrality. This includes (but is not limited to) attending organized pack walks, going on ‘dates’ with likeminded dog owners, visiting dog-friendly public places and practicing new skills in dog-heavy areas.
When your dog isn’t out with us, they will spend their time pottering around the house with our dogs and having lots of quality rest in their crate.
Can you store my dog’s raw food?
We have plenty of room for your dog’s raw food in our freezers – all our dogs eat meat so we are used to the associated storage & preparation!
Will you be able to improve problem behaviours such as lack of recall, pulling on the lead and counter surfing?
Whilst the main aim of this programme is to improve socialisation, we are also able to improve mild problem behaviours concerning impulse control & behaviour in the home.
How much is the Socialisation Board & Train?
The two-week socialisation board & train programme is £1400.
Our promotional offer provides the first ten clients that book the Socialisation Board & Train programme for just £1000. Once the first 10 orders have been placed it will update to the usual price of £1400.
Applicants for the programme must attend a consultation (£80) to assess suitability. Clients who have already worked with us on a 1-1 basis or boarded with us previously may not require a consultation before booking.
Drop us an email at help@valorantk9.co.uk to check if you require a consultation.
What support will there be following the Socialisation Board & Train?
All clients are invited to a private WhatsApp group to discuss progress & share thoughts with our likeminded community. You will also be eligible for a discounted Booster week to maintain progress and interact with different dogs in new places.
From our blog
Check out our blog for advice, client work, news and events.
The Importance of Fulfillment & Enrichment
As much as we value & encourage concepts such as structure, functional obedience & neutrality, we also place a huge…
The Realities of Overseas Dog Rescues
A lot of people are uneducated, uninformed and unprepared to deal with the challenges of welcoming what is essentially a…
How To Spot A Rubbish Dog Trainer
With a booming industry, it seems like everyone and their aunt are dog trainers now. So, how do you know…