Harvey our staffy cross had several behavioural issues including fear reactivity to other dogs and being extremely anxious on walks. This led to him ultimately manipulating all the walks we took him on. We struggled for several months, until we reached the point where spending time outside with Harvey was a miserable experience for us all.
 

We previously took him to a centre-based dog trainer which was good but didn’t help us in the real world. Once Harvey was away from that training centre environment, his behaviour worsened. We also tried 2 other local independent dog trainers, which were a waste of money. At breaking point, we found Nick at Bear Basics Canine Academy online. He promptly replied when we made contact and took our concerns about Harvey’s issues seriously. Nick was very confident he could help us. He suggested the best type of training approach for Harvey’s issues, would be a residential stay option. My girlfriend and I both agreed he needed this type of intensive training. Nick discussed how this would look from day to day and gave us some things to start working on initially prior to the stay. Nick had a ‘meet and greet’ with us and Harvey. He explained that this was to see how Harvey behaved in the house, on a walk and to get to know him. We originally planned for a two week stay, but as other unwanted behaviours were unearthed during his stay, Nick felt that Harvey would benefit from an extra week. We were provided with daily updates including videos, showing us how Harvey was getting on, his wins and areas where Harvey needed more work by Nick.
 

On Harvey’s return, Nick provided a full handover with us. This included a Residential Report which was extremely comprehensive and included his behavioural issues, an explanation of them and how to continue with his training. The handover prepared us for the work that we needed to put in following his stay. The report included command words to use, and a check list of equipment needed to continue with his training needs. Nick had already pre-warned us of this, so we were prepared. In addition, we went out for a walk with Nick as part of the handover and the results were amazing! Harvey seemed happier and was much calmer on the lead. He was engaged and able to listen to us. We both knew that Nick had done a fantastic job with him but realised that we would need to consolidate this with consistent hard work over the next weeks/months. Nick showed us everything that he had done with Harvey during the stay, so we could continue implementing it into Harvey’s daily life.

Nick gave us the necessary tools to give Harvey a life that he deserves, however this has been as much about teaching us how to behave around Harvey as training Harvey himself. As such Nick actively encourages us to keep him updated with progress. The transformation in Harvey is unreal! We honestly can’t believe the difference in him. He’s much more confident and happier when out for walks, less scared of noises, less reactive with other dogs, and more engaged with us. After months of being unable to take him out for walk from our front door, and becomingly increasingly frustrated and upset, we can now go for walks at any time of the day, and to different locations.
 

His behaviour at home has greatly improved too and he’s more settled. He wags his tail constantly and responds well to the commands Nick taught us. From the start of this process Nick and Yasmin have been amazing. The level of support has been incredible. Nick is friendly, approachable, professional and its clear he has an exceptional bond with dogs. We’ve been impressed with Nick’s positivity, knowledge, and enthusiasm with regards to Harvey and his training needs. Nick’s training style has been crucial in helping Harvey, especially as other training methods have failed.
We thank Nick and Yasmin from the bottom of our hearts, as cheesy as that sounds. We are beyond happy with Harvey’s transformation since his stay & we highly recommend Bear Basics Canine Academy, their residential package, and their group classes.

Sam & Harvey