Testimonials – Fun | Focus

“My first contact with Natasja at Nightsabre was after we rescued our Lurcher. Bracken was reactive to people and most especially other dogs, in most other areas she was what you would expect from an excitable 2-year-old with high energy and very high chase drive. Natasja came to assess her needs and we started on one to one training sessions for the next 4 weeks after which Natasja thought she may be ok to attend weekly mixed classes, all the while we practiced the skills that we had been taught and watched her progress from week to week. We have benefited tremendously from Natasja teaching us how to help our dog, turns out our pup is pretty good! I have been around dogs for years but have a much better understanding and level of communication now thanks to Natasja softly-softly and fun approach. Bracken is already as good as we want her but we will continue to go to classes because it’s great fun for us both.

I highly recommend Natasja and Wendy at Nightsabre, they make a great team, and their love of dogs and ability to train their owners is clear to see.“

Steve Jones and Bracken

“You may remember us, we have a black Labrador called Emma who is now four years old. She started her puppy training with you at Ibberton Village Hall, along with Loki the Doberman who came with Laura and Andy. Well you may like to know that today, at agility classes, Emma’s behaviour and good manners were complimented, and the feeling was that she received first-class training from an early age, so thank you.”

Mrs S Mackinnon & Emma

“Natasja’s Fun Focus Play classes have been perfect for our adult rescue dog, who was very underconfident. The games based approach puts no pressure on dog or owner, is enjoyable and has really helped us to develop our bond. Even though our dog had no training before she came to us, there was a version of each game that we could play and whilst having fun, she soon worked it out and gained in confidence.
Natasja has a wealth of experience and understanding of dogs. You are in safe hands at Nightsabre.“

Mrs L McLaughlin & Pearl

“We’ve seen enormous improvements in Luka’s behaviour and lead walking over the past ten weeks and wish to thank you and Wendy for all your patience and guidance.”

Michael Airey & Luka

“Blue & I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at No Pulling Allowed yesterday. We both learnt loads and it was nice to put a few more tips into the toolkit to manage his pulling when he’s over-excited. Great course, incredibly stunning training location and a fantastic teacher what more could a dog mad girlie wish for. Thank you so much, Natasja”

Ali Spence & Blue

“Natasja is an utter superstar! She is patient, positive, supportive and her expertise invaluable. She has equipped me with the training to help change my dog’s life, and mine! Her method of using positively reinforced games is very effective…and great fun!
Thank you for putting up with nutty me and goofy Gelder.“

Helen Ward & Gelder

“Natasja’s Awesome I’ve finally found a dog trainer that understands a dog’s needs and does it in such a fun way that everyone can enjoy.. there is a game for everything and my dog is now engaged in her training. She speaks in a way even kids can understand. Can’t wait for my next session”

Liz Boyes & Gwen

“Laine is my 4th puppy and many people think that you should know what you are doing when it is your 4th, but you don’t. She is so calm and confident after both the puppy and junior classes and loves to learn. To have a one year Chessie that stops dead on the whistle retrieves everything and has a recall to die for is a delight. I can thoroughly recommend training with Natasja because it is fun and dogs love it – I have taken some of the games home to the other dogs, and even my 11-year-old thinks it is fun and is more responsive.”

Jo Nash & Laine

“I started taking my dog to Hoopers training classes because he loves being with me and learning new things. We started attending Hoopers in March this year. In a fairly short time, Henry has earned his Level 1 & 2 Rosettes. In order to achieve this, he had to learn to turn in different directions, to move away from me and to read my body language as this helps him to go in the right direction. These skills are great fun at Hoopers classes but they are also useful when we are out on walks. Natasja is an excellent trainer. She gives clear instructions and also demonstrates with her own dogs. If Henry or I make a mistake Natasja pinpoints where I have gone wrong and helps me put it right. All the training is reward-based and there is no pressure on either dogs or handlers. There are 10 levels in Hoopers, Henry and I still have some way to go! In the meantime we are having fun, learning lots in the process and building a stronger bond between us.”

Cynthia Metcalfe & Henry

“My adolescent Hungarian Vizsla and I went to Natasja after she was recommended by a fellow Vizsla owner. He had begun to react to other dogs and some humans. She was brilliant with us and taught me how to engage him in games which trained things like disengaging from triggers, how to settle on a mat, impulse control harnessing his gundog instincts and so much more. With the patience of a saint she tolerated his goofy personality, cheeky jumping dog snogs and my awful habit of saying commands over and over and over! We still use the techniques she gave us. Learning with Natasja fuelled a growing interest in dog behaviour and contributed to having the confidence to keep learning and to start working in the industry, walking reactive dogs. I will always be grateful to her for helping both of us.”

Cynthia Metcalfe & Henry