what dog owners say about Jo & Graham Milgrew
Dog Training & Behavioral Therapist
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24th November 2020
Jo & Graham Milgrew dealt with:
Both Jo and Graham have been extremely supportive in helping us work with our 2 year old Bedlington/Patterdale terrier. We came to them with a number of problems and they listened, offered encouragement and provided us with a wealth of knowledge and practices we have been able to put in place with Loki. With the pandemic we were limited to zoom for our sessions with Jo however this didn’t cause a problem, we were still able to work together to confirm Loki had stress and anxiety issues and Jo provided us with various solutions and training to help combat this. We have since had an in person meeting with Graham who also made us feel at ease and provided a number of techniques which we are already seeing results with. Loki has taken to the training very well and we are already seeing a major improvement in his behaviour. I would highly recommend Jo and Graham, we have seen great results and are continuing to work with Loki daily.
Loki has ongoing serious ear issues which means he has experienced a lot of pain and this was affecting his behaviour as he was very reluctant to be handled. He was also resource guarding toys and chews, plus where he was resting. This is common in dogs who have health issues as they feel under threat and want to protect themselves. His owners have been very sensitive and have been carefully training him that he has nothing to fear. They have made huge strides in training Loki and he is a different dog now.
Permalink: www.barkbusters.co.uk/dog-training-review/18151
Carshalton, Surrey (Testimonial)
21st November 2020
Jo & Graham Milgrew dealt with:
Our 3 month old Miniature Long Hair Dachshund puppy Ruben struggles with severe separation anxiety. He would scream so loudly whenever we had to leave him alone in his crate. Our 7 month old Darcy (same breed) didn’t have these issues. So we needed to find a way to train him in a way she would find fun to join in too! Jo gave us easy but detailed games to play with both of them to encourage time in the crate. They both enjoyed the games, and while for Ruben it was good training, it was good fun for Darcy also! And it was also a relief being given such precise instructions as it got rid of our worries that we were making mistakes! It has only been 2 weeks but already we are seeing huge improvements with Rubens behaviour. As I type Ruben and Darcy are currently taking an afternoon nap in their crates peacefully while I get jobs done around the house! We are slowly building up to leaving him alone in the house and going out, but with Jo's advice and encouragement we are happy to take each day as it comes!
Separation anxiety is common in puppies, but this is the perfect example of how some pups have it worse than others and that is why some owners needed help. Ruben and Darcy's owners did exactly the same with both puppies and were very careful about separation, but Ruben is one of those puppies who are often called "velcro" because they are needy and struggle to be away even from their attachment person even for a minute. Their owners are working through a proven program at the moment building up time which are based around games that help a puppy adjust and build confidence. This has to be done very carefully when crating or play penning a dog for safety so they don't feel trapped and react as a result. These owners are doing really well and it has been a delight to see Ruben sleeping in his crate where before he would be screaming is distress,
Permalink: www.barkbusters.co.uk/dog-training-review/18150
Hornchurch, Essex (Testimonial)
4th November 2020
Jo & Graham Milgrew dealt with:
Our dog Dudley has come such a long way since we first got him back in August. He was a rescue from Romania - completely traumatised and depressed on arrival. I was an experienced dog owner, however, was at a loss as to what to do to help our poor Dudley. He was terrified of everyone and everything, hiding and running away from us. It was very upsetting to see him so unhappy. Thankfully, after the invaluable help and advice Jo provided, a bit of time and lots of patients Dudley is now a very loving well-adjusted pet. I'm so pleased with his progress, his personality has come out and we have now met our real dog - cheeky and playful! We are now able to enjoy our Dudley, but most importantly, he is now enjoying himself!
My heart went out to these owners when I saw Dudley. They had taken on this dog who just hid away and couldn't cope and it was such a shock to them as the rescue said that he was happy-go-lucky dog. It was exactly as his owner said, Dudley was traumatised and had retreated into himself. This had to be taken very slowly and his owners worked with me over the months to break it down into numerous small steps. They committed to frequent zoom conversations so we could make adjustments as we went along so Dudley was not overwhelmed. It was a delight to see him slowly come out of his shell. Best of all, his owners are now supporting other owners who have dogs that come over badly traumatised because Dudley is proof that these dogs can recover and become wonderful pet dogs.
Permalink: www.barkbusters.co.uk/dog-training-review/18138
LONDON, London (Testimonial)
12th September 2020
Jo & Graham Milgrew dealt with:
From scared little pup to confident young dog! We first called on Jo and Graham’s expertise when Ochre was only 9 weeks old and we had just got her from the breeder and noticed she was a very scared little dog who’d freeze, hide or back away from strangers. We had to do a lot of work with her following the advice from these skilled trainers and over time she’s become a confident 5 month old dog who’s confident enough to walk through busy Paris Montmartre streets, who can be taken through busy markets and restaurants and will become friends with people a few minutes after meeting them. She is still a little shy deep down, but we now know that we’ve been given the tools to enable her to live her life stress-free. Thanks to these trainers’ help, we’ve taken steps to ensure that she was correctly socialised and given confidence in previously stressful situations, and have no fear about what the future holds as we now have a well rounded, appropriately socialised and cared for confident little dog who’s got all the support she needs going forward. Jo and Graham have been very available to help guide us along the way, in person, on Zoom, by email, or on the phone and we would highly recommend them for any behavioural issue one may encounter.
These owners had a genuinely serious problem. Dogs like Ochre need very careful management as a scared puppy can have numerous bad experiences and get worse rather than better over time. Ochre is a Golden Retriever and came from an excellent breeder background so it was shock when she couldn't cope from the outset. There is a tendency to blame owners when this happens, but it is often simply the genetics of the dog, You can have a shy anxious dog, just as much as you can have a shy anxious child. The great thing is that owners who socialise and train their puppy as Ochres owner can turn them around with the right advice and support. As they have proved, it doesn't mean it is a long term problem.
Permalink: www.barkbusters.co.uk/dog-training-review/18088
London (Testimonial)
19th August 2020
Jo & Graham Milgrew dealt with:
Have had one zoom call first and then a visit where Jo brought her dog for my dog to have a play date to see her reaction to other dogs and practice lead training.
This owner had a Romanian rescue and had been instructed by her rescue not to take her dog out for walks as they thought she was overwhelmed by seeing dogs and people outside. Her owners were also scared that she would escape their garden as she had a history of escaping so had been taking her onlead in the garden and were worried she would slip her lead outside. I was able to get her off lead in the garden and practice getting her back to the family which she was really good at. It proved that she pretty good with other dogs and her problem was she wasn't used to being outside on a lead which is why she was overwhelmed. For safety she was attached to two leads. One on her collar and one on her harness. Graham has since done a further lead walking session so she can be managed on the lead when pulling and they are doing really well with her.
Permalink: www.barkbusters.co.uk/dog-training-review/18064
Bexleyheath, Kent (Testimonial)
2nd April 2020
Jo & Graham Milgrew dealt with:
Jo Came to see me for my 6 year Shitz shu Poppy. Poppy responded to the calming coat and commands. Jo was very helpful and informative.
Poppy has always been a barky dog reacting to outside noises and people moving in the flat. Her owner had tried many ways to stop this, but Poppy would still have episodes of excessive barking which her owner couldn’t stop. This got much worse when her owner’s partner bought his rambunctious Labrador Leo to visit. By the time I saw him at eight months old he was typical of many frustrated adolescent boys and was mounting, jumping up and mouthing both Poppy and her owner. It seemed as though he didn’t mean any harm, but Poppy wasn’t coping, and it was difficult for both owners to work out how to handle the situation. Her owner has done an excellent job of training Poppy to come to her rather than trying to deal with Leo herself. Her barking is triggered by noise sensitivity rather than territorial barking so a calming “Thundershirt” is being used to help Poppy to be a little less sensitive. Visits from Leo have been stopped now during Covid-19, but I have been speaking to Poppy’s owner remotely and will be guiding them remotely when they are able to visit their holiday home again.
Permalink: www.barkbusters.co.uk/dog-training-review/17991
Swanley, Kent (Testimonial)
24th March 2020
Jo & Graham Milgrew dealt with:
Graham is our trainer we could not be happier. He showed and told us techniques and a walk round the block which was fantastic but we were all in the kitchen, soon as he left the dog started her naughty ways so the next time he calls we will discuss the matter with him in the living room.
Anabella is a sweet natured but excitable American Bulldog. She gets very excited at the front door and can be a handful when out walking. We had some good success with the walking issues on our first session and will continue to work on the front door issues over time.
Permalink: www.barkbusters.co.uk/dog-training-review/17980
Leytonstone London, Essex (Testimonial)
19th March 2020
Jo & Graham Milgrew dealt with:
Jo and Graham were very caring for our dog Daisy and clearly knew their stuff . A lot of what they did was more about giving us (the owners) the confidence about what we needed to do. I’m not totally convinced Daisy is cured of her problems but she is certainly better and it just needs more investment of my time to get her where I’d like her to be. Kindly Graham has offered more time to help than we expected which is good and I will take this up as both he and Jo genuinely seem to care.
This owner sadly lost 2 of his dogs and Daisy then lost what little confidence she had when she had to meet dogs on her own. She was particularly nervous when other dogs approached her and the friendlier and bouncier they were, the more upset she got. Fixing this type of problem is not quick and Daisy will always be a shy dog - but since starting work with us Daisy is now able to go to her local park and interact with multiple dogs when the owner is in the calmer environment of the park cafe. Daisy does choose sometimes to go under the chair but she is no longer barking and getting very upset. She is calmer walking past dogs and has even been for two walks with our large German Shepherd and was polite and happy for Maisie to go into her house. Because Daisy and her owner needs some ongoing support we will be doing some additional socialisation once the Covid 19 restrictions are lifted. In the meantime her owner can take advantage of the quieter environment to build Daisy's confidence.
Permalink: www.barkbusters.co.uk/dog-training-review/17975
Romford, Essex (Testimonial)
17th March 2020
Jo & Graham Milgrew dealt with:
The training is provided in a very easy manner. Graham is very friendly to Sox and us humans. He is so patient with us and explains everything so well that we can get on with each command easily. He has so many ideas for us to utilise, I don't know what we would do if we hadn't got in touch with Bark Busters. I was completely at my limit but we now have a dog to be proud of. We can't thank Graham enough he is a genius and genuine lover of all breeds of dogs. THANKS GRAHAM.
Sox is a beautiful Staffordshire cross with a really playful personality. She can get frustrated because she just wants to be busy and playing for large parts of the day. Her owners now know how to get her to focus and listen to them better and have been giving her regular training and brain games to occupy and tire her out. She is still boisterous and energetic but is becoming more controllable as time progresses.
Permalink: www.barkbusters.co.uk/dog-training-review/17971
London (Testimonial)
15th March 2020
Jo & Graham Milgrew dealt with:
Jo was very knowledgeable and extremely supportive in assisting us to help Jimmy understand instructions, be braver when meeting other dogs and generally being settled. I would recommend Jo as a very friendly lady who’s is completely understanding and fully of helpful advice. Thanks Jo.
This owner and her family have taken on a Greyhound cross that had been left on a Travellers site. He has little or no experience of the outside world and is afraid of traffic, people, dogs and pretty much anything he hasn't experienced before. However, he has a lovely nature and has really taken to his new family which is essential to help him get used his new life. He has really responded well to initial training and I am confident he will soon love being outside as much as he loves being inside with his family.
Permalink: www.barkbusters.co.uk/dog-training-review/17967
Hornchurch, Essex (Testimonial)
The Bark Busters worldwide home dog training service guarantee is unique in the industry. It is designed to help owners resolve their dog's behaviour and obedience problems and to provide customers with the satisfaction of ongoing support and peace of mind.
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