REVIEWS

Our little cockapoo Tilly has struggled with separation anxiety since we got her (pandemic puppy). We've tried multiple previous trainers / behaviourists, without making any real sustainable progress.

We were about to give up, resigning ourselves to a life of never being able to have Tilly leave our side, when Vanessa was recommended to us. We decided to give it one last shot, and couldn't be happier with the results. Vanessa is incredibly knowledgeable and has given us the tools and training to make real progress with Tilly. After just 4 sessions, we have all the tools we need to continue on this journey with Tilly (unlike other behaviourists where we spent 1000s but came off no better off). In fact it's been so successful, we've signed up for more sessions to address other areas such as manners etc - a luxury when a month ago all we were worried about was being able to leave Tilly 5mins to take the rubbish down!! Vanessa is amazing. If you are thinking about getting help - do it. She's a game changer.

Vanessa has helped us so much with our Whippet Arlo. She expertly guided us through his early puppy days and we owe her a lot of thanks for the confident young pup he has become. She was always on hand to help and the level of expert Whippet knowledge was invaluable.

I can’t recommend Vanessa highly enough. I contacted her because my Whippet puppy Coco hated being left alone and being crated at night. Vanessa got her sleeping through the night really quickly and put us on a separation anxiety training programme to help Coco gradually get used to being home alone without stressing her. Vanessa has really gone above and beyond in giving advice and help on all kinds of issues, including diet, toilet training, teething. She is always happy to review training videos and give advice on whatsapp. She even sent Coco a present when she had been sick for a few weeks. I would definitely book more sessions with Vanessa!

Would very much recommend working with Vanessa. Offered some really great advice and simple techniques to set us and the pooch up for success. Encouraged us to send any questions we had and was quick to respond.

I’m a first time pet owner and I didn’t expect puppies to be so much work when I got my Cavachon, Bailey at 10 weeks. Vanessa has been a god sent - from setting up the Zoom call to know more about Bailey, to personalising Bailey’s training according to his needs, to recommending the right food and toys and treats. Vanessa is so knowledgeable and caring and is always available to answer any questions I have. We did walking on lead, scent training, basic tricks and a lot on Bailey’s separation anxiety. Now that Bailey has completed his 5 1:1 sessions he’s behaving so well! I would recommend Vanessa to anyone with new puppies or adult dogs that need help in some behaviour training.

I had the pleasure of working with Vanessa when my Golden Retriever was a puppy. She was great and answered all my questions, as well as tailored the training to my needs. I would recommend Vanessa to anyone who is looking for a dog trainer in East London.

We were pretty desperate for a solution to our dog's separation anxiety when we reached out to Vanessa, we felt we had tried everything at that point and this was really our last try. Our Whippet was only 1,5 and had done well alone at first, but then had a bad experience and just didn't recover from it no matter how hard we tried. With the training program Vanessa took us through (8 weeks) we learned SO much! There is no quick fix, but it can be fixed! While we didn’t move as fast as we were hoping for, we learned that patience is key. My key take-aways from the training are to always stretch the home-alone muscles but not push, that set backs are natural, how much my own mood and state of mind impact the dog, and most of all to be considerate. After a long weekend away I always thought it would be a good time to train because the dog was tired, but he needs some time to get back into his routine. I learned to read my dog and do things in his pace, not mine. After the 8 weeks it was a bit scary to go forward alone without the support and help from Vanessa, but she taught me so much about how to plan my trainings and make progress, and even how to deal with set backs and when things don't go as expected. I am so thankful for all the support, insights, and care she has shown. She truly cares for her clients and their dogs. After some weeks on my own, we still keep in touch and she reaches out to check how things are going. And I can happily share that we have not experienced a single set back yet, and if we do, that will be fine because I now know exactly how to deal with it!

Vanessa is very approachable, friendly, patient and respectful. She cares deeply about animals and recognises, to bring the best out of your dog, it's a training for both the dog and owner. Vanessa knows her stuff and it is evident in Jack's behaviour. He's an adorable dog, great temperament and loves to show off with the commands he's learned... Honestly if he could talk!

Vanessa has been a fantastic support to us and our Whippet Bo, helping to rebuild his confidence. Her deep understanding and empathy for dogs and people meant she was able to help us get valuable insights into Bo’s mindset and behaviour and ways to improve things. She shared easy and effective techniques in a very supportive and accessible way, and it was great to see how quickly we made progress. Vanessa is very generous with her time and advice, which has been very reassuring as we take on new challenges. Overall, working with Vanessa has been really enjoyable as well as a rewarding experience.

I have met Vanessa through our doggy studies, and find her to be a very kind, fun and responsible person, who is genuinely interested in dogs and their wellbeing.I wish she lived closer as I am very fussy who I leave my dog with, and Vanessa would be perfect!​

It's hard to put into words how amazing Vanessa has been and how delighted we are to have found her, after plenty of failed attempts with previous trainers! My super anxious little sausage, Florence, started the 8 week intensive separation anxiety course, unable to be left by herself for longer than 30 seconds - in our final week of the course Florence is relaxing alone at home for over 10 minutes and is even allowing the household to take showers alone without the need for her watchful eye! I really can't recommend Vanessa enough - she has gone above and beyond with the support, training plans, knowledge and bespoke solutions she has provided for Florence's quirks. We began the course because of Florence's fear of being alone, but due to Vanessa's holistic approach we have also tackled a troublesome skin condition, her reluctance to walk, and ability to settle in public spaces - not to mention the fun we've had training together along the way. I would love to be able to work with Vanessa forever, but she'll be leaving us with such an amazing toolkit to take forward, and a happier sausage who is growing in confidence everyday!

Incredibly thankful to Vanessa for helping me build a wonderful relationship with my dog Margot.
My dog was poorly as a young pup and a bit anxious outdoors. Vanessa has helped me manage my dog’s anxieties with people and loud noises. I can see my dog improving day by day.
I, myself, have a stronger bond with Margot. Which is what this is all about. Thank you Vanessa!

Vanessa has been a fantastic guide in helping Toby get through his teenage months. She has helped us with loose leash walking, recall and separation anxiety, when we were having a lot of trouble. She also provided numerous little practical tips that have proved incredibly valuable – from particular games and toys that are suited to his breed, to videos of alternative training methods so we could find the right fit for Toby. She’s professional and positive, and never judgemental, which we really appreciated as enthusiastic but novice dog owners. And, above all, she loves the dogs she works with and is always available to help out when there’s a particular issue we need to talk through. Couldn’t recommend her more highly!

Vanessa is an absolute superstar!!
I booked into Vanessa's 5 week 1:1 training programme to help my 11 month old Whippet Wilbur (and his 4 y/o Dachshund sister Margot) navigate some troublesome teenage behaviour.
I came to Vanessa saying 'help! we need a reset!'. Vanessa expertly navigated us through the causes for the behaviours and gave us some practical guidance about how to help Wilbur overcome them.
Vanessa's techniques are extremely gentle and loving. Vanessa takes the time to explain the rationale behind everything she teaches - making it much easier to generalise for the future. Vanessa supplies extremely detailed notes after each class and is very generous with her advice between classes.
In 7 weeks I saw an immense change in Wilbur's behaviour and it's only getting better. If we could continue to see Vanessa weekly we would (can we please, Vanessa!).
I would wholeheartedly recommend Vanessa, my only wish is that we hired her sooner to prevent rather than cure any issues!

Vanessa was super supportive and gave us clear and tangible advice for training our puppy. Issues such as barking at night were quickly resolved and our pup is far better behaved now thanks to the practical tips she gave us. Vanessa being on hand to help us on Whatsapp was especially helpful.Thanks Vanessa!!!

We have had the most wonderful experience with Vanessa training our 15 month year old @Luca_the_whippet. We have seen a tremendous transformation in Luca over the 5 sessions we had as part of the 'Basic Manners' package. We worked on lead walking, recall and our general relationship between owner and pup. We feel closer to Luca and can tell he feels more fond of us and we have to say that this is very much down to Vanessa's great guidance and help. Vanessa goes out of her way in sessions with helpful and friendly guidance and then detailed follow up notes. We could not recommend her enough! Thanks Vanessa!

Vanessa is amazing. She has not only given us tools for improving separation anxiety, but provided a wealth of information, coping techniques, and a rich understanding of what is going on in our dog's mind (not to mention countless games and tricks!). We've worked together to bring anxiety levels down and help our girl gain more confidence out in the world, build up her tolerance to stimuli and prevent reactive behaviors. We feel more bonded to her than ever and a lot of that is thanks to Vanessa's cheerful, calming techniques. Our dog also LOVES her--always a good sign! It's very clear Vanessa cares deeply for her canine clients and does everything she can to make things clear and reassuring for the owners. Highly recommended. Thank you, Vanessa!

My Portuguese Podengo Banksy had separation anxiety as a puppy and we got some amazing help. I would never have got there without her help. I also got excellent help with recall as well as attention grabbing games for indoors and outdoors. Vanessa truly cares for dogs and is always there to help. I highly recommend.

I came to Vanessa needing help with my greyhound Arlo’s separation anxiety and it’s not an exaggeration to say that Vanessa’s support has been life changing. With her help, we’ve been able to build up to longer absences and have learnt lots of tips and tricks along the way! Vanessa’s so helpful and understanding, and a huge support, building weekly plans making the steps so much easier for us. I wouldn’t have been able to work through the separation anxiety without her.

As a first time dog mum, I can't recommend Vanessa enough. We did a 6 week 1 to 1 training course with her that looked at all round puppy training as well as separation anxiety for my 4 month old 3/4 Whippet and 1/4 Collie mix, Spike.
It's been invaluable to have someone who not only specialises in separation anxiety but in Whippets as well, who has provided us with a wealth of knowledge on breed specific needs and issues. My dog loves her and I would happily recommend her to anyone looking for some guidance and advice.

We did an 8 week separation anxiety course with Vanessa as well as a couple of bespoke puppy manners sessions, and we can’t recommend her highly enough!

Her methods are kind, thoughtful and evidence based and using her structured program (which was adjusted and tailored at every step based on our puppy’s progress) he went from finding being left alone incredibly stressful, to being able to tolerate longer absences, and even taking himself off for alone time, which was unheard of before! Vanessa was super responsive to every query and perhaps the best thing about working with her was the caring and holistic approach she took to giving us extra tools and resources to ensure our puppy was happy and healthy! From ad hoc advice on behavioural or medical issues, to recommended breed specific games, to the best food, leads and harnesses, the list really goes on. We can’t thank her enough for all the help she has given us.

Vanessa has been brilliant with helping us train our Mini Dachshund puppy Patrick. We reached out to Vanessa when Patrick was 3 months old - we didn’t know where to start and, as first time puppy owners, really needed the help! Over the course of our sessions, we covered recall, lead walking, behaviour inside the house and out, separation anxiety and being comfortable in busy settings. Vanessa’s training and training notes were thorough and easy to put into practice, and she was always available to respond to our questions outside sessions. Patrick made tremendous progress over the course of the training and is now a super sociable, friendly, (mostly!) well behaved pup. We are still in touch and will definitely reach out to Vanessa in the future for ad-hoc sessions!

When our puppy, Gon, arrived at home nearly 2 years ago, we knew something wasn’t right. He was anxious, wouldn’t get me leave the house even while my partner was there, and was always watching to see where I was.

Having a dog with separation anxiety can be completely debilitating, the guilt can be insurmountable, and all you want to do is cry.
Vanessa took all the pain away and reassured us completely. Im so happy to have been recommended her training course and by working with her he’s a different dog: calm, no longer velcro-ing himself to me, and is so much more confident in himself. There’s a long journey ahead but with the extensive training plan we have been given there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Thank you Vanessa, you truly are a miracle.

Vanessa has been great. I had little or no experience with dogs and she has given Frankie (my dog) and me so much more confidence. Vanessa really cares and she was personally invested in the training and happiness of Frankie. I also liked the summary notes and all the tips she emailed after our sessions.

Vanessa is amazing. We’ve been working with her for the last few months on separation anxiety with our Whippet.
She goes above and beyond, with regular check-ins and I now feel a lot more confident going forwards with the training. The sessions have provided so much more besides separation anxiety, and Vanessa clearly not only understands dogs but also cares deeply about them. I only wish we’d gone to her sooner!

Vanessa helped us so much with our 2.5 year old Terrier Cross, Hector. He was going through a tough time and had become reactive to other dogs. Vanessa helped us to go back to basics, building our bond with him, getting his recall and other commands much stronger, and advising how to build his confidence with other dogs. He is much happier, we are much happier, and he is on the road to being able to be home alone. Thank you Vanessa!

Vanessa has been fantastic & I can't recommend her enough. Our Dachshund has severe separation anxiety, which means he really can't be left on his own at all. Vanessa came up with a training programme to reduce his anxiety & allow him to be ok on his own & we've seen a massive difference in him. Vanessa takes a holistic approach so really spent time understanding our specific situation & challenges to amend the programme throughout & was always on hand for specific questions & help.

She's been an absolute star.

Vanessa is a wonderful trainer - so knowledgeable, approachable, constantly available to help with any issues during training and completely committed to helping and supporting the training experience itself. She is really helping me and my Cockapoo to have separation confidently and in small steps. We absolutely love working with her and she offers so much more help than just the specific training- help with observing your dog, with tricks, with enrichment, what to feed, what to drink from, where to get grooming help etc. She is brilliant and I would recommend her to anyone who has and loves their dog. Her help will help us forever.

Vanessa helped us with our dog's separation anxiety. Ziggy is a nervous rescue dog with a lot of anxiety issues. Vanessa gave us lots of tips for helping to improve his separation anxiety. She helped us practice leaving him for a short while before she took him for walks. This really helped him. He's really improved and his separation anxiety is getting better. 

Vanessa is an exceptional dog trainer. We have had a few trainers for our Cocker Spaniel, and I felt like Vanessa was the first trainer who took the time to understand both our dog breed and personality. Vanessa was reliable, professional and we have made an extraordinary amount of progress with our dog. I highly recommend Vanessa for her patience, knowledge and skills in training dogs (and us!). We finally have a dog who can recall, is calm and doesn't pull when walking...

That makes Vanessa a miracle worker in our eyes. Thank you Vanessa for everything!!

The difference in my dog before and after working with Vanessa is amazing and all my friends have noticed. He’s so much more confident, I can comfortably let him off the leash and he can now do lots of tricks (despite me being adamant a Pekingese won’t do tricks!).
I thoroughly enjoyed our sessions and I can’t recommend enough. Vanessa would always email with what we needed to practise in the week which is very handy to refer back to and I felt comfortable to message anytime with questions. She is a complete natural with dogs and mine instantly warmed to her despite usually being nervous around anyone other than me.

I got a 4 month Miniature Dachshund called Lolita and I desperately needed someone very good to have her trained.

So I found Vanessa at Jack's Mum Dog Training and I chose the Puppy Training Package, it is amazing what Vanessa did with my baby girl, the results were amazing... Vanessa is a very experienced person with dogs and very knowledgeable, you can tell she knows her stuff; besides Lolita loved her, she has got a special talent that allows her to communicate and deal very easily with dogs. I love her and I will continue using her services in the future, I strongly recommend anyone her services, you will be amazed what she can do with your dog.... Thanks Vanessa, you are great.. a very happy customer and dog.... Estrellita and Lolita.

I contacted Vanessa from a recommendation, and have not been disappointed! Vanessa has been wonderful helping me and my GSD- cross Romanian rescue become more confident on the lead, we have learned so much in just a few sessions. We have covered dealing with anxiety, how to manage reactions to other dogs, walking nicely in the harness, manners, long lead work,  some tricks,...

Vanessa's knowledge and explanation of dog behaviour and psychology has really helped me understand what to look out for when walking an anxious dog, which has built up our confidence together. Boomer absolutely adores the sessions, and loves all the exercises we’ve learnt.
I would highly recommend Vanessa to anyone who wants to train their pooch.

 Boomer has back leg issues, which were completely considered in the assessment and care/consideration implemented into our training session. Without Vanessa's input I would have really struggled to understand what Boomer needed to settle in properly and how to manage/adjust his habits.

We will be back for more sessions soon!!