Just a few lines to say thanks for looking after Luka for us while we were in the U.K. it's a bit of a worry using a new 'Kennels' when you're pretty new over here as we are but we obviously didn't need to, Luka was just fine, Just as if we hadn't been away. Many thanks again and we will have no hesitation in using you again or recommending you to our friends.
Allan n Carol
Hi Julie,
Thank you for the report, it is very useful in reminding me of your advice. I have to say that things are already changing chez nous. Storm has definitely responded well to the new rules. We had a visit to her sister today and as usual she was excited when she recognised where we were going but instead of jumping out of the car when we arrived she sat patiently till she was told to get out. The demand barking has all but stopped. In fact i am testing her now, making her wait a little longer for her food and leftovers still on the table, Normally she would be going mad for the food but she hasn't made a sound!!! She has only made one attempt to leave the driveway and that was when her mother and sisters went running past with the tractor. We loved her before but she is even more lovable now!!
Hazel & Josh
Having lost two adult dogs through illness last year we were looking forward to welcoming 9 week old Rowley into our home. He was the biggest and boldest of the litter but having had large dogs before we hadn’t expected any problems. He arrived convinced he was the pack leader and despite our best efforts that is the way he stayed.
He chewed everything in sight, didn’t respond to any command, stole all our possesions and raced around the house with them. Despite being walked for many miles each day he was hyperactive in the house all day until he finally fell asleep around 10pm. We ended up living in a virtual desert with ornaments, magazines and cushions in cupboards where he couldn’t take them.
By the time he was 8 months old we were ready to rehome him. We contacted Julie to see if she could help. After an initial consultation Rowley went to stay with Julie for two weeks while we put our home back together. He came home much calmer with a written plan to help us manage him. It took us a week or two to settle into the regime but with ongoing support from Julie we’re nearly there. Today, at 9 months he walks well, is generally calm in the house and is becoming the companion we were hoping for – and he is happy to rest beside us when we sit down to relax in the evening. Many thanks to Julie for making it possible for Rowley to remain part of our family.
I thought my dog, Poppy, was hyperactive, neurotic and terrified of her own shadow. Her anxious state had not been helped by 4 months of rather extreme dog training, the French way. Training for guard dogs and aggressive animals was not the right method for a timid Fox Terrier. But I knew of no one else to take her to.
Then Julie was recommended to me. Within minutes of Julie's first visit Poppy, and I, were changed characters. Now I know that I have an intelligent, loyal, responsive companion. Both Poppy and I have relaxed totally. Julie is not only an excellent dog trainer, but also an extremely good human therapist. Just a few minutes in her company and we are chilled out and wonderfully stress free.
Julie has not only been invaluable for educating us, she has also helped sort out Poppy's diet which has improved her digestion and condition beyond recognition.
Un grand merci à Julie Stansbridge qui nous a aidé à comprendre et maîtriser notre Golden Retriever de 4 ans V'Simba qui avait la mauvaise habitude de bondir "affectueusement" sur nos hôtes. En une leçon notre compréhension de la dominance chez les chiens nous a permis de donner des ordres plus efficaces que V'Simba pouvait déchiffrer et suivre. Notre relation avec notre chien s'est beaucoup améliorée et nous pouvons maintenant recevoir nos amis sans cris ni panique!
Encore un grand merci,
Robert et Florence Manderscheid
Julie Stansbridge as helped me with one of my dogs, he's a 6yr old German Shepherd called Becks. The problem we were experiencing was aggression, he would growl and walk away whenever we tried to stroke him or give him a treat.
Julie instantly recognised his behaviour as dominant aggression, and explained the tell tale signs that were indicative of a dominant dog.
Julie's advice has been simple and easy to follow, and we've been able to modify Becks' behaviour.
He's a happier dog i'm sure, and our home has returned to a calmer state, thanks again Julie ,
A BIG thank-you to Julie and her family who have been fantastic in
helping us with our dog Archie. He is a Setter/Spaniel cross that we
got from a rescue center when he was eight weeks old.
We have treated him like a child for the last nine months instead of a
dog and you can probably guess the rest!
He wouldn't do as he was told, barked all the time, chewed everything
in sight, chased anything that moved, followed us around all the time
and was impossible to walk.
At the end of our tether we looked for a local dog trainer and found
Julie. She has been able to explain where and why we were going wrong
and understand how a dogs mind works, and that it is important that
the owner understands what the dog needs.
Archie went to stay with Julie and her family for two weeks and
returned much calmer, considerably more obedient than when he left and
we're now able to walk him to heel, so our lives and his life are much
happier and calmer.
Julie's also given us more confidence in dealing with Archie through
her support, patience and guidance. We would thoroughly recommend
Julie to anybody who is having trouble with their dog. Julie also does
obedience classes and we're looking forward to building on her
achievements with Archie so far".
Dear Julie,
Just a short note to thank you for your help with Bess and Ben. We and the dogs have benefitted greatly from your advice and guidance. They are both so much better to walk now and Ben in particular has responded well to new commands. As you know Ben came from a refuge, so little was known about him apart from the fact he only understood French! He has settled in really well and appears very happy and gets on well with Bess. He no longer bolts his food, he now waits for permission to eat his dinner and eats at a much slower pace, he still finishes before Bess but, makes no attempt to eat hers. We now allow him free range of the garden at certain times, sometimes unsupervised, and he has made no attempt to find holes in the hedge to go wandering.
We are really pleased that we contacted you and would have no hesitation in recommending you to other troubled dog owners, thanks again.
'Wow, a stressed, hyper unmanagable Bonnie left us and when she returned she was a completely new calm, endearing, soppy, obedient dog- Bonnie our chocolate labrador was almost a year old when she went to Julie's house and we'd had real problems with just about everything, jumping up and barking at visitors, pulling on the lead to the extent that I often couldn't hold on, not coming when called, mouthing and biting, taking food off the sides etc, we were oin the brink of rehoming her. Julie managed to teach Bonnie the basic commands to the extent that on her return we just litterally have to say, 'sit, stay', 'come here' and she obeys. Bonnie seems much calmer and happier and our two small children are also now enjoying her company a lot more and are no longer afraid to invite friends over in case Bonnie jumps on them or knocks them over. A very big thank-you.'
Hi Julie
I am noticing changes in Henry and Saffy all the time, like when I want them to go into the garden, they now sit whilst I open the door and again when I ask them to come in. Now that I have started to interrupt Saffy's silly behaviour, she becomes calmer more quickly. she is still hyper but not as bad, should have called her Scooby Do I think.
I Have also noticed they are paying much more attention to me even when I am not interacting with them. I hope I am correct in assuming this is because they are looking to me as "Boss". Just a thought, I wonder if this would work on husbands!!!!
Thanks once again for your help.
June
I have been working alongside Julie Stansbridge for the last couple of months. I have a 5 month old Beligian sheperd Stanley who we got at 8 week's. I did not go to Julie because I had problems. I sought her advice to prevent problems as I have three young children and wanted to start the right way !! Julies advice is so simple and easy to follow that I had to share my joy in meeting her. I am still learning and with Julies advice and caring nature every day is getting easier. Julie is a star and when you see her three shepherd dog's walking at heel, without a lead you'll be stunned !!
Thanks Julie.
Hi Julie
Just a quick email to say thanks for looking after and continuing with the dogs training. Both dogs have made really good progress since your original consultation. They are now walking much better on the lead and the barking in and out of the house has been greatly reduced. They are also responding much better to commands. We have started to see a real progress in their development which is really encouraging. They both ask when they can come back and stay again!
Julie has been a fantastic help with our dog Maebelle. We had her from a puppy, but she is the first dog we’ve ever had since we’d always had cats. We felt that we were in the right place now in France and being at home all day would we able to offer a dog a great life. However, things didn’t go accordingly to plan since we did not understand the psychology of dogs and Maebelle very quickly became the leader of our pack!
Maebelle barked at everything that moved, took us for walks rather than the other way around and was taking over our lives. Julie visited us at home and saw straight away the errors we’d been making and set to work explaining where we were going wrong. It really is so simple when you have an expert explaining where you are going wrong.
Julie has been there to help along the way since her initial visit and continues to advise us as Maebelle grows and we have a new challenge. However, she now sits, stays and lays down on command and her barking has all but stopped. She is also a pleasure to walk with now and will stay to heel on a relaxed lead.
Julie’s help has changed our life with Maebelle and I cannot recommend her enough to anybody who is experiencing any difficulties with their dog.
Article copied from “Living Poitou Charentes”
October/November 2008 (Page 45)
Julie Stansbridge used to train racehorses in the UK, but was always interested in the way animals interact with humans. “I saw a TV programme on dog psychology and knew it was something I wanted to do. I contacted the Open University and through them found a Canine Behaviour Centre who ran a Home Study Course”. Julie’s business is still in its first year, but she has already been approached by both English and French owners with their problem dogs. “The French people who come to me tend to be younger, I think it’s a sign that people’s attitudes are changing here.”
Julie also thinks that the growing interest in wanting to understand our animal companions follows the environmental trend “People are trying to do things in the most natural way that they can. Understanding a problem and trying to find a solution is usually a gentle method with long-term benefits. Too many dogs end up with the SPA and other rescue centres because people don’t understand them.”
Julie encounters dogs that have problems as a result of previous bad experiences. “When a dog is adopted from the SPA, for example, it might already be insecure. The new owners then try to compensate for the bad experiences, and new problems can start to escalate because the dog needs a leader.” Julie helps owners to see things from the dog’s perspective: “I just show people that this is how their dogs think and this is what they think the dogs
should do, and that the two aren’t meeting. You have to be part of the pack.”
Aggressive dogs, barking dogs, dogs that run at cars, or hog the sofa and growl when anyone gets near are all problems Julie comes across. So far, she is happy to say that she has left some contented owners and wagging in her wake.