About Rod

Rod started becoming interested in training dogs in 1970 after watching a friend with a very large Springer Spaniel and began frequenting dog training clubs. The following year he purchased a Bearded Collie bitch. The interest for training changed from a vague interest to an obsession, as always happens, life and work started to clash with the obsession for working with his dogs.

1971 to 1982 - Rod competed in Obedience Competitions with one of his dogs making it to Class C and another of his dogs, a two year old Border Collie, qualifying for Championship C.
1980 – Rod was instructing Obedience classes and doing one to one dog training.
1981 – Rod started training Patrol Work as he found manipulating the dog’s moods, drives, and emotions absolutely fascinating.
1983 – Rod instructed Advanced Classes (Pet) at Wirksworth Club for 14 years
1983 – Rod was training about 300 pet and rescue dogs, mostly residential.
1984 - Rod started running Manwork classes which was a great opportunity for Rod to polish his skills in reading and understanding moods and emotions in dogs.
1985 – Rod started competing in Working Trials. The dog who became the vehicle for Rod to learn the vagaries of Working Trials was an Ex security Dog named Little Ted TDex.
1986 – Rod started to read up on human psychology, which is very closely aligned to the psychology of dogs. This continued for about 15 years and was a tremendous help with both instructing people and understanding the interaction between both dogs and handlers.
1989 – Rod’s next dog, Little Sid, became a Working Trials Champion at 3 years of age (Sid later became the top winning Working Trials dog of all time) Working Trials Champion Little Sid TDex PDex Winner of 21 Challenge Certificates and the Kennel Club Championships.
1989 - Rod started to instruct 2 day courses.
1990 - During the 90’s Rod trained Happy Little Soul a Border Collie (Chip) who had been given a LSD tablet at 12 weeks old and was vicious to the point of being really dangerous. However he went on to get several TDex’s and a Reserve PD Ticket, after an accident he retired early but went on to live till he was 14 years old. Doris was Rods next dog, but she had to retire at 4 years of age due to a cruciate ligament injury. However, she had achieved a TDex and was Bart mother. Bart, or WT Ch Little Bart TDex PDex, to give him his full title, was winner of 5 Challenge Certificates and the Kennel Club Championship.
1991 - Rod started instructing 5 Day courses, which are still running to this day. Now three a year take place including an Advanced Working Trials course, a Comprehensive Working Trials Course (all levels) and a week long Course for Working Trials Manwork.
1998 – Rod was approached by a course leader at Nottingham Trent University to teach practical dog handling skills to the behavioral degree students, which he did for 4 years.
2000 – Rod started running and instructing Continuation Courses for people wanting to compete in Working Trials. These courses are still running and growing in popularity with each student completing 5 two day training courses over 5 months.

Go to:

Training Courses