I'm a reward-based trainer and pet behaviourist, keen to help pets (and owners!) live their best lives.

I focus on rewards to teach them how to do the right thing, which means there's less need to use punishment and negative reinforcement. That doesn't mean it's 'permissive' or 'soft' training. Effective reward-based training works on the root cause of behaviour issues, and builds an animal up to succeed, and to overcome any difficulties. It also increases an animal's willingness and motivation, and allows them to really enjoy their training.

If you'd like to book a class or behaviour consultation please click here for more info.

For more information on how I train, please click here.

"Without Sarah’s help and support I doubt whether we would have been able to cope with the behaviour of our 18month old rescue dog. But cope we did and our much-loved canine companion is the happy outcome. And for this we will always be grateful.

Our dog is now 10 years old and over the years I have done a fair amount of reward-based training. I wouldn’t consider training any other way. I’ve found that this, perhaps more patient, approach offers some insight into the way dogs learn, process information, and deal with problems. This in turn can help us make certain aspects of training easier for the dog, if necessary. I have learnt a lot and am still learning all the time.

I think the reward- based method results in training becoming more akin to a dialogue with one’s dog, more of a shared activity which can only strengthen the bond between owner and dog. And this has been the most rewarding thing of all."

Joyce and Goldie


Ethical Pet Training is available on Amazon as a paperback and eBook.

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Ethical Pet Training:

How to promote good behaviour in our dogs, horses and cats, without using aversive techniques

All books are available on Amazon as paperbacks and eBooks. Click here for more info.

To help our pets, whether that's dogs, cats, horses or smaller pets, we first need to help ourselves. That's why training sometimes doesn't work on it's own. It's a frustrating aspect of life to realise that we have to change ourselves, in order to change those around us, whether that's people or animals.


Taking time to understand an animal's behaviour is very important, and this applies to our own behaviour as well. In the same way our pets can't be perfect, neither can we. There are often lots of compromises that need to happen, as well as lots of learning on both sides of the relationship! We can't force our dogs/ horses/ cats to be perfect, in the same way that you wouldn't want other people to force us to be perfect. But if we are able to change, then we can cause our dog/ horse/ cat to change too. The key is discovering how to do that.


In my consultations, workshops, and writing I aim to help owners discover the causes of their pet's behaviour, and guide them towards solutions that will make life easier (and hopefully more rewarding), for both them and their pet. Because all things in life are connected, I also take a more holistic approach, looking into diet, exercise and routines as well. 

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Sarah Crockford