Jack Fenton - Dorset Dog Trainer

Jack Fenton - Dorset Dog Trainer Helping you achieve your ideal dog. Reactive dog and Nosework specialist.

Recall can be easy.All you need to do is think like your dog, and you'll get the results you want.Comment 'Recall' for t...
05/01/2026

Recall can be easy.

All you need to do is think like your dog, and you'll get the results you want.

Comment 'Recall' for the best way to get your dog rocketing back to you. Only do it if you live in Dorset and the South Coast though!

If you can't move your Reactive Dog, you won't get anywhere.That's the truth, unfortunately. You can go in with all the ...
05/01/2026

If you can't move your Reactive Dog, you won't get anywhere.

That's the truth, unfortunately. You can go in with all the training you want, all the skills you've learnt. But if you cannot physically move your dog out of the way of one of their triggers? Game over.

It's purely a safety thing. You wouldn't take any car out on the road without the brakes. Especially if it was a Ferrari.

This is excluding if your dog is rushed - that's a different conversation.

But if your dog just stops dead, and can't be shifted? You need to do something about that.

That's where your training should be focused - that movement away. For all of your sake.

I'm covering how to do this in my Fifteen Day Reactivity Reduction series - fifteen emails, one a day, starting on January 16th. It's completely free!

If you'd like to join, click the link in the comments. Pick the Anxious Dog section, and away you'll go.

You'll get some emails over the next couple of weeks in the meantime, which will provide some extra context.

You can't fix your dogs reactivity by going down narrow paths.What you need is wide open spaces.No matter the reason for...
04/01/2026

You can't fix your dogs reactivity by going down narrow paths.

What you need is wide open spaces.

No matter the reason for your dogs reactivity, it can't be solved by going into spaces with no movement. If your dog is fearful, you're taking them directly towards the scary thing.

If they're frustrated, a narrow path is one long momentum builder. By the time they get to the dog, they've lost their minds.

Your dog needs space. Space to watch, process, think and act. They can't make good choices if there is only a single choice.

If you're primarily walking your dog on the street, or where there are narrow paths, your success rate with training will be zero.

Just this one change has, for my students, resulted in a drop in the number of reactions their dogs are having.

Let's get real - I'm not saying avoid narrow spaces forever.

But we need to build up to it, which I'm happy to help you with.

It's my five year anniversary as a business on the 21st January. To celebrate, I'm running a fifteen day (because five days didn't seem fair) Reactivity Resolution course in my emails.

Each day, you get a different email detailing I've used with a students dog to reduce their reactivity. This applies to anxious and fizzy dogs.

So if you want in on that, because it's completely free, make sure you're signed up to my Anxious Dogs email list by the 16th January. It won't be running again!

And if you're already at the stage where you want stress-free walks now, reach out. We can work together in-person in Dorset, or online (I have students as far as Australia). Info as to how in the comments.

If you're in Dorset, and you're not doing Nosework classes, you're missing out.If you've got a dog that pulls on lead, s...
03/01/2026

If you're in Dorset, and you're not doing Nosework classes, you're missing out.

If you've got a dog that pulls on lead, sniffs everything in sight, and ignores all you say? Nosework helps with that.

If you have a dog that's underconfident around other dogs, fearful of strangers, and unsure of the world around them? Nosework helps with that.

If you have a working line breed - a Collie, a Shepherd, a Hound, a Gundog - and you've been struggling with them? Nosework helps with that.

A structured weekly class, in a different location each week, teaching your dog to find scents, lost items and missing people. All while learning to work around other dogs, people, children, cyclists, runners - you name it.

We work in the real world, day in and day out. If you want 2026 so be the year that your dog thrives, and that you enjoy your time out and about with them, reach out. Link in the comments.

Excited to see everyone on Wednesday - this is going to be the best year of Nosework yet1

02/01/2026

Stop giving your dogs raw potatoes.

Food was never the reward, it was always the activity. Do this to level up their recall.

Let's talk babies and dogs.Full disclosure - I'm not a parent, and this is not my baby. So I'm saying this from a purely...
02/01/2026

Let's talk babies and dogs.

Full disclosure - I'm not a parent, and this is not my baby. So I'm saying this from a purely training perspective.

When we're thinking about dogs around kids, there is a lot of concern. We worry about our dogs behaviour, about the childs behaviour, and how that matches up.

I'd argue the single most important thing your dog can get used to is being around children.

Children are loud. They change pitch. They move erratically. They are unpredictable.

These are all things that dogs, especially anxious ones, can struggle with.

But it goes the other way too.

We need to teach children how dogs behave, and how they think. We need to teach them to spot when they're feeling unsure, or concerned. We need to show them how to exist around each other.

How we do that matters. So a couple of notes:

🔹 Safe exposure is important. Have your dog and children observe each other, but have barriers if necessary. Stair gates are your friend.
🔹 If you're bringing a new baby home, bring some stuff that smells like them first, and let your dog get used to the scent.
🔹 Never leave them unattended together.
🔹 Teach your child (when old enough) to do some training with your dog. Even if it's throwing treats for the dog to catch.

01/01/2026

It's what you guys deserve.

We're in a new year, and I don't want to talk about positivity. I want to talk about action. For the next 365 days (and beyond), it is my mission to make these goals a reality.

Share this with friends who have the same aims. Let's make 2026 the year we got it done. No frills, no talk, all action.

It is hard to put the enormity of this year into words. I very quickly ran out of slides. So I'll say thank you to a few...
31/12/2025

It is hard to put the enormity of this year into words. I very quickly ran out of slides. So I'll say thank you to a few more people.

Every single student who supported me this year, both on the fundraising trip and in classes, workshops and 1-2-1s. Next year is going to be on a different level for you all, I promise.

Every individual who helped me on the trip - whether they let me stay in their home, provided me guidance, or opened up doors I wouldn't have been able to do without them.

Thanks to everyone who helped me with videoing and photographing this year, you've made me look as sleek as I ever have done.

Thank you to Ella, my PT, for showing me what I can accomplish physically if I try hard enough. I'm thrilled you're having a great time while travelling, but hurry back because I need someone to spot me! Thank you to Clemmie for being my gym buddy, I cannot think of anyone more deserving of being a mother as you.

Thank you to Tamsin for our trip back from Suzanne Clothier together. We need a proper catch up soon!

Thank you to those people no longer in my life. I hope you achieve all the things I know you're worthy of.

Thank you to Sara for all your support this year. So much love for everything you've had to go through.

Thank you to the members of SBC for being so welcoming - I've loved rediscovering reading with you all, especially over wine and cheese.

Thank you to Suzanne Clothier for being such a laugh, and an incredible speaker. I will take your Golden Retriever compliment of me to the grave.

And thank you to Sarah Fisher, for everything you have done in this life for animals, and everything others will continue to do based on your teachings.

I have missed tons of people, missed tons of things, there is so much more to say. But for now. Happy new year!

30/12/2025

It could result in a dog bite.

Whale eye is a term used to describe the whites of a dog's eyes. You can see Luca clearly do it here. This is a sign of discomfort - the dog is concerned about something.

As far as signals go, this is quite clear. For Luca, I was talking and winding him up a little bit with toy play. He makes the decision to move off the sofa (I cut it out of the reel, but he comes back up to me after to play).

This behaviour is common amongst dogs who resource guard - where they'll be reactive when in possession of food, toys or objects. It tends to be paired with stiffness, lip curling and growling, but this isn't always the case. You can also see it during some dog to dog interactions.

Certain dog breeds can constantly look like they're giving off Whale Eye, like French Bulldogs. This will make other dogs more likely to be wary of them (think of seeing someone who looks anxious and shifty in a public place).

Everything is dependent. Luca's whale eye here didn't mean he was going to bite - but if it had been paired with other signals? It might have been a different story.

These are the type of body language cues you need to know if you have a dog with anxiety. We'll be discussing them at length when I launch my new online behaviour programme in January. We're nearly at capacity, so if you'd like details, drop a comment down below.

You might not know this woman, but your dog will.Recently, Sarah Fisher passed away. If you're a dog professional, you'r...
30/12/2025

You might not know this woman, but your dog will.

Recently, Sarah Fisher passed away. If you're a dog professional, you're most likely in mourning. If you're not, you might not know her face. But she will have been instrumental in what you've done with your dogs.

Sarah's work across the canine and animal world cannot be understated. I have not personally done one of her courses, but every conversation and every talk I had with her filled me with a sense of vigour and peace.

She strongly advocated for observing dogs as they were, noticing their behaviour and physical needs. She was passionate about ACE Freework, an exercise in which a number of objects, surfaces, textures and enrichment toys are placed for the dog to explore. We've used variations of this in classes, workshops and training camps.

I cannot claim to know Sarah well. We only met twice, both at dog conferences. We sat together at breakfast one morning and talked about the state of the dog industry. This was in July.

Almost every dog trainer you follow on social media will have been influenced, directly or indirectly, by her work. She was a knowledgable waterfall, and every professional was downstream of her wisdom and knowledge. Her ethos is the same one we carry into Nosework classes - freedom, agency and choice. If you've worked with me, you've benefited from her.

She will be greatly missed, and my thoughts are with her family and closest friends.

As we approach 2026, you need to know this.These are the most common reasons people don't make progress with their react...
29/12/2025

As we approach 2026, you need to know this.

These are the most common reasons people don't make progress with their reactive dogs. It's the difference between having a stress-free 2026, and another stressful year.

I'll be launching my new online behaviour support in January. If you'd like more info, DM me. Plenty of exciting things planned for 2026!

Think about your dog in 2036. A specific day during that year.They'll be older. Greyer. Slower. That day will remind you...
29/12/2025

Think about your dog in 2036. A specific day during that year.

They'll be older. Greyer. Slower.

That day will remind you all of the things you've done.

You'll wake up and find them wrapped in the blanket you bought them in 2035, to keep them warmer as the cold creeps in.

You'll have breakfast, and give them their favourite snack. You discovered it in 2034, during one of your last big holidays together. It was so busy, and you were so proud of them.

You'll listen to a song you heard for the first time in 2033, in your favourite dog walking spot. One that you couldn't have gone to years ago.

Later that day, you'll go for coffee with a friend. You connected in 2032, when you saw them post on social media that they had a dog like yours. You reached out and explained to them that it had got better.

You'll walk through town and remember a moment in 2031, when you plucked up the courage to walk your dog through a busy crowd by yourself for the first time. You feel elated.

You'll bump into another friend, and you'll talk casually about the weather. You remember in 2030, years after they first saw your dog, where they complimented just how much better they were doing.

You'll wander down onto a dog walking route, with narrow paths and streams of dogs. You remember that in 2029 you took your dog here, by yourself, and it was the first time you never truly felt fear.

You'll pass by a person walking a dog breed your dog used to hate. But in 2028, your dog managed to make friends with a dog breed like that. Now they're okay.

You'll get home, and your dog will greet you at the door. They want to walk, but you're not going yet. In 2027, you joined a group dog walk, and marvelled at how well your dog coped. That's later today.

You snuggle into the sofa, and a memory pops up on your phone. You see a photo of you and your dog - younger, but full of more fear. It was this time nearly a decade ago, in 2026, where you made the decision to work with a trainer. You just couldn't live like that anymore.

I'm not going to tell you what to do next year. That's up to you. But all I want, and all you want, is to live a life like the above with your dog.

It's what you deserve. So please make sure you reach for it.

Address

Bournemouth

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 6pm

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+447508883008

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