What our clients are saying
Here are a few examples of nice things our clients have said about our puppy school and dog training services.
Here are a few examples of nice things our clients have said about our puppy school and dog training services.
"I wish there was an option for 10 stars!"
"Apologies for the following essay - I just want everyone to know that Radica offers an amazing service, and you would struggle to find someone that offers a better puppy training course. I hope you find the details I provide below useful in making a decision to choose Radica's services.
Radica is an amazing trainer, with a positive, caring methodology for training puppies, with a focus on rewarding desired behaviours, rather than punishing mistakes and inherent canine instincts. Radica is also a caring and supportive person for puppy parents.
My new Boston Terrier puppy, Loki, is very sensitive and craves human attention/company, as well as being very focussed on other dogs - natural instincts for a puppy. At first I was struggling with his need to be no more than 10cm away from me at all times.
I rang Radica to just enquire about her puppy school as an option, and she generously spent about 40 minutes with me on the phone talking through things I could try and providing advice, guidance and support (as I was overwhelmed as a first time puppy parent).I of course signed up whilst we were still chatting.
Her group classes are a great opportunity for your puppy to not only learn the skills needed to thrive in a human family home, but also learn how to regulate their instinctive desires to be around other dogs and humans - being a "pack" animal.
Radica clearly explains the rationale behind her methods, as well as the evolutionary drivers for your young puppy's behaviours, and she also gives plenty of time to each owner to practice the skills. In some classes she will focus on an individual puppy that may be struggling with a particular skill for some time, and at first I wondered how this would help Loki, but then a few days later he would exhibit similar behaviour and I was well equipped to work with him as I had seen her demonstrate what needed to be done in class with the other puppy.
Radica seems to have an deep and innate understanding of which puppy needs the most attention at any one time, and over the course of the 6 week program, she will work with each puppy more closely, which also seems to be at a time they (and their pet parent) need the most support and guidance.
Radica will also generously make time to work one on one over Google Meet to address specific issues.
With Loki's separation anxiety, Radica set up a couple of one on one sessions, and Loki and I worked through exercises with her guidance. With the puppy classes and these extra sessions, Loki is now far calmer, and he is able to be left alone for short periods of time (we are still working on the duration). He will now just sit quietly and wait for me until I get back.I started these classes with an anxious, hyper puppy that wanted to run and play with every other puppy in class, and would not let me leave him alone for even a minute at home.
By the end Loki is able sit and watch the other puppies, he is able to walk next to me on a loose leash around my neighbourhood, we can then sit at a cafe, with Loki at my feet and he will watch the world go by (without wanting to greet every other human/dog) as I grab a bite to eat.
He can stay when asked (mostly), come when asked (mostly) and leave things when I ask him to (more often than not). He is still a puppy with more to learn, but he has come SO far.Radica's service includes access to an online training program with lessons and videos, which means I have access to resources to keep up his training as he continues to grow and develop over the next year.
The best compliment I got was from other owners in the classes that noted how far Loki has come from his first lessons where his anxiety and hyper energy were evident to everyone. As one fellow puppy parent said ‘he is a completely different puppy.’
My only regret is that the classes are over after 6 weeks, but I know if I need to, I can reach out to Radica for support/advice.Thanks Radica, Loki and I will see you again in the ‘Adolescent Calmness Class’".
"We have found Radica's puppy school classes so helpful. Radica has extensive knowledge and experience and is such an enthusiastic teacher."
"I was apprehensive about signing up for zoom classes thinking it would not be as good as face to face but the online lessons have been excellent. We have had very personalised lessons with small group numbers and the convenience of being able to continue lessons even while on holidays. We are still able to ask questions and interact and review the whole (recorded) lesson if needed, along with the written information that is sent after each class.
Radica has given us the skills to continue training our puppy and enjoy her company even more as her behaviour improves."
"Due to covid-19 lockdown, our sessions were online – we had the luxury of dialing in from the comfort of our home and had no other puppies around to distract us."
"Radica explained so much about dog behaviours, their drivers and was able to help us fix every little issue we discussed. As a result, we have a calm, happy puppy we are enjoying very much. All our online sessions were recorded, so we can go back to them and replay in the future if necessary. Plus Radica gave us access to a library of dog training content. Many thanks!"
"Great puppy classes! Radica is most enthusiastic and positive, providing a very personalised service. The puppy play dates are a fantabulous initiative, allowing puppies to socialise in a safe environment whilst being trained! Thank you!"
"Fantastic puppy course. It's the fourth one I've done over the years - and by far the best. Rad is fantastic with the puppies and provides great support. I think we were all sad the class had finished when the four weeks were up! The space is great too. The other classes I attended were in tiny rooms - but this is in a large space. Highly recommended."
"I'm not sure who loves the puppy classes more, us or our little pooch! Radica is absolutely amazing. The classes have allowed our puppy to socialise with others in a safe environment and we can't believe how much he has learnt in only a few weeks."
"Our first puppy, we wanted to do it right! So we signed up for The Mindful Dog puppy school and had a blast! Not only did we learn a lot, in particular how to deal with a very excited and distracted puppy but it was a great opportunity for Frankie to meet and socialise with other puppies. I highly recommend this course for anyone with a new puppy. It will make your life a lot easier!!"
"A fantastic little puppy class. We weren't able to make the first week so Radica even offered a private catch-up session at no extra cost. She really went above and beyond for our little pup! The classes are small and intimate, which meant our puppies could get more individual focus. He arrived shy and timid, but by the end of the month was running around freely with other puppies! Thank you Radica for all of your help over the past few weeks!"
"Radica from The Mindful Dog provided a very relaxed and informative series of classes for our puppy. The information provided and the practical demonstrations and activities provided for excellent."
"Such a great experience! Radica goes above and beyond to be a wonderful, insightful and resourceful trainer. We completed puppy classes and have been attending puppy playdates for almost two months now. Our puppy loves each session and everyone we meet is always impressed by how good he is thanks to all the great tips and training exercises from Radica.
Being a mindful dog owner can be exhausting, thank you Radica for helping us during these very formative but massively rewarding weeks!"
"Radica has been fantastic, helping us understand and train our rescue dog, Marley. Radica spent 25 mins on the phone with my wife the day we first got Marley before we had even agreed to ask her to help! We could not more highly recommend Radica (and have done so already to fellow dog owners in the local park). Marley is making great progress."
"Radica is a first class dog trainer.
She is highly trained in ALL aspects of dog behaviour and uses the latest scientific evidence based approach. Her calm and gentle demeanour has a positive effect on any curious/nervous puppy and owner. She has the ability to enhance your relationship with your puppy from the first lesson and teaches and shares invaluable information to set you both up as winners from the start. Radica cares deeply about animals and offers ongoing support to owners should they require.
My Rottweiller puppy was displaying concerning behaviour and after one zoom call with Radica after witnessing behaviour at home she offered strategy, and in one week I had our beautiful, gentle girl back. Amazing!
Thank you Radica!"
"Radica is very passionate about puppy training and has been very helpful in teaching us how to handle our puppy and sharing lots of information and materials after class. Our puppy definitely enjoyed every single class.
Highly recommended!!!"
"Radica's puppy school was without a doubt the best one. She taught us so many useful techniques and taught us the psychology behind dogs.
Would definitely recommend"
"Great online platform to learn puppy needs, good online course to ask questions with feedback. Also puppy school is good in-person experience to explain what is good behaviour and attitude."
"We can't recommend The Mindful Dog enough! We first did puppy training with Radica via Zoom in 2020; we weren't sure how it would go via video but we were very pleased with the results, it was just as effective!
Radica has helped us with a few things since then, she is extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and always goes above and beyond - whether it's a Zoom session or a detailed email response, she is always there for us and our puppy Henry!"
"Thank you Radica! You've taught us a lot as new puppy owners and it has been wonderful to watch Bo (Mr. Bojangles) calm down and respond to his commands. We will continue to work with him - he's still got a long way to go, but has definitely come such a long way in the month with you!"
"Thanks again Radica for all your knowledge, patience and skill. Thank you for your honesty and professionalism.
I've learnt a lot from you and really feel Luna has come a long way to being the best dog she can be. Although trying and challenging at the best of times, I'm enjoying all my days with her and learning so much along the way.
It really is a privilege being a dog owner.
Thank you again for being part of the journey."
"I just wanted to touch base and say a big thank thank for all of your support and guidance over the last two months.
Zelda got her full vaccinations this week and we were given the all clear to take her out. Her first adventure was to the beach and ... she nailed it! She very politely met new dogs (even initiating contact - which you'll know is huge for her!) and had excellent recall despite distractions.
Even before our puppy classes, you've made a massive difference in our lives, guiding us so that Link and Zelda met positively and became friends, and so that Zelda slowly blossomed into a more confident puppy.
I have no doubt this is thanks to your influence. Your classes have been a godsend amidst the puppy chaos and we got so much value out of every session. And the bonus puppy play dates are just the cream on the top.
Thank you again so much. We will continue to gratefully rely on you for our current and future training needs."
"What a brilliant experience! Love the approach of the trainer and way she shaped the class based on the needs of each dog. We went to a different school for our first dog and the difference is significant - cannot recommend enough. Our puppy learnt so much on such a small amount of time, really sad it's over but will back for some play dates!"
"Cannot recommend it enough. 4 weeks of puppy classes went so quick! Radica is excellent and extremely knowledgeable. Her passion for dogs is seen throughout the classes. She's always prompt to help and give her advice outside classes too.
I absolutely loved it!"
"Radica and her puppy classes were amazing! As a first time puppy owner I've learned so much about puppy behaviours, learning methods and everything else that comes along with being a puppy parent. Our pup, Fred, has equally loved his classes and looks forward to them every week. I can't speak highly enough of Radica's services. Our pup was attacked at a local dog Park a few weeks back and when I emailed her concerned about a few behaviours we saw after the attack she went out of her way to help us, even setting up puppy play dates so that older pups could play together in a safe environment. Thanks Radica!!"
"We had a fun and enjoyable experience attending the puppy classes runned by Radica! She explained and illustrated everything thoroughly and the fact classes were small of up to 4 pups, each pup was able to get attention and have a turn of what was taught in each class. Suzie my dog learned to build up her skills, level of confidence and socialise with other breeds. Moreover, Radica went out her way to contact us to see how we were progressing during the week after attending the classes. She's very knowledgeable and experienced! I highly recommend her to anyone. Thank you Radica!!"
"Radica is a terrific puppy trainer!! She is passionate, patient, knowledgeable, creative and super helpful. Our now 4 month old Cavoodle puppy Tiggy has had an awesome experience at Radica's Puppy School and subsequent Play Dates. We simply can't thank Radica enough for all her doggy wisdom."
"Radica is very professional and I highly recommend her! You can tell she truely loves what she does and that makes a huge difference in the puppy classes. Her ongoing support has helped me work through some behavioural issues with my pup and I'm so grateful. The Play & Train sessions (play dates) she hosts is a great idea and allows for safe and fun puppy socialisation."
"Radica is an outstanding trainer and communicator who truly understands dog behaviour and psychology. We learned so much from her which has saved our sanity and helped our relationship with and nurture of our puppy. I can't recommend her and her classes highly enough."
"Highly recommend. We have a staffie, stubborn of course, who now sleeps in his bed, stays downstairs when asked,
sits, shakes and walks loose leash
after only 4 weeks of group lessons.
Our trainer, Radica, is the dog whisper!!
We are going back for private lessons!"
"Radica is just wonderful trainer who really understood all our needs and our new puppy. She equipped us with amaizing tools to establish good behavior habits. Radica addressed different stages of having a new puppy to make sure we don't get frustrated. She never worry about the time of our session and always took more time to answer all our questions. We definitely recomend 100% The Mindful Dog for all your dog needs. Thank you Radica... Definitely an experience that goes above and beyond..."
"Amazing dog trainer with heaps of knowledge! She knows all dogs by name, small classes so you get lots of attention. She also does puppy play & train dates on Sunday afternoon, which is very helpful to socialise your puppy or if you have any questions.
I would definitely recommend!"
