Training

We really enjoyed the puppy training and found it incredibly helpful. The sessions were clear, practical, and easy to follow. It gave us the confidence and tools we need to support our puppy’s development. Thank you so much – this will make a big difference for us! Kristina

Pen is absolutely fantastic and it has been so great to attend classes, learning to work with my puppy, build our bond and as a result see him consistently improve over the course. I feel like I understand my puppy much better, and our bond has grown so much stronger. I feel happier and more confident on walks because I trust him to come back to me, we’ve had fun learning tricks together, with a smiley face and a waggy tail! He really looks forward to classes, and gets so excited when he realises where we are headed on a Monday evening, which is true testimony to Pen’s gentle and fun approach to training, he was never intimidated or nervous, we were never told off or made to feel silly, and I think I can safely say this for the rest of the pups in the class, we were all so happy to be there and I’ll really miss our weekly classes. I can’t recommend Pen enough, we now have a happy, confident puppy and we are so, so happy. Thank you, Pen, we hope to see you again soon. Lucy

I just wanted to also say that we as a family appreciate a lot of your support throughout last year. From being a 4 month old puppy to becoming a 15 months old teenager – you’ve become an integral part of our training. Daria

Our session at home with Penny, has been incredibly useful, for our boisterous staffy, Papi.
We went through calming activities, such as treat-hunting; learned more about what types of walks to take a hyper puppy, of which I implemented the next day; we also went through controlling impulses. Having the time to spend with Penny, has been so valuable to us. Marissa

Pen’s recall package was incredibly helpful. She came to our house first, to discuss basics. What I liked the most about that first session was that Pen asked a LOT of detailed questions to understand when recall problems started, and diagnose why. We also got to talk about other topics, like feeding (my dog is a fussy eater), which Pen practically solved for us when she suggested to take kibble during walks, and that also improved my pup’s lead pulling as a result. The second session was a few weeks later, and it was outdoor, so that Pen could observe improvements and make additional suggestions. I understood a lot from just looking at how she was trying to get Penny’s attention. She shared a bunch of useful information on how to deal with Penny when she switches out to follow a trail, and suggested training options that would help encouraging her sense of smell, but under our control. Following her guidance, not only I could see initial results, but I also felt more confident about what techniques I should adopt. Overall, I’d strongly recommend Pen. Ilaria

Just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful lessons we had with you. You are a very thoughtful, gentle, understanding trainer and when you live and work with a challenging puppy it’s so important to have someone in your support network who is understanding and non judgemental to the dog. Daria

Pen covered everything and made sure to check in with all of us. We got lots of time to ask questions and for personalised advice. Thanks so much! Felix

Pen’s Superpup classes were brilliant – perfect “big school” for a lively teenage terrier! Pen’s methods are always fun, kind and in tune with both dog and owners. It was easy to understand all the lessons, but the best part was seeing how they helped in practice with confidence and recall – in other words, the sometimes challenging parts of young dog ownership. Thank you Pen. Selina

Thank you so much for the past 6 weeks, not only has Jasper come on in leaps and bounds but both Emily and I have learnt lots, and feel much more confident. Lucy

We attended puppy school with Pen with our cockapoo AJ, and her support and techniques were invaluable. She is incredibly insightful and knowledgeable and worked with us to help provide the basic training we lacked. We then returned to Pen for more support when AJ was a year old and again she proved to be magical with her practical solutions and advice. I can wholly recommend Pen for your dog training needs! Tracey

I want to highly recommend Pen. I have a 1 year old Havaton. We have all been at home due to lockdown, but have not had time to interact and play with him, so he has become bored. Pen ran through things we can do with him and emailed games that my children can play with him. Following on from Puppy Classes with Pen, we are now considering Puppy University for him. Alyson

We had a Zoom training session with Pen and it was excellent. Great advice and tips on puppy training. Very professional and showed us some videos and sent follow up help sheets to assist us further. Highly recommend. Panos

Can’t recommend Pen enough. We were totally clueless being first time dog owners with a new cocker spaniel puppy, who had a bit of a temper at the beginning. Pen ran sessions with us at home and would always answer the phone to talk us through things if we had any issues. She dealt with things like possessiveness/ resource guarding, and using the crate which were real issues for Gatsby at the beginning. Safe to say he is now the most loving and easy going dog – totally transformed!! You are in very safe hands with Pen :)) Jennifer

Pen helped me train my unruly Goldendoodle to such a high standard that he is now my registered Assistance Dog with the charity Dog AID! Pen is an incredible trainer and behaviourist who uses all the right reward-based methods, and is a really lovely person too! I always recommend her for any dog behaviour or training problems as well as her puppy school classes which we attended a couple of years back 🙂 Talya

Thank you to Pen for help with our gorgeous black pug Betsy. Our puppy loved the classes, happily knocking on the door to get in each week! Great for learning how to handle our new girl and for her to socialise with the other dogs. As a first time dog mummy, Pen was always on hand to answer any questions and is so so kind. Thank you so much! Samantha

“I first met Pen when I attended puppy classes with our flat coat retriever Marley. I was immediately struck by her positive approach to dog training which was in stark contrast to other trainers I had used with our previous dogs. I loved her soft, calm manner and immediately saw the benefits of using rewards to encourage our puppy to behave in a way that would fit in with our lives. Marley turned into a much beloved easy going fun loving dog. When we lost him 9 years later and got our new puppy Reggie I again immediately turned to Pen. This time the classes were not convenient for me so instead Pen came to our house and we did two one to one sessions. She was quick to see what Reggie was about and helped me see that unlike Marley what drives him is fun not food. She gave us mental stimulation exercises which he loved and which meant he was so much more focussed when we went out and able to listen when I called him back – genius! I cannot recommend Pen highly enough, she loves dogs and is genuinely passionate about understanding what makes them tick and making sure they can interact positively with their owners. I have also passed her details onto a number of friends all of whom have been very impressed with her methods.” Milly

“…The work you did with us both was invaluable and we still practice our lessons from time to time.” Judi

“It was money well spent as far as we’re concerned – you are so great at what you do! It gave us so much more confidence as first time dog owners to know that we can nurture a happy dog for life!” Libby

“…Will carry on with all the things you have taught us in the classes. Truffle and I enjoyed them and you have refreshed my knowledge in such a nice way. You have a lovely manner and I am glad we chose your classes. If in the future I need any guidance we shall be in touch.” Mary Jane

“We so loved our classes with you…Gandalf is well trained (most of the time..!) thanks to you and all you taught us…he’s our first dog…xx” Daphne

“Just wanted to say thank you for the classes which have been incredibly useful and hopefully have equipped Dexter and me to learn how to fit into each other’s lives…a man stopped me to ask how I had managed to make him ‘so good at walking on the lead.” Jan

“This is an extremely belated note to thank you for all your help and advice while Georgie was at puppy school. I really did value being able to ask you for help while I was feeling unsure about things. Thank you.” Neil

“The kids (and me) were really sad not to finish off the course with our group – it has been such a lovely experience for us all & Fletcher is coming on a treat!” Alison

“I didn’t get chance to say thank you last night at puppy school! It has been great fun and I never expected Tooley to learn all those commands!” Jo

“Thank you Pen, for being one of Milo’s helpers, and for helping us very much too. It was a pleasure to meet you and to experience your beautiful teaching.” Karen

“All in all, I’m delighted – he’s done better than I imagined he would and is fitting into my lifestyle quite well.” Jay

“We could not have done it without you.” Penny

“Mole LOVED his session with you.  His “hissy-fits” are almost non existent now! Thank you again, you’re VERY gifted with dogs!” Charlotte

“Thanks so much for all your encouragement and support over the last few weeks, you are such a great teacher and we loved coming to your classes.” Ros

“I am a huge fan of Penaran, she really knows her stuff and adores the animals! I did both her puppy training which was excellent – 6 weeks to keep you focused and I still have knowledge that we learned then, and several private sessions to deal with more specific behavioural points. My dog has the best recall and that for me has made having a dog so easy and enjoyable. Thanks to Pen, I understand my dog (we met Pen when he was 8 weeks!) he is well trained well behaved dog. This wouldn’t have happened without her as dogs need training as do the owners! Personally, I have now known Pen for almost 3 years and have recommended her on Facebook and think she is not only excellent at her job, caring for the animals and a professional. Thanks Pen!” Sophie

“You have a special gift for sharing your expertise which makes me feel confident rather than daunted or patronised. Perhaps what I appreciated more than anything was how you valued & enjoyed each dog for their uniqueness, even finding validating things to say about the tardiness of some dogs and their humans to pick up the skills. (Er, yes, Skippy and me!) And you made the class such fun (loved the dressing up exercise!) and also safe, a big issue for me given how teeny Skippy is. I was so grateful to you for not only letting me bring Pearl when she was postoperative, but assigning a volunteer to look after her so I could focus on Skippy. You are very clear, patient, inspiring, flexible, creative and, to repeat myself, super-knowledgeable. Puppy Class is such a crucial life experience for the dogs and I will always look back on it, and on your training, with happiness and gratitude.” Marion

“Pen has been helping me train my 1 year old Goldendoodle, Coby, to become my disability assistance dog ever since he was just a few months old. He has come leaps and bounds since then, and is now a very well rounded dog who has returned my independence and loves what he does. This is hugely thanks to Pens incredible work! Her puppy school and puppy university classes built a very strong foundation for Cobys training, and they were great fun to take part in. Her home visits have also helped immensely – not only does she give great training and behavioural advice, but Pen is such a lovely and kind person. Whether you need just a bit of training advice or help with serious behavioral issues, I cannot recommend anyone better than Pen to help!” Talya

“Pen has been helping my dog and I for the last few months. From what I have experienced, her affinity with dogs and humans is clear and unquestionable. I have found Pen’s kindness, patience and generosity to be quite extraordinary, in combination with her experience and expertise. My dog is a rescue with some complex issues due to her history. Pen is incredibly sensitive to the needs of both me and my dog and we are so grateful to her for sharing her time and knowledge with us.” Catherine

“Definitely do this if you have a new puppy. It’s brilliant …We’ve had huge success in training our puppy thanks to Pen’s 6-week long courses (attended two at different ages) and a one-to-one before our baby is due to get prepared. Full of ideas, resources and encouragement, which makes training easier and more motivating for owners. Just a thoroughly nice person too!!” Natalia

“Pen is a great trainer. She is lovely with dogs, ever so patient and has always useful tips for any situation. It was a pleasure to attend her class, I hope I will be able to do so again in the future.” Morena

“I have attended many puppy classes as i am a dog minder/ daycare/ dog walker, when a client was getting a puppy I was keen to learn new training methods. Penarens Puppy School at the Finchley Vet with a small class of up to 4 dogs is easily the best class I have been to. Her class is also excellent value highly recommended if you live in North West London and have a puppy. The correct training with kind methods is key to a happy, healthy puppy, young dog and an easy life in the long term for owner and dog.” Jayne

“Just a note to let you know how well Barney is doing, since we last saw you. He is doing GREAT! On the Heath his recall is SO much better. I can now have him off the lead for most of the time, including in the depths of the woods & he comes back. It’s such a joy & takes so much of the stress out of it.” Karen

“We took our puppy Lex to Pen’s puppy training classes when he was 12 weeks old. As owners we learned so much. Pen is so patient and friendly and we loved her classes. She didn’t judge us, but worked with us and gave us loads of advice about any issues we had. We now have a fabulous dog who is confident and well behaved. We would recommend Pen to any dog/puppy owners. She is amazing!” Jude

“Our puppy stella went to puppy school and puppy university. she LOVES Pen and learnt lots of fantastic skills, including door manners and some tricks. She’s a fantastically calm, well-balanced dog (and for a terrier too!) and will be in many ways thanks to the calm teaching she received, and support we received as new puppy parents. Would recommend to everyone who has a new puppy and wants to give them the best start.” Craig

“Pen is great. We took our first dog to puppy school and then puppy university. Pen gave us such insight that we signed up to puppy school with our second dog – even as seasoned dog owners we learned loads! And she’s always on hand for follow ups. Round here we all think she’s brilliant!” Stephen

“Awesome, intelligent trainer! Taught me massively how to teach my dog properly. Recommend to anyone having any sought of problems with their pets.” Niko

“We hired Pen for a session with our puppy, to check how we were doing with our training and we learnt SO MUCH in a short amount of time. She helped us reframe some of the training and, in some cases, take a different approach and it made all the difference. Sometimes the smallest changes make a huge difference. She also gave us a good insight into the psychology of puppies which is really empowering for us when we interact with our puppy! Pen really understands the spirit of puppies! Thank you Pen. P.S. the lickimat is a winner. xx” Gwen

“Thanks again for the lesson last night. Looking back on the last 3 weeks I feel that Blini’s behaviour has changed so much, and that makes me hope that we’re on the right track. I think it was the first week Blini didn’t bark at other dogs and actually relaxed around them.” Alison

Pen is a fabulous trainer. I took my puppy there and was bowled over at what an excellent, patient and talented trainer she is. It is all reward based training so I have been left with a happy confident dog. Pen had a solution for everything, involved the whole family making it fun for my daughter which enabled her to take in all we were taught. Can’t recommend her highly enough!” Liz

“We have thoroughly enjoyed puppy classes, particularly Olive!” Sara