Having taken to shooting a couple of years ago, I recently went to see Frank as I needed help in working my sister’s Labrador, who she had trained from a puppy under his instruction. Her dog was much admired on our shoot and I had decided it was time for me to have a go myself.
It was slightly daunting having never worked a dog, nor even had a dog as a pet before, but as ex-forces myself I hoped some of the techniques would be familiar. I wasn’t disappointed on this, Frank is using methods the Army has employed for years to train the most reticent pupils, and the benefits are clear, having not been on a parade square for years it soon came flooding back. Using a logical, simple and progressive series of exercises to increase the confidence of handler and dog, but also to help the handler understand exactly what the dog is experiencing, quickly forms a bond that I can only imagine more traditional methods take longer to install.
Moreover, I am very impressed how Frank has adapted military methods to take the best of a proven methodology and applied the best of it to this environment, rather than making the practice fit the method. The proof of this is in the flexibility, as the technique was just as user-friendly to my sister who has no experience of the military (until they have pink tanks anyway) as it was to me. I have no doubt Franks method’s will benefit handlers of all backgrounds, I have no hesitation is recommending him to others.
Simon Ford