Animal Kind
Dog Training and Behaviour
Personal Puppy and Dog Training
We are unique in combining 121 Dog and Puppy Training and Group Classes, allowing you to combine the best of private help with socialisation and skills within group settings.
On top of that, we have qualified behaviour expertise supporting the training we provide. Set your puppy up for lifelong success with Animal Kind’s expert guidance, starting with practical advice before they arrive home.
Puppy Training
For new pups under 6 months old we start with:
-
A personalised Bumper Puppy Power 121 session at home to help reduce biting, improve toilet training and overnight sleeping, plus much much more.
-
You can follow this up with a Development Package in which we guide you through the next 6 months.
Adult Dogs and Adolescent Pups Training
For adolescent dogs and adult dogs (with no upper age limit) with specific or a range of obedience issues, your journey with us begins with:
-
An Assessment and First Training Session, where we identify the underlying causes of your dog's obedience issues and create a clear, effective plan of action.
-
You can follow this up with a Development Package in which we guide you through the next 6 months.
Lead Walking, Recall and Social Confidence
For puppies or dogs of any age, you can choose from one of three specific Common Issue Packages dealing with either Lead Walking, or Recall or Social Confidence building.
Behaviour Consultations
Do I need a dog trainer or a behaviourist?
The good news is we are both. So we can help determine which you need, and provide the appropriate plan and techniques to solve it.
What’s the difference between a dog behaviour problem and a training problem?
A behaviour issue is more severe, complex or requires a greater level of professional expertise and experience to understand and solve (i.e. you must have the correct qualifications to do so, like a Masters University degree).
Most behaviour problems have at least one of the following components (whereas dog training problems don’t):
-
Pain or medical factors might be involved, for example if a significant and unexpected problem comes out of the blue. Which is why we liaise with your vet before we start.
-
There is an unusual level of risk involved for any participant, including yourself, your dog or members of your family, any member of the public, as well as vets and groomers - this means any case involving aggression (though not puppy mouthing).
-
There is more than one quite significant problem going on at once.
If any of the above apply, please visit our Behaviour page to see the next steps for booking an appointment. Or get in touch with Chris Wills IMDT BSc MSc on 07542 150 036 to arrange a Behaviour Consultation.
Group Classes
Our structured training journey helps your puppy develop into a secure, attentive, and joyful adult dog through five progressive courses focused on socialisation and obedience.
Puppy Socialisation is perfect for semi-vaccinated pups aged 8 weeks+ and is held at the Vets4Pets vets practice inside Pets at Home shop, Solihull.
Once fully vaccinated your pup can attend our, Young Pups Obedience & Socialisation course teaching essential life skills, including lead walking and recall, for fully vaccinated pups up to 6 months.
For dogs 6 months and older, the Tweenies Obedience and Rescue Rehab course offers a fun mix of obedience and agility, including for newly arrived rescue dogs.
Once you've completed either Young Pups or Tweenies, you can step up to our more advanced Teens Agility course, which is an energetic course full of agility and scent training.
Graduate with our unique Top Dogs: Out and About course, where you put your skills to the test in real-world settings such as pubs, cafes, on trains and in parks.
About Us
Animal Kind has trained and supported thousands of puppies, adolescent, rescue, and adult dogs since 2010. Co-owned and run by Chris and Helen—alongside their beloved rehomed Labrador, Luna—Animal Kind offers a complete dog training and behaviour service tailored to every stage of your dog’s life. We proudly serve families across the West Midlands and Warwickshire, helping dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments overcome everything from minor training hiccups to more complex behavioural challenges.
Helen
Having grown up in Dorridge surrounded by animals, including cats and a horse, Helen initially pursued a career in London, producing programmes for the BBC. In 2008, she changed direction, discovering a passion for working with dogs through voluntary animal rescue work across India, China, and Thailand, where she helped rescue, foster, and rehome street dogs and puppies.
Since co-founding Animal Kind with Chris in 2010, Helen has worked full-time with dogs and has become an accredited Dog Training Instructor with the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT). She leads Animal Kind’s full Group Classes programme and also works one-to-one with clients through the Puppy Power training packages, often supported by Luna, her much-loved rescue Labrador, who loves puppies herself too!.
Chris
Chris has always shared his life with dogs, from Caesar the Sheltie to Blue the Whippet and Skye, a rescued Greyhound. After leaving a successful career in journalism in London, he discovered his true calling while volunteering with International Animal Rescue in Goa, where he worked rescuing and rehabilitating street dogs. On returning to the UK, he qualified as an accredited Dog Training Instructor with the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT).
Chris went on to deepen his expertise by studying Animal Behaviour, earning a Master’s degree from Newcastle University.
He is now working towards becoming a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB), a prestigious qualification held by fewer than 100 behaviourists worldwide.
Rewarding for You and Your Dog