Craig Steiff - Dog Trainer & Behaviourist

Croydon, Sutton & West London

Where it all started

At the age of 13 I recall how an otherwise quiet peaceful family life was thrown into disarray by the arrival of 'Shay' a scruffy little black dog that my elder sister had decided to re-home from a 'friend'. "What a great idea" I thought... After all, most of my friends had well behaved dogs, and I'd only ever had a Guinea Pig before, so thought a dog would be much more fun... What could possibly go wrong?

Shay had a rough start in life so we wanted to compensate by giving him the 'best'

We gave him food, shelter, exercise and love... Lots and lots of love.

How did he repay that love? By chewing the house to pieces, toileting everywhere, howling at night, pretending to be deaf when we wanted him to come back off the lead and by attempting to choke himself until blue in the face whilst out on walks. So much so that I'm sure this explains why I've got one arm slightly longer than the other.

Our mistake was to think of him as a young human, rather than a young dog that might perhaps have a very different set of needs, and the one thing we'd omitted to give him was his 'education'. He wasn't behaving in this was to annoy us, he just didn't know any better. Had we taken the time to understand him and see the world through his eyes, we would have had a much calmer happier dog. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but if I'd known then what I know now, Shay's life would have been so much more enjoyable and less frustrating for the family to cope with.

Understanding your dog

One thing I'm very keen to foster with my customers is a greater understanding between owner and dog. Much of that knowledge comes from what Bark Busters have taught me, but an awful lot comes from observing my three Boxers and the way in which they interact together. The dynamic between them is fascinating to observe, and whether you subscribe to 'pack' theory or not, there's no doubting there are structures in place. My job is to remain one step ahead of them and maintain a happy, evenly balanced group.

I'm often asked by my clients if I have magic powers, as the techniques we use are so quick and effective, but sadly this is not the case. In reality we look holistically at what is causing the problem, as well as the problem itself. Training dogs is less about waving a magic wand, but more about learning to communicate effectively. Call me and I'll show you how.

For further information and to find out how Craig can help you with your dog

Call Freephone 0808 100 4071

Email your enquiry to Craig direct