You learned how to train dogs. Now what?
…. Now it's time to stop doubting yourself and start building a career that sustains you.
Access to the Welcome Module is granted immediately. Programme starts: 6th October 2026 Reflective Supervision sessions: Tuesdays at 6.30pm
You qualified to train dogs
Nobody taught you how to become the professional you wanted to be.
You’ve taken the courses, got the certificates, and now you’re out in the wild flying solo and possibly second guessing everything.
How long should a discovery call even be?
Why aren’t your clients doing the work?
When are you going to have an ACTUAL day off (not an admin day)?
How do you stop second guessing every decision after a consult ends?
Yup. You’ve entered the business and people side of dog training - and nobody prepared you for it.
The truth is, you're probably far more capable than you give yourself credit for. You don't need more information- you need somewhere to integrate everything you've already learned.
Welcome to the part nobody prepared you for. The Mindful Dog Trainer exists to help you navigate it with confidence.
Dog traiNING IS A PEOPLE BUSINESS
I know you probably decided to become a dog trainer after a special dog changed your life or because you wanted desperately to spend every day working with dogs.
But people are an integral part of the business.
And I’m not just referring to your clients - but you as well. If you’re not taking care of yourself or learning how to do the business and people side of dog training then everything may feel chaotic, uncertain, and like you’re flying by the seat of your pants. Every. Single. Day.
….And that is an open armed invitation for imposter syndrome, overdelivery, and self doubt to come sailing in and take the wheel.
IT'S ALSO A BUSINESS
It’s beyond unfair that you can invest an enormous amount of time and money learning to train dogs and still not feel competent when it comes to running your business.
But that’s the reality most new and even established dog trainers face.
Because while all your training taught you how to understand dogs and how to adapt to the dog in front of you… it didn’t teach you how to teach people.
And it didn’t teach you how to set up processes and systems that make your business easy to run.
What can change in six months?
“You've changed me as a dog trainer. You've revolutionised my business... As an individual, I'm so much more confident.” — Andy
How The Mindful Dog Trainer creates lasting change
PMT isn't just for dogs. Now, before anyone panics, this isn't that kind of PMT… although if your brain went there first, you'll probably fit in very well inside The Mindful Dog Trainer Mentorship. 😄
In this instance, PMT stands for Prevent. Manage. Train.
It's probably something you're already doing with dogs.
You don't jump straight into training. First you:
Prevent rehearsal of unwanted patterns.
Manage the environment and support emotional regulation.
Slow things down enough to understand the individual in front of you.
Only then do you move into the training element.
But how often do you apply that same thinking to yourself?
When something isn't working in your business, do you stop to ask what's driving it? Do you look at what's getting in the way, support yourself through it, and make changes to the environment before expecting yourself to simply 'do better'?
Or do you push full steam ahead, add another course, work longer hours, and beat yourself up when it still feels overwhelming?
If you’re trying to run your dog training business while:
constantly second-guessing yourself
comparing yourself to other trainers
afraid of getting things wrong
carrying too much responsibility for clients and outcomes
people pleasing and finding boundaries difficult
overwhelmed by everything you think you should be doing
You can’t expect yourself to function flawlessly. It’s unrealistic and unfair on yourself….
The Mindful Dog Trainer programme will help you not just run a business that functions well, but it’ll change how you think, work, and how you treat yourself.
"It affects your whole life."
That might sound like a bold claim.
But that's exactly how Leslie describes her experience of The Mindful Dog Trainer.
Access to the Welcome Module is granted immediately. Programme starts: 6th October 2026 Reflective Supervision sessions: Tuesdays at 6.30pm
Here's what changed for the first cohort:
Confidence
One mentee went from agonising over every client message, over-apologising and over-explaining, to sending a single calm text and feeling no guilt whatsoever.
One mentee described the programme as "an investment in myself as much as my business" after developing greater confidence, trusting their own judgement and gaining clarity about the direction they wanted their business to take.
Every mentee reported comparing themselves to other trainers less and trusting their own judgement more, recognising the unique strengths they bring to the profession.
Business
One mentee went from giving away 90-minute free consultations to running 15-minute discovery calls, achieving a 100% conversion rate on new enquiries without ever having to discuss pricing in a way that made her uncomfortable.
One mentee found the confidence to say no to work she didn't enjoy, focused entirely on the area she loved, and immediately began attracting online clients from around the world.
One mentee left employed work to become a full-time dog trainer, developed new programmes, refined the way they worked with clients and grew in confidence as both a trainer and business owner.
Wellbeing
One mentee stopped cancelling family days out and finally started taking proper days off—without sneaking in admin or answering work messages while her family rolled their eyes.
One mentee stopped feeling they had to cram six different exercises into every session. Instead, they focused on one meaningful exercise—and found their clients actually did the work, came back and made better progress.
Community
One mentee went from qualifying as a dog trainer and having nobody to ask, "What on earth goes in a client report?" to having five trusted peers with different specialisms she can call, refer to and learn from throughout her career.
These aren't just business wins.
They're trainers who now trust themselves more.
Who feel calmer.
Who set healthier boundaries.
Who enjoy their work again.
Who have found a community that understands the unique challenges of this profession.
That's what The Mindful Dog Trainer is really about.
Taking care of you isn’t a luxury, it’s essential
Every other caring profession recognises that supporting other people can be emotionally demanding.
Social workers have dedicated time to reflect. Counsellors have it. Therapists have it. It's considered a normal part of becoming a safe, thoughtful practitioner.
Dog trainers rarely have that.
We're expected to qualify, start a business, support clients through difficult situations, make ethical decisions and somehow figure the rest out on our own. The Mindful Dog Trainer exists because that gap is not acceptable.
You don’t need another course. You need support.
Reflection. Integration. Permission to pause. Space to process. Guidance to help organise your scattered thoughts. A calmer nervous system.
And someone who understands the emotional weight of this work.
TESTIMONIALS
What happens when thoughtful dog trainers have the space to think, reflect and grow
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
When I first qualified as a dog trainer, I was excited and couldn't wait to get my business running like the other trainers I followed on social media.
My first few clients went so well. I was buzzing until one day a client asked me a question I didn't have the answer to.
So there it was...
The self-doubt.
The imposter syndrome.
The question to myself:
How can I offer a service if I can't answer everything?
I'm not good enough.
Do I give up or look at more courses?
Then I saw the MDT programme.
Was this what I needed?
I enrolled, and I'm so glad I did.
It gave me confidence and self-belief.
It taught me that I didn't need more learning. I just needed to trust my instincts and believe in my ability.
I feel I understand myself better now and realise what I give, not just to the dogs, but to the humans too.
I have direction now as I know my powerful why.
What gets me up in the morning and gets me excited about training.
I have learnt things about myself I didn't even know.
Who I am as a trainer and how I work, not about how other trainers do it. So, for me, that's powerful.
If you're a newbie dog trainer like I was, or you're feeling something is missing,
then I highly recommend the MDT programme.
It's not a qualification. It's about you.
And that's what's important.
— Debbie Seymour, Mindful Dog Trainer Graduate 2026
"You're changing lives"
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" The Mindful Dog Trainer was the very, very best thing I could have embarked upon when I first finished as a qualified trainer.
I grew in confidence and started working in the way I wanted to work, rather than the way I thought everybody else was telling me I should work. I had all this theoretical knowledge, but could I actually do it?
I grew in confidence and started working in the way I wanted to work"
Marcia Tidbury,
Mindful Dog Trainer Graduate 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"One of the best courses I've ever done. Made friends for life and have tools that have changed my life forever."
Kate Gallagher
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The programme wasn't just about dog training. It challenged the way I think, helped me develop greater confidence in my own abilities, and gave me the space to reflect on where I wanted my business to go."
Since starting the programme I've gone full-time, developed new training programmes and grown in confidence as both a trainer and business owner.
Andy Garner
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Greater confidence. Better boundaries. Sustainable decision-making.
"I'm much more aware of my burnout signs now. I've learned to notice when my thinking drifts towards worst-case scenarios, pause, reflect and use the tools I've learned to see things differently. I'm trusting myself more, comparing myself to others less, and making decisions that feel much more sustainable."
Kate
"Genuine impact"
"An investment in yourself"
Sign up today for £1600 or 6 monthly payments of £287
How does The Mindful Dog Trainer Mentorship work?
The Mindful Dog Trainer is a six-month, small-group mentoring programme for a maximum of 15 thoughtful dog trainers.
It combines live mentoring, reflective practice, peer support, guest experts and practical learning to help you become a more confident practitioner, build a business that sustains you, and develop the judgement, resilience and self-belief that no qualification can teach.
As Josh, one of our Cohort One mentees, describes it, MDT isn't about sitting and listening. It's about engaging, exploring and having a programme that can adapt to where you are in your own journey.
Over six months, you'll receive:
✔ 20 live mentoring sessions with Laura (40 hours of live mentoring, reflective practice and professional guidance)
✔ 6 peer reflection sessions (12 hours of collaborative learning and peer support)
✔ An additional integration week at the end of the programme, giving you time to pause, reflect on your journey, recognise how far you've come, and explore how you've come this far before taking your next steps
✔ Guest expert masterclasses, both live and recorded, bringing fresh perspectives from respected professionals
✔ Bite-sized lessons, webinars, handouts, templates and practical resources you can revisit whenever you need them
✔ A confidential community of thoughtful dog trainers, supporting one another throughout the programme and long after it ends
✔ A Mindful Dog Trainer Graduate badge, recognising your commitment to thoughtful, ethical and reflective practice
How much is it?
£1,600 for the full six-month programme.
You can pay in full or spread the cost with 6 monthly payments of £287.
That's around £59 a week for structured mentoring, reflection, community and support, including an additional integration week at the end of the programme.
For context: one extra client booking per month for six months covers it entirely. Most mentees find they're converting enquiries more effectively within weeks.
Because with the space and support to embed the learning you’ve already done into your practice you’ll finally feel consciously competent and confident.
And that feels a lot better than constantly consuming more information in the hope that feeling capable and confident will show up eventually.
Who this is (and isn’t) for
This is for you if:
You're qualified and working, but the business side still feels like a mystery you're winging every day.
You care deeply about ethical practice but feel quietly exhausted carrying it all alone.
You keep buying courses hoping the next one will make you feel ready - and it never quite does.
You want to do this work in a way that's sustainable for you, not just functional for your clients.
You crave a small, honest community of people who actually get what this job is like.
You second guess yourself after consults, replay conversations in your head, or worry about getting things wrong.
This is NOT for you if:
You want quick fixes or magic bullet methods.
You prefer coercive, dominance based training.
You don’t want to make changes to the way you work or reflect on what’s not serving you.
You can’t make the live calls on Tuesday evenings at 6.30pm (UK time).
MeeT your mentor
Laura Mars
I’m a force-free, dog trainer and mentor with 20 years prior experience within social work, adult learning, workforce development, mentoring, and professional supervision roles.
I still run a dog training business myself so I’m still firmly entrenched in the day to day realities of working with dogs and their people - and that matters because it means I’m not years removed from what you experience every day.
I have also spent the past four years, mentoring both aspiring and qualified dog trainers, helping them grow in confidence and develop their practice through reflection, compassion and skills development.
I believe dog training has never just been about dogs.
It’s about relationships. Stress. Learning. Communication. Attachment. Emotional regulation. Confidence. Pressure. Expectations. The stories people carry about themselves and their dogs.
And often, underneath it all, a deep desire to simply feel understood.
For years within the dog world, we’ve spoken about ’the human end of the lead’ in relation to guardians and clients. But increasingly, I found myself asking another question....
This is caring work...
Dog trainers are often holding frightened owners, overwhelmed families, emotionally dysregulated dogs, ethical dilemmas, conflict, uncertainty, and enormous pressure to always have the ‘right’ answer.
And yet many trainers are trying to carry all of that alone.
I hold a BA(Hons) in Social Work and completed postgraduate professional development at Masters level in areas including critical supervision, risk and decision-making, and developing reflective practitioners.
I also completed PEPS 2 (Practice Educator Professional Standards Stage 2) alongside my Practice Teacher Award, qualifying me to independently supervise, mentor, teach, and assess developing professionals within complex practice environments.
It’s this background that profoundly shapes the way I work today and it’s the backbone of everything you access inside The Mindful Dog Trainer.
Because whilst the dog world often focuses heavily on techniques and outcomes, my experience taught me something deeper:
People do not learn well when they feel overwhelmed, ashamed, frightened, dysregulated, or constantly afraid of getting things wrong.
That’s why The Mindful Dog Trainer exists. To care for the people doing caring work so they’re able to treat themselves as well as they treat dogs.
What's in the mentorship syllabus?
Exclusive Core Module
Burnout: Managing Your Nervous System Before It Manages You
with Dr Claire Plumbly — Clinical Psychologist & Author
A deeply supportive module exploring how to recognise early signs of burnout, regulate your nervous system, and maintain emotional balance in your work with dogs and people.
Because lasting confidence depends on caring for the person behind the practice.
Guest Experts Supporting Your Growth
Carefully chosen leaders who share our values
✔ Rikki Sullivan - The Canine Copywriter
Mastering Your Messaging
Exploring ethical marketing, audience insight and authentic messaging, helping trainers move beyond surface-level pain points to truly understand and connect with the people they want to support.
✔ Victoria Clark Higgs - The Pet Accountant
Sustainable finances, charging with confidence
Helping trainers build a financially sustainable business by valuing their expertise, charging with confidence, and understanding the true value of the support they provide.
✔ Niki French
Supporting Guardians Who Find Walks Difficult
How trainers can compassionately support overwhelmed guardians with dogs who struggle on walks - through reflection, observation, nervous system awareness, and practical real-world strategies.
✔ Additional Guest Experts
Specialist Knowledge, Shared Values
From behaviour, welfare, communication, and ethical business, each guest brings real-world experience designed to deepen - not overwhelm - your learning.
Why These Guest Sessions Matter
Your confidence isn’t built from information alone.
It grows through:
✔️ Learning with ethical, trusted professionals
✔️ Seeing concepts applied to real cases
✔️ Expanding your understanding gently, with support
✔️ Bridging the gap between theory and lived, practical skill
These sessions enrich your learning, deepen your confidence, and help you feel supported from every angle — dog, human, and self.
Welcome Module available immediately upon enrolment
Live Reflective Mentoring begins: Tuesday 6th October 2026
Reflective Mentoring sessions: Tuesdays at 6.30pm (UK time)
Bonuses:
Understand how trauma and adversity can shape behaviour, emotions, and learning in dogs.
Support guardians with empathy, curiosity, and compassion to build safety, trust, and lasting change.
Develop reflective, sustainable practice by understanding your own responses, recognising stress and triggers, and creating the support systems that help you thrive as a trainer
Build lasting confidence by turning knowledge into real-world practice.
Stop second-guessing yourself and thrive ethically and sustainably through deeper self-awareness and professional clarity.
Bridge the gap between learning and doing through guided reflection and integration.
Reduce second-guessing and make decisions with greater clarity and confidence.
I share my trusted systems, structures and frameworks to help you become confident in your own practice.
Work more sustainably by reducing overwhelm, hidden labour, and decision fatigue.
STILL NOT SURE?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do I need to be newly qualified to join?
No. The current cohort includes trainers at very different stages - some just starting out, some two or three years in and burning out without quite knowing why. It’s not about how long you've been doing this, it’s about supporting you properly whatever stage in your journey you’re in.
Q. What if I can't keep up with the content?
There is no keeping up. The programme is designed around the reality that you are busy and your brain has limits and some weeks are harder than others. Mentees have transformed their practice having barely touched the recorded material. You take what you need.
Q. Is this going to be too soft and not practical enough?
The programme covers discovery calls, client communication, session structure, pricing, boundaries, and marketing. It also covers why you reply to messages at midnight and feel guilty cancelling on a client when you're ill. These things are connected. The practical changes tend to arrive faster when the other stuff is also being addressed.
Q. Why is the cohort so small?
Because a group of 15 people who know each other well is a fundamentally different thing from a group of 150 people who don't. One of them becomes a community that lasts beyond the programme. The other is a course.
Q. I haven't got time for another course. Is this going to add to my overwhelm?
This programme is specifically designed around the reality that you're already stretched. The learning is flexible and self-paced. The live sessions are two hours on Tuesday evenings. There are built-in consolidation weeks so youhave time to reflect and process what we’ve covered. More than one mentee joined feeling like they didn't have time - and found that the programme actually gave them time back by helping them stop losing hours of invisible time every week.
Q. Can I do this if I can't always make the Tuesday sessions?
The live sessions are where a lot of the magic happens - mentees consistently say they're the most valuable part of the programme. That said, life happens. Occasionally missing a session won't derail you. If you know Tuesdays at 6.30pm are regularly impossible for you, it's worth speaking to me so we can see if there’s a way to adapt your schedule.
Do you have more questions? Contact me for a chat
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Best Ethical Dog Training & Mentoring Provider 2025 - South West England -
Client Service Excellence Award 2025
Client vice Excellence Award 2025 - Corporate Vis
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