Welcome to Hilary Burbidge Dog Training. My approach offers supportive, non-judgemental and practical dog training, delivered through an easy to follow and enjoyable process.
Designed around you, your dog and your training goals, I encourage confident dog handling skills for both working dogs and companion pets alike.
My training is suitable for all levels of experience from welcoming your puppy and early training, young dogs and novice owners to the more experienced dogs and handlers.
I use force free, positive reinforcement methods to shape desired behaviours and help build happy, collaborative teamwork between you and your dog.
Working together, we agree your training goals, these typically cover a wide variety of obedience issues, such as those listed below. If you have a specific query not mentioned, do get in touch, I’ll be happy to help.
- Puppy training – nipping and biting, jumping up, toileting, routine etc.,
- Walking to heel – on loose lead and off lead
- Recall – control off lead
- Steadiness – impulse control, sit, stay/wait and down
- Good manners – calm, obedient and well behaved
- Building a bond – fun games for both dog and family, scent work, retrieving etc.,
To support you further, if it’s appropriate, detailed, prescriptive and easy to follow homework will be set to practice in between training sessions. You can also speak with me on the phone as and when you need.
Areas covered
Hampstead, Highgate, Muswell Hill, Finchley, Barnet, Enfield, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire
How I work
- In the first instance I aim to meet all clients and dogs at their home or at a suitable outdoor space, for an Assessment Session (see below for details). To get to know one another and discuss what training you and your dog would benefit from; bespoke 1:1 or group training classes… or perhaps a mix of both.
- 1:1 Training – focused on your specific training needs. Based at private training grounds in Barnet and Hertfordshire or from your home and in local green spaces.
- Group Classes – variety of fun foundation training exercises suitable for all dogs attending. Classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, up to 6 dogs maximum in securely fenced private grounds in both Barnet and Hertfordshire.
- Group Puppy Classes on Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings
Assessment Session – what to expect:
- general discussion about your dog’s daily routine and lifestyle – sleep and rest, diet and exercise, household members (i.e., young children, elderly)
- your dog’s training goals – immediate needs and concerns
- how to manage any behavioural issues – lead pulling, jumping up, no recall, excessive barking etc.
- if appropriate, a selection of dog training exercises will be set to address your immediate needs
- training action plan discussed together – priorities, availability, dates, times
- my approach is holistic with pragmatic practical support and where appropriate, easy to follow training homework to practice in between regular training sessions
- the assessment meeting is typically 60-90mins
- following our meeting, I’ll email my observations and recommendations together with the training action plan and dates we discussed with foundation exercises to get you started, including costs on 1:1’s or group classes or a mix of both to suit your needs. My assessment session invoice will also be attached.
- this meeting is an opportunity to get to know one another and decide the best way forward for you and your dog. There’s no obligation to take things further
- a stand alone charge of £170 covers the assessment session consultation, my time afterward writing up your first training plan, booking grounds (if required), my assistants time and allocating training dates
As soon as you’re happy to move forward with an agreed training schedule and dates, then together we’ll be on our way to reaching your goals.
* HORSE DESENSITISATION WORKSHOP *
Group Training Event – Saturday 3rd May, 11:15-13:15
or book a 60min 1:1 workshop @£100 available at a date and time to suit you
Learn how to confidently control and manage your dog around horses while the horses are standing still and when moving in walk, trot and canter. With a rider on the ground and being ridden.
- Practical training event – open to all breeds and ages of dog
- Training with 1 to 2 dog tolerant horses
- 11:15-13:15 – including breaks and rest for both horse, rider, dogs and handlers
- Parking and toilet facilities
- Cost: £80
Places are limited, early booking is advised
REGISTER TO BOOK YOUR PLACE: hilary@hbdogtraining.com
!! PICNIC APOCALYPSE !!
Saturday 17th May
11:15-13:15 at Mote End Farm, Barnet
As the Summer months approach, so does the picnic season. Many enjoy eating outside in our beautiful parks and countryside, which can make walking a highly food motivated dog very stressful indeed! Learn how to confidently control, manage and redirect your dog’s focus for happier and stress free Summer walks to avoid any embarrasing picnic apocalypse!
- Practical training event – open to all breeds and ages of dog
- Real picnic scenario set-up, including tempting food!
- 11:15-13:15 – including decompression breaks for dogs … and handlers
- Parking and toilet facilities
- Cost: £80
Places are limited, early booking is advised, contact Hilary
GUNDOG TRAINING CLASSES FOR PUPPIES at DOG’S EXCLUSIVE
I am delighted to be invited as a guest trainer to run regular Group Puppy Classes for Dogs Exclusive, on Dogs Exclusive private training grounds in Buckinghamshire.
Fun and friendly group classes – weekly on Tuesdays 13:00-14:00
For dogs 4mths+. All dog breeds welcome – your puppy doesn’t have to be a traditional gundog breed to enjoy learning all the foundation training exercises.
Help teach your puppy good manners and focus on you regardless of other dogs and distractions. Learn together how to build a strong bond and develop a loving partnership to last a lifetime.
You and your puppy will learn:
- how to walk to heel on a loose lead without pulling … and off lead
- how to be steady in a sit/stay both next to your heel and at a small distance away – the building blocks of the emergency stop
- reliable recall, straight back into your feet
- settle/down at your heel
- fun baby retrieving and find it and fetch it games for the puppy and all the family to enjoy
- how to use a whistle for speedy recall and an emergency stop.
VENUE: Dogs Exclusive, Little Chapel Stables, Leighton Buzzard LU7 0QL
COST: Course of 4 weekly sessions £80
MAY – 13th, 20th
JUN – 17th, 24th
(a minimum block of 4 sessions required to secure place and training consistency)
Places are limited, early booking is advised
REGISTER TO BOOK YOUR PLACE: hilary@hbdogtraining.com
* RUN RABBIT RUN! WORKSHOP *
Next group training event – SUMMER 2025
60min 1:1 workshop @£60
available at a date and time to suit you
Training skills to help you and your dog understand, control and manage high prey drive and impulse behaviour around rabbits, squirrels, birds and other similar distractions.
- Practical training event – open to all breeds and ages of dog
- Training with fast moving rabbit/squirrel dummies
- 11:15-13:15 – including breaks for dogs and handlers
- Parking and toilet facilities
- Cost: £80
Places are limited, early booking is advised
REGISTER TO BOOK YOUR PLACE: hilary@hbdogtraining.com
* SHEEP PROOFING WORKSHOP *
Next Event – EARLY SUMMER 2025 – waiting for the lambing season to finish
Training Venue: Little Chapel Farm, Crafton, Bucks
Over recent years staycation holiday’s in our beautiful British countryside have become increasingly popular and sheep worrying is a very real problem. See the links below for the latest legislation and farmers concerns. Every dog owner’s nightmare is not knowing how to effectively control and manage their dog around livestock. Come and learn how to confidently control and manage your dog around sheep.
Crackdown on livestock worrying in England and Wales
National Sheep Association
- Practical training event – open to all breeds and ages of dog
- Training with a flock of dog tolerant sheep (hand reared with dogs)
- 11:00 to 15:30 – including breaks for lunch and rest for both dogs and handlers
- Parking and toilet facilities
- Cost: £150
Places are limited, early booking is advised
REGISTER TO BOOK YOUR PLACE: hilary@hbdogtraining.com
* SPANIEL – Beginner Gundog Workshop *
SPECIAL GUEST TRAINER – Nick Ridley
Next Event – Saturday 26th April, 2025 – 10am to 3.30pm
Nick Ridley is a highly respected gundog trainer with specialist experience working with Spaniels. A renowned dog photographer and author of several books on photographing animals and training gundogs, including the highly successful Spaniels which has gone on to be an international best seller.
Nick has been involved in the gundog world for over 30 years and as well as photographing gundogs working in the field, he has been gundog editor for both the Sporting Shooter and Sporting Gun magazine and also regularly writes a gundog training blog for Härkila and has made numerous radio and television appearances. He has trained several his own gundogs and works them throughout the shooting season either picking up, beating or shooting over them.
Nick has produced a series of training videos following the training of two of his own Cocker Spaniels; Ted – Training With Ted and Percy – Percy’s Progress These and more, can be found on Nicks YouTube channel.
- Training especially for Spaniels – harnessing your spaniels natural instincts;
- quartering, scenting, hunting, retrieving
- steadiness, stopping on the whistle
- delivery to hand
- Positive training methods – fun and motivational teamwork to build on your bond and your dog’s motivation
- 10:00 to 15:30 – including breaks for both dogs and handlers
- Parking and toilet facilities
- Cost: £150
Places are limited, early booking is advised
REGISTER TO BOOK YOUR PLACE: hilary@hbdogtraining.com
* INTRODUCTION TO WORKING GUNDOG WORKSHOP – with special guest trainer, RIVERLILY WORKING DOGS *
Next group training event – EARLY SUMMER 2025
It is a great pleasure to welcome Abbie and Riverlily Working Dogs at Mote End Farm as our visiting special guest trainer. Matlock and I owe much of our passion and gundog training to Riverlily – an excellent gundog training opportunity when they visit.
Riverlily train dogs and handlers to go out in the shooting field, beating, picking up and on the peg. Including owners who want to go down the competitive route to enter gundog working tests and trials and pet dog owners who are training for fun, to build a great bond with their family pet.
Abbie and her team combined have many years of experience working their gundogs in the shooting field and have won many awards in working tests and trials. Riverlily regularly organise charity events and ran the Euro Challenge at The Game Fair 2022 For more information please see their website and Facebook and Instagram
- Working gundog training – harnessing your gundog’s natural instincts; scenting, hunting, retrieving:
- walking to heel
- stopping on the whistle
- retrieving
- delivery to hand
- Positive training methods – fun and motivational teamwork to build on your bond and your dog’s motivation
- 10:00 to 14:30 – including breaks for both dogs and handlers
- Parking and toilet facilities
- Cost: £150
Places are limited, early booking is advised
REGISTER TO BOOK YOUR PLACE: hilary@hbdogtraining.com
SUMMER 2025 – Training Programme:
Woodland Walk – varied, challenging and fun training walk through ancient wild woods, bridle paths and a secret meadow, including heel work, seen and memory retrieves, steadiness, hunting in cover and lots more
Leap of Faith – a fun workshop training you and your dog to trust each other, including seen and memory retrieves over obstacles; logs, jumps, ditches, through woods and over water
Look, Listen & Trust Me – training your dog to take directions, stop, left, right, back and forwards
Patience is a Doggy Virtue – super brain concentration training session to teach your dog to be steady, when to move and when to remain still, including emergency ‘stop’
Recall – strategies and training exercises to motivate your dog to come back to you, away from other dogs…or squirrels…or going to play with strangers… or running off with someone else’s ball!
Walk with Me – focused and fun training session to teach your dog the true art of correct ‘heel’ behaviour with and without the lead
Hunting for Treasure – teaching your dog to use their nose to seek and find, building on your bond, teamwork and partnership. Using the benefits of brain training and scent training.
In the Hand – fun workshop teaching your dog to pick up an item in their mouth, hold on to it and bring it back to your hand – no more bending down to pick up or lost tennis balls!
(Summer Training only Picnic-Apocalypse! – from early Summer onwards, practical strategies to keep your dog away from raiding picnics, involving fun focus training games, steadiness and recall)
Private training grounds, Barnet – training schedule
Mote End Farm Livery Stables – strictly by appointment only
1:1 private sessions available to book, post Assessment Session, at a convenient time to suit your diary, get in touch and we’ll book you in.
HOLIDAY DATES: No dog training classes run on the following dates:
- No classes running between 22nd May to 11th Jun – HOLIDAY
- No classes running on Thu. 8th May – WORKING GUNDOG EVENT
- No classes running on Sat. 7th June – JUDGING CHARITY DOG EVENT
- No classes running on Sat. 28th June – KENNEL CLUB TEST
TUESDAY – NEW VENUE: Dogs Exclusive, Little Chapel Stables, Leighton Buzzard LU7 0QL
13:00-14:00 – Group Puppy Class – 60mins (4mths+) – Course of 4 weekly sessions £80
MAY – 13th, 20th
JUN – 17th, 24th
THURSDAY – Mote End Farm, Totteridge
10:00-11:30 – Novice – 90mins – £40 per class
12:00-13:30 – Novice Plus – 90mins – £40 per class
MAY – 1st, 15th
JUN – 12th, 19th, 26th
JUL – 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st
14:00-15:00 – Group Puppy Class – 60mins (4mths+) – £30 per class
MAY – 1st, 15th
JUN – 12th, 19th, 26th
JUL – 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st
SATURDAY – Mote End Farm, Totteridge
09:45-10:45 – Group Puppy Class – 60mins (4mths+) – £30 per class
MAY – 1st, 15th
JUN – 14th, 21st
JUL – 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
Private training grounds, Hertfordshire
Rickney’s Dog Training Ground – strictly by appointment only
- 1:1 – 90mins min, morning or afternoon sessions
- Group Class – 90mins min, morning or afternoon sessions
Prices
Discount on block bookings
Assessment meeting – 60-90mins
PRICE: £170
Single 1:1 training – 60mins
PRICE: £60 – per class
Block of 4 or more 1:1 training – 60mins
PRICE: £50 – per class
Single 1:1 training – 90mins
PRICE: £70 – per class
Block of 5 or more 1:1 training – 90mins
PRICE: £60 – per class
General Ability Group Class Training – 90mins – maximum of 6 dogs per class, maximum 2 dogs per handler.
PRICE: £40 – per class, 2nd dog £5
Group Puppy Class Training – 45-60mins – maximum of 6 dogs per class, maximum 2 dogs per handler.
PRICE: £30 – per class, 2nd dog £5
Key Terms and Conditions
Here are some basic terms and conditions you may need to know when booking or attending sessions:
1:1 Training Session – cancellation policy: HBDT requires 48hrs cancellation notice.
Group Training Sessions – cancellation policy: No refund will be given for any training sessions missed, unless a vet provides HBDT written proof the dog is not sound.
Bitches in season are not permitted to attend 1:1 or Group Training Sessions.
For full terms, cancellation and refund policy, click this link.
