Holistic Gundog Training & Behaviour in Essex
For gundog guardians who want more than just training.
“Balancing both ends of the lead.“
Nina Fotara KCAI (WG) Kennel Club Accredited Instructor, Working Gundogs 15+yrs experience
🏆 Award Winner 2026 – Holistic Gundog Training Specialist of the Year & Canine Behaviour Excellence Award | Pet Products & Services Awards
“If your gundog has been called too much, too anxious, too sensitive, or too reactive, you’re in the right place and so are they.”
- Does your gundog stop listening as soon as you step out of the door? Do you worry about their safety, or yours? Do you feel like you’ve tried everything?
- Do they drag you along? Are you frustrated and exhausted by the constant battle? Or have you started avoiding walks altogether?
- Do they head in the other direction as you desperately try to call them back? Are you worried you might lose them, or worse?
- Do they become overwhelmed at the sight of every squirrel, bird, rabbit, ball, dog or jogger they see? Are you worried they might get into trouble when out of sight?
- Or are they reactive to dogs, people or the world in general? Do you just wish you could enjoy a relaxed walk together?
- Or do you simply wish you could channel their amazing instincts? Or want to work them or compete?
If any of that sounds familiar, you’re not failing your dog. You just haven’t yet found an approach that works for the dog in front of you. That’s what I’m here for.
What can you expect when working with me
Most of my clients come to me having already tried other trainers, read the books, watched the videos, and still feel like something isn’t clicking.
My approach looks at the whole picture: your dog’s nervous system, their instincts, the dynamic between you, and what’s actually getting in the way.
Programmes, private sessions, home visits, and online support worldwide.
Tell me about your dog. We’ll take it from there.
“Having tried several different trainers over 3 years, I finally found Nina.”
Programme client
Freedom & Focus“A regulated dog needs a regulated guardian. Everything else builds from there.”
Structured Support for Lasting Change
Most meaningful change isn’t a one-off consultation.
My structured programmes provide the support, accountability and clarity needed to build calm, reliable behaviour beyond the training field.
Calm & Connected
Foundation work for dogs and guardians who need stability first.
Structured foundation support for when everything feels overwhelming and you need to stabilise. This is where we slow things down, build foundations, regulation, restore clarity and create a steady starting point for both you and your gundog. Ideal when you want calm, structure and direction before moving into deeper or more complex work.
Explore Calm & Connected by clicking the link below:
Rapid & Reliable
For dogs who have foundations but need sharper skills under distraction.
Structured support to address the behaviours disrupting everyday life. We focus on recall, lead walking, impulse control and real-world reliability, building clarity and consistency under distraction. Designed for dogs who need more depth and repetition than a short reset, but not the full complexity of long-term intensive work.
Explore Rapid & Reliable by clicking the link below:
Freedom & Focus
Comprehensive, high-level support for lasting transformation.
Comprehensive, high-level support for complex or deeply rooted challenges. We work at a deeper level, building precision, regulation and long-term reliability across environments and situations for both ends of the lead.
Designed for guardians who want not just change now, but the understanding and skill to navigate future challenges with confidence.
Explore Freedom & Focus by clicking the link below:
Not sure which programme is right for you?
“My relationship with my dog has improved immeasurably.”
Programme client
Freedom & Focus ProgrammeYour gundog doesn’t need more cues.
They need regulation!
When a gundog is over-aroused, overwhelmed, or shut down, adding more cues doesn’t create clarity. It creates pressure.
Most training focuses on the dog. My work focuses on both ends of the lead, because when a dog is overwhelmed and the person holding the lead is exhausted, training stalls. Real change happens when we bring calm, clarity, and regulation back to the partnership.
That’s the foundation of my Regulation First Model™, and it’s why my work looks different from most training you’ll have come across.
Curious about the methodology? Read more on my approach page.
“Even now, two years on, I am continuing to see improvements in my relationship with my dog.”
Before: Tilly used to disappear for up to 15 minutes in hedges
Now: Till is fully under control around birds, she will even sit herself when she sees them!
“A well-trained gundog isn’t controlled, it’s connected“
How It Works
1. Book Your Free Consultation
During the call we will chat about your issues, plans and goals and from there decide the best route forward for you and your gundog. This will also help to make sure your first session is focused and productive.
2. If you have an In-Person Assessment (with Personalised Plan)
During your consultation, I assess your dog’s behaviours and patterns in real time. You receive a detailed write up of your session and a written pathway outlining exactly what needs to change and how we’ll approach it.
3. Choose the Right Support Structure
Following your consultation, we discuss the most effective way to move forward. Most clients continue through one of my structured programmes for deeper, lasting change.
4. Build Calm, Reliable Behaviour in the Real World
Together, we develop regulation, clarity and practical reliability, so your dog can think clearly and respond even outside the house. This is where the chaos settles and training starts to hold under real-life distraction.
Tell me about your dog. We’ll take it from there.
Nina Fotara KCAI (WG) at Confident Canine® in Essex is a proud winner of two Pet Products & Services Awards 2026
Holistic Gundog Training Specialist of the Year and the Canine Behaviour Excellence Award.
“When your dog can’t relax, neither can you, and that takes a toll no one else sees.“
