For gundog guardians who want more than just training.
Programmes
Three different starting points, built on my Regulation First Model™. Choose the one that fits where you and your gundog actually are.
Nina Fotara KCAI (WG)
Kennel Club Accredited Instructor, Working Gundogs.
15 years working alongside spaniels, retrievers, pointers, setters, HPRs, and rarer gundog breeds and crosses.
🏆 Award Winner 2026 – Holistic Gundog Training Specialist of the Year & Canine Behaviour Excellence Award | Pet Products & Services Awards
More than a fix. A framework you keep.
The difference between training and education
Most trainers fix the immediate problem. The recall, the pulling, the reactivity, the not-coming-back-when-it-matters. And that’s important work, when it’s done well.
What I do is different.
I fix the immediate problem too. But alongside that, I teach you the framework underneath it, so you understand why your gundog is doing what they’re doing, what their nervous system is asking for, and how to respond when something new turns up six months later.
Because something always turns up six months later.
Dogs grow. Lives change. New situations appear that weren’t there when you first came to me. Most people I work with arrive having already tried trainers who fixed one thing, then left them stranded when the next thing started. The behaviour got handled, but the understanding didn’t transfer. And when the next challenge arrived, they were back at the beginning.
My programmes are built so that doesn’t happen.
You don’t just learn how to manage the behaviour in front of you.
- You learn the Regulation First Model™.
- You learn how to read your dog.
- You learn what calm, connection, and clarity actually look like in real life.
And you keep all of that, for the dog you’re with now and the dog they’re becoming.
I’m not in the business of training you to fix one behaviour. I’m in the business of giving you the understanding and the tools to navigate whatever your gundog brings you next.
Three different starting points. Not three sizes.
Why these programmes exist as they do
The three adult programmes aren’t a ladder. None is the entry-level one. None is the deluxe one. They’re three different starting points, each designed for a different real-life situation that gundog guardians arrive with.
Some guardians come to me because everything feels chaotic and they need to start with the foundations: calm, communication, and a clearer way of being with their dog. That’s Calm & Connected.
Some have already done good work and seen real moments of brilliance from their gundog, but the training doesn’t hold when the world gets exciting. They need help bridging the gap between knowing the cues and choosing them when it matters. That’s Rapid & Reliable.
Some are living with a gundog whose instincts, excitement, or overwhelm regularly take over, and the usual training simply doesn’t reach them anymore. They need deeper, longer work that meets the dog where they actually are. That’s Freedom & Focus.
Each programme is a complete piece of work in its own right. You don’t need to graduate from one to access the next. You start where you are, with the programme that fits the situation you’re actually in.
If you’re not sure which one that is, that’s exactly what the Consult and Pathway Plan session is for. You don’t have to know before we speak.
“Balancing both ends of the lead”
“From chaos to connected”
Calm & Connected
For guardians who want to start with the foundations.
When everyday life with your gundog feels harder than it should and you want to rebuild calm, communication, and connection from the ground up.
The programme that teaches you the foundations of the Regulation First Model™ in a clear, practical way, so both you and your dog can begin working from a place of steadiness rather than struggle.
Find out more about Calm & Connected by clicking the link below:
Rapid & Reliable
For guardians whose training works in the quiet moments but slips when it matters.
When your gundog already knows the cues and you’ve seen real moments of brilliance, but the training falls apart when scents, movement, or other dogs come into the picture.
The programme that helps you bridge the gap between knowing the behaviour and choosing it when the world gets exciting, building reliability you can actually trust outdoors.
Find out more about Rapid & Reliable by clicking the link below:
Freedom & Focus
For guardians living with a gundog whose instincts and excitement take over.
When the usual training simply doesn’t reach your dog anymore, when walks feel exhausting, and when connection seems to disappear the moment you step outside.
The deeper, longer programme designed to meet you and your gundog where you actually are, building regulation, clarity, and connection back into everyday life.
Starting earlier? The Foundations for Freedom Puppy Programme
For gundog puppies between 12 weeks and 6 months
If you have a gundog puppy, you’re not choosing between Calm & Connected, Rapid & Reliable, or Freedom & Focus. You’re somewhere different on the journey, and your puppy needs something built specifically for this stage of life.
Foundations for Freedom is designed for gundog puppies between 12 weeks and six months. It’s not about drilling commands into a dog too young to understand them. It’s about laying the right foundations gently, at the right time, so adolescence doesn’t take you by surprise and the dog you hoped for doesn’t feel out of reach.
Built on the Regulation First Model™, just like the adult programmes, but applied here from the very beginning of your gundog’s life.
A note on socialisation
You do not need a group class for that. The skills we build at a session are designed to work everywhere, including your local park, around other dogs, in real life. That’s where it actually counts.
Sessions are designed to move you forward from day one. If you’d like ongoing support, written summaries and follow-up between sessions, one of the Confident Canine® programmes is likely the better fit, and we can talk about that anytime on a free phone consultation.
Both ends of the lead, from the very first conversation
Everything I do with your gundog is built on calm, regulation, and choice. That same approach runs through how I work with you, too. There is no pressure to make any quick decisions, with nothing to pay and nothing to commit to.
The first chat is a chat
After we’ve spoken, you’ll have written information about all three adult programmes to take away and read in your own time. You’re welcome to come back for another chat before deciding anything.
When you’re ready to take a step
It’s a one-hour Consult and Pathway Plan session at my fully fenced venue in Purleigh, currently £140. The venue matters. It means you can focus entirely on yourself and your dog rather than managing public spaces, other dogs, or distractions. You and your gundog are the centre of that hour.
Afterwards
You get a written write-up with actionable guidance you can start using straight away. We’ll also talk about how I’d recommend you move forward and what your thoughts are, a proper conversation, not a sales pitch. You’re free to follow my suggestion, choose a different programme, or take the plan and work with the information yourself. Either way, the hour is worth your time.
Sensitive, careful guardians often arrive having been pushed, hurried, or made to feel like they’re failing. That’s never how working with me feels. You set the pace. I just help you make the right call for your dog.
I am immersed in one of the programmes, I can honestly say that Nina gives you so much
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
“My loveable Pointer was a puller and not so good at recall so I searched for help. I love seeing her happy and running free but rarely felt confident enough to let her off the lead. I searched for some time, far and wide across the country – only to find Nina virtually on my doorstep!
What a lucky find! From day 1, I was impressed by her knowledge and understanding. With this, she is friendly and reassuring. I was initially nervous, but in actual fact, Nina has given me the confidence to build a more powerful bond with my Pointer. I thought we had a strong bond, however, since Nina’s input, it has developed further.
My Pointer does not pull due to the advice and support I was given. Recall is much, much better and we have so much fun learning and playing together!
I so wish that I’d met Nina sooner! We do laugh and learn together. I would recommend Nina and her approach. She allows you to share your journey in a positive and non-judgmental manner which allows you to learn together. What she says just makes sense and values the relationship with your dog.
Each session is enjoyable for me and my dog and Nina’s lesson notes – which she sends after the session – are comprehensive and extremely helpful.
It is fabulous having such great support in the sessions, after the sessions and at the end of a phone.
At first, to be honest, I was shocked by the cost of the programmes. Now, as I am immersed in one of the programmes, I can honestly say that Nina gives you so much.
I would recommend!”
Ripleys Mum
Freedom & Focus Programme
And once we’re working together.
Some weeks are brilliant. Some weeks aren’t. There are sessions where everything dips, for you and your dog, and the work suddenly feels much harder than it did the week before. That’s not failure, and it’s not a sign you’re going wrong. It’s a normal part of the journey.
When downs happen
You don’t have to push through alone. I’ve been here before, many times. I know what the wobble looks like, why it happens, and what’s on the other side of it. In my experience this is a real turning point.
The results that follow build on everything you and your dog have already done, and they tend to ramp up significantly from here. So when you feel like you can’t do it, that’s usually when we’re closest to the change you came here for.
If you have a difficult week, you tell me. If you’ve had a meltdown, you tell me. I won’t treat you as a problem. I’ll meet you where you are and we’ll keep moving forward together, at the pace that actually works for both ends of the lead.
Support doesn’t stop when the programme ends.
Each of my programmes includes ongoing support after the live sessions finish, so you’re not left on your own the moment we stop meeting. The amount and shape of that support varies by programme, and the full details sit in the PDFs you’ll receive after our first chat.
The principle is the same across all three programmes: I’m not in the business of training you for a few weeks and disappearing. The support that immediately follows your live sessions allows you to confidently step up knowing I am here for all those initial questions.
and later.
Some client choose to keep training with me for enjoyment, taking on Gundog Training or Scentwork and more and some clients are happy to wait until life with their gundog grows or life changes, and new situations turn up before returning. Just know you are always welcome to come back to me anytime.
