Cosford Dog training
Codsall, Staffordshire
(34)
Codsall, Staffordshire
(34)
For a comprehensive guide to the services offered visit www.cosforddogtraining.co.uk
34 customer reviews
Nilanthie
It saddens me to have to leave this review as like many others I chose Cosford dog training based on previous reviews however my experience has been shocking….
Let me start from the beginning.
I first made contact with John on the 9th August 2021 via telephone to enquire about my dog.
After explaining the issues I was assured he would be able to help me at a cost of £240 for 4 sessions with the initial deposit of £60 to secure the booking and he could start 31st August. After speaking with my partner we decided to go ahead so I messaged John (my exact words taken from my text message) Hi we spoke earlier regarding my dog snapping and receiving some training and I would like to secure from the 31st please. Kind regards to which he responded Hi Nil, I have booked shadow in for 1pm.on Tuesday 31st of September and the same tomeveach week for 4 weeks. The fee is £240 and the deposit is £60, with the balance of 180 due on day 1 please pay to Nationwide personal account (account details Iv taken out)in name JJ Fitzpatrick. To which I responded Sorry can I just check he starts end of next month? His response Sorry Nil, it's not your mistake its mine. You start on 31st August.Please accept my apologies for being a muppet. Due to general home-life I then forgot and did not make the deposit payment till 11th august to which I then messaged John to let him know. Shortly after making the booking I remembered it was my mum and sisters Memorial Day on the 30th and I may not be in the right frame of mind the next day so on the 12th August I sent John this message (copied from text message) Hi sorry to be a pain but is they any chance I can start his training the following Tuesday after the 31st. This is only because I wasn't thinking of the date when I booked and it's the memorial of my mum and sister who were sadly killed in a crash on the 30th august and I'm originally from Yorkshire so want to go back home. If you could be please let me know.
Sorry for any inconvenience Thank you To which he kindly responded No Problem. I have moved you first session back to the 7th September
Fast forward to 6th September and I message John Hi am I okay to still come tomorrow for the dogs first session? Kind regards To which he responds Yes we should be okay for 1 as we have the shade from the trees to work under see you tomorrow. Regards Fitz. Now fast forward to today (training day) now from previous messages I know he said to make remainder payment on day one so I make the payment and send him a text to let him know.
Now as you may have noticed from my message I’m not local and Johns place is basically in the middle of nowhere so it was a struggle to find so I did what any normal person would and gave John a call. When he answered I explained I had a booking with him at 1pm and could not find his exact location so could he guide me only to be told no I don’t have a booking cause he has a booking at 1pm and the customer and his dog have arrived. I then tried to explain I did have a booking with him and that I have it all in text to which he responded why are you getting angry and irate. Now at this point I wouldn’t say I was angry cause we had only just began the conversation and I was more explaining who I was, my pets name etc. He then asked me my name to which I responded and then just because I know how hard my name is to pronounce I told him my dogs name too just incase he had saved the booking in my pets name (like my vets do) he clearly found my booking cause he responded oh Iv made a double booking to which I said so what do we do now as like yourself I have a business all the way in West Bromwich that I have closed today for this.Unfortunately John didn’t seem to care and basically told me he can’t make the other customer disappear so tough. I asked for a full refund only for him to say he’s busy with a client, called me a stupid bitch and told me to Fuck off. I then found his place where I asked for a refund again only for him to refuse & threaten to set the dogs on me and my partner (bearing in mind I also had my 18 month old son in my arms) He also told me how he’s x military he got so nasty even threatening to shoot us that I called 999 only for him to yet again use his military background and make it known he is friends with many of them so for me to get off his land so he could get on with training his client. Google limit characters but I have full text messages of our conversation along with pictures of the police arriving.I felt John had made a mistake in making a double booking which he also eventually agreed to but I believe he should have owned this and admitted his mistake from the start instead of going on the defence and acting very unprofessional and in a threatening manner. After standing my ground I did get a full refund but that’s what John should have done in the first place and never let it escalate as far as he did. I wrote this review not to stop anyone using him (as your experience may be different & I don’t personally know how good his work is due to this incident ) but more to make you aware (more so women) who may turn up alone as he was so friendly to me on the phone but today showed a whole different person.
John Fitzpatrick you should be ashamed of yourself.
From one very disappointed, shaken dog owner and her dog who sadly in all of this was the one who lost out as this training was to help better him.
More...
Reply from Cosford Dog training
This lady cancelled her appointments, then turmed up with her husband and child. When the cancellation was reported to her her husband first threatened to let the dog attack me and then threatened to shoot me with a gun he claimed to have in his glove compartment. The police were called and they were removed from the premises. Her husband claimed links to islamic terror groups and threatened to have explosives planted at the training school. He was reported to the security services.
Sam Guest
Am three weeks into the course and both us and the dog are loving it! Educating Alice is a great companion book.
Reviewed on Google Maps
Sandie Carley
Great trainer.. Great sense of humour extremely experienced and came highly recommended to me by other people attending the training. Highly recommended 5*****
Reviewed on Google Maps
Kelly Weaver
We bought our german shepherd pup wolfie to your training classes 3 years ago you helped us loads and hes a great dog on and off the lead,Im always recommending you to people and you never know we may be back to see you soon :)
Reviewed on Facebook
Dean Beddows
First time dog training and we both loved it, relaxed but informative, Fitz has a great sense of humour. Rocco’s learning loads thank you.
Reviewed on Facebook
Sarah Hatton
Our first day of training here today & already really impressed. We have both really enjoyed it, very organised, clear instruction & plenty of help on hand, with a good dose of humour thrown in. We will be practising what we learnt today ready for next week, already looking forward to it. Thank you More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Rebecca Blakemore
This is the place to get best advise and guidance on how to train your dog.
Amazing instructor, and great training school.
I have been around many dog trainers and he is by far the best !
Which can be seen by example of his own dogs and there achievements
X
More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Deb Foster
We can't recommend Cosford Dog training enough! 6 weeks and our boy Fudge is a different dog! Thank you Fitz for your patience & guidance, we enjoyed every second and saw the changes in his behaviour from the first hour! Looking forward to the group sessions. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Paul Shackleton
Just finished the dog warden course with fitz , had a great time picking up knowledge on how to handle dogs safely for the dog and ourselves.
Reviewed on Facebook
Barry Carole Clark
Attended Cosford Dog Training last year for one to one. FItz rebuilt our confidence and our adolescent dog's confidence, which has greatly improved his quality of life.
Since then, with another male, we have passed our Bronze and two days ago our Silver Good Citizens Test. Fitz is kind, humorous and very knowledgable. We are fortunate to have attended his classes and hope to attempt Gold next.
More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Charlotte Hathaway
Our rescue puppy Dixie had 1:1 sessions with fitz which helped us so much even after the first session. She has since done the puppy course and has just completed the bronze course. She really is a different dog to the one we got 6 months ago thanks to fitz and his team. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Christopher Davis
Can't fault the training courses, we are waiting to get on the kennel club silver course the dog absolutely relishes the challenge. Puppy & bronze negotiated so far. Fitz makes it enjoyable yet very informative & helpful for group & individual issues when they occur More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Tracey Preece
We have just finished the puppy/introductory course with our rescue Labrador Alfie, sometimes know as 'mental Alfie' - we're extremely pleased to say he is now no longer mental! Huge thanks to Fitz and Fiona, such an enjoyable course and a fab way way to spend an hour on a Sunday afternoon! Can't wait to move onto the Bronze Course! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Frank Slack
Shadow went through the puppy course and bronze unfortunately he didn't pass the silver but he is still going to try.
This is after a training group in Wolverhampton told the class we had a nasty dog.
Thanks to Fitz for all the help Shadow is growing in to a beautiful dag.
More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Denise Taylor
We would wholeheartedly recommend Fitz to help you with any training or other needs you have for your dog. He is kind, patient and knowledgeable and puts the needs of your dog first. We took our very nervous Romanian rescue dog to Fitz on a one to one basis. At the start Ollie had no recall or real regard for commands we gave him. Fitz trained us as much as Ollie and made us realise where we were going wrong and we now have a much more balanced, confident (even a little cocky!) little chap who we are happy to let off lead and who walks much more nicely on lead! We cant wait to sign up for group classes shortly. Thanks again Fitz xx More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Janine Walton Winwood
Zola passed the puppy course today. We've had ups and downs along the way but overall its been a good experience. We've had some good advice and tips from Fitz which we will put in to practice. We're going to have a break for the summer then get enrolled for the Bronze course. Fingers crossed she will pass that too. Thanx Fitz. See you soon xx More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Julie Worley
Updating my previous review as our working line GSD Tala went through puppy class and her brother is currently doing bronze. I can't recommend Fitz highly enough. He is clear and forthright, genuinely loves dogs. More than that he speaks dog tailoring his instruction to each individual dog to get the very best from each dog and handler team. He has probably forgotten more about dogs than I will ever know and I feel privileged to be able to train with him. Off and on I have been working various dogs in classes for over 13 years here and in the States and I am loving the positive training at Cosford. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Alisha Hickman
Loved the training really helpful, Ella really enjoyed going each week meeting up with the other dogs. Looking forward to starting the bronze
Reviewed on Facebook
Laura Winchester
Brill my puppy completed the puppy class today. Loved the course . Was easy to learn and fitz was a great teacher to the point and down to earth. Definitely recommend
Reviewed on Facebook
Joan Cox
Excellent way to enjoy and make the most of owning a dog. I’m never going to be a brilliant trainer but am a lot better than would have been if I had not had Fitz’s help. Every dog deserves the best & would highly recommend training to any dog owner. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Becky Thomas
Fantastic training, even though Delta didn't pass her bronze today (of all days she decided to have a day off from recall) we have learnt so much from going to Fitz for training, without him, we would have got so much wrong with our pup and wouldn't of done her any justice. Thank you for the support and guidance, we would highly recommend Fitz to anyone. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Sianii Louise
Tilly, border collie, and I loved taking part in the puppy course. As an newly, inexperienced dog owner, Fitz really showed me how much work I needed to put in with her and how to do it to get her to be the best she could be (she is a naturally quick learner).
We had a set back after the course where Tilly was diagnosed with growing bone disease with a treatment plan of large doses of steroids which knocked Tilly about a fair bit, training became very minimal parts of her weeks. When we weaned her off the steroids eventually despite hesitating slightly we signed up for the bronze course with Fitz and safe to say me and Tilly were so out of practice and it showed on the first week. But the six week bronze course with Fitz and co made such a difference again, even after that first week. His two helpers gave me several ideas to keep Tilly's attention on me and under my control (rather than everything else) whilst Fitz was demonstrating/teaching. Fitz and co, made me think again about how I as the trainer approached tasks in a way that would best suit Tilly and it paid off! I was happy enough with Tilly's progress that I didn't mind if we didn't pass the course first time (although we did!). We just need to keep it up this time and hopefully have an attempt at the silver course, to see how we can further progress.
I thoroughly recommend cosford dogs for training, particularly if your inexperienced or not had much luck with other places. Fitz and co, will make you and your dog work hard together and you'll see the benefits of it.
More...
Reviewed on Facebook
frankie Cooper
Truly excellent 1:1 training. Milly [Bichon Frise] was frightened of large dogs and by the 4th session was happily romping around the field with two of Fitz' dogs. Thankyou so much, Fitz. I am so pleased you were recommended to me More...
Reply from Cosford Dog training
Yes, I agree, I made an error with your booking after you cancelled your original booking for several weeks and I mistakenly thought you were cancelling the whole of your booking. . I therefor too you off my waiting list and booked someone else into that slot for 6 weeks. I agree that I had a message from an unknown person asking if training was on for the start of their course at 1pm today, the message had no name attached and I wrongly assumed that this was the person who was indeed booked to start at 1pm today. At 12.45 the person who I had scheduled to start arrived and we started training. About 12.50pm I had a call from you asking about your appointment. I asked your name and when you gave it I told you that I had given your training place to someone else. When you stated that you had paid the full amount this morning by bank transfer . I said I would check, but as I had started someone else I couldn’t simply throw them off the training area, at which point you went into absolute melt down, threatening me with the police and stating you were on your way and you would be training today and I couldn’t stop you. You extremely abusive and incoherent so I informed you I would refund your money and put the phone down. I get paid to train dogs not listen to abusive rants over an innocent clerical mistake. When your husband drove onto the training area with wheels spinning in a cloud of dust I wasn't best pleased. I was less pleased when he got out of the car and began to berate me, with you leaning over the front seat screaming like a banshee, much to the consternation of your dog and the poor infant who was getting an earful. Imagine being a toddler and having a parent scream at the top of her voice a couple for feet from your head! Throughout I agreed that the mix up was my mistake as I thought the message was from someone else; the client who was waiting patiently listening to you scream like a mad woman. I agreed to refund your money by bank transfer as soon as I finished with the client. At this point your husband tried to force his way onto the training area, demanded cash or he would set your large dog onto me. This was a bit of a mistake. I don’t take threats kindly, and I rather foolishly informed your husband him that if the dog was set on me I would take the dog and insert it up your husband’s arse. Not the most professional response I'll grant you but it did remove the threat of the dog being used as a weapon. Having discounted using your dog as a weapon he then threatened to shoot me in the head. This was heard by the client who reported the threat to the police who later attended. Hi went on to tell me that I should be scared because I didn't know who I was dealing with. Once again, I admit I responded unprofessionally , replying that after thirty odd years in the armed forces I wasn't going to be intimidated by “a fat bloke with a dodgy beard”. West Mercia Police subsequently attended and recorded the threats made by your husband and apologised to me. They asked if I wanted to take matters further ,but being threatened by a bloke who would get out of breath eating a bag of crisps didn’t really concern me, I informed them to take no action. Lets’ just hope no bad thing befalls me in the near future or you are likely to be visiting him in jail. Come to think of it, that might still come to pass as I was unaware that your husband claimed to have connections to the Taliban and threatened to plant a bomb on my property. At this point he crossed a line. I took that to be a threat to my family and employees. I will now be seeking action against him. Best wishes.
dilydog123
Don't do Facebook, so I've gotta leave a review here Fitz is a very special bloke, understands dogs after working with them for so many years ❤️He also understands "us humans"! ! He taught so much to "this little old lady with a small pea brain" Thank You FItz (and Fee ) xx More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Mandy Lewis
Great atmosphere and Fitz is so helpful and brilliant at what he does. A credit to his profession ;-)
Reviewed on Google Maps
Rebecca Nevill
We took our new dog here as we wanted to train her and get her socialised with other dogs as she was nervous of them. We had a few one to ones which were great and then joined the puppy training class. Fitz is a great trainer and really gives you the tools you need to reinforce the training with your dogs at home as well. Our dog has come a long way since attending his training sessions, and we hope to continue progressing with her by attending the bronze training classes. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Mark Kite
We did the puppy course and I'd thoroughly recommend it. Some serious owner training is involved. Fitz is very forthright with his views and wonderfully and colourfully expressive. Buy the book, meet the man, be prepared to be educated, and the dog will love it too. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Becky Thomas
We have taken our puppy through the introductory course and she is now on bronze, the whole way through Fitz has shown his dedication in helping people become the best for their dogs. Having never had a puppy before he has been essential in helping us learn what we need to do for our pup so that we are able to give her the mental stimulation and guidance of what we want her to do. Fantastic trainer and brilliant with all the dogs in the courses. I would highly recommend to take your dogs here! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Sarah Rathbone
Excellent highly qualified trainer with years of experience. Dogs love him.
Reviewed on Google Maps
Julie WORLEY
This is a fantastic school with a trainer who trains with positive methods and really knows what he is doing.
Reviewed on Google Maps
Vivien Needle
Highly recommended
Reviewed on Google Maps
simon lewis
Great trainer ... makes sessions fun
Reviewed on Google Maps
Helen Featherbe
I can highly recommend cosford dog training from personal experiences. We started with 1-1 sessions as we had recently adopted a 6 month old dog, straight away we were shown the basics needed to have a happy relationship. Then we moved on to complete the kennel club good citizen bronze award. through reward based training me, my partner and our dog have a great relationship and a good family unit. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Kevin Goodridge
I highly recommend Cosford Dog Training. Completed puppy course and the bronze course with our Labrador Retriever. The trainer was very knowledgeable, patient and got results. If you are looking for dog training, look no further! Considering carrying on with the silver course More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
