Newtownards
I am a professional dog trainer based in Newtownards. Providing a balanced, leadership focused approach to dog training.
Please get in contact via Facebook, Instagram or my website for a faster reply. I don’t reply on here as often.
If you want to follow along on the Journey you can also check us out on instagram and tik tok @gmck9academy.
76 customer reviews
Lucy Beggs
I had a great first session with Gerard to work on lead walking, focus and promoting a calmer mindset in my dog. His advice was great and he didn't mind when I hounded him with a million and one questions 😂 We have some homework to get on with but I'm already looking forward to the next session!
Reviewed on Facebook
Lauren JT
Great session today , knows his stuff and so happy we went could see a visible improvement by the end of one session , we have some work to do for the next time would highly recommend if you have reactivity issues which is what we went for 👌🏻thank youuuu 😃
Reviewed on Facebook
Fiona Mcjury
Had my first 1-1 session with Gerard to help with behaviour issues with our new rescue dog and found him very knowledgeable. He worked with the dog and myself and showed me what I need to be doing. 100% recommend Gerard and looking forward to progressing my dogs training with him. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Zivai Musasiwa
hi guys just wanted to say this man is very good at what he does I started working with him. I have an xl bully who's a tank and stubborn as hell and even tried to bite him but he handled him like and pro and kept on going first time my dog has had boundaries set and took control of he normally walks me but after his sessions we are on our way to getting a better behaved dog. I must also say he very good with my son and he knows how to communicate on his level so he understands. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Michelle Lavery
had a 1 to 1 session with our pup Diesel today, Gerard was great, taught us alot and we really look forward to the next..
Reviewed on Facebook
Julie Pritchard
We had a 1 to 1 session with Gérard today, to try and get some help stopping our 3 year old labrador pulling on the leash. Gérard is very knowledgeable, and I now know that this issue isn't going to be fixed by simply buying a new lead! We are looking forward to putting our new skills into practice and undoing the bad habits we've got into over the years. Thanks again Gérard, your expertise was much appreciated. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Scott Gilmore
We took our puppy, Jasper, to get some training for leash walking and general behaviour correction when out and about. Gerard gave us excellent advice and very usable instruction to use with Jasper in and out of the home. It has been a month or so since our session and we have seen amazing changes in how Jasper behaves when walking and at home. We would definitely recommend GMC K9 Academy! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Art an Stitch
Great session with Gerard yesterday thanks Gerard we learnt so much and now feel able to walk dog with out him pulling we ordered the training collar so cant wait to get it, Thank you so much for the training we really enjoyed it with our dog Odie. Josephine an Katdie
Reviewed on Facebook
Caroline Pritchard
Had a great training session with Gerard and our dog Daisy today. Learning about getting the basics right. Loose leash walking, engagement and recall. We will be practicing this going forward. Gerard was friendly, easy to take direction from and provided great advice. I would definitely recommend him. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Ellie Alcorn
Big thank you to Gerard and his dog Charlie for today’s lesson. If you need any dog training tips or helpful advice, give GMC K9 Academy a go! The 2hrs flew in and we learned a lot! We left the session feeling very optimistic! 🐕🐾💃🏻 More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Michael McCollam
Great session with Gerard yesterday. He knew exactly what direction to point in me in with regards to what I wanted from dog training. Plenty to work on and I'm looking forward to our next visit. Thanks alot. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Kelly Mcclintock
Had our first session with Gerard today and found the session a success. Although we only spent two hours with Gerard we seen our dog act in a much more controlled manner even after such a short period of time and can’t wait to put what we have learnt into practice. Would highly recommend and can’t wait for our next session! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Damien Mcconville
Good first session with Gerard, explained everything in simple terms. Good knowledge of dogs and behaviour and kept it simple today for me to go and work on what we talked about. Highly recommend Gerard👍
Reviewed on Facebook
Kerri Pickard
Gerard was a great help to us with our 2 Dogs ( a Staffy & Dorkie). Very informative and we have seen a difference already in the 2 hours we had with him. We can't wait to see the difference with the help he gave us! thank you again!😊 More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Chris Garn
Just had gerard in our home to help us sort out Archies Resource guarding while in the crate, absolutely recommended he was very patient with Archie and understood exactly what was going on right away.
Reviewed on Facebook
Cheryl Johnston
Gerard was great very informative and easy to chat to and understand where we were going wrong. Hopefully we are on the right track now thank you very much
Reviewed on Facebook
Emma Carr
just had gerard at my home with my 4 month frenchie has this was my first ever pet and with 2 young children I wanted some help with the potty training and the teething . .. Gérard give me some great techniques to work on I learned so much in so little time well (I can talk ) so was a little longer lol but gerard answered all my questions with no doubt I defly would recommend him and I'm sure I wil be in contact again in the future . thank you so much More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Melissa Lynas
My one year old cockapoo, Cooper and I had a training session with Gerard. Cooper is very nervous around people but very keen to interact with other dogs. Gerard gave us good techniques to work on to improve general engagement and to be polite when meeting other dogs. We have some work to do but already seeing an improvement. Thanks Gerard and to Charlie who was an absolute star! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Helena Tang
I recently got my first dog and did a lot of research into finding a trainer that would fit us as I wanted to make sure we got off to a good start with her obedience and training. Riley loved working with Gerard, and I have learnt so much in our 121 sessions. I feel better equipped and confident to continue our training and working with my girl as she grows up. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Paula Ward
Our 14 month old Golden Retriever Finn had his first session with Gerard on the 16th and our time with him was a revelation. We learned so much in that time that we honestly didn’t know beforehand about dog training. Lots of work ahead but Gerard is without question the one that will help us get Finn to where we need to. Fantastic experience and we thoroughly recommend his services. We and Finn have homework to do and are looking forward to our next session with Gerard. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Ken Morrison
We have had the pleasure of training my stubborn, reactive & pushy Cane Corso Benson. With Gerard’s help in training me aswell as Benson we now enjoy our walks & can relax more & more without the reactivity to other dogs & people that we had in the beginning. Benson is an extremely powerful dog & Gerard has worked with him for a while now & I can safely say he has worked wonders. If you have issues or you need help to understand your dogs needs I highly recommend GMC K9 ACADEMY & Gerard who will work with you & your dog to get to where you want to be. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Dave Lyness
Having serious issues with my pup as she is extremely anxious and I was at a loss after receiving bad advice from another trainer. After the first session I was filled with more confidence with what to do in regards to basic training with the dog. would highly Gerard for any and all training needs More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Sonya Haire
We had a really good session with Gerard and lots of tips with leash walking. Now to put the practice in.
Reviewed on Facebook
Carolee Young
Fab session with Gerald and Charllie. Very insightful and knowledgeable. Have some homework to do but we will be back! Thanks
Reviewed on Facebook
Ashlee Mac
had a home visit for our 16 week old finn. Got advice on what we were doing right and wrong. Help with lead pressure and crate training. Finn is super nervous with being a rescue dog so I wanted advice on how to help him not be scared of everything and everyone. hopefully all the tips we got today will help and we get a gold star on our follow up visit 😊 🐶 More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Sharon Kirk
Thanks Gerard for giving me the pointers to help me with Buster. I really like your approach to engagement.. also found that your response to me was supportive and efficient. The work that u share with ur own dog is really encouraging too. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Virginia Keenan
fabulous service had a home visit for my 2 pups. got so much help and advise on how to move forward with training as well as videos on how to implement these tasks. ..highly recommended...very knowledgeable. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Karen Wiltshire
Two days in from our training session with Gerard and what a difference! Have walked my 18 month GS on a standard lead twice now without difficulty. Such a difference, did not think this was possible!! Feel much more engagement, control and confident now too. A lot more work to do, but really excited about the benefits this will have! Can’t wait to the next training session. Thank you!!! Would highly recommend. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Lesley Ann Mo
We had a one-to-one session with Gérard at our home, helping us with Rosie, our 3 year old Daschund. Rosie is very nervous with people/guests coming into our home. Within minutes Gérard was working with her and giving us great tips. I would have no hesitation reaching out to Gérard for help or recommending him to anyone else. Gérard really took his time to explain everything. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Eileen Hamill-Stewart
We booked our two young Whippet pups in with Gerard for 121 training sessions and throughly enjoyed them! Gerard was brilliant. He takes his time to explain, shows us and then watches while we try and provides feedback, encouragement and helpful tips as we do so. We would highly recommend Gerard as we have all (including our children) have learnt so much. People thought I was mad travelling from Larne when training available closer to home but I stand by my decision. Best one I made. Book in and you will not be disappointed. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Michelle McCullough
Gérard came out to our house today to meet our little Springer Spaniel and give advice on training. We are very excited to try to put all his advice into practice. we are wanting to stop Dustin from jumping up. I am left very confident after today. Gérard also gave advice re his food and walking outside with Dustin. Would highly recommend his services. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Linda Rogan
We had a one to one session with GMC Academy and learned some very valuable information. We are looking forward to starting the group reactivity class with our dog. 👍
Reviewed on Facebook
Rebecca Magee
had our first session today and I am amazed. the last trainer we took him to said she couldn't help at all but even after the first session Odie is already walking better on the lead and was less reactive to other things. amazing work with a tough dog
Reviewed on Facebook
Pamela Claire
As a first time fur parent , the behavioural classes that Kaela attended were fantastic. We learned so much as a first time fur parent and Kaela is doing well now. Thank you so much.
Reviewed on Facebook
Sean Kerr
We had Axle our German shepherd in today, to work on leash control, reactivity and general walking practices. We learned a lot of very useful information about making Axle engage with us more to aid in controlled walking and managing his reactions around other dogs. We booked a two hour session and it was absolutely brilliant Gerard had Axle behaving on his leash instantly. Very highly recommend and such a nice man, seeing how well behaved Charlie is, really shows Gerard’s quality as a trainer. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Francesca Silvestri
Just had our first 1 on 1 training session today with our German shepherd Klaus. Gerard showed us how to keep klaus focused on us while walking and rewarding him with food. Was a very good session and will be back for more. I definitely recommend. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Hannah Seeds
Gerard is a master, he was brilliant at engaging our dog, and taking time to teach us how to get the best out of our puppy. He was able to give us advice and direction on skills to work on both now and in the future. We will be back again Im sure! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Sarah Robinson
Feeling very positive after my 2 hour training session with Gerard and my dog Reggie 🐶🐶. Feel like we made so much progress with reactivity to other dogs and lead control and have the tools and knowledge on how to continue this. Would highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reviewed on Facebook
Catherine O Neill
so happy with our 1st 2 hour session with our big boy Frank. this trainer had Frank eating out off the palm off his hand litterly, and taught us how to engage with frank when another dog comes along. I was so scared when he brought his dog out I thought this was going to end bad but after a few minutes off doing what we were taught Frank calmed down and even sat close to Charlie without going mental highly highly highly recommend 👌 More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Abbie Brown
We have had one session so far and we are already feeling alot more confident in how we handle Poe, we are looking forward to more sessions! thankyou 😁
Reviewed on Facebook
Janine McCullough
Within a few hours after the lesson we have noticed a huge differences in our puppies behaviours. Very good advise and training is excellent. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reviewed on Facebook
Catherine McCooke
We had a great session with Gerard today! Meg and I had a 1 to 1 session to work on loose lead walking and engagement with other dogs. He gave us some really insightful advice and some great tips to help Meg settle in the house. We have plenty of homework! So we'll have loads of fun over the next few weeks with our engagement games. We'll definitely be back to show off Megs progress! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Elleana McComb
Thanks so much to Gerard for helping us with Aubas loose leash walking! He was great at demonstrating training activities for Auba and how we can best help his energy needs. We have been practicing loads and seen massive improvement in just a couple days. Would defo recommend Gerard if you have a troublesome walking dog! 🐕 More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Grainne Savage
Gerard helped us with lead walking our dachshund and we couldn’t believe the difference within just 1 hour. He is very approachable and was super informative and we left with lots of good advice. Would definitely recommend! Big snooze on the way home for Frank 😴 More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Siobhan McNeilly
As first time dog owners we wanted some help with our puppy training. We went for the 6 week puppy training sessions. Gerard was excellent and put us at ease right away with lots of advice and techniques to help us communicate with our pup and get her behaviour under control. We would definitely recommend Gerard for anyone with a new puppy. His advice has given us the confidence to react, respond and ignore all the behaviours at the right time! Thanks Gerard!! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Iris Leetch Lilley
Thank you very much for your help and time with JJ it was brilliant,he is a lot calmer now and I even got to brush him,so a big thank you 😊
Reviewed on Facebook
Destiny Afrifa
Had a visit today and it went really great! Answered any questions we had, really informative and was brilliant with our two dogs Diego and Charlie😁 Fully recommend for anyone having trouble and need the extra help!☺️
Reviewed on Facebook
Rachel Jane
After one session I already feel so much more confident with how to progress forward with training when I felt overwhelmed before. Actually looking forward to working on what I’ve learnt! Highly recommend! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Louise Lucy
just had a visit from yourself and I would most definitely recommend.very professional and gave such useful and helpful info. am very hopeful for the future and can't wait to have u back out.thank u 😁 More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Charlotte Tudge
Had a 1-1 session today with my 14 week old pup! I was worried about how she was settling in and the fact she hadn’t bonded well with my older dog and Gerard was able to give us some great advice and helped iron out all my worries! Gerard was very knowledgeable and full of great advice and tips and I can’t wait to see how my pup grows as we implement his advice from our session. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
What do you love most about your job?
I love helping owners build a stronger relationship with their dog based around leadership & fun.
Watching owners go from struggling with their dog to enjoying their dog is the best part about this job.
What inspired you to start your own business?
My biggest influence was actually my own experiences with dogs growing up.
Believe it or not I wasn’t always great with dogs and because I had my own difficulties I was able to learn from people better than me which allowed me to deep into how a dogs brain works, how they learn, what motivates them and learn how to shape them into these amazing creatures that become apart of our everyday life.
Why should our clients choose you?
If you’re looking for a no nonsense approach to dog training and someone who going to hold you accountable but also guide you every step of they way then look no further than GMCK9.
I want clients to fall in love with not just their dog but fall in love with training their dog and open up all of things they could achieve with them if they’re willing to learn and be consistent.
Once you learn how your dog learns and what motivates them you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.
Can you provide your services online or remotely? If so, please add details.
Yes I offer 1-1 zoom sessions.
This is available for clients who live further away or can’t attend in person for various reasons but would still like to learn.
Dog training
Dog training 1-2-1 which includes obedience, recall, loose leash walking and behaviour issues. Please enquire for more information. Home visit also available at client’s request.
Dog walking
One hour walks vary and could be a forest adventure walk, beach walk, casual stroll or more focused exercise so that you have a happy, tired and content dog. Each dog will be assessed on their needs.
Residential training
Residential training is an intensive training program where your dog will spend time with a professional trainer over a number of weeks to help them reach their goals and fulfil their potential.
This is suitable for puppies, adult dogs and dogs with behavioural issues such as aggression and reactivity.
POA - Enquire for more information.