Remote Dog Training for Paddlers in Ireland and Europe

Not every client lives at the end of a long-haul flight. Alongside owners in the USA and Australia, a good share of my remote training happens much closer to home: Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and beyond. If you’re anywhere in Europe with a dog, a board or boat, and no specialist trainer within reach, a video call solves the problem neatly.

The easiest time zones I work with

For Irish clients there’s no arithmetic at all — we’re on the same clock. For the rest of Europe it’s an hour or two at most, which means sessions slot into a perfectly normal working day for both of us. Evening and weekend calls are easy to arrange, and nobody is setting an alarm for the small hours.

What remote sessions actually cover

The heart of canine paddlesports training isn’t done on the water — it’s done in living rooms, gardens and quiet fields. Over video we work on:

• Recall that holds up under real distraction, the foundation of everything else
• Balance and stability conditioning at home, so a moving board feels familiar before it floats
• Calm boarding and exit cues on a beached board or kayak
• Introducing buoyancy aids, paddles and kit without fuss
• Planning your dog’s first proper float, step by step

It’s the same progression I use face to face — you can read what first sessions look like to see how the pieces fit together.

From Lough Corrib to the Alpine lakes

Europe’s paddling waters are gloriously varied: Irish loughs that behave a lot like Scottish lochs, warm Mediterranean bays, big cold Alpine lakes, slow rivers and busy urban canals. Dogs and water behave much the same everywhere, but conditions deserve respect wherever you are. Cold-water shock is as real in Bavaria as it is in Argyll, and busy summer waterways bring their own rules. In your consultation call we’ll talk through the waters you’ll actually use and adapt the safety fundamentals to match.

Training in English, kit sourced locally

Sessions run in English, and every booking starts with a consultation call so I can meet you and your dog properly and advise on any kit you’ll need — starting, always, with a well-fitted canine buoyancy aid. Whatever I recommend, you’ll be able to source it from retailers in your own country rather than shipping from the UK.

And if you’re ever in Scotland…

Plenty of my European clients combine remote foundations with a holiday: do the land work over video through spring, then join me on a loch for an in-person session when you visit. It’s a lovely way to finish the job — though plenty of dogs go from first call to first paddle without ever leaving home, and that works too.

Start with a conversation

One-to-one video sessions, at times that suit a European day, with a plan built around your dog rather than a template. Book a consultation call on the remote sessions page and we’ll take the first step together.