Testimonials from clients
Buddy the crazy Labrador
I came across Mantrailing, Follow Dogz, and Instructor Fiona while searching for an activity for Buddy to undertake. Buddy is a lockdown pup, adorable but lacking in confidence and reactive. He relies so much on his'sister' Labrador Elsa at home, and I wanted to find something just for him that would help him find his confidence, lessen his reliability on Elsa (give her a break), and reduce his anxiety. I contacted Fiona to ask if mantrailing would be suitable for Buddy and if Buddy would be suitable for Mantrail. I received nothing but positive comments from Fiona, which gave me the confidence to 'give it a go'. Buddy took to mantrailing like a duck to water; he loves his sessions, and I am so proud of what he has achieved. He has trailed in a variety of locations—rural, urban, and leisure complexes—all with different challenges for him to overcome. His confidence while trailing has risen immensely; he is less anxious when left for periods of time, and we are continuing to work on his reactivity. I am constantly amazed at how the dogs work to find their missing person; it truly is incredible and so clever. For myself, I can honestly say I learn something new at every session—things I had never noticed before, hadn't realized before, and simply hadn't known. All knowledge is shared with me by Fiona, who teaches in a calm, friendly manner while making every session informative but loads of fun. Mantrailing and Buddy were made for each other!
Buddy zeroing in on his Trail Layer
Found you!!
Peggy the Sprocker
I decided to go Mantrailing when Peggy was 6 months old (not really believing that she would do it! Why would she want to find a person with all those lovely bird and furry smells around!!). Well she did and I was so impressed. Peggy is nearly 2 now and we still love Mantrailing. Fiona is very welcoming and helpful and really good at coming up with ways to help you and your dog succeed and finding what suits them best. Everyone is really friendly and you get to go to great venues.
Finn the English Springer Spaniel
Finn originally competed in Agility but had to retire at 18 months old due to Hip Dysplasia. We went onto competing in scent detection competitions until Covid hit. After nearly 2 years of doing nothing and not wanting to go back to a partially indoor sport due to Covid risks and slippery floors I opted to take up Mantrailing with Follow Dogz. Finn and I love doing Mantrailing and has been taking part in this sport, training with Fiona since August 2021 and I have got to say I am exceptionally pleased with Fiona as she is an excellent trainer and very down to earth.
Finn learning to sit and indicate his Trail Layer
Are you enjoying yourself up there?
Esme the Rottweiler
In the past i competed at agility with my dogs, Esme enjoys one-to-one agility training but i dont feel its fair to ask her to compete due to her being afraid of other dogs and people she doesnt know. As i believe intelligent dogs are happiest when they have a job to do i began to look for other activities which could be more suitable for her, this was when i discovered Mantrailing. As the dogs are worked individually her dog reactivity isn't an issue and her fear of strangers has been massively helped by all the lovely Mantrailing folk who give her yummy treats when she finds them! She absolutely loves it and I've seen how much her confidence has grown since we started training. Because she is reactive and seen as a 'scary' breed I'm generally very anxious when taking her to new places but Fiona couldn't have been more supportive and understanding, never judges her breed or her reactivity and has really helped us both to relax.