Dog training is more than what I do. It is how I think, how I work, and how I live.
My work centers on creating meaningful dialogue between dog and handler — grounded in clarity, unity, and true partnership.
My name is Jenny Richards and I train dogs. It’s not what I do, it’s who I am.
I began my career competing with and rehabilitating horses, before that passion was overtaken by my dedication to dog sports. What started as fascination has become a way of life. I immerse myself in it fully — always refining, always learning, always striving to deepen my understanding of the dog in front of me.
Over the years, I have pursued education relentlessly, attending seminars and workshops with instructors from around the world and across disciplines. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside exceptional trainers, each contributing different perspectives, methods, and insights that have shaped my approach.
I provide thoughtful guidance tailored to you and your dog as individuals. I now work predominantly with dog sport and operational teams, where clarity, precision, and trust are not optional — they are essential. Alongside this, I continue to support dedicated pet owners who want to build a deeper, more intentional partnership with their dogs.
Across every context, the thread that runs through my work is the same: relationship and communication must remain at the centre.
Under pressure — whether in competition, operational environments, or everyday life — communication can easily fracture, and performance or behaviour can begin to unravel. Yet when handler and dog are truly aligned, the partnership becomes powerful. Reliable. Fluid.
That alignment is built through consistency, clarity, and becoming genuinely readable to your dog. My role is to help you develop that clarity — so you and your dog can work with trust, understanding, and real unity, whatever the environment demands.
My own dogs compete at high levels across multiple disciplines, including IGP, Working Trials, Detection Dog Trials, and Competitive Obedience. IGP remains my greatest passion, combining the three phases of Tracking, Obedience, and Protection into a demanding test of training, precision, and partnership.
There is nothing more rewarding than stepping onto the trial field and allowing our preparation — and our relationship — to speak through performance. The achievements matter, but what matters more is the depth of understanding and trust that makes those performances possible.
My dogs are working dogs in both genetics and mindset. They thrive on purpose, structure, and meaningful engagement, and it is my responsibility to ensure that their physical and mental needs are met with clarity and intention.
Regardless of discipline or role, all dogs benefit from purposeful training. Time spent training — whether through structured work or well-designed games — does more than teach behaviours. It builds clarity, confidence, and emotional stability. It strengthens the bond between dog and handler and gives the dog the grounding they need to navigate both work and life with assurance.
I care deeply about this process. Training is not simply a skill set for me — it is something I have devoted years to refining and understanding. Supporting handlers as they work through challenges, strengthen their partnerships, and see genuine progress in their dogs is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work.
Relationship and communication is at the core of everything I do.
Photo courtesy of Karen Dunkason
Avonwolf Kamikaze
Kevin joined me with the intention of pursuing IGP at a high level. As his training progressed, it became clear that this path was not the right fit for him. He is a sensitive, environmentally aware dog, and the pressures inherent in IGP were asking for more confidence and hardness than he is naturally equipped with.
Recognising that — and adjusting accordingly — has been an important lesson. It is our responsibility as handlers to honestly assess the dog in front of us and choose a path that supports their strengths rather than challenges their limitations. Continuing toward a goal that did not suit him would have placed unnecessary pressure on both of us and, ultimately, on our relationship.
Since redirecting our focus to Competitive Obedience, Kevin has become noticeably happier and more settled in his work. The sport will still challenge him — particularly in managing environmental pressure — but it is a challenge that allows him to grow without compromising who he is. He is teaching me patience, awareness, and the value of listening to the dog rather than the plan.
Solarwind Bent On Glory
I was there when he entered the world and had the privilege of watching him grow from the very beginning. Taking a puppy from this litter was not part of my original plan, but there was something about him that felt familiar and quietly compelling.
He carries the influence of Alfred’s line — Alfred’s brother was used to sire the litter — and that connection holds meaning for me.
Our focus is Competitive Obedience. Unlike some naturally high-drive dogs, he does not bring explosive intensity to his work, and that presents our greatest challenge. Building genuine motivation and willingness — rather than manufacturing arousal — has required patience, creativity, and a strong emphasis on relationship.
For him, engagement must feel purposeful and rewarding. My priority is to develop his confidence and desire through clarity and partnership, allowing drive to grow authentically rather than through pressure. It is a thoughtful process, and one that continues to refine me as much as it refines him.
Avonwolf Intuition
Kali is a four-year-old Malinois from KNPV lines, and we are currently competing together in IGP. She has earned her BH and we are preparing to take our IGP1 in the coming year.
Our journey has required patience and adaptation. Kali is not a dog who arrived with natural biddable drive or an inherent desire to simply “do.” Instead, she questions. She assesses. She wants to understand why. Early on, building genuine motivation for structured work required time and thoughtful development.
What she does possess in abundance is fight drive and extraordinary intelligence. She is the most intelligent dog I have worked with — perceptive, calculating, and constantly analysing her environment. That level of awareness can be both a gift and a challenge. She does not offer behaviour freely; she evaluates it.
Shaping that mind into cooperative, purposeful work has been one of the most demanding and rewarding processes of my career. As our communication has strengthened, so too has her willingness. What once required negotiation now feels increasingly aligned.
Kali continues to challenge me to be clearer, fairer, and more precise. In return, she offers depth, intensity, and a partnership that is hard-earned and deeply respected.
Photo take by Caroline O’Hare www.pawsinfocus.co.uk
Avonwolf Deliverance
Del is an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois — intense, driven, and uncompromising in her work. She competed in IGP at the highest level and was my partner at three World Championship events.
Our most notable achievement together was at the 2023 FMBB World Championships in Romania, where we became only the second UK dog-and-handler team to qualify at this prestigious event. We placed 33rd amongst over one hundred world-class competitors — a milestone that reflects not only performance, but years of disciplined preparation and partnership.
Beyond sport, Del is also a qualified operational security dog, holding NTIPDU Level 2 certification. She is a serious working dog in every sense — demanding clarity, fairness, and commitment.
Now retired from IGP, Del is beginning a second chapter in Competitive Obedience — work she is relishing. The shift allows her to continue training and thinking without the physical demands of protection sport, and I am enjoying developing a different kind of precision with her.
Del has shaped me as much as I have shaped her. High drive and intensity require precision and emotional control from the handler. With her, there is no room for ambiguity. She expects leadership — and she rewards it fully.
Amberslade Massachusetts
Alfred, my thirteen-year-old Australian Shepherd, is the eldest of the pack and the foundation of much of what I do today.
In his primary career, we competed in Working Trials, progressing to the highest level of the sport and earning a ticket to the Kennel Club Championships in 2022. Alongside this, we trained and competed in IGP — where he achieved his BH and became the first Australian Shepherd in the UK to gain an IGP1 title.
He later enjoyed a second career in Detection Dog Trials, qualifying and winning numerous trials. Now fully retired from competition, Alfred is very much in his veteran years. His hearing has faded and age is beginning to show, but the depth of who he is remains unchanged.
These days, our work is quieter. Every so often we have a gentle play at detection — no pressure, no expectations — just shared moments that keep his mind engaged without demanding from his body. It is a privilege to grow old alongside a dog who has given so much.
Alfred has taught me more than any textbook or seminar ever could. Longevity, patience, adaptability, and the value of building understanding over time — much of my philosophy has been shaped alongside him.
Photo take by Caroline O’Hare www.pawsinfocus.co.uk
US AT WORK, AND PLAY..
Some of the photos above was take by the fabulous Caroline O’Hare. Caroline takes the most beautiful photos and does bespoke photoshoots. Do check out her work at www.pawsinfocus.co.uk