Reactive dogs
If your dog barks, lunges, or feels overwhelmed on walks, support focuses on what is driving the reaction and how to make things feel calmer and more workable again.
About Jennie Dayer-Swan
About Jennie Dayer-Swan, Essex Dog Behaviour and Puppy Training Support
I offer behaviour-focused support and puppy training from South Woodham Ferrers, helping owners across Essex with reactivity, barking, lead walking, rescue dog support, and calmer home life.
If your dog is struggling, that is your dog asking for help. Not always in a way that feels easy to live with, but asking nonetheless. My job is to help you understand what your dog is telling you, what needs to change, and how to move forward with a clear plan.
South Woodham Ferrers based
Serving Essex
Reward-based support
Thank you for visiting my page. I work in your home, your street, and the places behaviour actually shows up, so you leave with a much clearer picture of what your dog needs and what to do next.
Real-life support
Support starts where daily life already happens.
Home visits and walk coaching help owners see what calm, practical progress can actually look like with their own dog.
Tobey
The dog who made this work feel deeply personal.
Tobey is at the heart of Jennie's story, and this portrait brings that connection through more naturally.
If you searched for a dog behaviourist near you
Owners often arrive here after searching for a dog behaviourist in Essex, a puppy trainer near me, or help with a dog who is barking, pulling, reacting, or finding home life hard. That usually means they want more than generic advice. They want someone who can look at the real situation and explain it clearly.
That is the part of the work Jennie cares about most. Not just what the dog is doing, but why it is happening, what the dog needs, and what is realistic for the family living with it every day.
Read the guide on how to choose a dog behaviourist if you want a clearer picture of what to look for before booking help.
What owners usually value most
- Calm explanations without blame or jargon
- Home visits and walk coaching in real settings
- Reward-based plans that feel workable in family life
- Clear written notes and next steps after sessions
- Support that can flex between puppies, behaviour, and walk work
Where to follow Jennie online
Facebook is still the main social page and the clearest place to see recommendations, updates, and how owners talk about the support after sessions.
Instagram is better for everyday moments and quieter snapshots behind the scenes. YouTube is the better fit for longer video help as that side grows.
A Note From Jennie
It was not a straight line that brought me here. Dogs have always been part of my life, but it was living with a dog who had complex needs that changed everything for me. I know what it feels like to be told advice that does not sit right, to feel like you are trying your best, and to still be left unsure what your dog actually needs.
That is why I work the way I do now. I take the time to listen, look at the whole picture, and explain things clearly, so you do not leave with a handful of instructions and more confusion than when you started.
Qualifications and background
I have spent the last six years building practical behaviour-focused experience, learning on the job alongside an experienced behaviourist as well as through formal study. That real-life experience matters a great deal to me, because behaviour rarely turns up in neat textbook situations. It turns up in family homes, on real walks, and in the moments owners are actually finding hard.
I am working towards an Advanced Diploma in Applied Animal Behaviour (Canine) Level 5. Before this, I trained riders and worked closely with horses, which gave me a strong grounding in timing, body language, observation, and reading animals in real environments. I am also a puppy trainer, professional dog walker, fully DBS checked, and trained in canine first aid.
Toby changed everything
When I rescued Toby, I thought I was bringing home a calm, gentle dog. What I actually brought home was a dog with complex needs I did not yet understand. I was given advice that felt harsh and controlling, and I knew very quickly that it was not the way I wanted to live with my dog.
Meeting a behaviourist who used positive reinforcement methods changed both of us. For the first time, I could see Toby more clearly and understand what he was communicating. He became my greatest teacher, and the reason this work became my calling.
How I work now
I use positive reinforcement methods, and I look at the root cause of behaviour, not just the symptom you want to stop. That means looking at routine, body language, thresholds, lead tension, home setup, and the moments that tend to tip your dog over the edge.
I do not believe in making owners feel blamed or dogs feel pressured. I believe in helping you understand what is going on, slowing things down, and building confidence for both of you.
My training methods and equipment
I use calm, supportive, reward-based training methods that help build trust and confidence between dogs and their owners. The aim is not to control your dog through fear or pressure, but to understand what they are finding hard and teach the next step in a way they can cope with.
Where equipment is needed for safety or guidance, I use appropriate, welfare-focused options such as well-fitted harnesses, leads, and head collars where they suit the dog in front of me. Equipment should help everyone feel safer and clearer. It should never be used to cause pain, fear, intimidation, or distress.
What you will not see here
I do not use shock collars, prong collars, choke chains, physical corrections, intimidation, or punishment-based training. I work under threshold where possible, read body language carefully, and build plans around your dog's emotional wellbeing as well as the behaviour you want help with.
That matters because owners usually come to me when life already feels stressful. The support should make things feel calmer and more understandable, not add more pressure to you or your dog.
The sort of help owners come to Jennie for
Puppy foundations
If you have a new puppy and are feeling a bit swamped by biting, routines, toileting, lead walking, or over-excitement, that is exactly the sort of thing I can help you get right early on.
Home-life behaviour
If visitors, barking, rescue dog settling, or alone-time worries are making daily life hard, sessions can start in the home where those problems actually show up.
A few things I am always looking at
- What your dog is communicating, not just what they are doing
- What the lead, the home setup, or the environment may be adding to the problem
- What rewards actually matter to your dog, because rewards need to reflect effort
- How to give you a plan you can repeat in real life without second-guessing yourself
If you are not sure where to start
That is very common. Some owners arrive knowing the exact issue, and some just know that home life or walks have become harder than they should be. You do not need to work it all out before getting in touch.
If you are feeling unsure, start with the guidance pages first, or send a message and I can point you towards the route that fits best.
About Jennie FAQs
Which training methods do you use?
I use positive reinforcement, reward-based training, and practical management. I work under threshold where possible, build confidence and choice, and never use shock collars, prong collars, choke chains, physical corrections, intimidation, or punishment-based methods.
Do you work with rescue dogs?
Yes. I have experience supporting rescue dogs with trauma, uncertainty and reactivity. We go at your dog's pace with gentle, welfare-first plans.
Can I attend and be involved in the training?
Absolutely. Owner coaching is central to success and I guide you step-by-step so you feel confident continuing at home and on walks.
Do you collaborate with my vet if needed?
Yes. With your consent I can share summaries with your vet and work alongside them, especially useful for pain, anxiety, or medication reviews.
Do you help with puppies as well as behaviour cases?
Yes. Jennie supports both new puppy owners and older dogs with behaviour struggles. That means families can get help early with routines and foundations, or later when barking, reactivity, lead issues, or home-life stress start to feel harder to manage.
Need a place to start?
You do not need to have all the answers before you get in touch.
If your dog is struggling on walks, finding home life hard, or you have a new puppy and want to get the foundations right, the next step is simply to start the conversation.
If you would rather read first, the guidance pages will give you a clearer picture of what might be going on and where to go next.