The Dog Lab / Laura Labrador

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The Dog Lab / Laura Labrador At The Dog Lab, I help dogs (& their owners!) thrive. Need daycare or boarding? Your dog will enjoy walks, a family home, and plenty of TLC.

From group puppy classes to 1:1 training, I’ll help your young dog grow into a well-rounded family companion.

27/09/2026

I’m addicted. There, I said it.

To Labradors. To watching the penny finally drop. To the messages that say, “I actually enjoyed our walk today.” To seeing an owner go from frazzled and frustrated to quietly thinking… we’ve got this.

And yes, I’m probably slightly addicted to a nice line of Labradors sitting beautifully too.

But mostly, I’m addicted to helping people understand their dogs.

I work with Labrador owners all over the world, online and in person here in the Cotswolds. From puppies just starting out to adolescent Labradors who have rather taken over the household.

My 8-week 1:1 Foundations Programme is completely tailored to you and your dog. Real life. Real problems. Proper support. No one-size-fits-all training plan.

Because a well-trained Labrador is lovely.

But an owner who understands their Labrador? That’s the real goal.

If you’d like to work with me, drop me a DM and we can book a 15 min discovery call.

Happy Sunday from me and my rather lovely students. 🤎

21/09/2026

There are two of you on the end of that lead.

We spend so much time watching our dogs — their body language, their reactions, their behaviour — but how often do we stop and notice our own?

The tight grip on the lead.
The held breath.
The shoulders creeping up.
The thought of “oh God, here we go” before anything has even happened.

Daphne’s story was such a powerful reminder of just how sensitive some dogs can be to what is happening around them — including us.

This isn’t about blaming ourselves for our dogs’ behaviour. Far from it.

It’s simply about becoming more aware.

Sometimes before we ask our dog to change something, it’s worth checking what’s happening at our end of the lead first.

Notice more. React less. And give both of you a chance to work it out together.

10/09/2026

Gundog classes aren’t necessarily where you build the foundations.

They’re where you USE them.

Quite a few people came to me over the summer and admitted they’d taken their young dog to gundog classes before they were really ready.

Their dog was disappearing off to see the other dogs. They couldn’t get their attention back. Everyone else seemed to be progressing while they were still trying to get their dog to listen.

They felt awkward. Embarrassed. Deflated.

And that isn’t how it’s supposed to feel.

Because it can really dent your confidence — and your young dog’s confidence too. If you’re standing there stressed and embarrassed, that travels straight down to your dog.

It’s also disruptive for the people in the class who ARE ready and want to progress.

So take your time.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Get the foundations bulletproof first.

A solid recall — and I don’t mean in your kitchen. I mean around distractions and other dogs.

Being able to get your dog’s attention back.

Walking together.

Waiting.

Doing nothing, whilst everyone else is doing something.

And having a dog that understands you’re still relevant when far more exciting things are happening around them.

This is the bit I specialise in. The Foundations.

Everything you need to build a decent, well-behaved dog that you actually enjoy living with and taking out.

Why do you do when you have mastered the foundations?

You can stop there because that’s all you ever wanted. A really nicely behaved dog that’s easy to take anywhere.

Or go on to gundog training, scent work — whatever you fancy — knowing that BOTH of you are ready.

You have the skills.
You have the confidence.
You have the right mindset.

And when it doesn’t go to plan — because at some point it won’t — you have the tools to get it back on track.

Foundations always come first.

Everything else becomes so much easier from there.

12/08/2026

I hear it more often than you might think.

“I regret getting a working line Labrador.”

They’re wild. Unruly. Walks are stressful. Taking them anywhere feels like hard work and eventually it starts causing tension at home.

Theresa and her husband had reached the point where they were considering rehoming Sam. They thought they’d made a massive mistake and wanted the best for him.

Theresa decided to give Sam one last proper shot.

And my goodness, did she show up.

For eight weeks we worked on boundaries, consistency, communication and understanding why Sam was behaving the way he was.

Theresa messaged me when things were brilliant. When she was frustrated. And when the proverbial wheels completely fell off. Each time we worked it out, brushed ourselves down and carried on.

One of the biggest changes was learning that walking Sam didn’t have to mean trudging around a field whilst he entertained himself.

They could do it together.

Working. Playing. Communicating. Fulfilling Sam’s needs whilst building their relationship at the same time.

And now ….. she wouldn’t rehome him for the world. And Mr Sam (from Scotland) has even confessed that he may LOVE Sam now.

This is what I want for every Labrador owner.

Not perfection. Not a robot at your heel.

A partnership. A dog you understand and who understands you. Boundaries when they’re needed, fun by the bucketload and a relationship that feels like the one you imagined when you first brought them home.

There’s never any judgement from me. None of us were born knowing how to do this.

My 8-week 1:1 Foundations Programme, online or in person, hand-holds you through the difficult bits and champions you towards having the dog you dreamt of. It’s perfect for any Labrador whether you want a decent family pet or you’re interested in working them as well. It all starts here.

And the bonus of doing it yourself?

You created that dog - you trained it. You developed a life long bond with it. You understand your dog, their quirks, their personality, you know how to handle them, how to get the best out of them.

Theresa did this. Sam did this.

I just showed them how to find each other. 🤎

11/08/2026

Meet Juno 🩷🌸

Juno came for her first 1:1 session this week and has joined my 8-week Foundations Programme. We’re going to do a mixture of in-person and online sessions, which I think will work brilliantly for her.

No two dogs on my 8-week programme are trained in exactly the same way. I look at the dog in front of me, the life they’re going to lead and what we need to put in place to get them there.

And Juno has a rather special job ahead of her.

When she grows up, she’s going to be “working” in a prep school, spending time with and helping some of the pupils.

So our plan for Juno will be built around helping her become that super calm, gentle and steady soul she’ll need to be. But equally importantly, making sure we never forget that she’s a dog with her own needs too.

We want calm, but we also want confidence. We want steadiness, but we also want fun. We want her happiness bucket topped up every single day.

She’s got a lovely journey ahead of her and I’m rather excited to be part of it. 🩷

06/08/2026

The best type of holiday is one where you can take your dogs 🩷

Address

Churchill
Chipping Norton
OX7

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+447778933133

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