TURNING DOG TRAINING STRUGGLES INTO STRENGTHS
"HELPING DOGS MAKE POSITIVE CHOICES"
About us
Xtra Dog Training is headed up by Alex Wilson and supported by an incredible team of dedicated people without whom Xtra Dog® would not be what it is today. He has a lifelong love of dogs and helping dog owners manage their dogs in a kind, ethical way. Alex is a certified Senior Tellington TTouch® Practitioner (P3) and a member of the Guild of Tellington TTouch Practitioners. He is a former Senior Instructor at the Dog Training College, and passed his advanced training with the Association Of Pet Dog Trainers UK. When he is not working, his interests include training his Dalmatian, Magick, and getting involved in dolphin and whale research. In 2007 he co-authored the book Whales and Dolphins of Great Britain with Dylan Walker. He also has two other books in print on dogs. Alex does not believe in any form of punitive dog training and uses modern reward-based and concept training techniques, including clicker training, games based dog training and Tellington TTouch®. He also conforms to the Xtra Dog code of practice. He will not use equipment such as check or choke chains, prong or spike collars, electric shock devices in any form, high-frequency sound devices which are designed to startle or any form of aversive training techniques.
Alex has been lucky enough to train under some of the greats from the dog training world including: Linda Tellington-Jones, Sarah Fisher,Dr Erica Cosijn, Tina Constance, Marie Miller, Kathy Cascade, Robyn Hood to name a few. He continues his learning each year by making sure that he attends a number of courses so that he has new ideas to share with his clients and students.
ALEX WILSON
Founder and Course Director
I am delighted that you have chosen to visit us at Xtra Dog Training. We initially started this business to share our love for the Tellington TTouch® Method. This work was developed by Linda Tellington-Jones and Robyn Hood and can massively help dogs and other animals. Over the years Xtra Dog have become so much more, and whilst Tellington TTouch® will always be the backbone of what we do, we have expanded to add Concept Training into our portfolio of tools we use to help dogs.
Dogs are communicating with us all of the time and I am so passionate about sharing this knowledge and love teaching our Talk Dog, Canine Body Language Programme. Finally I have spent many years teaching calmness to my dogs and clients dogs and love to sharing these strategies and it is the core of most of the courses we run.
We are also delighted to work with Tellington TTouch® Instructor, Tina Constance to be able to offer in-person practitioner training.
Alex Wilson
Matt Wildman
Matt is the person who is rarely seen as he works in the engine room of Xtra Dog. He is our technical wizard and keeps all the systems, website etc running . Matt is also a qualified adult educator and a scuba diving instructor. Hopefully we can encourage Matt in-front of a camera to share his knowledge of teaching that is very transferable to dog trainers. Matt is also a passionate Dalmatian person.
Technical Director
Matt Wildman
Magick
Magick is the newest member of the Xtra Dog team, having been born in November 2003 and joining us in January of 2024. She is a liver spotted LUA Dalmatian and a dog who loves life and everybody she meets. Magick is the official tester of all our products and she has a particular love for goDog toys. Magick is training to become a Tellington TTouch demo dog.
Official Product Tester and Demo Dog in Training
Magick
Mischief and Arapahoe
Sadly we lost Mischief in October 2003 at the age of fifteen and a half and lost Arapahoe in August 2024 at the age of sixteen. They both had very full lives and taught our team, along with our students so much. They will both be remembered as they teach future generations through the videos that they starred in. Both dogs were very loved and have left holes in all of our hearts at Xtra Dog.
Across The Rainbow Bridge
Mischef & Arapahoe
Gail SKINNER
Gail Skinner started working with dogs,cats and horses at a young age as a volunteer for a large animal welfare society in South Africa. The guidance she received from her mentor Dr Robert Dean Bullard inspired and encouraged her to pursue a life working with animals.
Over the years she has trained and qualified as a Veterinary Nurse, an Inspector for the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a Dog Groomer, a Bowen Therapist for both human and animal clients, a Dog Instructor, an Assistance Dog Instructor, a Canine Body Language Instructor, a Canine Behaviourist and a Professional Dog Trainer. She is also a certified Dog puller Judge and Dog Parkour Instructor. Gail offers in-person training in Southern Portugal and Zoom training, coaching and mentoring via Zoom, worldwide.
Senior Instructor
Gail Skinner
JANE ELDRIDGE
Jane is the public face of Xtra Dog and the person you are likely to speak to on the telephone. She is a certified canine body language instructor and training as a Tellington TTouch Practitoner. Jane has assisted on many of our in-person courses and is chief cake buyer for our TTouch workshops. Jane is also a passionate cat person and a former cat breeder.
Student Support Officer
Jane Eldridge
LINDA READER
Linda has a life long passion for dogs, growing up in Australia with an Australian Terrier and Scotch Collies, and sharing her adult life with a border collie, with whom she did sheepdog trialing with in her native Tasmania.
Since living in the UK she has had the privilege of being guardian to a collie x poodle and 4 standard Poodles. In 2010 she became interested in dog grooming due to her collie mix having issues with a groomer. Linda qualified as a City and Guilds Level 3 pet stylist and began competing in grooming competitions, and at Crufts with her poodles. She ran a successful dog grooming business, and taught dog grooming for 3 ½ years at a leading UK based Grooming College. She is passionate about understanding dogs, compassionate force free grooming methods and continues to learn and follow the latest research. In 2020 she discovered Tellington TTouch and is continuing her journey there. Linda is also a certified dog trainer and has a Level 3 in dog behaviour.
Grooming Instructor
Linda Reader
NATE CANT
Nate is a certified Tellington TTouch® Practitioner (P1) with a special interest in reptiles as well as working with dogs. He is also a canine body language instructor and one of the videographers at Xtra Dog. Nate produces our monthly, An Evening with Xtra Dog Show and has taught some of our online trainings.
Tellington TTouch Practitioner and Videographer
Nate Cant
Dr. Erica Cosijn
Dr Erica has a PhD in Information Science and her undergraduate work was in Physics and Mathmatics. She worked as a University Lecturer and on leaving this career then worked doing noise impact assessments with her husband. She then went on to become a Tellington TTouch® Practitioner. Dr Erica has written and delivers her Nasty Noises accredited course worldwide and the author of the book in the same name. Dr Erica, also offers consultations for people with noise sensitive dogs.
Canine Noise Phobia Expert
Erica Cosijn
Read the Xtra Dog Code of Conduct
Xtra Dog operates using positive reinforcement (R+), please CLICK HERE to read our full code of conduct.
OUR MOST POPULAR COURSES
Calmness Rocks
This three quarter day course teaches strategies to build calm dogs and is certified by the Dog Training College
Tellington TTouch Intensive
This is our 2-day CPD accredited Livestream course, it is designed to give you a strong knowledge of TTouch so that you can use it with your dog
Testimonials
Absolutely brilliant. So enjoyed today. In break I did a few clouded leopard touches on my dog and I visibly saw the tension leave!This has made such a difference.
Dr. Hélene Svinos
I was on a zoom with alex Wilson ... Calmness Rocks. I found out so much information for my dog, the 5-hour session was amazing
Diane Milone
This was an excellent course. Really interesting discussions from a lovely mixed group of participants who ranged from professionals in the pet industry, students of dog behaviour/ training and pet owners. Everybody wanted to gain and share as much knowledge as possible to do the best they can for their clients and companion animals.
Marie Miller
contact info
Phone
+44 330 088 3647
Email Adress
Main Office Address
Kings Offices, Millers Lane, Costock
LE12 6XJ United Kingdom