Companion's Trail Dog Training
Offering professional dog training, trailing and scentwork sessions across Cheshire, Staffordshire, Stoke and South Manchester.
I’m Marilyn, Co-founder of The Canine School of Trailing and I specialise in helping dogs and their people thrive through clear guidance, expert knowledge and genuinely supportive coaching. You won’t just be told what to do, you’ll understand why it works, so you leave sessions feeling confident, capable and excited to train.
All dogs work individually, which means I can welcome dogs with behavioural challenges into sessions. If your dog is worried by other dogs, people, the environment or has a tendency to become distracted by wildlife, trailing and scentwork provide a calm, purposeful outlet that builds confidence, focus and trust.
Every session is tailored to the dog in front of me, ensuring training is effective, enjoyable and set up for success from the very first trail.
Co-founder of The Canine School of Trailing and a qualified Animal Training Instructor, registered with the Professional Association of Canine Trainers (PACT) and the Animal Behaviour & Training Council (ABTC).
What is Trailing?
Trailing is simply guiding a dog to use their natural instincts and follow a particular scent pattern wherever that may be, both on the ground and in the air.
Some dogs will like to follow the trail closely, so focussed on the scent they often don’t see the person or dog until they’re on top of them! Others will air scent and take multiple ‘shortcuts’ to locate the person or dog. In practice, most dogs will use a combination of air and ground scent to varying degrees deviating from the trail as the scent moves with the wind.
A trailing dog is allowed choice, freedom of movement and
independence. It’s this level of autonomy in trailing which is so beneficial to our companion dogs, building more confidence and greater optimism.
About us...
Marilyn’s dog training journey started in 2016 when rescue dog Lola came into her life. Lola developed fear aggression towards dogs after being attacked so Marilyn started researching in earnest about how best to help and a passion in dog training and behaviour developed. Since then other rescues arrived with various behaviour struggles and Marilyn’s knowledge and passion grew.
Attending courses and gaining qualifications with PACT, Cambridge Institute of Dog Behaviour & Training, IMDT, Canine Principles, Dog Training College and Absolute Dogs, Marilyn decided to open her own business in 2021, companion’s trail dog training. Since then Marilyn has also become an instructor with Canine Hoopers World.
Marilyn started trailing in 2017 with Lola and currently trails with staffy Scout and Dachshund cross Jem.
In 2022, Marilyn studied for twelve months to learn the intricacies of trailing, enabling her to become an instructor. It was on this course that Marilyn met Rachel Rodgers and formed The Canine School of Trailing where they now run many trailing events together and coach other trainers to become trailing instructors.
Marilyn loves watching the bond deepen between humans and dogs when they trail and hopes that, through coaching other trainers to become trailing instructors, more and more people will experience the benefits and sheer joy of trailing.
Alongside her dogs, Marilyn has ‘The Meowfia’, her three rescue cats Haggis, Spartacus and Summer.
Dog Days in Pictures: A Capture of Canine Joy
