Community Support Programme

Accessible training support for owners and dogs who need help sooner, not later.

At Good Owners Dog Training, we know that behaviour support is not always easy to access. Cost, disability, neurodivergence, health, overwhelm, rescue transitions, or sudden behaviour crises can all make it harder to get help at the point it is most needed.

Our Community Support Programme offers a limited number of reduced-cost or funded spaces for owners who may otherwise struggle to access professional support.

Who can apply?

Community Support may be suitable for:

  • Disabled owners
  • Neurodivergent owners
  • Low-capacity households
  • Owners on low income or benefits
  • Rescue dogs needing early support
  • Dogs showing fear, stress, or reactivity
  • Owners feeling overwhelmed by their dog’s behaviour
  • Households at risk of breakdown without support
  • Emergency behaviour situations where early support may help prevent surrender, escalation, or welfare decline

This programme is especially intended for situations where support now could make a meaningful difference.

This list is not exhaustive. If your circumstances are affecting your ability to access support, you are still welcome to apply.

How we can help

Depending on the situation and our available capacity, Community Support may include:

  • 30% reduced-cost support
  • Fully funded support where barriers are substantial and capacity allows
  • One-off emergency guidance
  • Adapted training plans for disability, fatigue, overwhelm, or reduced capacity
  • Signposting to veterinary or clinical behaviour support where needed

Spaces are limited so we can protect the quality, safety, and sustainability of the support offered.

How we choose applications

Community Support is not first-come, first-served. Applications are reviewed based on urgency, need, suitability, and where support could make the biggest welfare difference.

How urgent is the situation?

Is this an active behaviour crisis or is the situation escalating quickly?

Could waiting make things worse?

Could waiting make the dog’s wellbeing, confidence, safety, or household stability worse?

What’s making it difficult to get support?

Would the owner realistically struggle to access support without reduced-cost or funded help?

Could early support make a difference?

Could support now help prevent surrender, injury, worsening reactivity, chronic stress, or household breakdown?

Is Good Owners the right fit?

Is Good Owners Dog Training the right level of support for this case?

When we may recommend different support

We do support urgent and difficult behaviour situations. However, ethical training also means recognising when a dog needs a different level of professional help.

We may refer onwards where there is:

  • Multiple significant bite incidents or serious injury history
  • Severe uncontained aggression
  • Immediate safety risk that cannot be managed in owner-attended sessions
  • A need for veterinary behaviourist or clinical behaviour support
  • A legal dangerous dog situation

If we are not the right fit, we will do our best to signpost you towards more appropriate support.

If all spaces are currently full

Because Community Support spaces are limited, suitable applications may be placed on a waiting list.

The waiting list is reviewed as spaces become available. Priority may change over time depending on urgency, welfare risk, changing circumstances, and available capacity.

If your situation changes while you are waiting, please contact us so we can update your application.

Applying is simple

Download Community Support Application Form

Please complete and email your application to:
info@goodownersdogtraining.com

We aim to review applications within 5 working days where possible.

If your situation feels urgent, please use the subject line:
URGENT COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Please download and complete the application form with as much honest detail as you feel able to share.

You do not need to write perfectly. Short answers are fine. We just need enough information to understand what is happening, what support you need, and how urgent the situation is.

A few things to know before you apply

Community Support is still professional training.

If you are offered a space, we ask that you:

  • Attend agreed sessions
  • Give notice where possible if you need to cancel
  • Follow welfare and safety guidance
  • Communicate honestly if your circumstances change

Reduced cost does not mean reduced care. These spaces are designed to provide meaningful support where it can make the biggest difference.

Calm First. Always.