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From Dog Boarders to Dog Trainers: Our Journey with Lola’s House

Introduction

When we first started boarding dogs, we had no idea it would lead us to becoming qualified trainers. At the time, we simply loved dogs and wanted to create a home where they could feel safe and comfortable while their owners were away. But as the years passed, and as we spent day after day surrounded by dogs, we started to see things differently. We realised that boarding was only one piece of the puzzle—many dogs weren’t just missing a safe place to stay; they were missing proper training, structure, and the right kind of socialisation.

Now, after years of experience and study, we’ve made the leap from dog boarders to dog trainers. It’s been a long journey, but one that has shaped everything we do today.

How It All Began

Lola’s House started, of course, with Lola. When we first set up our boarding business, Lola was friendly but not particularly well-behaved. That was something we had to work on. We had both always loved dogs—Chloe grew up with them, while Jack had always wanted one but never had the chance. So, when we saw an opportunity to start working in dog boarding, we took it. We spent two years boarding dogs for another company before deciding to set up our own business.

From the very beginning, we found ourselves naturally drawn to training. To make sure every dog was happy and settled at Lola’s House, we needed structure, calmness, and clear boundaries. That meant training every dog who stayed with us, whether that was helping them settle in, improving recall on walks, or teaching them to relax in a home environment.

What we didn’t realise at the time was that we were already training dogs every single day.

Why Training Became a Focus

One of the biggest turning points for us was Lola’s own journey. She had started out as an anxious, excitable dog who struggled with impulse control. But over time, through training, routine, and a calm environment, she became a completely different dog—confident, relaxed, and able to settle anywhere.

We also had the privilege of helping raise two puppies, Millo and Mabel, from a young age. Watching them learn and grow was incredibly rewarding. Seeing how much the right guidance could shape a dog’s behaviour made us want to deepen our knowledge.

Beyond that, our years of boarding gave us a unique perspective. Because we had dogs in our home every single day, we started to see patterns—dogs learning from each other, behaviours repeating across different breeds, and common mistakes that many owners were making.

One moment that always sticks with us was a nervous dog encountering a rabbit ear treat for the first time. She had no idea what to do with it—until she watched Lola eat one. Then, suddenly, she understood. Moments like that showed us how much dogs learn from one another, and how important it is to create the right environment for them to learn in.

We also saw a huge gap in how people understood socialisation. Many owners, especially those who got dogs during the pandemic, believed that socialisation meant letting dogs play constantly. But through experience, we learnt that the best socialisation happens in a calm environment. Overexcited dogs don’t learn well—just like humans, they need the right balance of stimulation and rest.

Becoming Qualified Dog Trainers

As our interest in training grew, we started taking courses to formalise what we had already been practising. Over the past five years, we’ve completed training in:

• Dog behaviour and care
• Dog nutrition
• Canine anatomy and physiology
• Puppy development
• Scent work
• Dog first aid
• Loose lead walking
• Puppy training
• General dog training

This process has helped us refine our approach and develop our own philosophy. Unlike many trainers who focus on quick fixes, we take a holistic approach—looking at the root cause of problem behaviours rather than just suppressing them.

Through our boarding experience, we also realised something crucial: many behaviour issues weren’t about the dog, but about the relationship between the dog and the owner. We started to see the same patterns in different homes—owners making similar mistakes, leading to similar issues. Understanding this has shaped the way we train, because we don’t just work with dogs—we work with people too.

That said, stepping into the world of training wasn’t without its challenges. Jack, in particular, struggled with imposter syndrome. It’s one thing to do something every day, but another to stand in front of clients and confidently teach them. There was also the challenge of balancing training with our busy boarding schedule. But we knew we wanted to help more people, and training was the next step.

Our Training Philosophy

Our approach to training is simple: find the root cause and build a structured routine that works for both the dog and the owner. We don’t believe in quick fixes, and we don’t rely on heavy-handed techniques. Instead, we teach owners how dogs think, feel, and perceive the world so they can make real, lasting changes.

“The goal isn’t just to train the dog—it’s to help owners understand them.”

We focus on managing excitement levels, setting clear boundaries, and creating calm, confident dogs. We also take a strong stance on early socialisation—because if you don’t guide your puppy’s experiences, they’ll learn on their own, and that can lead to serious issues down the line.

We won’t say too much just yet, but we’re working on something exciting that will help with exactly that.

The Most Rewarding Part of the Journey

There’s no doubt that working with dogs every day is rewarding. But the most fulfilling part of this journey has been seeing the difference we’ve made—not just in other dogs’ lives, but in Lola’s too.

Lola is living proof that any dog can change with the right guidance. And we’ve seen that same transformation in so many of the dogs we’ve worked with.

We’ve also learnt a lot about ourselves along the way. In many ways, humans and dogs aren’t so different—we both need structure, routine, and the right environment to thrive. Not to anthropomorphise too much, but when it comes down to it, we’re just very complex, very smart dogs.

For anyone looking to get into dog training, our advice would be this: get as much hands-on experience as possible with different dogs and different owners. And don’t assume that just because you’re doing things differently from other trainers, you’re wrong.

The Future of Lola’s House

So, what’s next?

Lola’s House will always be a premium home boarding service, but we’re now taking the next step into training. We’re excited to start offering puppy training, socialisation, and bespoke one-to-one training sessions.

We also want to spread the word about our approach to training—because the more people who understand their dogs, the more calm, confident, happy dogs there will be.

We’re just getting started, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

If you want to stay updated on our training services, keep an eye out—we’ll be sharing more very soon. Click Here to register your interest via our enquiry form.

Written by Jack & Chloe Fairclough

Published on 28th February 2025

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