The Surrey Ark
Find us on social media
I'm Sue, a Dog Behaviourist with a degree in Applied Animal Behaviour (Canine) and 10 years of experience. I assist clients with all breeds and sizes and have managed The Surrey Ark Team for 11 years. Connect with me on Instagram @mendmy and Facebook 'Mendmydog Dog Behaviourist.' I tackle a range dog behaviours, such as jumping, pulling, reactivity, barking, and aggression, along with puppy training and owner-dog sessions.
Received 12th Feb 2022
Certified Dog Behaviourist
Mendymydog
Packages Available:
Home Video/Phone Consultation – £75
This option is ideal for minor issues. You’ll provide video footage of your dog’s behaviour, and we’ll discuss solutions over the phone or via video call. Not suitable for reactivity cases as a stand alone.
Full 1-to-1 Home Consultation – £195
This comprehensive package includes:
-
A 1-2 hour in-person consultation to assess you and your dog.
-
A detailed written report, including a Behavioural Modification Programme and homework.
-
Potential vet referral if needed.
-
Free follow-up support via texts and calls for guidance for 6 weeks.
-
Why Choose Me?
-
Tailored Support in Familiar Surroundings
I work with you and your dog one-to-one, either at your home or a local park. This approach is highly effective as it takes place where your dog feels comfortable and where the behaviours occur. -
A Personalised Approach
Every dog-owner dynamic is unique. My method focuses on strengthening the bond between you and your dog, ensuring lasting results. -
Hands-On Training and Expertise
I don’t just teach theory – I provide practical, hands-on support. Many of my clients have previously sought professional help elsewhere without success and have found my approach more effective. -
Professional Standards and Up-to-Date Knowledge
I am committed to using scientifically backed, positive-only methods recommended by the RSPCA and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). -
The Difference Between a Dog Behaviourist and Dog Trainer
-
Dog Behaviourist
A behaviourist takes a full history, works with your vet, and carries out in-depth assessments to uncover the root cause of your dog’s behavioural issues. This is often the only way to achieve long-term success. -
Dog Trainer
Trainers typically address surface-level symptoms rather than the underlying causes. -
Important Note:
This industry is currently unregulated, meaning anyone can claim to be a trainer or behaviourist. Always check qualifications. My certifications (ABTC and APBC approved) are considered the gold standard in the UK and align with RCVS and RSPCA guidelines.
For aggression issues, always consult a professional qualified to at least Level 5 in dog behaviour using positive methods.
Rescue Dog Settling-In Package
Initial Consultation – £195
This includes:
-
A full assessment and tailored rehabilitation programme.
-
Free follow-up support via phone for 6 weeks.
I specialise in rescue dog rehabilitation, particularly for ex-street or foreign rescues. These dogs often require unique approaches to avoid worsening behavioural issues.
Dog/Owner Training Walks – £90/hour
Ideal for addressing minor issues like lead pulling or improving recall. For reactive dogs, a full consultation is required to assess the root cause and create a tailored plan.
1-to-1 Puppy Starter Session
Bespoke Support – £90/hour
This flexible package includes:
-
A pre-collection email or phone consultation to prepare you for your puppy’s arrival.
-
Home visits and training walks tailored to your needs.
Additional Services:
-
Evening and weekend appointments to accommodate families.
-
Specific advice for children on interacting with a new puppy.
-
A printed puppy starter pack covering your puppy’s first year, developmental stages, and common pitfalls to avoid.
-
FREE Whasapp Support for the first year
-
Many clients find one-to-one sessions more effective than group classes, especially for distracted or overwhelmed puppies. I’ll guide you through proper socialisation in a controlled environment and provide ongoing support as needed.
Ready to Begin?
Complete my Behaviour Assessment form below to start your journey towards a happier, more trusting relationship with your dog.
Download, complete and return to thesurreyark2@gmail.com to start the process
Romanian Rescue Pro Trainer Graduate
After months of study (and a ankle!), I proudly graduated and joined Meesh Master’s esteemed Professional Dog Trainers Team. Meesh has significantly impacted Romanian rescue dogs by raising awareness and educating adopters and trainers. My journey began seven ago when I adopted my dog, Fizz, and this course has enhanced my existing qualifications. I’m honoured to join Meesh’s team and eager to help more adopters make a positive difference for these dogs and their families.
Client Reviews for Mendmydog
My reviews speak for themselves and are all fully verifiable
Lily:
"It’s incredible to see our new rescue dog Lily snuggling up for strokes and cuddles now, after a very rocky start. She was a snarling hot mess in the beginning and we were properly scared of her until Sue came to our rescue! I’m not sure she would still be with us had you not taken our desperate phone call a few weeks ago! You are the dog whisperer of Claygate!! Thank you so much!!!" Sue Cole 28/8/20
Teddy:
"Lockdown has proved tough for humans and pets alike. We were recommended The Surrey Ark through a local dog groomer. Teddy broke his toe when he was very young and has had a trip to Fitzpatrick to top it off for a dodgy leg. He is now 3 but still acting like a young puppy pulling at the lead and with my children not really wanting to take him out for a walk as he would pull too hard. His anxiety around being left was getting worse and even the postman delivering letters was causing him a daily upset. The Surrey Ark came in at a point when we could have a visitor so we socially distanced outside. We carried out a survey so they were fully briefed before arriving. We as a family made a joint decision to all do this together and well. The Surrey Ark (Sue) got Teddy straight away and identified his personality type which we could all relate to. After our meeting we had some homework and videos, visuals and activities to go over. We all wrote the key words that Teddy needed for us to remain consistent, we also bought an outside letter box which has helped him and the postman! It's been great to keep in touch get helpful tips and check in! I am so thankful to have found The Surrey Ark" Karen Pearman 14/7/20
Rose:
“Our 4 month old Pomeranian puppy was very reactive due to fear and felt the need to jump and growl at people and other dogs on walks. Surrey Ark were extremely approachable and friendly and provided some very helpful advice over the phone during lockdown, which was then sent over as a report. On following the advice our little pup is much more confident each day and less reactive to triggers. Would definitely recommend when raising a puppy during lockdown.” Yasmin Lily 25/5/20
Bella
We called on Sue to give us some guidance with our 21 month old Jack Russell, Bella, who was quite nervous of other dogs, and had a couple of other issues. We are so glad we did, although we are experienced dog owners, the time spent with Sue, and her advice, was really helpful. So much so, Bella is more confident, and less anxious when on her daily walks. Sue has a gentle, caring approach, and Bella really warmed to her and reacted well to her. Sue also recommended a change of diet, and that has proved to be a positive step. We would definitely recommend her, and so would Bella. Sally Dyos 23/1/20
Kitty
" We asked Sue to help us with our dog as she had recently bitten our friends young girl. We under took what Sue advised us to do, including games, fun feeding ideas, and training tips. In doing this, our dog became much more confident and her role within our family. She is now less confused and when children are around, she knows to go to her safe spot, so she feels secure. Sue also advised giving her different food in the evening, which has ensured she is able to go through the night with out going to the toilet. We would highly recommend Sue, she has helped us transform our dog." K Kelleher 11/10/19
Rocky
"Brilliant dog training techniques. Our overexcited Rocky has realised that he doesn’t need to bark each time he goes outside" Silke Espinet 22/9/19
Sally:
We are so grateful to have found Sue and the team at Surrey Ark. After rehoming our nervous rescue girl, Sally, we've needed extra support in settling her in and getting her used to spending time alone. Sue has really gone above and beyond for us, she genuinely cares about Sally and making sure we all go at a pace she is comfortable with. We are so grateful for the support of Sue and Tugba and feel that Sally is in such safe hands when she's spending time with them. We have also learned an enormous amount about nervous dogs thanks to Sue's expertise. Sally has come such a long way, showing more and more of her personality and even making friends with Sue's lovely dogs too. We can't thank you enough for everything you have done for us!
Lauren Raynor April 2019
Barney
Barney"I cannot recommend Sue from Surrey Ark highly enough, so here comes the longest review I have ever written! Sue and Leah have known Barney, our golden retriever, since he was a tiny pup. He is a gorgeous dog, now five years old, but he has become increasingly difficult to manage over the years. In desperatation, after the worst week we’ve had with him, I asked Sue to come and help me. If I’m honest, this was a last attempt on my part (Sue is the third dog behaviourist we’ve seen) before we considered re-housing him, so I was very apprehensive. Within minutes of arriving at our house, Sue had assessed him as a funny old mix of nervous and and status seeking - both of which made total sense. She then set about showing me simple tricks to help him step down from the role he’d taken on as my protector. It was the way that she explained this that made more sense than ever before, and it was a bit like a light bulb coming on for the first time. We spent a lot of time in the house, and then had a short walk together, Sue modelling how to start a walk calmly with him before I had a go. Once Sue had left, I had a go on my own and followed all her tips to the letter. It is hard to convey in writing what an extraordinary experience this was, but Barney was totally and utterly different. He walked calmly, looked me in the eye properly and had no ‘crazy dog’ moments of launching himself at any of his long list of triggers. And this was part way through day 1. Four days later, and he truly is a different dog. He’s stopped barking in the house, no longer barks at the door and is totally and utterly chilled: my husband couldn’t believe the difference when he came home after a week away last evening.We are beyond thrilled and beyond grateful. I know we‘ve still got lots of work to do, but with Sue’s continuing support and reassurance, I feel that the pieces of jigsaw will join properly at last, and we can start enjoying our beautiful Barney again." Clare Hepworth 16/2/19
Lola
I contacted Sue after she was personally recommended to me. We had recently got our first family puppy and I'd become a little concerned that my youngest son was losing his confidence around her with all the puppy biting and jumping up. Sue came round to the house to meet Lola and gave us some fantastic strategies to help Lola happily slot in to her correct position in "our pack." We have recently met up with Sue again for a training walk to help Lola (and me) build confidence after an unfortunate incident with another dog. Sue has so much knowledge and is fantastic with Lola. I've found talking to her and learning more about our four legged friends invaluable. We have another training session in the diary! Emma Hobden 6/11/18
Daisy
Sue has been amazing with our cockapoo Daisy.
Daisy had no boundaries and was always jumping at people, didn’t listen or adhere to any training we gave her and I became worried as the kids especially my young daughter became scared of her. We started to loose confidence in ourselves and felt we had made a mistake getting a dog.
After the first session with Sue, My confidence came back. We did several follow ups with Sue. She was passionate about helping us that she even gave us free sessions just to help us get it right. Sue taught my son how to walk with the dog and was always there to respond to all the text messages.
Sue you are an amazing teacher. You have given both me and the kids confidence to live with daisy and we would forever be grateful to you .
When it comes to dogs You are a miracle Worker���
Latoya Walter 22/2/18
Maisie
"Sue helped us with our 10-month old Vizsla who was having some unusual issues over particular toys and I wanted to nip it in the bud before it escalated into resource guarding. After an initial 'assessment', Sue gave us lots of tips/exercises to work on to help make sure she felt secure and comfortable and almost looked to us for guidance/reassurance in certain circumstances. We continue to use these techniques to work on the bond between all of us and our dog. Sue provided excellent support via email after the initial meeting, and then we had a productive follow-up session so that we could build on what we'd learnt from the first one." Jo 10/1/19
"5 Stars" The Surrey Ark have now cared for our dogs on 2 occasions while we have been abroad on holiday. I could not be happier with their service - both Sue and Zoe provided outstanding care to our dogs - they will never go to kennels again!
Sue also did some behavioural training with our more dominant dog and we returned to a different dog. We are now working hard to maintain the good
work she has done!" Kate Heaney 13/9/17
" 5 Stars!
Sue and Leah have been brilliant! They gave us lots of practical tips for helping Lottie in the home (helping her understand where she stood in the pack after the arrival of a new baby) and then showed us how to help Lottie remain calm and
not fearful when meeting other dogs, particularly those more assertive ones.
It has helped us all enormously - thank you from all of us, in particular Lottie!"
Emma Jenkins 29/7/17
“Turner the French Bull dog came to live with us at his “for every home” in January 2017. It quickly became obvious that he was a reactive dog and did not respond well to other dogs or animals. Having no experience in this before I was recommended to speak to Sue and Leah. I was a little apprehensive having only ever seen Barbara Woodhouse on the T.V. Sue and Leah came to visit and I could not be more delighted. Their calm confident aura was apparent from the start. They bonded with Turner straight away and have guided me on how to help Turner become less reactive. They have gently passed their knowledge on to me so that I now feel I have the confidence required to tackle confrontational situation and work with Turner to eliminate the reactive side of his otherwise wonderful personality. Thank you Sue and Leah for helping our family.”Jo Rowland April 2017
Bonnie;
“Sue has changed my life for the better! Today was another example of how far my once unruly cross breed has come. We met professional dog walkers with several dogs off lead. She went over but when I called her back she came straight away and sat waiting for a treat! She still tried to jump up and lick the man but at least she didn’t cause any bother with their dogs. Thank you so much Sue walks are now so much more pleasurable and less stressful” Rachel Thompson, Esher, July 2018
Sid:
"I would like to thank Sue for all her help with Sid my miniature Dachshund, after her first visit I felt so much more confident, she gave me lots of ideas and tips to improve Sid's behaviour and build his confidence. I arranged a walk
with her and her gorgeous dog Chip.
When meeting other dogs Sid had always shown aggression towards them, Sue showed me that he is actually quite a nervous dog and how I could build his confidence. With Sue’s help Sid’s behaviour is much improved especially around other dogs, and both of us have gained a lot of confidence, thank you Sue."
Sue Stack 24/8/18
My Qualifications and Experience
Following a career change in my fifties, after working at Esher College for 15 years helping students find information in the Library, I took the leap to follow my dream and work with dogs. Although I had run the Surrey Ark Team of dog walkers/sitters and pet carers for 10 years it was only part time but then became my day job. During this time I gained a lot of hands on experience walking a variety dogs and dog sitting and there are not many dog issues I haven't dealt with.
I am a fully qualified, certified and experienced Dog Behaviour Specialist working cases since 2015. I am DBS checked and passed with Merit the full degree Advanced Diploma Applied Animal Behaviour level 6 on my journey to become a Clinical Dog Behaviourist. I practice force-free positive training methods which are science-based. I train and support you, as your dog's owner, to build your relationship with your dog and gain their trust, as once I have gone home, it will be down to you to make those changes. I am by your side throughout the transformation, as some issues take time and practice and I offer FREE calls/texts after the initial consultation for 3 months.
My Qualifications:
Advanced Diploma Applied Animal Behaviour Level 6, (Bachelor's Degree), Level 5 (Distinction) Foundation Degree (Compass) which is Accredited by the ABTC (Animal Behaviour Training Council) and Institute for Animal Care Education, also The Canine Behaviour Training Diploma with The Centre of Excellence with Distinction Level 3 (Accredited by the CPD), The Rommie 'Plant' with Meesh Masters, 'What Does it Mean to be Trauma Informed' Laura Donaldson, Aggression to Humans, Jean Donaldson and I am also a Member of the ISAP. Meesh Masters Romanian Rescue Pro Trainer Graduate as of 2/6/25
My Journey Into Dog Behaviour
My journey began ten years ago with Chip, our rescue terrier cross. After adopting Milo, sought a companion for him and found Chip, challenging puppy returned by a previous owner. Life with Chip was a whirlwind; he was the opposite of well-behaved Milo, presenting numerous challenges, mainly due to his poor start. However, with persistence and patience with positive methods, Chip transformed into a calm dog, inspiring my mission to support other families facing similar challenges. In 2018, I adopted Fizz, a Romanian rescue with a tragic past. Despite her unique Romanian challenges, we've made remarkable progress together, showing that understanding, knowledge and patience can help even the most troubled dogs. My experiences with Chip and Fizz motivate me to prevent families from giving up their dogs, as many can be saved with the right approach. If I can help just one family avoid heartbreak, then I've succeeded.
I was invited to speak on BBC Radio Surrey and Sussex on 26th January 2020 by Nicky Patrick on her 'Fifteen Minutes of Fame' slot all about The Surrey Ark and Dog Behaviour Training. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1aoIJ0BM-8
BBC Radio Surrey
Mendmydog – Terms and Conditions
These Terms and Conditions apply to all clients of Mendmydog, Dog Behaviourist. They are designed to ensure the safety and welfare of both clients and animals during consultations or training sessions. We reserve the right to update these terms at any time with immediate effect. If changes occur before or during your sessions, we will inform you as soon as possible. It is the client’s responsibility to read and familiarise themselves with these terms.
Bookings & Payment
-
Bookings must be made via The Surrey Ark website or email. All sessions are confirmed in writing.
-
Initial Behaviour Consultation: £150 (1.5–2 hours), includes behaviour discussion and initial training advice.
-
Follow-up Sessions: £70/hour, booked in one-hour blocks, covering further behaviour modification.
-
Ongoing Support: Available via email or phone for 3 months after your last session. Urgent issues will be addressed within 24 hours. Non-urgent responses may vary depending on workload.
Training Methods
-
We only use force-free, fear-free methods. Any use of equipment or methods that cause pain or fear must stop immediately. Failure to comply will result in the session ending with no refund.
-
We strongly advise against using aversive methods outside of sessions.
Intellectual Property
-
All written, photographic, and video materials, including logos, are the property of Mendmydog and may not be shared or copied without written permission.
-
Free resources (e.g., blogs, social media content) may be shared unless otherwise requested.
Disclaimer
-
Behavioural outcomes are influenced by many factors. While we offer professional advice, we cannot guarantee success.
-
Clients must follow safety guidelines, which may include: lead use, muzzles, gates, or restricting access.
-
Mendmydog is insured, but we recommend clients have their own pet insurance with third-party liability.
-
If advice is not followed and injury occurs, the responsibility lies with the individual who did not follow guidance.
-
You may be asked to restrain your pet during sessions; this must be followed unless advised otherwise.
Confidentiality
-
Client details are kept securely under the Data Protection Act 2018.
-
No information will be shared with third parties without your consent.
-
You may be contacted with relevant offers or services via email. You can request removal from this list at any time.
Photography & Video
-
Photos/videos may be taken during sessions for veterinary reference or educational use.
-
This will always be discussed with the primary owner beforehand.
-
Media may be used for marketing or social media only with your permission.
-
No images of children will be taken without written consent from a parent/guardian.
Cancellations & Delays
-
We may cancel/reschedule sessions in emergencies or due to adverse weather (e.g., extreme heat).
-
If your pet is unwell or injured, please inform us as soon as possible.
-
To rearrange a session, please give at least 24 hours’ notice. Less than 24 hours’ notice will require full payment.
Additional Requirements
-
All dogs should be fully vaccinated, wormed, and de-flead, not carrying any contagious dieseases unless otherwise agreed.
-
Owners must clean up after their dogs in public areas.
-
Children must be supervised by a parent/guardian during sessions.
-
Any history of aggression or biting must be disclosed in advance to allow proper risk assessment.
-
Dogs must have access to fresh water during sessions.