AN IMPRESSIVE dog trainer teaching your four-legged friends how to surf- Paws on Board is our Trader of the Week.

Paws on Board is a dog training service which offers one-to-one sessions, group classes and even dog surfing lessons across Bournemouth and Poole.

The training is provided by Bournemouth resident, Vicky Mansfield, who began as a casual dog walker in 2014.

Vicky said: “I started walking dogs when my children were growing up. It began as something to do during school hours, but I soon became passionate about it, and I started taking courses.”

The dog lover then became a member of several training institutes including the School of Canine Science and Dr Dunbar’s Dog Behaviour and Training Academy.

Vicky was keen to turn her passion into a way of living, and so introduced Paws on Board, a selection of training services including her popular dog surfing lessons.

She said: “The surfing boosts their confidence and physical skills.

“We help the dog understand that the board is a safe place to be. We introduce movement on the board on dry land first so that they don’t become scared of movement in the water.

“It helps them with their gross motor skills and fine motor skills to gain the confidence to balance.”

Whether it be the surfing lessons, the one-to-one sessions or the group classes, Vicky is always sure to implement the most ethical training methods.

She said: “I’m an ethical dog trainer so I use fear free training. The dogs will not get punished in any way.

“It means your dog learns in a safe environment. I make sure the dogs are treated with the respect they treat us with.

“I’m a strong believer in ethical, passive, slow learning techniques that help the dog digest the information in their own time, rather than forcing a behaviour on them.

“We must remember that the things we teach our dogs are the things we want them to do. We want them to enjoy it too.”

To find out more about Paws on Board or enquire about training visit https://pawsonboard.co.uk/