In mid 2018 we bought a Labrador from Jeremy Hunt (Fenway Labradors) in Lancashire. We have a shoot and I wanted to be involved in training our dog. I started to seek out the answer. A trainer that worked through encouragement not punishment, who was patient and prepared to train me as well as Purdey and who, we both clicked with. I could not have been more fortunate in discovering David. He has brought out the best in both Purdey and me. We have had fun but within the very well-guided framework of building on Purdey's learning. She is becoming a great gundog. David has total authority with the dogs but in a firm but kind manner. He understands all the nuances of their character and behaviour. I would not want to go to anyone else and could not recommend David more highly.

N Odey

Thank you so much for your help.  I wouldn't have won without you. I love the way you train and I look forward to doing more.....you have been so kind, jolly and inspirational. Thank you.

L Smith

I was referred to David through a mutual friend and could not be more pleased with the results. We shoot a lot throughout the season and wanted a dog to fulfil both the family pet role as well as that of a well mannered, working gundog. We sent our boy to David for an initial period to cement the basics we had attempted to build ourselves. Over the subsequent 5 months we saw our boy turn into a well mannered, highly polished shooting companion. David communicates very well, clearly loves his dogs and has been very patient with our exacting requirements!! A fantastic experience working with someone who really knows his stuff.  Thank you David!

G Little

We bought our lovely puppy Rosie from Dave and Sam back in December 2019. From the point I first spoke with Dave to the point we picked up our puppy, the process was seamless. Dave was on hand every step of the way to offer guidance and assistance and has been in touch ever since, offering valuable advice. Rosie our puppy is honestly the best lab we have ever owned. She has such a well-rounded temperament and we get endless compliments on her good looks. Dave and Sam are such lovely people and we will not be looking any further if we look to get another lab in the future. Thanks guys!!

O Dulson

We were fortunate to be recommended David to train our boisterous Labrador "Rex" and we feel very fortunate indeed.
The time, patience, care and wealth of knowledge put into moulding our boy was a pleasure to watch with the daily vidoes sent, keeping us informed of the progress being made and the work covered. Rex was returned to us a thoughtful and methodical hunter and obedient working dog, but most importantly to us, a happy and confident one. Many thanks David and Samantha for all the work, time and effort you have put in and the love you have given our boy during his time with you, it is very much appreciated.

J Franklin

I have recently had my Labrador 'Storm' trained by David Thomas.  David was recommended by the breeder who I purchased Storm from as a pup. When i first spoke with David he asked what i expected and wanted from Storm. We discussed my requirements at great length. David kept me updated throughout all of Storm's residential training with regular videos and phone calls. I was very impressed with David's style of training that did not rely on fear. His style creates a special, relaxed bond with dog and handler. I now have Storm back at home and am very pleased with the results. The comprehensive training did not just stop at gundog training but also included a broader finishing that gives for a fantastic canine companion. I am now looking forward to the forthcoming shooting season with a dog to be proud of. I would certainly recommend David's services to any interested party, and I would have no hesitation in engaging him again in the future. 
I would happily to speak to anyone wishing to understand my experience in more detail. 
Sincerely
Mr W Jones

W Jones

We got in touch with David to help us train our Working Cocker.  After a lockdown and two poor experiences with local trainers, we thought that at 8 months, our dog may never turn into the dog we so dearly wanted him to be, and that it was too late.  
Straight away David made us realise this was not the case and that there was lots we could do.
Working with David has been a great experience. His passion, knowledge and ability to train dogs as well as their owners is highly impressive. Also, his enthusiasm for training is infectious and really empowered us to make the changes we needed to make. We have since seen such an improvement in our dog.
I cannot recommend David enough. If you are looking for someone to help train your dog, look no further as David is your man.
Tom & Camilla
Surrey

T Weeks

We bought a dog from the famous Fenway Kennel in Lancashire with the aim of shooting over her in years to come. We were looking for a kind, thoughtful trainer who was willing to work with us as owners, just as much as working with our girl. Jeremy put us in touch with David and it was clear from the start that David really understood the dogs. His intimate knowledge of the Fenway dogs as well as the bloodlines behind them was very impressive.
We arranged to travel to see David and were instantly impressed. The set up he and Sam have is just fantastic. First impressions really were very good. David quickly built a relationship with Molly and was immersed into 'pack life' as David calls it. We had regular visits, the Sunday morning update calls and she came home a different dog. Still the cheeky happy dog she always was but with a degree of refinement we've never had with our previous dogs. I shot over Molly this season for the first time and could not have been more impressed. Quiet but focused on the peg and picked her retrieves with great ease. I would thoroughly recommend David to any prospective owner and would happily take a call to speak of my experience working with David, Samantha and the Aberglen team.

I Williams