Puppy School Plymouth classes are run by Frankie Lees BSc (Hons) NCert (AnBeh) RVN
Frankie Lees: Tutor
Hi, I’m Frankie and I am the tutor for Puppy School in Plymouth!
I am so excited to be able to offer Puppy School classes to you and your families and cannot wait to meet you and your pups.
I started my career working with animals as a veterinary nurse and whilst working as a vet nurse I studied further qualifications in animal behaviour. Over the years I spent working in the veterinary profession I worked with many dogs and gained so much knowledge as well as a real passion for helping dog owners with behaviour and training advice.
After taking my own dog, Ebony (a cheeky Sprocker Spaniel) to Puppy School and absolutely loving the course I knew I wanted to become a Puppy School tutor too!
I live in Ivybridge with my partner and my little boy who was born in September 2020. Being a vet nurse, I have collected a few animals over the years and aswell as my Sprocker I also have a beautiful cat, Kiki and a leopard gecko, Dobby!
I am still a Registered Veterinary Nurse, I am a qualified Dog First Aider, I have a BSc (Hons) degree in Applied Animal Behaviour from the University of Portsmouth and I hold the ISVPS Nurses Certificate in Animal Behaviour.
I am so excited to be bringing Puppy School to Plymouth and would love to hear from you! If you would like to find out more about the Puppy School course or would like to book please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sarah Broomfield: Associate Tutor
Hi my name is Sarah and I’m the new associate tutor for Puppy School Plymouth!
I have always loved animals and grew up with a cheeky border terrier which is where my love for the breed began! Since we lost him in 2019, I decided to start caring for other people’s pets through petsitting and dog walking. I have lots of experience working with dogs from kennels to doggy day care and previously as a volunteer at Puppy School, where I have met so many different dog personalities.
I have a degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare from the University of Plymouth and I am also Pet First Aid trained and Fear Free Certified, showing my ongoing commitment to never using any methods rooted in fear, punishment or pain.
This is why I am so excited to be a part of the Puppy School family and bring force-free classes to Plymouth! Can’t wait to meet you and your pups!
Puppy School tutors come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Apart from running our puppy classes, many have thriving careers in rescue shelters and some work as veterinary nurses, dog walkers, dog groomers, dog training professionals or behaviourists. What they all have in common is a passion for training puppies and a keen interest in animal welfare and behaviour.
Our Puppy School tutors and associate tutors must undergo extensive training before teaching Puppy School classes. This includes an application and interview process, six days of comprehensive theory covering a range of topics from animal learning to lesson plans (taught by founder and director, Gwen Bailey, APBC registered behaviourist), as well as three days of supervised practical work and a comprehensive correspondence course.
We monitor our Puppy School classes regularly to ensure the highest standards are consistently being maintained. Tutors are carefully overseen by Regional Managers to make sure they are using all the skills necessary to become excellent, positive, reward-based puppy trainers. Our tutors must uphold our Code of Conduct at all times and must complete a sufficient amount of continued professional development each year.
Puppy School is delighted to have been recognised as a Practitioner Organisation for the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC). The ABTC is the regulatory body that represents animal trainers and animal behaviour therapists to both the public and to legislative bodies. It is the only animal welfare charity that is primarily concerned with protecting the psychological welfare of animals undergoing training and behaviour activities. Frankie Lees is working towards accreditation with the ABTC but is not yet qualified.