About Helen Phillips
Helen Phillips is the owner of the ‘Clicker Gundog’ Training Centre, author of the popular ‘Clicker Gundog’ Training Book,
co-founder of the Gundog Trainers Academy Ltd, a qualified teacher and Animal Training Instructor with the ABTC, and owner of Cotswold Dawn Hungarian Vizslas.
Helen Phillips has been shooting and working dogs in the field for over thirty years and has been breeding Hungarian Vizslas since 1998.
Having owned a variety of breeds from crosses, to Spaniels and HPRs, Helen has an extensive understanding of living with and working with hunting dogs.
Currently, Helen owns Vizslas, Jack and Dibble, and English Springer Spaniel, Wren. All the dogs work in a variety of roles on the shoot from beating, picking up to partner on the peg.
Together with her husband, Helen manages a small shoot at the Clicker Gundog centre, which is solely for training purposes.
Previously, Helen was involved in the organisation and running of a small syndicate shoot in Worcestershire, she has also been responsible for running varied types of beating lines and has worked her own dogs on different types of shoots from large commercial shoots to rough shooting days.
Helen has also achieved the Kennel Club Working Gundog Certificate on Dummies and on Game, has competed in working tests and participates in grouse counting.
Over the last decade through Clicker Gundog Helen has developed a range of workshops and seminars to help teach the essential skills to both the handler and the dog.
Her focus is on promoting the use of positive reinforcement training techniques and strategies within gundog training and field sports in general.
Today, Helen teaches a variety of clicker training and gundog courses at her own purpose-built training facility that incorporates a working shoot in the UK. This gives both dogs and handlers who are new to the sport the chance to experience what a shoot is all about. It also enables those with experience to practice their skills in a working environment.
Helen has a strong ethical stance in respect of this and endeavours to promote this within the shooting field. She is currently an Instructor and Assessor for The Gundog Club and runs courses each year for all levels.
As a GTA member, Helen adheres to the Gundog Trainers Academy Code of Practice which can be viewed here.
One of the UK's most qualified gundog trainers, Helen has a Distinction in Canine Training and Behaviour from Warwickshire College and, as a City and Guilds level 5 qualified teacher, taught the same Canine Training and Behaviour course at two levels for nearly a decade. She also obtained the Clicker Trainers Competency Assessment Programme levels 1, 2 and 3 with Distinction.
Helen is a member of the Special Council for the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), is a registered ABTC Animal Training Instructor, and is an Instructor and Assessor for The Gundog Club, an organisation that declared its force free policy in 2018 and runs courses each year for all levels.
Along with Jules Morgan, Helen co-founded and now chairs The Vale and West Gundog Club whose mission is to provide support and encouragement to those wishing to use, or already using force free training. The club organise events that provide a safe environment for members to participate in.
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The Clicker Gundog Facebook group has been set up to provide gundog trainers with a place to discuss the strategies, techniques and application of clicker training for working, sport, competition and hobby gundogs. The Clicker Gundog group is open to all types of gundogs, training in all types of fieldwork from retrievers to HPRs. It is also open to all who have an interest in gundogs, clicker training and teaching.
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