Sound as a Hound

Sound as a Hound At Sound as a Hound, our purpose is to share joy through deeper understanding. One which will be backed up by our own continued professional development.

Dog training services in Limerick City

APDT student member
IAABC supporting member

We share joy through a deeper understanding of our four legged friends and we help people learn life skills based on positive, science-backed, modern methods of training. By deepening bonds and increasing our understanding in the world of dogs, we aid people in developing life skills that benefit the wellbeing of

both dog and owner. From training a pup to geriatric care we help people learn skills based purely on positive, science-backed, modern methods of training. Our mission is to create a community that is full of care for our four-legged companions. Upskilling the hardworking staff of rescues and pet shops, collaborating with current industry professionals and providing essential services to our locality all strive to develop a community of care.

What a bumper year it has been for Sound as a Hound. From incredible growth to big insights and even bigger plans in 202...
03/12/2025

What a bumper year it has been for Sound as a Hound. From incredible growth to big insights and even bigger plans in 2026, I've had a whirlwind of a time.

I hope you've enjoyed the year as much as I have. I learned loads, about myself, about the state of the business in Ireland and even learned how much I still have to do and learn.

Is it daunting? Yes. Am I excited? HELL YES! Am I slightly delusional about all I want to achieve in 2026? Maybe! But it's better to have many goals and achieve a few than have few and achieve none! I'm here for a long time and I'm going to have a damn good time along the way.

I have so much to say and so many people to thank, So I hope these slides say enough about the year I've had and if I forgetten anyone below know that you have my deepest gratitude!

Thank you to Nanci from Creedon's College for creating a space for trainers to learn

Thank you to Claire for being the best teacher a new trainer could have.

Thanks to Catherine for inviting me to be a part of something far larger than myself and for believing I was worthy to be part of it.

Thank you to Suzy. Claire and Catherine for allowing me to shadow cases as I learned about the behaviour world and for having the confidence to pass on clients to me when appropriate.

Thank you to Roisin for being on the same journey I am and for "getting it"

Thank you to Around of a Paws and The Spaw for allowing me to use their space for group sessions.

Thank you to Sinead for being one of my biggest supporters! I've lost track on the numerous referrals I received from you.

Thank you to all my amazing clients and their equally amazing pups!

And finally, thank you to my loving husband, my intercontinental ballistic missile love bug of an insane spaniel, and my family. You've been a rock!

Now watch me ROCK!

Swinging into 2026.
Emmett - Sound as a Hound

Kendrick, the saluki springer spaniel mix, stole my heart at a recent session. With boundless energy and a joy for life ...
25/11/2025

Kendrick, the saluki springer spaniel mix, stole my heart at a recent session.

With boundless energy and a joy for life that I am envious of, Kendrick is the epitome of a dog that just adores being involved in everything you do!

Recently Kendrick's family wanted to work on building solid recall. Given how Kendrick LOVES other people and dogs it is incredibly important to them that they have some level of influence over this beautiful boy when it might be necessary to extricate him from a situation.

Recall, like most trainings and behaviours, starts with trust, evolves into engagement as we shape the end behaviour and eventually, through repetition and practise and changing up our rewards, becomes the behaviour we need.

But like other trainings it is very easy to over use our recall, putting an end to what a dog feels is the best self directed reinforcement. Consistently overusing recall with no payoff can risk poisoning your recall and it therefore becomes less effective. It is vital therefore that 1) there is always a payoff for our pups and 2) that payoff needs to be superior to whatever they are already engaged with.

Kendrick's desire to get things right really shone through during our session, while throwing out behaviours can seem like a dog just trying anything to get the treat I particularly enjoy seeing this as it shows we have a dog willing to try and tray and try again until he gets it. Kendrick has this desire in spades and with his family's dedication we're sure to smash the goals set for him.

Give it up for TEAM KENDRICK!!

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Murph, the most charming sprocker spaniel I've met. Like most spaniels, Murph LOV...
24/11/2025

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Murph, the most charming sprocker spaniel I've met.

Like most spaniels, Murph LOVES to be outside running in the fields and torpedoing through bushes and undergrowth in search for a delicious smell to track or a bird to chase. Unfortunately, this kind of spaniel drive can often cause a little issue when we look at things like recall or leash walking. However, this does not mean that we can't achieve a reliably solid recall or some loose leash skills.

Often, in the face of some environmental factor our standard means of reinforcement like treats, won't s***f it for dog's that have a drive to explore. Using this knowledge we can achieve great strides to an end behaviour.

Working with spaniels, especially ones that may come from working stock, is a masterclass at using alternative means of reinforcement. We are forced very quickly to renegotiate what is available to us and how to use this in a training situation.

For example, rather than giving our environment focus dogs treats when they return to us sometimes sending them back into the environment they love , to explore, sniff and get muddy is the best reinforcer they could ever receive. We're not stopping the fun by calling them back but rather allowing the continuation of the fantastic thing. You'd be surprised at how quick spaniels check in once you give them the go ahead to spaniel around!

Murph showed some amazing promise and with consistent training I know full well he will be the happiest and muskiest pup around!

Pip, the 3-and-a-half month old cockapoo would steal your heart as easily as she would steal the treats from your pouch....
20/11/2025

Pip, the 3-and-a-half month old cockapoo would steal your heart as easily as she would steal the treats from your pouch.

Pip loves to explore the world and like all puppies her age this generally leads to a lot of mouthing. It can be tough for our pups to only explore with their mouth but this is where adequate guidance and positive feedback come in.

We understand that when a puppy chews and moths it is generally not because of malice or disobedience but that discovering something *can* be chewed or mouthed is a sensory reward. There is no inappropriate or appropriate thing in their eyes just something to discover. It is up to us to guide and then to safe and appropriate items.

At such a young age guidance matters most when it comes to settling your pup in your home, creating bonds and relationships is vital for long term harmony. Everything (training, behaviour etc) will follow after.

Pip has so much more growing to do, she's resting appropriately and I am fully confident that her new family will help her develop into an absolutely magical dog.

Fletcher the miniature schnauzer came onto my radar very recently and what can I say other than this little man was such...
11/11/2025

Fletcher the miniature schnauzer came onto my radar very recently and what can I say other than this little man was such a pleasure to visit.

Struggling with a bit of reactivity yes but has gorgeous motivations and drives to do the right thing. We got Fletcher to discover the joys of foraging for food and at the end of the session he quite happily tottered off for a nap.

While reactivity is a journey of many twists and turns there are moments of pure and utter joy and finding those are essential not just for the dog but for the guardians trying to help their pup along this journey.

I have full confidence that given Fletcher's parent's dedication to him we'll be able to upskill this charming boy to increase his resilience and engagement around his triggers.

Go Team Fletcher!

Who remembers Scooch? This amazing pup has grown so much since we last saw her and she's absolute dynamite! Her family h...
04/11/2025

Who remembers Scooch? This amazing pup has grown so much since we last saw her and she's absolute dynamite! Her family have done such a wonderful job with her you can really see the love that beams out of their eyes when they speak about her.

Recently Scooch developed a habit of trying to chew and shred on everything around her. Chewing is such a naturally reinforcing behaviour for our dogs and it is one of a whole host of other activities that helps our dogs feel at ease and down regulate.

Rather than training Scooch not to chew on anything we identified the need to chew and developed an enrichment plan surrounding this natural behaviour. Enter long lasting chews (beef tendon, pig's ears, etc). and we praised and celebrated when she was chewing on the now appropriate item.

Now that Scooch has an appropriate outlet for her behaviour, the same behaviour has ceased on inappropriate items. Our big take-away from this is: When a dog shows you what they want ensure they have a proper and appropriate outlet otherwise it'll come out by itself anyway!

I recently had the pleasure of guiding Oisin, the 4-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier, on his journey through puppyho...
03/11/2025

I recently had the pleasure of guiding Oisin, the 4-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier, on his journey through puppyhood and it was the biggest craic I've had doing a puppy session since starting Sound as a Hound just over a year ago.

Charming, charismatic and single minded, Oisin exemplifies all the amazing qualities in his breed and like most puppies will just keep going if given a chance. It is for this reason that our session with Oisin was focused on calm engaging activities to help a young puppy not only regulate down but burn off some of that mental energy our young dogs seem to have an endless supply of.

Guiding our pups at this young age helps set up a routine of predictability, which lends itself to a sense of safety and security (which are a major factor with enrichment), eases them into calmness and promotes better quality rest which is the MOST important thing in a puppy's development. Rest = long term learning!

Trust me on this: off switches are REALLY important at this stage of a puppy's journey!

⚠Disclaimer⚠: It is rare that I get to work with springer puppies but when I do my heart just swells. I will attempt to ...
22/09/2025

⚠Disclaimer⚠: It is rare that I get to work with springer puppies but when I do my heart just swells. I will attempt to keep this post as professional as I can but I have such a strong bias for springers I don't think I'll fully be able to contain myself.

Cookie the 4-month-old springer spaniel was brought to my attention by her fabulous family. This puppy is the most pup to ever pup and then more (spaniel busy-ness). And while absolutely gorgeous Cookie like most pups struggled to fully grasp the changes in her circumstances. Why can't she bite and nip when she plays? Why does she have to go outside to p*e? A puppy's world changes so quick it is only naturally there would be a settling in period as they learn.

While many may focus on standard training the most important aspect of puppyhood is not obedience but helping our puppies understand what we want of them, how to interact and give them short form positive exposures to new novel items and situations to help build their resilience. Quality matters more than quantity.

Springers are those type of frenetically driven chaotic dogs that seem uncontrollable but in actuality they, even more so that some breeds, WANT to get things right, they want to know what is expected of them and how to do it. And I could tell from first look at this beauty that Cookie is exactly the same.

I feel so lucky to have worked with such a pup and I cannot wait to see more.

Sonny the 9 month old cavachon was an absolute scream of a session.9 moths is a hard time for most pups, they're not qui...
18/09/2025

Sonny the 9 month old cavachon was an absolute scream of a session.

9 moths is a hard time for most pups, they're not quite puppies anymore and their developing into little adolescents. So much of their brain is flooded with new hormones, while neurons are firing new pathways, recycling the old and forging new connections. It can seem like all the things we thought our pups during the early stages have now gone out the window but this is not the case. Their world has just become a bit bigger and these young dogs are starting to see boundaries as something more to be explored.

Sonny's guardians came to me seeking help with some basic engagement, leash walking techniques but the big thing was Sonny's barking as soon as he woke at 5:30am.

We explored alternatives, implemented a robust enrichment framework and changed up small aspects to his sleeping arrangements as well as delivering rewards. As a smart, ever learning teenager I fully believe Sonny will pick up what we're putting down.

When your client's puppy stares into your soul looking for the cheese you took from the floor! 😅Charlie the 3 month old ...
15/09/2025

When your client's puppy stares into your soul looking for the cheese you took from the floor! 😅

Charlie the 3 month old cavachon was an absolute delight. Smart as a whip, cheeky, personality driven and a cheese fiend!

Some of my most heart warming sessions are families with their first puppy. Families that want the best for their new addition and just need a little more guidance. Puppy's first weeks/months are crucial in setting up expectations for how they fit into the family system. While training can be part of it these months are more educating your pup and prepping them for the life they will have.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if we focus too much on the training side of things at this stage, we miss the puppy stage altogether! And that's no fun at all!

Charlie's family understands this intimately and I've no doubt he'll reach the stars!

When your job brings you to the home of this Stunning golden retriever you thank your lucky stars you made the career ch...
09/09/2025

When your job brings you to the home of this Stunning golden retriever you thank your lucky stars you made the career change! 😍

Loki the golden retriever is a sweet soul with big emotions (and even bigger strength 💪). We spent most of our session building engagement around triggers with my favourite exercise "Super Bowls".

Loki showed some amazing focus and the desire to get things right! This got me to thinking that most, if not all dogs, really do *want* to get things right but there might be things in place preventing them (learning history, functional behaviour, reactivity, etc).

It's for this reason that it's on us as owners and professionals to lead with understanding and kindness and creat for our dogs a space where they can get things right!

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It's time for some annual leave! 😎Myself, the husband, and our beautiful Obie are heading to the beach for a few days to...
25/08/2025

It's time for some annual leave! 😎

Myself, the husband, and our beautiful Obie are heading to the beach for a few days to get away from it all and recharge so we can come back stronger.

📅We will be away from Today until Friday 29th August and communication on my socials, emails, texts and calls will be limited to only emergency cases.

Please feel free to continue to engage and contact Sound as a Hound during this period as all will be replied to once I return on Friday.

📣In the meantime if you need to begin your journey my wonderful colleagues at Snout and About would be happy to assist. Please visit their website snoutandabout.ir or contact them directly at [email protected]. 🐾

See you on the Sunny side! 🌞🌞

Address

Limerick

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm
Saturday 9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+353896126563

Website

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