About Martina
Hello, my name is Martina Miradoli and I specialise in training Border Collies.
I’ve owned Border Collies for many years and have trained them, along with other herding breeds in every sport and activity available.
This has allowed me to gain invaluable experience and an understanding of these unique dogs and the behavioural challenges that we may have to face as owners. It was because of this that I developed my breed specific training programme.
My training programme was developed specifically for the Border Collie and herding breed owner who are experiencing unwanted and challenging behaviours.
Control Unleashed – Certified Instructor
I have applied in the past many techniques to try and help Moss but nothing really worked. Positive or negative, as yes before becoming an instructor myself I used to get very frustrated at Moss as I didn’t understand why he had to fixate like that on things and even if I tried to distract him, nothing worked!
The year I moved to the UK I started working in a place in Devon and once I became friends with some of the other instructors, they happened to mention Control Unleashed as a book to read.
I was watching them using an exercise that was called The Look At That.. I didn’t know yet that would become my favourite exercise to teach to my students and my own dogs!
That book changed my life, Moss’s life and my way to see dog training for reactive, anxious and over-excitable dogs.
It was not until 2018 when invite two good friends of mine to run a weekend for Complicated Dogs, that I hear that Leslie McDevitt has been in the UK and I was too busy trying to make everything in my life work that I missed it. They show me some new games she was teaching that was not on the book called Pattern Games.
I then started frantically researching and ended up in Leslie’s group for Certified Control Unleashed instructors that had just started as a certification. In the group, Leslie passed on all the new training tools she was developing while she was writing her new book that came out in 2019.
I felt like I was exposed to a New World, a new way of seeing dog training and I was fascinated and captured!
During lockdown 2020 I completed my certification thanks to some online students I was working with and my own dogs and the time we all had in our hands for a few months!
Leslie is a source of inspiration and I can’t wait to keep learning while she develops new methods and strategies to help our dogs thrive, even the ones that appear to be more sensitive, more worried and anxious.
I’m a proud CCUI and I use these programs in my 1-1 training and my Online Academy.
I decided it was time to share this knowledge a bit more vastly and I will start teaching individual workshops on some of the main concepts of Control Unleashed.
My Ethos
I believe that when we train dogs we should ask ourselves ‘has my dog understood what I am asking of him?’. A dog that is not doing what we have told him to do is usually a dog that has misunderstood the task.
By understanding our dog’s emotions we are taking steps towards building a great relationship.
By supporting, understanding and helping your dog through his struggles and using reward-based reinforcement we ensure quick and positive results.
My Sheepdog Super Power
For the past 15 years, I have trained my dog with sheep, making me one of the few instructors that have experienced working on a farm.
Handling dogs to work with sheep allows me to understand the Border Collie brain on a much deeper level. Combined with my other sports this enables me to get to the root of the relationship between you and your dog and get the results you want.
My qualifications & skill set
Qualifications
Full Member of APDT since 2022 MAPDT 01562
2020 qualified as Certified Control Unleashed Instructors from Leslie McDevitt CU program
Member at CSEN National Educational Sport Center and fully qualified Dog Trainer for CSEN
Dog body language, Ethograms of behaviour (Alexa Capra Ethograms studies)
Qualified Canine Hoopers World Instructor
Trained in Dog Obedience
Trained in Dog Agility
Skills
Behaviour problems and behaviour modification; dealing with reactivity, fear, over excitement and frustration
Sheepdog Training
Puppy obedience
Sport foundation
FCI Competitive Obedience
Agility
Trick training
Rally obedience
The story of my Border Collie family
Abigail
I knew I wanted a Border Collie but didn’t know anything about the breed. I used to see them during my holidays in the UK with my parents and that they were working sheepdogs.
I found a litter that I liked and I was looking for a female. I liked the puppy with the white face least but ended up with her! After an afternoon spent watching the puppies, she was the only one left standing – all of the others were sleeping, she just looked into my eyes….. and I knew she was meant to be with me!
Abigail was my first ever dog, my obedience dog, my teacher and my companion in difficult times. She travelled Europe with me and kept me in balance. She was my demo dog and my gentle stooge dog.
She was the most special of souls!
Derry Moss
Derry Moss came to me five years after Abigail and he is the dog I had waited for!
He was bred by a good friend of mine in Italy, whose bitch I was in love with and I had always wanted a puppy from. His sire is a famous working sheepdog – Supreme Champion for the ISDA and the resemblance to him is tremendous.
He was a challenge as a puppy, strong willed, stubborn and independent. It took me a while to win him over, he was completely different from Abigail and challenged me a great deal.
Moss is now my pupil, my play mate, a strong and powerful dog in everything he does, very funny and unique! He loves chatting and he likes to have the last word!
We train together in obedience & agility and when we have the chance in sheepdog training as well.
He is enjoying the new challenges of British agility and hopefully we will be successful and are sure to have a lot of fun.
Trust your Heart Jock
Jock is my first U.K. born dog. He is related to Moss, they share a relative that is one of my favourite Border Collies. He is Moss’s nephew, out of a half sister to Moss.
Jock is my Scottish lad!
He is my dream dog! He is gentle, willing to please and always motivated to work for you.
We are training in agility and herding and hopefully will be good enough for sheep dog trials as well as agility competition.
He loves cuddles, food and toys. Everything is fun for him, his attitude towards life is always optimistic. Jock is a pleasure to have around!
Storybooke Tay
Tay is our latest arrival and my Lockdown 3.0 puppy!
I knew I was going to get a puppy at some point between the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 and Tay just happened to be available from a friend’s litter that I was considering.
I loved his mum and really liked his father, working dogs both
He has a very kind soul, plenty of will to please and as you can see a very cute face!
I am looking forward to seeing what our future holds together!
Ready to get some help with your Border Collie?
Everyone's dog and situation is different - I'm always happy to chat and advise on which of my services would most help you.
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