I am proud to announce that I am officially a NePoPo Gold certified trainer, having completed the rigorous Gold school hosted by Hans Verbruggen in Belgium.
While I had already completed the Silver school and attended Hans’s seminar—establishing a cognitive understanding of the system—there is no substitute for practical application. Working day after day under the watchful eye of one of the system’s most competent practitioners, and a protégé of its founders, Bart and Michael Bellon, was invaluable.
I have written extensively about NePoPo and its virtues before, but it is worth expanding on the mechanics of why it works so well for high-drive and working dogs.
Whereas traditional systems often create dogs that merely follow commands and look constantly to the handler for a reward, NePoPo masterfully builds value in the behaviors themselves. It achieves this through:
This methodology creates a dog that actively problem-solves and operates with confidence. Because the dog believes they can turn off the “pressure” and turn on the reward through their actions, they become active, enthusiastic participants in the learning process.
On a trial field, dogs often falter because constant reinforcement from the handler is suddenly absent. Through the precise delivery of pressure, direct rewards, and indirect rewards, the dog learns to love the behavior independent of the handler. If there is a jump, and it has been shaped correctly, the dog will execute it with high energy even if you are 50 meters away.
Because behaviors are shaped, timing and patience are everything. It is entirely about going slow to go fast.
People frequently ask how NePoPo compares to Nino’s STSK9 system. I have temporarily parked STSK9 to prioritize the NePoPo philosophy. NePoPo serves the specific ring sport exercises I train my own dogs in, such as French Ring, which require independent action, distance work, and advanced problem-solving.
That said, when it comes to building drive and polishing obedience, the results Nino achieves are undeniable. The STSK9 drive-building module, in particular, remains a highly effective tool.
When comparing the two, my approach is straightforward: I develop a young dog with NePoPo to build a foundation of understanding and independence. Once the behavior is solid, I add the STSK9 polish and flash.
Bringing this level of mechanical clarity and advanced problem-solving to Pluto & Co K9 is the primary objective of this certification. Whether preparing a working dog for the trial field or creating a clear, reliable communication system for a high-energy pet, this methodology ensures the development of confident, highly capable dogs.
If you believe this is the type of training that could really help your dog, get in touch, we serve Wicklow, Dublin and Kildare for one-to-one sessions.
You cannot comfort a dog out of anxiety. When you shield a nervous dog from every stressor, you are teaching them that the world is dangerous and avoidance is the only strategy. Here is the reality of why your dog is anxious, and the exact mechanics of how to fix the confidence deficit.
Are you being ignored by
Dog Training Explained (Dublin, Kildare,
Most owners rely on basic harnesses or loose transport, but in a high-impact collision, a 30kg dog becomes a lethal projectile. For high-drive working dogs, safety and structure are non-negotiable,
and transport is no different.
In this post, I break down why I moved away from “essential-only” travel and invested in a DT Box. From crash-tested security and local Irish manufacturing to the practical realities of keeping a training vehicle clean, here is a look at why professional-grade crating is the only responsible choice for the serious handler.
