Big Dog. Big Love. Big Responsibility. Let's Make It Work.

You chose a large breed because you wanted a dog with presence, personality, and power. What you maybe didn't anticipate was quite how much of all three you'd be dealing with on a daily basis.

The pulling on the lead that nearly takes you off your feet. The jumping up that knocks over your kids. The sheer physical reality of managing a dog who is, in every sense, built bigger than most training advice is designed for.

The Gentle Giant Programme was built because big dogs deserve — and need — something different.

Why Standard Training Doesn't Cut It For Large Breeds

Most dog training advice is written with a 10kg Spaniel in mind. But you have a Labrador. A German Shepherd. A Rottweiler. A Mastiff. A Dobermann. An Akita. A Bernese.

The same cues, the same methods, the same "just redirect and reward" approach — applied to a 40kg dog with a high prey drive, a working-breed brain, or the physical capability to drag you across a car park — is not the same thing.

Large and powerful breeds have:

Higher baseline arousal in stimulating environments

Breed-specific drives that need channelling, not suppressing

A physical capability that makes early, correct foundations non-negotiable

Often, a reputation that means mistakes carry higher social and legal consequences

The Gentle Giant Programme is designed around these realities — not despite them.

This Is Where CLT Changes Everything

The James & Frankie approach is built on Communicative Learning Theory (CLT) — the understanding that behaviour doesn't change through pressure, repetition, or reward alone. It changes when a dog understands what you're communicating and chooses to respond.

For large breeds, this matters more than for any other type of dog. Because when a big dog complies through confusion or fear, it's unstable — and instability in a powerful dog has consequences. But when a big dog genuinely understands what you're asking and trusts the conversation you're having? That's a dog who is safe, confident, and an absolute joy to be around.

What The Programme Covers:

Foundation Strength Management

Loose lead walking that accounts for breed-specific pulling drives — not just "stop when they pull," but addressing the impulse at its root through communication and clarity.

Arousal Regulation

Large breeds often tip into high arousal quickly. We build your dog's ability to self-regulate in the environments that matter — parks, streets, busy spaces, visitors at the door.

Impulse Control for Big Bodies

Jumping, barging, door manners, greeting people — all the moments where size becomes a liability, addressed with breed-appropriate methods that don't suppress your dog's personality.

Breed Drive Work

Working breeds need an outlet, not just a "no." We use your dog's natural drives — whether that's scent, chase, retrieve, or herding instinct — as assets in the training process, not problems to be managed.

Confidence & Socialisation

Large breeds that lack confidence are large breeds that react. We build a dog who can move through the world without the anxiety that often underlies aggression and reactivity in powerful dogs.

Real-World Proofing

Sessions take place in the real environments of Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham — Sutton Park, open fields, residential areas — because a Gentle Giant needs to be reliable everywhere, not just in your kitchen.

What's Included

✔ Full breed and behaviour assessment before the programme begins

✔ Structured 1:1 sessions in real-world locations across Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham

✔ Personalised programme plan built around your breed's specific drives, energy, and needs

✔ Ongoing between-session support

✔ CLT-based communication framework for life — not just for the programme duration

✔ Force-free, science-backed methods that never compromise your dog's wellbeing or your bond

The Breeds We Work With

German Shepherds · Labradors · Rottweilers · Dobermanns · Mastiffs · Cane Corsos · Akitas · Bernese Mountain Dogs · Huskies · Malinois · Weimaraners · Great Danes · Rhodesian Ridgebacks — and all large and powerful mixed breeds.

Why Owners Across Sutton Coldfield & Birmingham Trust James & Frankie

Based in Sutton Coldfield (B74), James & Frankie has built a reputation as one of the West Midlands' most trusted science-based, compassion-first dog training services. The Gentle Giant Programme isn't a group class where your large breed gets lost in the crowd. It's specialist, personal, and built around the dog in front of us.

This Programme Is Right For You If…

You have a large or powerful breed and feel like standard training advice doesn't translate

Your dog's size is starting to become a safety concern — for them or others

You want your big dog to be confident, calm, and genuinely well-behaved — not just suppressed

You're based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, Lichfield, Tamworth, or the wider West Midlands

You believe your dog deserves to be understood, not just corrected

Big Dog Energy Deserves a Big Dog Plan.

Let's build the relationship your Gentle Giant has always been capable of.

Book Your Initial Consultation— currently serving Sutton Coldfield (B74), Birmingham, Lichfield, and surrounding areas.