Testimonials

In April 2019 I adopted a dog vet checked, desexed and sight unseen
She was delivered after n 8 hour long car journey by the organisation that facilitated the adoption.
Minnie was restless, extremely independent and nervous and attempted to jump the fence as the
people who delivered her were leaving. They suggested that Minnie would settle in in a few days.
The morning after delivery, I went into the garage where I had made a comfortable bed for Minnie
and she would not allow me near her, she growled and showed me her teeth. I eventually
approached her with breakfast and then took her outside for toileting; Minnie still would not come
near me.

The days passed and nothing improved. On day 7 she attempted to jump the fence and was caught
on the fence. I supported her weight on the fence until a man came and helped me get her off the
fence (she was hanging by her front right leg). This is when I realised that she did not like men! She
growled at the man and hated him from that day on.

The next day I was asked to help my neighbour to tidy her garden so I took Minnie next door on the
lead and tied her to the gate as I worked in the garden. The window cleaning man came to clean the
windows and I asked him to not approach the dog since I was unsure of her temperament. Whilst I
was at the back of the house, the man approached Minnie and she lunged and bit him on the arm.

Two months passed, and she seemed to be settling in. We visited a neighbour up the road daily so
that Minnie could play with the neighbour’s 2 dogs and use up some of her energy. One afternoon,
another neighbour approached the fenced yard with his two small yappy dogs who were barking on
the other side of the fence. Minnie then bit the homeowner on the leg as he was trying to calm her.

This is when I realised that I could not fix Minnie with love and I contacted a dog trainer. The dog
trainer suggested that Minnie should never have been adopted out and should have been
euthanised. I did not follow through with this dog trainer’s training because she was a treat trainer
and believed Minnie’s behaviour could be changed with treats. One thing this trainer suggested was
that I buy a muzzle for Minnie, which I did.

Whilst looking for solutions on how to deal with Minnie, I accessed books from the library, searched
the internet and one day a post from Ross Allan appeared on my Facebook feeds.

I contacted Ross and our journey to shaping Minnie’s behaviour commenced. Ross suggested that
Minnie be detoxed and that she sees a Bowen therapist. Detoxing done, a healthy diet, regular
sessions with a Bowen therapist, and weekly training sessions with Ross as well as daily training at

home seemed to be working well. One training day a few months into training however, Minnie was
in a foul mood when we left home and when Ross corrected her, she bit him.

Back to square one with more Bowen therapy and me slowly gaining the confidence to deal with
Minnie’s outbursts. Training became part of our daily routine….with me saying “no” and correcting
Minnie each and every time she needed to be corrected.

Six years later, I have a lovely dog who clearly understands what “no” means, she is well behaved,
still excitable; and is accepting of men who come into our home.

Had it not been for Ross Allan, Minnie would not be alive today. Ross has taught me so much about
what I was doing wrong and how to gain control of a dog that seemed un-trainable 6 years ago. My
problem was that I was afraid of Minnie and I thought I could fix her with love which was giving
Minnie all the control.

Thanks to Ross Allan, Minnie lives.

This testimonial is not only a reflection of my gratitude, but also a heartfelt recommendation for anyone seeking effective & ongoing training for their dog/s.
In early 2023 it was recommended to contact Ross Allan by a friend to see if Ross would be able to assist with training our GSD Odie.
Odie was only relatively young, under 2yo when we first went to Ross’s house to meet & discuss whether he was able to & willing to help. Thankfully Ross said yes & today we are still training together, albeit we had a break for a while as Odie was “being” a show dog.
A little snippet about Odie, now a 4yo male entire GSD, a supreme alpha some would say.
Starting from approx. 12mths of age, Odie “transformed” into a highly reactive dog especially on leash. This came about from multiple “attacks” by small white fluffy dogs who are off leash with owners spouting the usual “but my dogs friendly”, “no excuse sorry” was my quick response along with “my dog’s not friendly”. This combined with his alpha status, 35+kg of pure muscle & my lack of leadership, created a very difficult situation each time.
I sought help from several trainers before eventually meeting Ross….all to no avail. Each one of these treat driven trainers informed they could not help or would not help with even some suggesting rehoming as we ( hubby ) were too toxic for Odie. Some even suggested euthanasia ( even my daughter ). In their opinions, Odie was fence aggressive, dog aggressive & human aggressive. How could this be I questioned myself when we were constantly showing against multiple breeds with no adverse behaviour from Odie. My heart sank, my world shattered.
Ross stepped into our lives or should I say I pleaded for some help from Ross. The rest is absolute history. Odie has gone from strength to strength, I have become the leader he deserved & we are now a working partnership with goals not too distant in our future of trialing & competing.
Ross has & is invaluable as a trainer / mentor. Odie is thriving & very quick to learn each & every new exercise that Ross shows us. Ross is so very easy in communicating the needs of your dog & what we all need to do to be a better advocate for our canines. No nonsense easy to understand & varied training, old school techniques with variety to not encourage boredom within training. We are thriving & without Ross, I shudder to think where both Odie & I would be at.

I constantly tell everyone that Ross is the only person for us as a trainer….all 3 of us are a team. I am so very very proud of Odie & myself for having the persistence to endure when earlier times were so depressing.
I am so very blessed that Ross is in our lives & that we have the BEST trainer in our opinion a girl & her dog could ever wish for.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Ross for all that you do to help us grow into a formidable team.

Ross Allan isn’t just “old school”—he’s the real deal. And when I say “old school,” I don’t mean outdated—I mean proven, effective, and grounded in solid, no-nonsense methods that don’t rely on treats or gimmicks. Ross trained my German Shepherd back in 2011, and that foundation set her up for a lifetime of excellence. For 13 years, people constantly commented on her flawless obedience and razor-sharp recall. That kind of consistency doesn’t come by chance—it comes from expert training.

When we sadly lost our beloved girl, it was a no-brainer to send our new GSD pup to Ross. This time, it was my partner’s dog, and we both knew the value of early socialisation and structure—especially before entering Ross’s renowned “puppy military training.” Ross’s six-week program is intensive, and the dog stays with him throughout. You can visit, but it’s under his direction—because he’s training your dog properly, free from the usual owner-induced confusion.

Ross has a clear set of do’s and don’ts that aren’t just advice—they’re vital. Follow them, and your dog will thrive. Ignore them, and you’ll likely unravel the good work. His methods work, and the investment is worth every dollar.

This time around, our pup responded even better to the training than our older girl did—and we believe that’s largely thanks to Ross’s Puppy Training book. Reading that before sending her to him made a huge difference. If you’re considering getting a dog, do yourself a massive favour: contact Ross before you even bring your puppy home. Talk to him about breed choice, ideal timing for picking up your pup, early development, and how to choose the right dog from a litter. His knowledge is vast and hard-won—and it’s yours if you ask.

Growing up in the area, Ross’s reputation was already legendary to me. But now, having had two German Shepherds trained by him, I’m more grateful than ever that I met him. If you want a dog that turns heads for all the right reasons, start with Ross Allan.

As an experienced dog trainer myself, I’ve handled a wide range of behavioural challenges over the years. But there came a point with one particular dog where I found myself hitting a wall. Despite all my knowledge and techniques, I couldn’t break through the issue—and that’s when I turned to Ross Allan. Ross brought a depth of insight and a calm, intuitive approach that I hadn’t encountered before. His ability to read dogs and understand their mindset goes far beyond conventional training methods. He helped me see the situation from a completely different angle—one that was grounded in decades of experience and a true connection with canine behaviour. With Ross’s guidance, not only was I able to resolve the issue I was facing, but I also walked away with a renewed perspective that has made me a better trainer. His book Obedience & Care Made Simple is a masterclass in practical, thoughtful training—and I now consider it essential reading for anyone serious about working with dogs. Ross Allan isn’t just a dog trainer—he’s a mentor, a problem-solver, and a genuine asset to the dog training community.

With my Shelby we went from trainer to trainer across Brisbane with him. Told not to come back, he was untrainable, dangerous, had fear aggression and should be surrendered. I was beside myself I had never given up on a dog. I contacted Ross and we drove Shelby to Rocky to stay for 8 wks. When we collected him you could see Shelby loved him, not sacred of him or fearful. Our family had 8 more wonderful years with him because of Ross and his training.
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I can’t begin to express my gratitude for you and your kindness and training you did with our 2 Syria and Rocky. With your male and our beautiful Syria we created many great litters of dogs that have gone to loving homes. Gaining knowledge of our mistakes and gained a long term friendship with you and your wife. Is Koda still with you or has she gone over the 🌈 .
Thank you 🙏🏻 🐾

I cannot thank you enough for helping me train my strong-willed bordoodle fur baby! When I worked with you in 2000, our cocker spaniel Millie was a breeze to train. This lead me to incorrectly assume I was pretty great at training…. Add 22 years and one active, super intelligent bordoodle pup and I had to up-skill to give Oreo all she needed. There you were again, stretching my understanding of my strong-willed puppy. The best advice you gave me was to be determined, however strong she assert her personality, just be a tad more determine each time. The teenage puppy stage was intense and it was difficult to see to the other side, however, 12 months later Oreo is a DREAM dog! She is great company, obedient, superbly trained and my best friend. Thanks so much Ross.

Wish we could clone you 🙂 I know Charlie my old red kelpie from Noosa RSPCA and I learnt so much from you Ross and your boys, forever grateful for the early years of our classes way back in the 90’s . I have bought and gifted so many of your hard cover books to friends over the years and have used your techniques with new dogs I have bred and shown. Enjoy your twilight years, the dog world is a better place because of you, thank you x Christine.

You are well respected Ross and have a natural affinity with canines. It’s an honour to be your friend and our lives have been enriched by your guidance and support with our dogs. Of course Sarge and Macy had a head start coming from you ♥️🤗🥰Always loved your classes and being with a walking encyclopaedia of doggy information who was also always keen to learn yourself. 🤗♥️

This book contains all the information you need to be able to train your dog in obedience. I trained under Ross Allan for many years and went on to serve in the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) K-9 unit as well as train utility and security dogs for commercial contracts. Great Xmas gift.