Working Dog Sport Training

Trav is an expert on dog training and I wholeheartedly recommend him. He’s also a great guy who will help YOU learn to improve your training. Trav has been training me for 18 months and we’ve seen fantastic improvements in our energetic working German Shepherd’s behaviour, temperament and willingness to train as well as my understanding of dog psychology. We’ve since joined Team Marches club which has been fantastic. Today we passed the foundation step in the sport of IGP (formerly IPO, Schutzhund), the BH. None of this would have been possible without Trav and his wife Lorraine’s support as well as our friends at Team Marches club and we are very grateful. If our dog Suzie could speak, she’d say woof in thanks; she’s a lot happier thanks to Trav’s training, as are we.

1 to 1 training with Trav has proved invaluable to clearly establishing the foundations of the sport in me as a handler as much as my dog. In essence learning and understanding more in 2 months than 2 years attending a club, and gaining greater confidence. Trav practices what he preaches and demonstrates each phase of training with his own puppy, or different adult dogs. Both handler and dog have to work hard during the training sessions resulting in training plateaus being broken with both dog and handler visibly progressing, the hard work really does pay off. Cannot recommend Trav’s training enough, its changed my outlook and enjoyment of the sport.

I have been involved professionally in the training of service Patrol and Search dogs for 20 years and have over 11000 documented training delivery hours. I have found my 1 to 1 IPO training sessions with Trav to be highly informative and have produced big improvements in the performance and standard of my GSD across many areas. I have been impressed with his knowledge and passion for training dogs across differing areas and disciplines. I highly recommend him.

I came to see Travis because I was looking for someone who would be able to get the most out of my dog. Not only did I find this but also someone who is able to communicate with the handler and explain exactly what he is doing and why. My questions are answered thoroughly and honestly, which I feel is important when coming to someone for training. I have felt very welcome from day one, and not like someone who is just passing through for training. I very much look forward to training with Vislor in the future!

I have been actively involved in the sport of IPO for some time now and currently own one of Vislor's own bred dogs Vislor Bulmer. I have been down to see Travis on many occasions for his opinion on certain aspects of the training which I felt I was needing advice about. I have found you get to a certain level in this sport, and you need guidance to make that next step to achieving greater things. What convinced me that Travis was the man I wanted opinions from, was his superb track record. Many can talk the talk, but often seem to fall short at walking the walk. I have been seeking advice from Trav for our preparation for the upcoming trials, just some pointers to tweak the work and it's been very valuable for me to gain that extra knowledge in ensuring we can reach optimal performance when it really matters. I have seen many different trainers in the UK and abroad and for me I put Travis amongst the very best I've trained with. I would highly recommend spending any time with him as it would definitely be worth your while. I look forward to working more with Travis in the future.

Hi Lorraine, I would like to say that I had a great time training with Travis. I arrived at a securely fenced field, to be met by Travis with a smile. We sat and had a chat about what it was that I was trying to achieve with my training. He explained his training methods and watched as I put my dogs through their paces. After putting my dogs back in the car we talked though what he saw and how I could improve my training and handling. I then got my dogs out individually and we went though some new training techniques to help with a few problems we were having. I would like say a big thank you to Travis for your help, advice and perhaps the swift kick in the pants regarding my handling hahaha...... Cheers all I need to do now is put it into practice, and as you so rightly said you only get out what you put in. Some homework to do now. Looking forward to my next visit Cheers Suze and the gang.

Hi Lorraine, Travis and Ashley, After beating the arrival of snow fall and arriving home safely but shattered both Zuke and I were still full of adrenaline from the past two days training at Vislor and it took a few hours to calm down. A big thank you to you all, especially Travis and Ashley for there dedication, vast Knowledge, professional approach and good understanding of dog psychology and knowing exactly what I wanted to acheive from my two day training session at Vislor (RECALL) which was acheived. You made both Zuke and I feel so welcome and went out of your way to ensure we understood each and every step of what you were suggesting, recommending, advising and teaching in order for the both of us to acheive our goal. The Training standard at Vislor is the best I have ever come across before, (world class standard) both Zuke and I learned and understood more about each other in the two days we attended than either of us have in the previous short 16 months we have been together. Both Zuke and I will be training each and every day the techniques you have shown us in order that we will acheive the standard required to start on the ladder of IPO and we cant wait to return to Vislor and show you our improvements very soon. We will be making the phone call and confirming a date to return in the near future, but until then once again a big thank you.

I'd like to Thank all at Vislor training centre for their Hospitality!! Having arrived with my 10 month male & after refreshments it was straight down to discussing of what I hope to achieve with my young male & the theory of their training methods , Travis & Ashley were excellent at explaining in layman's terms to help me understand and going onto show me various training stages some of their pups/young dogs are at. I was really impressed with what was achieved with my young dog after only one short session. And very much looking forward to our next training session with Travis & Ashley and I'm very excited for the future training of my young dog. Very impressive training facilities, coupled with Travis's knowledge made the 8+hr journey there & back well worth it!! Thank you & see you all soon!

I came to Travis and Ashley after an extensive search for a responsible breeder of working GSDs with a good knowledge of IPO in order to get a the best start in training a pup with a healthy chance of doing well in the sport, which the Vislor Kennels are more than qualified for! I don’t think I could have found anyone better in fact. I really enjoyed having a look around the kennels and how the dogs are trained and looked after. Travis, Ashley and Lorraine were very welcoming and gave up alot of their time to make sure they were able to help me find what I was looking for. The dogs they own, train and breed are stunning examples of the breed. I feel so lucky to be on the waiting list for a pup and can’t wait to start training for competition with them! Counting down the days, until I can meet my very own Vislor pup!

I visited Travis Foster and the Vislor team to meet them all and to have my recent Dutch import german shepherd male “Mack Vom Haus Valkenplatz” assessed for training in Schutzhund sport. I was very impressed with the standard of the dogs and their facilities and everything was done on a very professional basis. I was instantly put at ease when arriving and was made to feel part of the group straight away. I am sure “Team Vislor” will grow from strength to strength, I wish them all the best in their future.

I would just like to thank Travis and Ashley for the lesson they gave me and my 1 year old german shepherd. After our session at the Vislor Dog Training Centre it really made a difference. The way Trav and Ash explain their methods of training is very simple and I can’t wait until my next lesson. I would recommend anyone who needs help to give them a ring – you will not be disappointed.

It is a pleasure Ash, I am genuinely pleased with the work you did so I decided to share!! I really just wanted for everyone to see your great work.

We bought a pup from Travis and Lorraine to compete in the dog sport of IPO (now IGP) in early 2017. The pup is a year old now and we couldn't have asked for a better dog. He's confident outgoing and friendly, a good looker too, and for the sport he is all I could have asked for. In regard to Travis and Lorraine, they are fantastic to deal with, kept us informed on the litter in their first few weeks and readily answered any questions we had. If you are thinking of a pup from Vislor you can be rest assured that a lot of thinking has gone into the breeding of the pups and they only use top quality world class dogs as the Sire and Dam.