The Royvon Story
A strong family pedigree: Royvon exists because of an inter-generational love of dogs. Long before Royvon co-owner Darren James took on the business, his Grandfather Will John, taught Darren’s father, Roy, how to care for German Shepherds. It is this continuous love of dogs that has built Royvon into the business it is today, providing first-class dog training and boarding in secure, dog-friendly environments.
The Royvon Story
A strong family pedigree: Royvon exists because of an inter-generational love of dogs. Long before Royvon co-owner Darren James took on the business, his Grandfather Will John, taught Darren’s father, Roy, how to care for German Shepherds. It is this continuous love of dogs that has built Royvon into the business it is today, providing first-class dog training and boarding in secure, dog-friendly environments.
About Royvon
It all started with a love of German Shepherds. This special dog breed became a passion for Roy and in 1959 he and his wife Yvonne pursued a dream by purchasing a small site in Merthyr Tydfil to create the Royvon business. Starting with showing and breeding German Shepherds, the pair expanded the size of the site, launched into boarding and training kennels, and grew their family too.
Award-Winning Dog Training
Roy and Yvonne’s son Darren grew up around the dogs at Royvon in Merthyr and it turned out Darren was a ‘dog person’, just like his parents. On Christmas Day at ten years old, Darren met Merry, the fabulous German Shepherd puppy his parents had selected, who would become his best friend. With excellent heritage and Darren’s love and dedicated training, Merry went on to win top honours in show ring and obedience competitions.
Developing Board & Train
As a teenager growing up at Royvon, Darren started practicing his dog training skills on the dogs that came to stay for boarding. Darren took over the family business at 16, developing the kennel services at Royvon into a Board and Train programme that would enable dogs of all breeds and personalities to make huge leaps in their training progress.
Today, Royvon is owned and run by the James family: Darren and Hannah with their children Felix and Honey who are growing up immersed in Royvon life and a happy appreciation of the joy dogs can bring.
Positive Training Techniques
The programme today is based on the latest scientific research, using force-free techniques that bring together vast experience, a deep understanding of dogs and a realistic approach to each dog family’s capacity to dedicate to training.
Our dog training programme is focused on movement and fun to motivate your dog and help to build a strong relationship between you, for life. With a range of options from remote puppy training to the flagship residential training programme particularly helping dogs with behaviour issues, Royvon is committed to helping as many dogs as possible to live a fulfilling life alongside their owners.
Our Dog Training & Boarding Sites
Time at Royvon has been designed to be a treat for dogs. Making sure your dog feels comfortable at Royvon is an important part of the success of our residential training programme. They can bring their own toys with them to create a feeling of familiarity, access a secured outside run throughout the day when they are not in one-to-one training and we aim to make their stay feel as normal as possible by sticking to your home routine. Dogs also love new experiences too though and we find our guests love sniffing out new adventures on walks in the nearby woodlands, playing with other guests where appropriate, and getting lots of affection from the Royvon team.
While you are apart from your dog, you will be part of a WhatsApp chat group with the team so that you can receive regular photos, videos and updates on the fun and training your dog is having during their stay at Royvon.
Royvon Merthyr Tydfil
As the original home of Royvon, we are proud of the facilities in Merthyr Tydfil in the South Valleys, Wales. With nearby woodland for stimulating walks, two large paddocks for play and training, comfortable hotel-style accommodation, a dedicated team available 24/7 to care for your dog and a grooming area, this isn’t your average kennels, this is a holiday spot for your dog to both relax and have fun.
Royvon Esher
On the Surrey-London border, our Esher site is perfect for training dogs in different environments with both urban areas and wide-open wild spaces on our doorstep. Nestled amongst trees and woodland, our secure site has two large play paddocks where most on-site training takes place, hotel-style accommodation that has staff cover 24/7, a grooming room and a welcoming, experienced team.
Royvon Dog Training Programmes
Find out more about our residential & non-residential dog training programmes and learn how we can help you make the most of your relationship with your dog.
