Pioneers in Residential Dog Training: Our Story

Pioneers in residential dog training

Royvon pioneered residential dog training in the UK, and over more than 40 years has helped thousands of challenging dogs and their owners, many returning as repeat customers with second and third dogs. The James family founded the business in 1959, and our residential training programme remains the core of what we do today.

A second-generation family business

Darren James took over in 1994, aged just 24, following the passing of his mother Yvonne, having spent his whole life around the business and well prepared to lead it forward. His wife Hannah became co-owner in 2004, and the couple moved the head office from Merthyr Tydfil to Esher in 2006, where they still raise their family today, expanding rather than replacing the original site, our Merthyr Tydfil facility is still very much part of the business.

How our methods have evolved

Our residential courses remain as effective as ever, but the training methods behind them have changed significantly, we now use only positive, force-free training. We've built a close working relationship with the IMDT (Institute of Modern Dog Trainers), a UK accreditation body with its own assessed standards and ongoing CPD requirements for member trainers, and insist our trainers stay current with the latest science-based approaches, refining our results continuously. Training is progressively distraction-proofed too, many dogs behave well in a calm environment but struggle once real-world distractions appear, so we build those up deliberately rather than assuming a calm training hall translates automatically to a busy street.

Helping dogs and owners live in harmony

Our real aim is helping dogs become a genuine part of family life, able to join days out rather than being left home because they feel too difficult to bring along, including breeds that get written off too quickly, our piece on training XL Bullies with positive reinforcement covers one example. Residential training for the dog alone is never quite enough though, owner training is just as essential a part of the package, even if it's not always what owners expect going in. Without that ongoing commitment from the whole family, it's very easy to slip back into old habits, and we offer remote and online options alongside residential and boarding for owners who want support without a stay away from home.

Recognition along the way

Our history includes real industry recognition too, including reaching the final as Kennel Business of the Year at the Pet Industry Federation Awards 2020, and we've written about attending Crufts as visitors keen to see how the wider industry was evolving.

Getting the right support

Contact our team to find out more about our training and boarding programmes at Esher, part of our wider Royvon story.