- LORENZO BARICHELLA
Professional Dog Trainer
Behaviour Specialist
Founder of Training Dog®
My name is Lorenzo Barichella. I am a professional dog trainer and behaviour specialist based in West London, and the founder of Training Dog®
For more than a decade, I have worked with dogs and their owners across London, helping families better understand canine behaviour, communication and learning. My work combines professional training with something that began much earlier in my life: a relationship with dogs that started before I was old enough to understand just how important it would eventually become
Growing up with dogs
While the house was being built, local stray dogs began using the construction site as a shelter. By the time we moved in, many of them had effectively become part of our family
I was around three years old, and with so many dogs as playmates, I didn’t really need many toys
Only much later did I realise how formative those early years had been. At an age when children are developing their understanding of communication and social interaction, I was spending an extraordinary amount of time observing and interacting with dogs
I learned to notice their movements, reactions, boundaries and ways of communicating long before I knew terms such as canine body language or dog behaviour
That early experience shaped something that remains central to my approach today: understanding dogs as dogs, rather than expecting them to interpret the world as humans do
Growing up, I saw myself become an adult through the eyes of my dogs. They taught me about trust, communication, companionship and, inevitably, how painful losing an animal you love can be
From film and television to
professional dog training
My first professional career was not in dog training
I built a successful career in the television and film industry in Italy, but throughout those years my fascination with canine behaviour never disappeared. I continued studying, observing and researching how dogs think, communicate and learn
In 2014, my life changed considerably
My beloved Labrador, Dino, passed away. Despite my career going well, I felt that something important was missing and decided to take some time away and travel
During that period I came to England, where I met the woman who would become my partner. Later that year, I left my life in Italy behind and moved permanently to West London
After initially continuing my career in film and working as a personal filmmaker, an unexpected opportunity brought dogs back to the centre of my professional life
A family I was working with welcomed a Border Collie puppy called Phoenix. I offered to help train him
Phoenix quickly developed into an exceptionally well-mannered and responsive young dog. While walking with him around Kensington and Holland Park, other dog owners began noticing the difference in his behaviour and asking who had trained him
One introduction led to another
Before long, I was regularly helping local owners with their dogs, and what had begun almost accidentally developed into a new professional career as a dog trainer in West London
Professional training and
the Training Dog® Method
Although I already had many years of practical experience, independent study and observation behind me, I wanted my professional education to match that experience
I completed the IMDT Career as a Dog Trainer course with the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT), alongside continuing my independent study of canine behaviour, learning and communication
Over time, however, I found that training individual behaviours alone did not always address the underlying relationship between a dog and their owner
This led me to develop the Training Dog® Method: an approach centred around canine communication, engagement, structure, trust and understanding the dog’s state of mind
Rather than simply teaching a dog a collection of commands, much of my work focuses on teaching owners how to understand their dogs: how dogs communicate, why behaviours develop, how human responses influence them and how a clearer relationship can prevent many everyday problems before they become established
For me, effective dog training is therefore as much about teaching people to understand dogs as it is about teaching dogs what we want them to do
Dog training in London
and online consultations
Today, through Training Dog®, I work with dogs and their owners across West and Central London, both personally and alongside a network of professional trainers
My work covers puppy development and socialisation, everyday training, recall, lead walking, canine body language and a wide range of behavioural challenges
In 2020, during the Covid-19 restrictions, I also began working with owners remotely through one-to-one video consultations
What initially started out of necessity demonstrated something important: many dog-training and behavioural problems can be addressed by changing what the owner understands and does, even when the trainer is not physically present with the dog
Online consultations have since become a permanent part of my work, allowing me to help owners outside London and internationally
Education beyond
one-to-one training
Over the years, my work has expanded beyond individual consultations
I created DOG LICENCE™, a comprehensive online dog-training programme designed to give owners a structured understanding of raising, training and living with their dog
I am also the author of Raise the PERFECT DOG Like a Professional Trainer, a practical guide for dog owners based on the principles and lessons developed through years of working with dogs and their families
My second book, The Puppy’s Next Chapter: A Guide for Breeders Who Care About What Happens After, is written specifically for dog breeders and focuses on an equally important part of my work: helping breeders support new owners beyond the moment a puppy leaves for their new home
I have also developed educational resources and professional training materials for dog owners, breeders and dog-training professionals, all with the same underlying objective that guides my everyday work: making reliable, practical knowledge about dogs easier to understand and apply
My approach today
After more than a decade of professional dog training in London — and a lifetime spent observing and learning from dogs — my philosophy remains surprisingly simple
Dogs communicate with us constantly. Many of the problems we describe as “dog problems” begin because we misunderstand what they are communicating, inadvertently reinforce the wrong behaviour, or expect them to understand situations from a human perspective
My job is not simply to teach dogs rules and good manners
It is to help people understand the dog in front of them, communicate more clearly and build the kind of relationship in which good behaviour becomes easier to teach, maintain and understand
That principle is at the heart of Training Dog® and continues to guide my work with owners, puppies and dogs every day
Since then, we’ve worked with him on two more occasions: once during the socialisation period and again to address a resource guarding issue with food. Each time, we’ve come away feeling confident and reassured. Lorenzo takes the time to thoroughly assess each situation, offers hands-on guidance during the session, and always follows up with a detailed email outlining the next steps and a summary of everything discussed.
It’s clear that he has a wealth of experience working with all kinds of dogs and behavioural challenges. He has a calm, kind, and gentle approach—yet knows exactly when to be firm. We highly recommend Lorenzo as a dog trainer and behaviourist.
I have a maltese (called Coco) who would always pull when walking on a lead. She would also bark whenever she sees another dog or when she sees people passing by the window. I tried so many things but nothing worked. After just 5 minutes with Lorenzo walking Coco, she's a changed dog! I couldn't believe it.... She was walking nicely with a loose lead and wasn't pulling forward when I was ahead of her or when she saw another dog in front of her.
Lorenzo truly loves dogs and more importantly he understands them. He is able to explain to me why Coco behaves the way she does and what I should be doing instead to change her behaviour. He has truly educated my husband and I on the foundations of being a leader to Coco and creating a successful relationship between Coco and us. He has also provided us with written advice on what we can do when we encounter certain scenarios e.g. excessive barking etc.
I left it a week before leaving my review as I wanted to see how Coco was after one consultation with Lorenzo - she has been walking well on a lead and she is overall much calmer and well behaved.
If you are struggling with any unwanted behaviours (no matter small or big) in your dog, I highly recommend booking a session with Lorenzo - you won't regret it!! I wish I booked one with Lorenzo sooner, I really can't recommend him enough - thank you so much Lorenzo!
He is kind, calm but firm & uses positive reinforcement which obviously works. He’s clearly loved by so many dogs in the park who run up to him to say hello and my dog respected him immediately.
Lorenzo has provided lots of other tips and techniques that make for a very happy dog and has been supportive in helping us implement them. I have nothing but great things to say!
I would definitely recommend him if you are getting a puppy because he can start training on day one so that as the dog gets older there are no behaviour issues. Or if you have an older dog that needs correction I’m sure he is great with that too.
We cannot recommend Lorenzo more, he is excellent! After three weeks our puppy is already better trained than any of our past dogs ever were.
- Contact Lorenzo
Messages are preferred (WhatsApp, voice notes, email or SMS), as I may not always be able to answer calls