Ann Macinnes, owner of gentle dog training business Spògan, works to train dogs in a kind but effective way, ensuring pets reach their full potential.

With the aim of providing owners with gentle training methods and allowing dogs to play into their genetic drive is what motivates Ann to share her knowledge and skills.

Ann said: “I’m not money motivated, I do this because I love animals. The amount of people I see being quite rough with them unnecessarily or they do the wrong thing with them is quite hard to see.

“I’m very big on genetically fulfilling your dog. Every dog has that predatory sequence and drive, so it’s about finding methods that work to allow them to express that and feel less frustrated.”

What started as a hobby has grown arms and legs. As she continues to develop her ideas for training, Ann shares a bit about her life before dedicating her time to helping others see the potential in their pets. 

Ann lives in Lochs with her husband, Peter, and their many pets. Her enthusiasm for training dogs came 15 years ago when her and Peter got their first dog together, an eight-year-old Border Collie. From then, she felt inspired to take up dog training just for her own personal benefit to ensure she was “doing the right thing” for their latest addition.

Now they live with their 3 horses, Sheeba the cob, Charlie the pony, and Floraidh the four year old horse. She has two ex-feral cats, Kojack and Tabby, and her three dogs Bobby, Ollie, and young Freddie. As she lists them all, she refers to them as “priceless members of the Spògan team".

Holding a BSc and a PG cert in Health, which she studied through UHI, Ann’s had a few different jobs prior to taking the leap and fulfilling her hobby as a full-time passion. Previously she worked as a personal trainer, and working as a Project Coordinator in the NHS. She also has a PGDE in which she’s made use of working in the Council as an adult learning tutor.

As a lover of all animals, Ann wants to see pets thrive and wants owners to understand what kind of environment is needed to get them to a comfortable and well-behaved stage. 

Now, her business venture has turned into a supportive place for others to bring their pets and benefit from gentle training methods all while receiving encouragement and specialist attention.

One area of Ann’s focus is to clear up the misconceptions regarding what people believe socialisation for dogs to be. 

She said: “It’s not about meeting lots of dogs, that’s just play and how they learn appropriate social boundaries. While it’s important, it’s not socialisation. 

“Socialisation is taking your dog to different areas and having them in different situations, being around people and animals or going to new places, all while keeping them safe.”

Dogs Trust described socialisation as dogs learning about ‘normal life’, learning what to make of the new people they meet or the new places they go.

In her time training different breads, the thing that has surprised her is the behaviour of some compared to others. There were some breeds she believed might not make great pets, but, after time spent training them and learning more about them, she’s been surprised by a few different dogs that have taken to the training so well.

As it’s her goal to ensure all pets receive the right training and care, Ann offers a free 5 min video message consultation. She asks people to describe the issues they’re having with their dog, and she uses her knowledge to describes what may be causing the issue. Available on www.spogan.co.uk. 

Ann continued: “I want people to sort the problems with their dogs, I don’t want them to keep having problems just so their dogs come back to me. I want to see them succeed and to see dogs and owners happy.”

With plans in the works that are soon to be announced, Spògan looks forward to an exciting year. Leading with an almost full calendar, with bookings until the end of October in 2027, Ann’s methods are a proven hit amongst island residents. 

Spògan also offers ‘Holiday for Dogs’ VIP boarding, online training and in-person residential training in HS2. To find more details and to find late availability, or to be added to the Spògan mailing list, click here.