Jamie Pound Dog Training owners talk experience in Dragons' Den

Jamie and Gemma Pound took their new business UK Sniffer Dogs to the dragons to see if their idea of hosting sniffer dog classes and trials, to help dogs with a range of mental and physical benefits, is an idea worth investing in.

While the dragons decided not to invest and help expand the business worldwide, Mr Pound says that they have taken their advice on board to keep going.

Talking about the "overall good experience", he said: "I think they were really nice to us - they were as nice as they possibly could, I think it was the nicest no I've ever heard them give.

"For us, it's about making people more aware that scent work is brilliant to dogs in all sorts of aspects, whether it's behaviour or exercise stimulation and things like that.

"Even though we did not get the investment, I think that hopefully people that have watched the show will think about doing scent work with their dogs. Our goals were to make it worldwide and get more people involved out of the UK, that's why we wanted the investment.

"But since it's been aired we have launched an online version of the course, and we are selling to other countries in the world other than the UK."

Jamie and Gemma launched two dog-centric businesses

The dragons did not want to make what was clearly a passionately driven business a more corporate experience, and Mr Pound says the couple will continue with their goal in a slower process.

The couple first met at a dog training course in 2013 and quickly began formulating ideas to launch their local business Jamie Pound Dog Training in Chorleywood and Berkhamsted.

Just three years earlier Mr Pound suffered severe injuries while working as an electrician, and an electrical explosion set his t-shirt on fire, which caused him to have 40 per cent burns from his neck to torso.

The accident meant he was in a coma for a while and he lost his sight temporarily – and it was the purchase of a German Shepherd puppy, Frankie, that helped him recover.

His wife said: “He needed a reason to get up in the morning, he wasn’t able to work, he was a young lad and all his friends were out, at work or had girlfriends, and he was just sat at home recovering.

“He needed companionship and he needed a purpose, so he got himself a dog. The dog was quite a problematic dog and he struggled to find any training classes. So he just thought I’m going to become a dog trainer, not necessary for it to become his job, but just to help his own dog.”

Gemma Pound pictured with a dog

Meanwhile, Mrs Pound met her husband at the dog training course after she studied to become a veterinary nurse and then started her own dog walking business.

The two met at Mr Pound’s first training course, and they quickly fell in love and moved in together.

The dog walking business had to stop after the Jamie Pound Dog Training business, which started in 2014, became busier and a full-time job.

It started off with training three dogs a week at Chorleywood Common, and now the two train nearly 250 dogs a week.

Now on top of that they have instructors across the UK to help out with the UK Sniffer Dogs aspect of their business which launched in 2018.

The UK Sniffer Dog team

It was found that there were several benefits in scent detection, such as calming dogs, training dogs mentally and physically, socialising dogs, helping older dogs who are not mobile, helping to tire out puppies and more.

The aim is to make scent detection accessible and more aware to pet dog owners because of its range of benefits.

The episode aired earlier today (May 20) at 8pm on BBC One.