Rockwood Animals Team Profile
Rockwood Animals Team Profile
Rockwood is a family business run by Martin and
eldest daughter Ellen.
Ellen Ball
Ellen Ball has grown up training dogs with her parents since she was just 8 years old. Ellen was an active part demonstrating her skills with the Rockwood Dog Display Team and assisting at the training centre for many years until taking over from Martin in 2010. During this time she studied and qualified as a dog behaviourist and breeder. Ellen has also a higher diploma in Canine behaviour and psychology with distinction and a member of the international society of Animal professionals. Ellen has also completed all her Security Dogs Action Counters Terrorism modules.
Martin Winfield
Martin Winfield has been training dogs from
childhood and worked in Kingston, Canada training dogs for security
within the prison and commercial sector. After leaving the RAF in 1982
he started training his own dogs and appeared with them on National TV.
Martin was constantly asked how to train dogs and decided with his wife
Ellen Winfield to set up Rockwood Dog Training in 1985. From the onset
the classes proved to be a massive success. Martins and Ellen's
versatility, positive training of handlers and dogs soon gave owners a
chance to make a real connection with their dogs. It wasn't long before
before Martin was providing private lessons for dogs with behavioural
problems. Sometimes as it became apparent in some of the classes dog
owners would need just a little bit more help and confidence on their
own before attending a class. In many cases Martin would find that many
of the psychological problems would stem from the owners house, so in
1990 he started to provide home visits.
In 1986 Martin was asked to supply 12 dogs for a TV Film called Time
Riders. This was to be the start of a long relationship with the TV and
Film Industry spanning over 25 years. Rockwood Animals On Film has
worked with most of the major production companies in the UK supplying a
variety of animals. Their dogs have worked with some of Britain's Top
actors including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Peter O'Toole, Kenneth Brenner,
Rhys Efans and many more. In conjunction with this Martin has made many
personal appearances on national TV. and featured on The National
Geographic Channel, "Dogs with Jobs".
In 1985 Martins amazing dog Troy performed a spectacular tight rope
walk on the Esther Ranson Show,"That's Life",which was unique at the
time. It wasn't long before Troy was being asked to perform at show's
and gala's around the country. Martin and his wife Ellen was then asked
by some of the clients that was attending the classes if they too could
get involved and so The Rockwood Dog Display Team was formed. Since
then the team has had no less than four Royal Performances demonstrating
their skills all over the UK including Ireland and the Channel Isles.
In 2004 the team was asked to display their canine wizardry live at the
NEC, Crufts dog show in Birmingham. All the team had a great reception
and due to popular demand have been asked back over the last four years.
If you would like to know more about Martins Childhood with dogs Martins Memoirs ... click herev