I've been on both sides of the lead.
"It started as a hobby. I just loved working dogs — what they could do, how they thought, what happened when you got everything right."
Will Holmes didn't start out as a professional dog trainer. He started the same way most do — out of genuine passion. Years of working gundogs, learning the craft in his own time, driven by an obsession with what a well-bred, well-worked dog could achieve.
That passion became a career. Over the last 12 years Will has worked professionally in detection and protection — supplying dogs to HMRC and the MOD, trained dogs directly to the British Army, and Dutch Herders to international police and prison services. Alongside that, as an SIA licensed security dog handler, he has worked protection roles on high-profile sites and with private clients.
As a former British Army infantry soldier who served in Afghanistan, Will also knows what it means to work under real pressure — and what happens when a dog isn't good enough. That experience informs everything he does as a breeder.
Herrahholme Working Dogs is built on that foundation. Three breeds, chosen fit for purpose — Labradors for detection, Spaniels for search, Malinois for patrol and protection. Every animal health tested, bloodline selected, drive assessed. No show lines. No shortcuts.
