Club Doncaster Foundation

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Reviews

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  Nicola Paxman

  We decided to contact Yorkshire Canine Academy after walks with our 20 month old GSD had turned into what felt like a nightmare. When she went on lead walks, she would try to run to other dogs, barking and almost choking herself to get to them, the walks were becoming less enjoyable, frustrating and more isolating and although she was on a lead, comments would be made by other dog walkers. We started booking secure fields so we knew that other dogs wouldn’t be there and also used a dogmatic when out on the street to try to support with her pulling. It’s tempting to think ‘they’ll grow out of it’ but we knew there was something we were doing that was reinforcing the behaviour and we were concerned that it would escalate if we didn’t do something about it. We decided to book an initial consultation and that’s when we met Ian. The discussion was in depth and he collated historical and current information, we also had an opportunity to show him how our GSD reacted when she saw other dogs. Ian was able to give us some initial feedback and went through the options for training. We decided to go with the 3 day kickstarter followed up by a 12 week 1:1 course. Leading up to the course we were provided with training materials, which are so affective in supporting the foundations to the training. After the kickstarter days which our dog loved, Ian provided feedback and developed a plan with us. Even when we didn’t see Ian, we were able to send him videos so he could see how we were working at home. Nearly 12 weeks on and our GSD no longer wears a dogmatic when out walking as she can loose lead walk without it and not one secure field has been booked! We have learned to reconnect with our dog, as we were getting frustrated and upset by the walks, we were missing the little nuances which were indicators we needed to respond to her. We have a clearer routine at home and our GSD is much happier, we still have work to do but there are significant improvements. Initially the training can seem like it’s hard work and time intensive and you do have to put the effort in but within a short space of time something clicks and we started to see the small changes which makes it all worth it and we wanted to do more and now it doesn’t feel like we’re training at all, we’re embedding what we’ve learned into ours and our dogs every day life and the lead walks are much more fun and enjoyable for all of us. The YCA team are great, from the trainers to the stooge dogs. Even our cat Susan has got in on the training action, following us on walks and acting as a stooge cat and she is now known as stoogie Su! We can’t thank YCA enough, especially Ian, our training isn’t ending here and we can’t wait for the next chapter to begin.

  27-05-2023
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  Charlotte Corner

  The YCA team have been fantastic. We opted for a handful of one-to-one session to help us understand how we can best work with our dog and nip some habits in the bud. Jacob's advice was a real changer, helping us with lead training and barking in the office. Thank you YCA, you guys are fab at what you do and would 100% recommend their support to any dog owners. PS. Their collaboration beer with Meanwood Brewery is also very epic!

  25-05-2023
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  Olivia Johnson

  We booked Ozzy in for a 5 day kickstarter course followed by 5, 1-1 sessions to work on Ozzy’s lead work and general obedience. Prior to coming to the Yorkshire Canine Academy we were starting to struggle walking Ozzy as often as we would have liked, due to him pulling on the lead when he would see another dog. We have been working with Madi who has taught us so much about dog training and Ozzy’s behaviour. Madi tailored the training around Ozzy’s strengths and weaknesses to ensure we always got the best from him. We were set homework to complete before each session, which was made harder each time to enable Ozzy to progress further. Ozzy is calmer, more obedient and can now be taken to public places without us worrying what he will be like. We have since been able to take Ozzy to his favourite pet shop, cafes, pubs and other places we thought we would never be able to visit again. Ozzy is now loving his walks again and they are stress free for everyone. Madi has been so helpful and takes the time to go through how to do different exercises and the benefit of doing them. We can’t wait to take Ozzy’s training further and see how far he can progress. Madi and the Yorkshire Canine Academy have made training and walks fun again rather than a time we dread.

  21-05-2023
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  Matt Hawes

  Best dog trainers! Helped me tremendously! Highly recommended

  21-05-2023
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  Ethan Roberts

  I was really struggling with my 16 month old Miniature English Bull Terrier Stella, our walks were a nightmare with her pulling everywhere and always wanting to run and play with every dog she saw. I booked a consultation after one particularly bad walk and honestly it was the best decision I ever made. Firstly the consultation was great, they listened to all our problems with Stella and gave time to understand her and how she thinks. We then started our training (which can be paid for by finance which is a life saver). We started with the basics around attention and lead walking and then each session we introduced a new concept which led up to recall, all which Stella has been able to excel. The difference is night and day, she now walks loose lead and trots along aide me extremely happy. We still have a lot of work to do but i can’t thank yorkshire canine academy enough, shout out to Ian for all the support!!

  21-05-2023
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  Kerri-Lee Wooding

  I cannot recommend Yorkshire Canine Academy enough! We booked an assessment for our labrador, Mabel, where Ian went through all of the issues we had been having and what we were looking to achieve with them. We went for the 12 week 1-2-1 training with Ian and wish we had done it so much earlier! He’s so knowledgable and helps train you as well as your dog so that you can continue in your own time. Not once were we made to feel bad for any behavioural problems or set backs along the course; it’s hard work but totally worth it when you receive comments about how well-behaved your dog is! We are going to carry on with classes as Mabel really enjoys herself and we are enjoying learning and training with her. Go ahead and book, I promise you won’t be disappointed 🐶

  21-05-2023
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  Charlotte Kirk

  Our 1 year old Cocker Spaniel, Chewie is the first dog I’ve owned that has shown signs of resource guarding and I honestly didn’t know what to do. I got in touch with YCA and from the very first email from Chloe, right through to assessment and training with Ian, the service has been second to none. Chewie attended a 3-day kickstarter program, followed by 1-2-1 sessions. All the work has been collaborative, with personalised plans and realistic goals. Not only has Ian gently walked me through the practicalities at a pace that works for me, he has shown a genuine interest and understanding of our situation, whilst helping me to understand Chewie on a whole new level. I was also given access to online guides and videos which were invaluable and helped marry up all the new information I was given during the sessions and Ian was always at hand to answer any questions and work through any issues in between. Never did I ever imagine my bouncy little spaniel could walk by my side or master the art of doing absolutely nothing, never mind resisting the urge gobble up anything he could get his paws on (most of the time). We still have a way to go but given the the level of improvement, in such a short amount of time, I’m confident that Chewie is well on his way to becoming a reformed little character. I cannot recommend Ian & YCA enough and I genuinely don’t think my boy would still be with us, without them. I cannot wait to continue with our YCA journey!

  21-05-2023
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  Joe Lajszczuk

  We took Russell to YCA after he was becoming super reactive with other dogs on walks and just non-stop pulling on his lead. There has been such a massive improvement in Russell since taking him to YCA and as dog owners, we feel like we're better equipped to manage his behaviour and work towards improving it permanently. The trainers are brill and they'll never make you feel stupid or that you're making stupid mistakes which is how some classes can feel. They just get it and, most importantly, they absolutely love dogs. Russell absolutely loves Ian.

  07-05-2023
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  shaya Alexander

  I contacted YCA to help me with my 9 month golden retriever Nahla. She's an incredibly excitable and a super high energy dog. Whilst her friendliness was adorable as a little puppy it was fast becoming uncontrollable, especially when she got to the 20+ kg mark. She was dragging me along on walks, super reactive to other dogs, jumping up at people, not listening and was generally just being a bit of a lovable nuisance. Our trainer, Dan, has been brilliant. He's kind and supportive but very firm with both me and Nahla! I remember telling him at the start that she behaved most of the time and he pointed out that in reality she really just did whatever she wanted the majority of the time but it was just that it didn't bother me most of the time! This was totally spot on and helped hugely in my understanding of what needed to change. I was given clear targets and steps to follow each week and these were reinforced at the 1to1 sessions. It's been a lot of hard work but super rewarding, our bond is definitely much stronger and we're both much happier now. We have a way to go before we are where we need to be, but the difference already is immeasurable. She happily walks by my side now, is much more obedient in general and her reactivity to other dogs & people is definitely going in the right direction. We did a 5day kick-starter, followed by 5 1to1 sessions, which we've just finished. We're now ready to start group classes, which is amazing as I never thought we'd be in a position to be anywhere near other dogs without her leaping all over the place and embarrassing me! Thanks to Dan and the rest of the YCA team from two very happy customers 😁

  07-05-2023
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  Stephen

  We took our German Shepherd George to YCA for some reactivity issues and help with some general undesirable behaviours. After working with them on and off, we now have a much calmer and engaged dog that can be around multiple other dogs with no reactivity issues (and who also has a rock solid ‘place’ command). I trust Jacob and Kirky to have our dogs best interests at heart, at all times. Friendly staff throughout with top tier knowledge. A huge thumbs up from Fairsy, Meg and Big George!

  07-05-2023