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Dakota's Choice - Animal Behaviour & Training

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Dakota's Choice - Animal Behaviour & Training

Dakota's Choice - Animal Behaviour & Training Helping you get back to real life situations!
🐶 Behaviourist & trainer
🤝 1-1 services & group classes
🧭 Scentventure Guide
🏔 Dog Walks

We are a small team of behaviourists, trainers, dog walkers and pet sitters. Our business has been running since 2021 but our individual experiences started long before that! An introduction to Lucynda (the owner and lead behaviourist); I have a Masters degree in International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law, and I have a BSc in Animal Management. I have completed additional courses such as Canine

Fear and Aggression, canine communication and am looking to top up my upon Feline knowledge to ensure I am always up to date with the latest information. Nearly 8yrs of my experience has been working with RSPCA centres, from Animal Care Assistant to Animal Care Manager. I have lead puppy training, obedience training, social play sessions and one to one training since 2019 and have owned, and been training, my own dogs since 2006. Dakotas Choice refers to my first Siberian husky and how we formed our strong bond with each other. I learnt a lot with Dakota and she was always been given a choice, especially when it came to training. By this, I mean that she was never made to do any training or forced to go somewhere she was uncomfortable with... I always listened to her (sometimes quite literally) and allowed her to make her own decisions. This is evident to the people I meet when with any of my dogs. I feel that this is due to Dakota choosing to participate in training and our bond grew from there, so I want to share that experience and knowledge with as many people as possible so that you can have the same connection and understanding with your dog. Now, when I talk about understanding your dog and having a bond, I am talking about you being able to understand what your dog is trying to tell you (e.g. when they are nervous or uncomfortable), and your dog knowing what you want from them; this is generally to be a well mannered member of the family. You don't want them to interrogate visitors at the door, to 'help' you eat your dinner, or to do everything at 100 miles an hour. Your dog will only learn what you teach them and, taught right, they will remember forever. Google business - https://g.page/DakotasChoiceABT?gm

01/02/2025

Puppy Training

Our next 4 week puppy course will be held at a new venue!
You will learn to;
✔️ stay sane
✔️ understand puppy behaviour and how to prevent future issues
✔️ work with your dog so they work with you and not against you

We’ll cover;
🐶 Leave it and Drop it
🐶 Lead manners
🐶 How to settle in different environments
🐶 How to relax and promote calm behaviour
and more!

All in a safe and secure indoor environment at K9 Fun-Time!

🗓️ Saturday 8th March 2025
⏰ 9:30
💴 £65 per dog for the 4 weeks or £20 per session for individual sessions
📍 St Cuthberts Parish Centre, Stokesley Rd, Marton-in-Cleveland, Middlesbrough TS7 8JU

29/01/2025

🐾February Classes 🐾

Social Focus £20
🗓️ Sunday 2nd and 16th at 11am
📍 k9_funtime Field

Introduction to Scent Detection £85
🗓️starts Saturday 8th (4 weeks)
📍 k9_funtime Dog Discovery Barn

Agility Fun £20
🗓️ Sunday 9th at 10am
📍 k9_funtime Dog Discovery Barn

Life Skills £15
🗓️ Monday 10th at 6pm
📍 Teesside Park

Scent-Sational Workshop £15
🗓️ Sunday 23rd at 9:30
📍 Preston Park

Total Recall £20
🗓️ Sunday 23rd at 10am
📍 k9_funtime Field

Anti-Social Walk £16
🗓️ Sunday 23rd at 13:30
📍 Wynyard Woods

27/01/2025

Meet Demon!

He is a rescue who was found abandoned as a puppy and he’s landed right on all 4 paws with his owners who are very knowledgeable with his breed. He’s been doing great with his basics but tends to be anxious in some public spaces. Typical of a husky he prefers to greet others rather than them greeting him. He also doesn’t like it when people stand still (he finds this unpredictable).

His owners had already moved onto using a yellow lead to show that he needs space 💛

We worked on ways to build trust, focus and of course having a safe space to settle. We also discussed some confidence building techniques to have a go at and I can’t wait to hear how he gets on 💫

26/01/2025

🔊🔊Total Recall still has spaces left on the 23rd of February📣📣

Does your dog have selective hearing when you’re out walking? Are you a little nervous about letting your dog off lead for the first time? Do you need help learning how to recall your dog in the right way?

This one off recall session walks you through all the basics of recalling your dog, it allows you to practice in a secure field, with distractions of other dogs in the group!

Sound good? It’s £20 for a space and it’s in K9 Fun-Time. Secure indoor & outdoor dog exercise facilities Firld in Kirklevington 🐾

25/01/2025

Foundation classes 🐕

For dogs aged 6m+ and typically entering their teenage phase or in full blown hormonal swings!
This is one of the most challenging times of your dogs life and most say it’s harder than puppy stage because now they’re closer to being fully grown and acting out.

In this course we will help you;
✔️ stay sane
✔️ understand what’s going on with your dog
✔️ work with your dog so they work with you and not against you

Over this 4 week course we’ll cover;
🐶 Teaching your pup impulse control
🐶 Lead manners
🐶 How to settle in different environments
🐶 How to relax and promote calm behaviour
Plus much more

You also get 1-1 to each week with one of the trainers 👀 All in a safe and secure indoor environment at K9 Fun-Time.

Sound good?

🗓️ Saturday 8th March
⏰ 10:30
📍 St Cuthberts Parish Centre, Stokesley Rd, Marton-in-Cleveland, Middlesbrough TS7 8JU
💸 £65

*Full payment secures your place*

24/01/2025

Meet the handsome Hunter!

Hunter has come to us as as a youngster, believe it or not he’s not a year old yet! His owners have asked for help as the outside world is proving a little overwhelming for Hunter at times.

We are using many focus techniques with him, including 123 Step, hand touch, go find it techniques and much more in his 1-1 sessions to help him find his paws in the outside world 🐾🥰

22/01/2025

Life Skills (2 places left)

We will start off these sessions by focusing on the retail environment, working around the shops and then building up to entering shops, levelling up the difficulty until you’re all confident to walk around the biggest distracting shop… ‘Pets at home’.

We will also be introducing some cafe stops and restaurant visits as the dogs progress 🐶

🗓️ Sunday 26th at 10:00 (ready for shops opening (2 spaces left)
⏰ Sessions will be 40-45mins
📍 Teesside Park
💸 £15 per dog

21/01/2025

Introduction to Scent Detection Course (4 places left)

Sniffing, searching and finding is naturally highly rewarding for dogs. Dogs increase in confidence, become calm and focused. Dogs who are normally highly distracted by the environment learn to search with no loss of attention and dogs often fall into a deep state of relaxation afterwards.

WHAT YOU GET
🐾 4 x 50 minute classes with a small group of dogs under the expert guidance of a scentwork instructor
🐾 A Scent Kit to keep and practice with at home
🐾 1-1 support each week
🐾 Request feedback or advice throughout the course

The next block starts;
🗓️ Saturday 8th February @ 11:00
📍 K9 Fun-Time. Secure indoor & outdoor dog exercise facilities
💴 £85

READY…SET…SNIFF!

19/01/2025

🐾 Anti-Social walks 🐾

Do you want to practice having your dog neutral around others? Maybe implement your focus techniques but you’d prefer to try it out with a trainer to hand?
On our Anti-Social walks you can gain some simple insight to how your dog is feeling and when to close a bit of distance or give them more space.
These sessions will involve around a 40minute walk and will have two trainers present.
The aim is to help you take that next step towards the walks you want to do with your dog, but perhaps you don’t feel confident enough to do it on your own just yet 💚

Suitable for reactive dogs who are ready for the next step in their training. You must be using techniques that we teach! Please message us to ask if you’re unsure.

🗓️ Every fourth Sunday starting in February
⏰ 13:30
📍Wynyard Woods (Tilery car park)
💸 £16 per dog

To book just send us a message or visit the website www.dakotaschoiceabt.com/book-online

18/01/2025

Competition Time!

Want to put your dogs nose to the test?
We’ve decided to organise a little competition in February! All dogs will search for the target scent they’ve been trained with.
There will be 3 search areas and 3 hides to find in each area. You will be timed and the winner will be announced after the event 🥇

📍 Warsoll Village Hall, Worsall Village Hall
3 Church Lane, Low Worsall, Yarm, TS15 9QB
🗓️ Sunday 23rd February @ 9:30
💸 £22 per dog

17/01/2025

Meet the beautiful Skylar!

Skylar has recently been rescued from Bosnia and whilst doing amazing at home, she’s needing a little help navigating life when she’s out on a walk! We are excited to see how Skylar progresses with us!

1-1 sessions are still available with us in January! Why not send us a message! 🥰🐾

12/01/2025

Social Focus

A session suitable for reactive dogs who are ready to be in a small group of controlled dogs in a secure environment. You will focus on your own training and activities whilst maintaining a comfortable distance away from the other dogs. All dogs stay on lead.

These sessions are a great way to try agility, practice keeping your dogs focus around distractions and are suitable for nervous and reactive dogs as we have a maximum of 4 dogs in these sessions 🐶

Social focus
🗓️ The first and third Sunday of every month starting February
⏰ 11:00
📍 K9 Fun-Time. Secure indoor & outdoor dog exercise facilities Dog Discovery Field TS15 9PY
💸 £20 per dog

Message us or visit our website to book 💚💜

11/01/2025

*** Positive Walks has spaces left … due to start Sunday the 19th of January*** 📣

Are you struggling to get your dog to walk nicely on lead? Is your dog pulling? Would you like training advice for walking a dog who seems to disengage with training out on walks?

This course is the course for you! We cover lots of helpful advice on how to manage your dog effectively when out on a walk, from loose lead walking, to engagement tasks to recall! Why not drop us a message to get booked in 🐶🐾

11/01/2025

🐾 Anti-Social walks 🐾

Do you want to practice having your dog neutral around others? Maybe implement your focus techniques but you’d prefer to try it out with a trainer to hand?
On our Anti-Social walks you can gain some simple insight to how your dog is feeling and when to close a bit of distance or give them more space.
These sessions will involve around a 40minute walk and will have two trainers present.
The aim is to help you take that next step towards the walks you want to do with your dog, but perhaps you don’t feel confident enough to do it on your own just yet 💚

Suitable for reactive dogs who are ready for the next step in their training. You must be using techniques that we teach! Please message us to ask if you’re unsure.

🗓️ Sunday 19th January
⏰ 13:30
📍Wynyard Woods (Tilery car park)
💸 £16 per dog

08/01/2025

🐕Parkour Agility Taster session🐕

Want to just have some fun with your dog? Want to learn some agility to boost confidence? Fancy learning something a bit different?

In our parkour sessions you will learn how to use agility to boost your bond with your dog, increase interaction during walks and start taking your walks to the next level!

This will be a 50 minute session held at k9_funtime where we will use the amazing agility facilities provided.

Sound good?
You can book online or message us to book
🗓️ The second Sunday of every month starting February
⏰ 10:00
📍K9 Fun-Time. Secure indoor & outdoor dog exercise facilities Dog Discovery Barn
💸 £20

06/01/2025

Pablo has been doing really well with his 1-1 training and in preparation for reducing the need for medication at his grooming appointments we’re working on muzzle training and some home grooming to create positive associations.

This was towards the end of his first muzzle session and he did amazing. Since Pablo loves food this was a great motivator and easy to implement for muzzle training

When introducing a muzzle, you must;
🐶 Get a good fit and one that’s suitable for it’s purpose
🐶 Create positive associations around the muzzle
🐶 Be sure your dog is happy to approach the muzzle (never move it towards them)
🐶 Choose a reward that your dog loves and use that to encourage interaction
🐶 Progress slowly and keep sessions short so that you don’t overwhelm your dog
🐶 Pick a verbal cue to ask your dog to place their nose into the muzzle

Well done Pablo 🌟

05/01/2025

Introduction to Scent Detection Course

Sniffing, searching and finding is naturally highly rewarding for dogs. Dogs increase in confidence, become calm and focused. Dogs who are normally highly distracted by the environment learn to search with no loss of attention and dogs often fall into a deep state of relaxation afterwards.

Here’s what Rosie’s owners said (she’s recently completed her level 3);
“We’re so proud of where Rosie is atm, she was off lead in Ropner park and didn't care at all about other dogs or squirrels, and just sat with us if we sat down 🥰”

Rosie was dog reactive when I first met her and she LOVES a squirrel! So to receive this feedback was so rewarding 🥹

WHAT YOU GET
🐾 4 x 50 minute classes with a small group of dogs under the expert guidance of a scentwork instructor
🐾 A Scent Kit to keep and practice with at home
🐾 1-1 support each week
🐾 Request feedback or advice throughout the course

The next block starts;
🗓️ Saturday 8th February @ 11:00
📍 K9 Fun-Time. Secure indoor & outdoor dog exercise facilities
💴 £85

READY…SET…SNIFF!

04/01/2025

Total Recall!

If you have any concerns about letting your dog off the lead due to them ignoring you or being easily distracted then this class is for you!

In this one off session I will go over how to teach recall from start to finish. It’s one of the most anxious moments for majority of dog owners so make sure you get it right!

There’ll be 2 trainers on hand and all you need is a range of treats/reward and a longline (NOT a flexi/extension lead).

🗓️ Fourth Sunday of every month starting in February
⏰ 10:00
📍 K9 Fun-Time. Secure indoor & outdoor dog exercise facilities Field, Forest Lane, Kirklevington
💴 £20 per dog

Your dog must be comfortable around other dogs and new people. Bi***es in season cannot attend.

To book just send us a Message or visit our website www.dakotaschoiceabt.com

Address

Middlesbrough

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 7pm
Tuesday	9am - 7pm
Wednesday	9am - 7pm
Saturday	9am - 7pm
Sunday	9am - 7pm

Telephone

+447496879278

Website

https://www.dakotaschoiceabt.com/

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We’ve still got 3 places left on our Introduction to scent detection starting Saturday 8th February! Held at the amazing K9 Fun-Time. Secure indoor & outdoor dog exercise facilities Dog Discovery Barn. Get in touch to secure your place and train towards a happier, calmer dog 💜💚

🔊🔊Total Recall still has spaces left on the 23rd of February📣📣 Does your dog have selective hearing when you’re out walking? Are you a little nervous about letting your dog off lead for the first time? Do you need help learning how to recall your dog in the right way? This one off recall session walks you through all the basics of recalling your dog, it allows you to practice in a secure field, with distractions of other dogs in the group! Sound good? It’s £20 for a space and it’s in K9 Fun-Time. Secure indoor & outdoor dog exercise facilities Firld in Kirklevington 🐾

Decembers settle session ended up with Biscuit and Blossom making friends 🥹 Blossom was initially anxious and Biscuit was initially very excited so it was lovely to see them both relax in each others company and successfully say hello to one another 💜💚

*** Positive Walks has spaces left … due to start Sunday the 19th of January*** 📣 Are you struggling to get your dog to walk nicely on lead? Is your dog pulling? Would you like training advice for walking a dog who seems to disengage with training out on walks? This course is the course for you! We cover lots of helpful advice on how to manage your dog effectively when out on a walk, from loose lead walking, to engagement tasks to recall! Why not drop us a message to get booked in 🐶🐾

We’d like to wish all of our clients a very Happy New Year! May you get closer to achieving your goals and succeeding in 2025 💜💚 we are here with you every step of the way and thank you for choosing us 💚💜 #HappyNewYear #2024inanutshell #2024 #smallbusiness

These two lovely boys are from a multiple dog household (3 in total) that I’ve been working with since the eldest and youngest randomly decided they didn’t like each other and the household has been living separately ever since. We’ve been working on keeping all dogs calm and focussed prior to reintroductions and keeping interactions as positive as possible even if that means it’s only short 💚💜 there’s been some small improvements already so hopefully they continue on this path and everyone can enjoy each other’s company again soon

This was such a feel good session all round! New location… the closest distance we’ve managed with Kiara and Eko took treats the entire session 😍 He even started to just check we weren’t too far away and waited for us to catch up whenever we’d gone out of site 🙌 amazing 💫 #reactivedog #anxiousdog #yellowdog #dogbehaviourist #behaviourmodification

Puppy and Advanced week 2! Practicing Settle, waiting at doorways and added focus for our advanced group 🐕 #dogtraining #puppy #thebasics #foundationtraining

Our current Introduction group are doing amazing! All of the dogs are super focused on the task at hand… even if that means they get a little hyper in between activities… very pleased with how they’re all doing after just 2 sessions #scentdetection #scentdog #snifferdog

Every has improved their searching techniques and indication but it was Ellie who took top spot last week! Well done 💫 not long until our scent competition now! 🧑‍🎄

Dakota's Choice - Animal Behaviour & Training

01/02/2025

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