Darcregan Dog Training

25/01/2025

All our classes are full at the moment but if you wish to join our next intake of Kennel Club Puppy Foundation classes then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. 😀

20/01/2025

Blast from the past 😀

My homebred Dobermann Darcregan Diora Diester ‘Diester’ in an Obedience competition in 1989/90. I can’t remember which venue, I think perhaps Ayr. Shortly after we discovered the sport of Working Trials. Diester was the first dog I ever showed at Crufts where he won a VHC in Graduate Dog.

31/12/2024

❤️

31/12/2024

Competing in 2024 has been such a fabulous year. The support, the fun and the laughter with friends old and new. It was great to have members of the Darcregan family joining us at the shows. This for me is the best part of competing, having a great fun day out with friends and your best friend 🐕‍🦺. What’s not to like 😀. If fortunate enough to win a prize that is just icing on the cake. Miso progressed from Novice to C only in Obedience and from WDex to TDex and RCC in Working Trials. Such a good boy 🥰. Miso gives special mention to his Auntie Erika for her support at the shows with his best pal Quinn and spoiling him with goats milk and saving his Mum from getting lost!

30/12/2024

Congratulations to Wendy and puppy Jura for passing your Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze Award. Jura’s friends a Whippet and a Labrador also passed. Very well done everyone!

30/12/2024

We have had lots of successes at Darcregan Dog Training this year. Huge well done to those that were recently successful in achieving their Kennel Club Good Citizen GOLD award. Being awarded the highest level is a fantastic accomplishment 🎉👏👏. I’m super proud of you all. Thank you to our Judges for giving up your evening to Judge for us. So much appreciated 🥰

30/12/2024

Look what has arrived 😀. Miso has been such a clever boy this year which has resulted in him being awarded his stud book number by the Kennel Club 😀

27/12/2024

I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for my lovely cards and gifts. So much appreciated. I would love to see Christmas photos of all canine friends of the Darcregan Dog Training family past and present enjoying the festivities. I’ve posted Meera having a cracking time!

08/11/2024

Trophy all polished up ready to pass onto the next worthy winner at ASPADS Working Trial. The competition will take place in Dundee this weekend. Best of luck everyone 😀🍀

07/11/2024

26/10/2024

🐾 Spotlight Saturday 🐾

2012

My little dog Oshie was a very scared and, therefore reactive, soul and under Yvonne’s expert guidance we enjoyed going through our Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates as well as continuing onto advanced training. We entered our first competition, where he got placed twice. He did amazingly well. We made many friends and Oshie was able to train and learn in a safe environment alongwith his new doggy friends. We had some fantastic training weekends with the Yvonne and the late, great John Rogerson. I learned so much about dogs in those 9yrs we had him. Even my Mum loved coming along to training - no matter the weather (and she hated the cold!) and everyone, especially Yvonne, included her in the Darcregan Family.

When we got our new puppy, Scout, 3 yrs ago, it was Yvonne who spoke with me on the phone as we travelled to Whitby to collect her. Giving me lots of practical advice on how to handle our first few hours when we got her home. Invaluable knowledge which had our new little pup settle immediately.

Scout is very much part of the Darcregan scene and a delight to train. We’ve passed our Bronze & Silver awards and we’re just waiting to complete the Gold for our hat-trick. We’ve entered 3 obedience comps now and we’ve managed to collect 5 beautiful ribbons. We’ve also been attending outdoor lessons for UK Dogs Sports and the little pooch takes it all in her stride, loves working and, needless to say, loves her Auntie Yvonne.

I’ve even managed to persuade my husband to get involved and he regularly attends classes when I’m otherwise engaged.

We have made many, many friends through Darcregan, all of the dogs and handlers are very special and I look forward to seeing what our future holds being part of it all with them.

Thanks Yvonne, your knowledge, gentle nature and patience are second to none - you are a true legend.

Lots of love and licks

Gill, Jules & Scout (the licks are from Scout!!!)

05/10/2024

🐾 Spotlight Saturday 🐾

I first joined Yvonne’s training class with my brown poodle,Diva around 2006. She was described by my friend who owned kennels we used as the most mannerly dog- Diva had her naughty moments though. With Yvonne’s help, we achieved Bronze, Silver and Gold levels of the Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme. We also did agility with Yvonne- more for fun and bonding than competition.
Then came Portia, apricot girl. We started training in around 2010. She was a different ball game! Again, with Yvonne’s guidance, we achieved Gold level KCGCS. How we gained Gold was was quite an achievement as her Stop on Recall was legendary! She would hurtle down the hall then flung herself down sliding across the floor like a giant mop! ( Diva, on the other hand, would almost tiptoe up to the line then sit daintily)
Then came Sienna - my red girl. We started in 2019 just before Covid and miraculously gained Puppy Foundation- she spent a lot of time showing off! If I thought Portia was a tricky dicky, Sienna was on another level. When I picked her up, her breeder said I hope you’re ready for her as she is the boss of her 4 brothers. I thought ‘ no problem,I’ve got this’ Famous last words!! Thank goodness for Yvonne. We have progressed hugely and are going for gold!!!
I am so thankful for finding Yvonne as a trainer. Her knowledge of dog behaviour is immense and she shares her knowledge in a way that is easy to understand and carry out. To quote Yvonne ‘ I feel I now have the dog I deserve!!

04/10/2024

The joy of hosepipe 😂 if you know, you know 🤣

03/10/2024

THROWBACK THURSDAY

I have loved trialling over the years at Ballater. My first one being around 1990. I entered both my Dobermann’s. Racget Shinning Gold at Darcregan ‘Karla’ and Darcregan Diora Diester, ‘Diester’. Karla had no trials training at the time but she had done a little agility and some Obedience so being young and bold I entered her! Diester had a little Working Trial training but nowhere near enough to qualify. We still had the best of times and definitely caught the Working Trial bug. I have returned to trial my dogs many times, enjoying the stunning scenery and fun times camping in great company. If you have trialled your dog at Ballater it would be lovely to see your photos and hear your memories 🥰

29/09/2024

🏆 Successful Sunday 🏆

We would love to start catching up on Darcregan Dog Training’s successes this year! Starting with Gill McDiarmid and her 3 year old Cocker Spaniel ‘Scout’.

Here are some pictures of Scout with Obedience show rosettes! :

Irvine Valley Dog Training Society
9th in pre beginners
7th in beginners

Burnbank Dog Training Club
4th in pre beginners
2nd in beginners

Kilmarnock Dog Training Club
9th in pre-beginners

Huge well done to Gill and Scout 👏🏼

21/09/2024

🐾 Spotlight Saturday 🐾

My journey with Darcregan Dog Training began late 2016 when I was looking for somewhere to train my new puppy.
‘Envy’ and I embarked on the Kennel Club Good Citizen Puppy Foundation class and it was obvious she had an eagerness to work and learn which was strongly encouraged by the trainer with her positive and kind training methods towards both the dogs and their humans!
Envy went on to achieve her bronze, silver and gold good citizen awards by 2-years-old. Her delight at performing heelwork and obedience in general, along with encouragement from our trainer led us to competing in a couple of competitions and we qualified for the SKC Beginners Obedience Final in 2019.
The excellent training we received under the guidance of Darcregan Dog Training was a super foundation to everything that has come since- with Envy gaining her Champion title in breed shows along with dabbling in Rally, Agility, IGP, Hoopers, Scentwork and above all else being a wonderful companion who is a joy to live with.
I am now training my second dog with Darcregan, Envy’s daughter ‘Rave’ and we are currently working towards our gold award of the KC good citizen scheme.

I have found Darcregan dog training to be a friendly and welcoming place to train and learn for dogs of all shapes and sizes! My 14-year-old niece has also been welcomed into the session which has nurtured her interest in obedience and dog sports in general. The trainers are very knowledgeable and accommodating with emphasis on fun and positive training methods.

14/09/2024

🐾 Spotlight Saturday 🐾

I first met Yvonne whilst training our flat coat retriever Scout 18 years ago. My husband and I had both had dogs as pets growing up, but he was our first baby, and we were keen to learn as much as we could about puppies and all things four-legged! Scout progressed through the Kennel Club Puppy Foundation Certificate right up to his Gold Award. And he was a beautiful gentle soul reaching the grand age of 12, unusual for the breed. The perfect companion for our three growing boys.
Harbor, our working golden retriever, joined our family almost four years ago and has been a ray of golden sunshine from day one! She has a zest for life like no other. And I knew that she would LOVE her Darcregan training classes. She was a lockdown puppy so her first training sessions were one-to-one in our garden with Yvonne. We were very grateful to Yvonne for that support in the early days. I knew from having Scout all the things that we wanted to train her to do – I just couldn’t remember how! And I was worried that COVID would get in the way of that. But our one-to-one sessions soon became outdoor session with the Darcregan Pupstars and we’ve been attending weekly classes in the hall ever since COVID restrictions were lifted. Harbor has also achieved her Gold Award and each week we continue to build on the training and piece different activities together. You can see her watching Yvonne set up the activities each week, eager to try them out and just as eager to please!
I’m not sure we (or rather I!) will ever be brave enough to enter the competition ring but our training sessions have undoubtedly made Harbor a very easy dog to live with and have given us a huge understanding of how to get the best from her. Yvonne has a sound understanding of how the dogs think, what they need, and how their breed influences their training. And she does the best impressions of ‘Rover’ which brings the training to life 😊
Every puppy/dog owner needs an Yvonne!!

07/09/2024

🐾 Spotlight Saturday🐾

This week from our lovely Louise:

I’ve known Yvonne Walker for 30yrs.

How I found her in these days I can’t honestly remember but I’m eternally grateful I did .

My first dog was a Doberman.

I feel in love with the breed but was under no illusion I had work to do , I was set to be the best dog “mum” possible and give Harley everything she needed.

We would meet in a field, both in our early 20’s and Yvonne would train me to train Harley Doberlady .
Looking back now it was a privileged position to be in!

I had one to one with Yvonne and had the best times. Giving Harley fun and challenges she enjoyed .

Harley proved to be a lovely laid back lady who never put a paw wrong .

When Harley died of old age I reached out to Yvonne to help find a puppy.

We got Padi, a huge Doberman boy .

Padi relished training with Yvonne. We both enjoyed classes on a Wednesday night , at that time it was dominated by Dobes. 8 if I remember correctly.

Yvonne ran a tight ship. Her skill and dedication is unmatched. You can see the joy in her eyes when you achieve a task she has given .

We spent every Sunday doing working trails , courses , fun “ training “ days out .

Because of the good foundations Yvonne set Padi was a tremendous boy.

He tested us of course and he did!
The pecking order in the house changed - Louise Padi then Gary .

We had private sessions with Yvonne and the short term issue was solved .

My next boy Dobe was Louie .

This gentle lad didn’t know he was a Doberman.

Again , from puppy to adulthood I trained with Yvonne .
Lou Lou adored Yvonne , every dog does .

I can honestly say I could take Louie anywhere and everywhere - and I did .
Lovely Louie .

Louie died unexpectedly and this is where all these years of training with Yvonne had given me a lifelong friend .

We have both had puppies together and been there for each other when rainbow bridge called .

She knew Louie’s death hit hard and in the mist of Covid Yvonne found me Ruben!

Ruben the Dalmatian.
Never a dull moment in my house .

Weekly classes with the best people and their dogs .
Yvonne’s knowledge and passion for dogs and training is contagious. Only because of commitments to my work means currently I’m unable to attend the Thursday class . With the right steady foundations set early on in Rubén’s life , I’m so proud to say, where I go he does . Shops, bars , hotels you name it. Ruben relaxes and enjoys his day out.

I can’t thank Yvonne Walker enough for 20 plus years of me asking questions and Yvonne’s constant support.

You are one in a kind .

Ruben and I , thank you 🙏