Lancashire Canine Academy

20/10/2026

Availability on this Saturday's socialisation walk 🐾

Does your dog get a little too excited when they see another dog?

Or maybe they’re the opposite and need a bit more confidence around other dogs?

Our Socialisation Walks are designed to help dogs learn how to be around other dogs calmly, without the pressure of having to greet or interact.

We usually meet on alternate Saturday mornings at 10.15am in Oakhill Park, Accrington for a 45-minute walk.

All dogs stay on lead and are kept at a distance they feel comfortable with. Some dogs might need quite a bit of space to begin with, while others are working on learning that seeing another dog doesn’t automatically mean PARTY TIME.

Our trainer is there throughout the walk to help you understand what your dog is telling you through their body language, when to give them more space, and how to help them settle and make better choices around other dogs.

These walks are great for:
• Excitable dogs who struggle to stay calm around other dogs
• Dogs who lack confidence
• Young dogs learning appropriate social skills
• Owners who want to get better at reading their dog

We have a few spaces available on this Saturday’s walk.

£14 per dog
45 minutes
Oakhill Park, Accrington
Saturday at 10.15am

If you’d like your dog to practise being around other dogs in a calm, controlled environment, come and join us.

Book your place via the website.
lancashirecanineacademy.as.me

19/10/2026

🎓🐾 IT’S PUPPY GRADUATION NIGHT AT LCA! 🐾🎓

What an absolutely brilliant six weeks we’ve had with this gorgeous bunch! ❤️

Tonight, our puppy superstars graduated with flying colours, and we couldn’t be prouder of how far they’ve come!

A HUGE round of applause for our fabulous graduates… 👏🐶

🐾 Arwen – Jack Russell Terrier

🐾 Rosie – Cocker Spaniel

🐾 Maddie – Shih Tzu

🐾 Ben – Border Collie

🐾 Teddy – Golden Retriever

🐾 Sofi – Golden Retriever

🏆 And an extra special congratulations to Rosie, who scooped our TOP DOG award! 🌟

We also want to give a special mention to Charlie and Rupert, who unfortunately couldn’t make it to graduation tonight. They’ve both worked incredibly hard over the last six weeks and absolutely deserve a big round of applause too! ❤️🐾

It’s been six weeks of learning, laughter, growing confidence and, of course, a little bit of puppy mischief along the way! We’ve loved watching their personalities shine through and seeing just how much progress they’ve all made.

A massive well done to all the owners too! 👏 You’ve put in the time and effort, and it really shows. Remember, graduation isn’t the end of your training journey, it’s just the beginning!

❤️ And a BIG thank you to Amy from The Good Dog Club who has been shadowing our classes over the past few weeks as part of her journey to becoming an accredited dog trainer. It’s been lovely having you along, Amy, and we hope you’ve enjoyed being part of the LCA puppy madness as much as we’ve enjoyed having you!

🐶 GOT A PUPPY? OUR NEXT COURSES ARE NOW OPEN FOR BOOKING!

If you’d like to join in the fun and give your puppy a fantastic start, our next six-week Puppy Training Courses begin:

📅 Saturday 7th November at 9am

📅 Monday 9th November at 6pm

🐾 Six weeks of fun, practical training, confidence building and essential life skills.

💷 £125 for the full six-week course

💻 Book your place online through our website. Link in our bio

And finally, one last HUGE well done to all our graduates! You’ve been an absolute pleasure to teach, and we hope to see you back at LCA very soon! 🐶❤️

14/10/2026

🐾 IS IT TIME TO SWAP THE JOB YOU HATE FOR A CAREER YOU’LL ACTUALLY LOVE? ✂️

If Sunday evening arrives and you are already dreading Monday morning, perhaps 2027 is the year you finally do something different.

The LCA Institute is preparing to launch the 𝒊𝙋𝑬𝙏 𝙉𝒆𝙩𝒘𝙤𝒓𝙠 𝙇𝒆𝙫𝒆𝙡 3 𝘿𝒊𝙥𝒍𝙤𝒎𝙖 𝙞𝒏 𝑫𝙤𝒈 𝑮𝙧𝒐𝙤𝒎𝙞𝒏𝙜 𝙖𝒏𝙙 𝙎𝒂𝙡𝒐𝙣 𝙈𝒂𝙣𝒂𝙜𝒆𝙢𝒆𝙣𝒕, an Ofqual-regulated qualification that can help you turn your love of dogs into a professional career.

This is not a course where you simply sit behind a screen reading about grooming. You will complete 22 𝒅𝙖𝒚𝙨 𝙤𝒇 𝒉𝙖𝒏𝙙𝒔-𝒐𝙣 𝙨𝒂𝙡𝒐𝙣 𝙩𝒓𝙖𝒊𝙣𝒊𝙣𝒈, working with real dogs of different breeds and coat types.

During your salon days, you will develop practical skills including:

✂️ Preparing, bathing, drying and brushing
✂️ Clipping, sc******ng and styling
✂️ Nail, ear and coat care
🐕 Assessing coat condition and planning appropriate grooms
🐕 Canine health, welfare, behaviour and safe handling
🧰 Using and maintaining professional grooming equipment
👥 Communicating with owners and working in a professional salon environment

Alongside your practical salon training, you will complete additional guided learning, supported theory and portfolio work. The course also covers 𝘾𝒂𝙣𝒊𝙣𝒆 𝑭𝙞𝒓𝙨𝒕 𝑨𝙞𝒅 and includes business-building support to help you turn your qualification into a successful career.

We know that changing careers does not mean your existing responsibilities suddenly disappear. Your 22 salon days will not need to be completed consecutively and can be arranged from our available timetable.

Initially, salon training will operate on:

• Tuesdays
• Wednesdays
• Fridays
• Alternate Saturdays

As the grooming school grows, additional training days will be added.

𝘾𝒐𝙪𝒓𝙨𝒆 𝒇𝙚𝒆: £5,500 𝒊𝙣𝒄𝙡𝒖𝙙𝒊𝙣𝒈 𝑽𝘼𝑻

A £500 𝒊𝙣𝒊𝙩𝒊𝙖𝒍 𝒅𝙚𝒑𝙤𝒔𝙞𝒕 will secure your place, leaving a balance £5,000.

Interest-free payment plans will be available, with the full course fee payable before final assessment and completion.

The price includes tuition, salon training, guided learning, tutor support, assessment, iPET Network registration, quality assurance and certification.

Training will take place at The Woof Works in Accrington, home to Lancashire Canine Academy, our multi-award-winning dog business.

We do not just teach the theory of building a dog business. We know what it takes to make one succeed.

We aim to begin registering students from the 𝒃𝙚𝒈𝙞𝒏𝙣𝒊𝙣𝒈 𝒐𝙛 𝙉𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙢𝒃𝙚𝒓, ready for our planned January 2027 launch, subject to final iPET Network centre approval.

If you are ready to stop saying, “I can’t do this job forever,” and start building a career you are genuinely excited about, register your interest here:

👉 https://forms.gle/3X3mYQJQF6R7NKWu9

Your next career could have four legs, a wagging tail and considerably fewer pointless meetings.

12/10/2026

🐾 SANTA PAWS IS COMING TO LCA! 🎄

Get those tails wagging and Christmas lists ready! Santa Paws is returning to Lancashire Canine Academy, and this year he’s bringing a little extra Christmas magic… our very own festive market! 🎁✨

📅 Sunday 6th December
🕙 10 am to 3 pm
📍 Lancashire Canine Academy, Accrington

Step into our cosy grotto, meet Santa Paws and capture a festive photograph with your dog. Whether they’ve been an angel or spent the year stealing socks, there’s a present waiting for them! 🧦😂

🎁 £10 per visit, including a natural treat selection box to take home, or a toy-only gift for dogs with allergies.
🎅 No advance booking needed, just come along! Santa will be welcoming visitors throughout the event.

🛍️ Browse our indoor Christmas market for lovely gifts, dog goodies and festive treats. Entry to the market is FREE!

🐶 Dogs are very welcome, but Christmas bustle isn’t every dog’s idea of a good time. If yours would prefer a quiet day at home, leave them cosy and content while you come shopping. There’s no need for them to meet Santa to prove they’re on the nice list. ❤️

Please keep dogs on leads and give others plenty of space.

✨ CALLING ALL FESTIVE STALLHOLDERS! ✨

We have just 10 indoor stall spaces available! We’d love a lovely mix of handmade gifts, dog treats and accessories, Christmas goodies and other treasures for under the tree. 🎄

🎁 £30 per stall: 6-foot frontage with space behind for stock
🎁 Table and chair hire: £10 extra
🎁 Chair hire only: £2 per chair

Message our page with your business name and details of what you sell to apply for a stall.

Tag your favourite local makers and businesses, invite your friends and pop the date in your diary. Let’s make it a Christmas to remember at LCA! 🎅🐾✨

12/10/2026

Still getting dragged down the street? Still calling your dog while they pretend they’ve never met you? 🙈

Pulling on the lead and not coming back when called are the two biggest issues owners contact us about.

And we get it. You want to enjoy your walks, without sore shoulders or that sinking feeling when your dog heads off and ignores you.

That’s why we’ve put on two focused group sessions, making professional training more affordable and giving you practical skills to work on the things that make daily walks difficult.

🐾 RECALL MASTERCLASS
📅 Wednesday 21st October at 6.30pm
⏱ 90 minutes | £50

Learn how to build a stronger recall, keep your dog engaged with you and work towards them coming back when you call. Even when the rest of the world looks far more interesting.

🐾 LOOSE LEAD WALKING WORKSHOP
📅 Monday 26th October at 6pm
⏱ 45 minutes | £25

Learn how to encourage a relaxed lead and teach your dog that walking together doesn’t require dragging you to every lamppost.

📍 Lancashire Canine Academy, Accrington

These are our LAST recall and loose lead workshops of 2026.

The same frustrating walk doesn’t have to be on repeat all winter. With clear guidance and practice, you can start building better habits together.

Been meaning to get it sorted? Book your place through our website

11/10/2026

Well, well, well. Look who’s in the Daily Mail! 👀

Back in September 2024, I shared a post about being approached by the production team behind Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, presented by Graeme Hall.

That post went viral.

And blimey, did I get some stick for it!

The die-hard fans came out in force. I received an enormous amount of abuse, my professional credibility was questioned, and the production company even issued a statement disputing my claims.

All because I spoke publicly about something that had genuinely happened to me.

Fast forward two years.

This weekend, the Daily Mail has published an investigation into Graeme Hall and his television programme, and guess whose name appears in it?

Yep. Mine. 😂

I recently spoke to a journalist in London about my experience, and what makes this article particularly interesting is that I’m no longer the only trainer publicly describing being approached by the production team.

Other professional dog trainers have now come forward with their own accounts of being contacted, including correspondence dating back to 2024.

Now, let’s be clear. Being approached by a television production company isn’t inherently wrong. Consulting experienced professionals is something I’d actively encourage.

But what I took exception to in 2024, and still take exception to today, is having my account publicly disputed and my professional integrity called into question.

I knew what had happened. I had the correspondence to support it. And I stood by what I said.

The production company continues to deny that outside trainers devise Graeme Hall’s training methods, and the newspaper has reported that response.

But the fact that other trainers are now describing similar approaches is certainly interesting.

Beyond all of that, my concerns about the training methods demonstrated on television haven’t changed.

Dogs deserve training that prioritises welfare, understands the underlying causes of behaviour and reflects current professional knowledge.

And television audiences deserve responsible advice, particularly when millions of people may attempt to replicate what they see.

I’ve spent years building Lancashire Canine Academy, working to raise standards in our industry and advocating for ethical, evidence-informed dog training.

I didn’t speak up in 2024 for attention, and I’m not speaking up now because I have a personal vendetta against a television presenter.

I spoke up because I believed it mattered.

Two years ago, I was accused of making things up. Today, other trainers are publicly describing similar experiences.

I’ll just leave that there. ☕️

Marcia ❤️🐾

When Strictly Come Dancing bosses signed TV dog trainer Graeme Hall as a contestant for 2026, they hoped he would be the answer to their 'Middle England' problem.

07/10/2026

Picture the scene.

You’re sitting in the pub. Pint in hand. Minding your own business. Having absolutely no desire whatsoever to make new friends.

Suddenly, a teenager you’ve never met comes charging across the pub.

He gets right up in your face.

Circles you a couple of times.

Then starts bouncing around and shadow boxing in front of you because apparently the two of you are going to play fight now.

You move away.

He follows you.

You turn your head away.

Still there.

You make it VERY clear you’re not interested.

Still bouncing.

Then, from somewhere across the pub, his mum shouts…

“IT’S OKAY! HE’S FRIENDLY!”

Oh brilliant.

That changes everything.

Come here, Tyler. Let’s wrestle. 😂

No.

There’s a fairly decent chance Tyler is about three seconds away from getting chinned.

And yet we expect our dogs to tolerate the canine equivalent of Tyler on practically every walk.

“He’s friendly!”

Lovely.

But friendly isn’t permission.

And here’s what dog guardians need to understand…

A dog doesn’t have to be nervous, reactive, elderly, injured or “in training” to not want your dog approaching them.

They are allowed to simply not be interested.

Ember is a perfect example.

She has dog friends. She plays with dogs. She spends time around other dogs perfectly happily.

But when we’re out walking?

She’s not looking to expand her social circle.

She has friends.

Applications are currently closed. 😂

She can walk past another dog without needing to meet it, sniff it, play with it or exchange LinkedIn details.

And that’s exactly how I like it.

I don’t WANT my dog thinking every dog they spot is a potential new best mate.

I want:

“Oh. A dog.”

And then back to sniffing the lamppost.

THAT is a useful social skill.

Socialisation isn’t collecting canine acquaintances like Pokémon.

A well-socialised dog doesn’t need to be the Labrador equivalent of the bloke in Wetherspoons who knows everybody.

Neutrality is massively underrated.

If you’d like your dog to greet another dog, keep them under control and ask the owner first.

If they say yes, lovely.

If they say no, also lovely.

Nobody owes your dog a meet and greet.

And if you see me walking mine and just carry on with your day?

Beautiful.

10/10.

You are my favourite kind of dog owner.

So can we normalise our dogs behaving a bit more like adults in a pub?

Say hello to your mates.

Be polite to everyone else.

And please stop letting Tyler sniff strangers’ arses.

Nobody asked for Tyler.

Have a lovely Wednesday everyone, I will now step down from my soap box.

Marcia ❤️🐾

05/10/2026

Unfortunately tonight’s classes have had to be cancelled. All those affected will be contacted via email 🐾

04/10/2026

Why are we taking a puppy class to a Tesco car park? 👀🐶

Because puppies don’t live their lives in a training room.

It’s relatively easy to practise focus, recall, loose lead walking and engagement when you’re somewhere familiar with very few distractions.

The real learning comes when we gradually take those skills out into the world.

So this week, our puppies left the classroom and headed out to practise around cars, people, shopping trolleys, noises, smells and all the other distractions that come with everyday life.

We’re not looking for perfect puppies.

We’re helping owners build confident dogs who can listen, think and work with their humans when real life is happening around them.

That’s why our puppy training isn’t just about teaching cues.

It’s about preparing puppies for the world they’re going to live in. ❤️

🐾 Puppy Foundation Training
📍 Lancashire Canine Academy, Accrington

Real-life skills for real-life dogs.

01/10/2026

🐾 It’s the 1st of October, and we are officially heading towards 2027!

Have you been thinking about changing direction? Perhaps you’re stuck in a job that doesn’t fulfil you, or you’ve always dreamed of building a career working with dogs but haven’t known where to begin.
Why not make 2027 the year you finally take the leap?

The LCA Institute is currently completing the iPET Network centre and qualification approval process, and we are inviting people to register their interest in our planned OFQUAL-regulated qualifications:

✂️ Level 3 Diploma in Dog Grooming and Salon Management
🐕 Level 3 Award in Dog Walking and Pet Sitting for Professionals
🏡 Level 3 Certificate in Dog Day Care and Boarding
🎓 Level 4 Diploma in Dog Training and Instruction

Our first grooming and dog walking courses are planned for January 2027, subject to final centre and qualification approval. Our daycare, boarding and dog training qualifications will follow as part of our phased launch.

But gaining a qualification is only one part of the journey.

Lancashire Canine Academy is a multi-award-winning dog business. We understand what it takes to turn knowledge and passion into a successful, trusted and sustainable business.

That is why we will also be running practical business-building workshops to help you plan, launch and grow your own dog-care business. We want our learners to leave with more than a certificate. We want them to have the confidence, knowledge and practical direction needed to create a business that succeeds.

Registering your interest is completely free. It is not a formal application and does not commit you to joining a course. You will simply be among the first to receive confirmed dates, fees, payment-plan information and application details once approval is complete.

Make 2027 the year you stop wondering “what if?” and start building the career with dogs you’ve been dreaming about.

Register your interest here:
👉 https://forms.gle/y3VSLK148veDrq8s8

Please tag or share this with someone who deserves a career that excites them.

The LCA Institute
Professional education built around knowledge, welfare and real-world experience.