Wagging Tails Dog Training - East Anglia

04/09/2026

What do you consider a good recall?

"Every dog has perfect recall, it just depends how long you are prepared to wait". I don't know who said this, but it is so true. 🤣

What are your expectations for your dog's recall?

I find that many people don't have clear rules in their head on what the recall should look like, or worse their expectations change depending on the situation, so the dog has no chance to get it right really. If you accept waiting for 10 or 20 seconds in non urgent situations for example, then you can't expect your dog to respond instantly in urgent situations when you need your dog back fast. Your dog won't be able to judge the difference.

Here are my THREE non-negotiable criteria for the recall and I expect my dogs to comply EVERY TIME, not just in urgent situations.

1. INSTANT - zero delay to respond, no finishing a sniff or looking at that person over there

2. FAST - run, not walk or trot (if physically able to of course)

3. CLOSE - come close enough for me to hold the collar or harness

Here is Elijah, my lurcher, heading off to the pond (which he loves) at Riddlesworth Dog Park and me calling him back before he gets there (you can hear the high pitched recall cue in the video).

This shows all three criteria beautifuly fullfilled, and notice the big smile on his face -that's criteria number 4. 😁

29/08/2026

This is the very first skateboarding session ever in our Trick Training Classes for Chief, the Cocker Spaniel.

Most dogs take quite a while to get used to balancing on a wobbly, moving object like a skateboard. Not so Chief. Look at him go. 😮♥️

There is more practice to be done, but isn't he amazing for a first timer?

Look out for new dates for our Trick Training Foundation course coming soon and you and your dog can join in with all the fun too. 🙂

23/08/2026

Congratulations to our new Foundation graduates in Blo' Norton. What a fabulous class they were too teach and possibly the calmest and most chilled class ever. I am looking forward to seeing them all in our TopUp Classes.

Milo (Collie)
Max (Miniature Schnauzer)
Maple (Standard Poodle)

15/08/2026

In our Foundation courses we teach puppies and older dogs basic obedience, handling and life skills. And one of those life skills is settling and learning to do nothing, an extremely important skill for any dog.

Many puppies and active adult dogs find this difficult and need a lot of practice. The current Saturday group in Blo' Norton however is the exception. In 30 years of teaching classes, this must be the most chilled out class I have ever had the pleasure to teach... Now, I would love to take the credit for being a wonderful trainer (😉🤣), but these guys didn't need to learn to settle, they just always did it despite being active breeds and puppies/young adults.

Here is a picture half way through the class today whilst we were chatting about canine body language/stress signals... and they were all but asleep and most certainly not showing any stressed body language. 🤣

Here are Milo (Border Collie), Maple (Standard Poodle) and Max (Miniature Schnauzer) showing off what "settling" and "switching off" looks like when the pros do it. ♥️

07/08/2026

We don't have a summer break here at WTDT because we don't want any puppies, adolescent pups or older dogs to miss out on vital training they need - and we don't want our regular dogs in our Junior, Advanced, Trick Training and Oldies classes to skip the learning, fun and socialisation they are used to!

Here are our next dates for our upcoming Foundation Courses

Wednesday, 12th August, in Blo' Norton Village Hall

Monday, 21st September, in Great Hockham Village Hall

Saturday, 31st October, in Blo' Norton Village Hall

You can find more information and a link to register here www.wtdt-eastanglia.co.uk/foundationcourses

And don't hesitate to contact us via email, phone or WhatsApp if there are any questions at all.

Small Training Classes for Puppies and Dogs of any breed and age in Blo' Norton (Diss) and Wretham (Thetford) to help you build solid foundations on your journey to a well behaved and social dog that fits well into your life.

07/08/2026

Congratulations to our new TopUp graduates. They have all made such great progress through the weeks. A big well done to everyone. 🥰

Irwin (Hungarian Viszla)
Hunny (Labrador x Golden Retriever)
Denzil (Labrador)
Buddy (Labrador, no picture)

06/08/2026

Congratulations to our newest Puppy Foundation graduates in Blo' Norton. It was such a pleasure seeing them progress through the weeks. ❤️

Kylo (Rottweiler)
Melba (Golden Retriever)
Maple (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Poodle)

Unfortunately Maple couldn't make the last session, so we only have pictures of Kylo and Melba. Don't they both have the biggest smiles.

30/07/2026

We love it when our WTDT pups achieve great things outside of our classes, be it in dog sports, activities or like little Ness (Miniature Dachshund) here, making a difference to other people's lives.

Ness is part of our Junior classes in Great Hockham. The skills she learnt in the classes helped her passing her Therapy Dog assessment with "Pets as Therapy". She will start visiting places (carehomes, hospitals, schools etc) where her company will make all the difference to so many people.

What a superstar Ness is. We are very proud of her. ❤️

28/07/2026

Don't forget to register!

🔜🔜🔜 What every dog owner should know!

DOG LAW TALK - don't forget to book your place!

We are hosting a talk about dog law in Blo' Norton Village Hall with Trevor Cooper.

This is a talk that EVERY dog owner should attend, we are all affected by the laws that regulate dog ownership, what we can and can't do and what our rights and responsibilities are.

And those that have attended talks by Trevor Cooper before will know that he is not only extremely knowledgeable and explains things in an easy way, but he is also a very entertaining presenter. So although it is about law, I can assure you it won't be boring.

The talk is just £30 and I can promise you it will be worth every penny. Click on the link here to register directly https://www.doglawsos.co.uk/.../what-every-dog-owner.../

This is a public event so please feel free to share with your friends and family.

24/07/2026

TRICK TRAINING FOUNDATION COURSE

Here's your opportunity to have fun with your dog whilst learning new skills and exercises.

➡️ Our new Trick Training Foundation course in Blo’ Norton starts this Tuesday, 28th July 2026, at 5.30 pm.

This course is suitable for
* any breed
* any age
* dogs with physical disabilities, we can probably accommodate their disability too

The cost is £95 for WTDT members (who have done classes or 121 training with us) and £115 for non-members.

You can register straight from our website: www.wtdt-eastanglia.co.uk/tricktraining

You may wonder what on earth Trick Training is useful for and why anyone would want to teach their dogs tricks that have nothing to do with real life?

➡️ Well, it actually has a lot to do with real life...

BONDING: Trick training strengthens the bond between you and your dog by promoting a positive and interactive relationship.

MENTAL STIMULATION: Learning tricks engages your dog’s mind and provides mental stimulation. All breeds thrive on using their brain.

PHYSICAL EXERCISE: Many tricks involve physical movement, which can contribute to your dog's overall fitness and by using their body in ways they might otherwise not it contributes to a healthy and more balanced musculoskeletal system.

CONFIDENCE BUILDING: Successfully mastering tricks boosts your dog's confidence and indeed yours.

PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS: Trick training often requires problem-solving, as dogs figure out how to perform the desired behaviour. This mental exercise is valuable for their cognitive development. It also develops our own problem-solving skills in terms of teaching the exercises.

COMMUNICATION STILLS: Training teaches dogs to understand and respond to verbal or visual cues. And by improving the teaching and learning skills on both ends of the lead, communication becomes more refined.

ENTERTAINMENT AND FUN: Tricks can serve as a source of entertainment for you, your dog, and others. Whether it's a simple shake paw or playing cards or a musical instrument, tricks can be a delightful way to showcase your dog's talents and just have fun together.

REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS: many of the tricks have important real life applications like husbandry, medical treatments or helping in and around the house when say your back is bad (there are a few assistance dog tasks included for example).

➡️ And yes, you can join the Trick Training Foundation course if you haven’t done any training with us before, although it is useful if your dog has had some basic training and it is important that your dog will be comfortable in a training class environment.

www.wtdt-eastanglia.co.uk/tricktraining