The Senior's Retreat

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The Senior's Retreat

- Msc Animal Behaviour and Welfare
- BSc Animal Science
- L3 Animal Management
- Enhanced DBS check
- Council Licenced LN/202400591

"Because every dog deserves to feel at home"

🐾 Balanced Trainer ⚖️
🐾 Day care / Overnight Stays 🏠
🐾 Licensed by DoncasterCouncil LN/202400591

🌐 www.theseniorsretreat.co.uk
📍 Doncaster, South Yorkshire

05/09/2026

🐕🌳🐾🌻🐕‍🦺🌞

02/09/2026

🐕🌴 Summer Duo 🌴🐾

While their humans jetted off to Ibiza, Rory & Rio checked into their very own 5-star staycation with us! 🏡🐶💕

Plenty of walks, cuddles, playtime, treats and & zero hangovers… 🍹😆🐾

28/08/2026

EXPOSURE THERAPY, TROLLEYS… AND AN UNEXPECTED GUEST 👶🏻

Today’s training session was all about gradual exposure and desensitisation to help Missy overcome her fear of trolleys 🛒
We worked gradually, keeping the dog under threshold and helping them learn that the scary thing isn't actually a threat.

Missy was doing brilliantly… 🏅
…and then a child decided it was apparently “PAT THE DOG O’CLOCK" 🙃

Which brings me to an important point:

🚨 PLEASE TEACH CHILDREN NOT TO APPROACH RANDOM DOGS.

Ask the owner first. Wait for permission. Respect the answer.

Not every dog wants to say hello. Not every dog can say hello safely.

Missy was working through a fear and my job was to advocate for her and control her environment as much as possible. Because dogs aren't public property 🙄

Rant over. Missy did brilliantly and I'm sticking with dogs 😁👩🏽‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻🐶

25/08/2026

Nala is back! 🐮🚨

This Olde English Bulldog is strong, stubborn, bossy, energetic and absolutely convinced that her way is the right way 🪨

Last year, she came to me for a Board & Train after her owners had a negative experience with kennels. This time round, she’s back for boarding. Dogs like Nala can get labelled “challenging”, but often the real challenge is not meeting their needs 🧠

Nala is incredibly active, constantly looking for the next thing to get involved in, and has a habit of testing boundaries to see whether the rules are actually rules… or just suggestions 👀

She also has an incredible work drive, stamina and enthusiasm. If that energy doesn’t have an appropriate outlet, it can quickly turn into frustration and obsessive or destructive behaviours 🫯

So with Nala, breed fulfilment has been a huge part of the equation ✅️

We give her appropriate outlets for what she was built to do, structure and boundaries. The goal isn’t to change who Nala is. It’s to understand her and work with her genetics 🧬
Then suddenly, that “stubborn” dog has a productive way to use all that determination 💪🏽

Nala doesn't need to be everyone's perfect little boarding guest. She needs an environment where her needs are understood, her boundaries are clear, and she can actually be herself without constantly getting into trouble 🚩

And, of course, there is another side to Nala…

The snoring. The clumsiness. The ridiculous Bulldog antics.
The enthusiasm of a dog who genuinely believes that absolutely everything is her business 🙃

And honestly? I love it 🤎

Because every dog deserves to feel at home, including the ones who arrive with a little more personality and a LOT more horsepower 🐮

17/08/2026

🐶 How good is your dog’s recall? 👀

How many of you could stand this far away from your dog, give a recall cue and have them turn around and come straight back? No extendible leads, long lines or ecollars 😉

This video shows the result of training, communication and relationship-building, not a quick fix ⌚️

And when you're working with multiple dogs, there’s another level of skill involved ✨️. They need to remain focused on their handler and respond even when the rest of the pack is moving around them 🌪

This is why good recall doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built through repetition, consistency and carefully increasing the difficulty as the dog succeeds 🪜

📩 Want a recall you can genuinely rely on? Get in touch about our training sessions.

Because a dog that comes back when called, isn't just impressive, it's a dog with a valuable life skill that can experience full freedom while keeping safe 🤎

16/08/2026

Just two boys…turning heads and stealing hearts like it’s their full-time job 😏🤎💪🏻

14/08/2026

Two boys, two girls, 4 very different personalities… and absolutely zero chill 😆

🐶 Bambi– run, always, no matter what 💨
🐶 Runa– 100% enthusiasm, 0% off switch 💥
🐶 Chester– always on the lookout 👀
🐶 Ellie– tactical tank, works smart not hard 🧠

A perfect mix of chaos and character 🤎

Who needs a gym when you’ve got these lot keeping you on your toes? 😁

05/08/2026

Meet Olive 🫒🐾

When Olive's mum first got in touch, she wasn't looking for dog walking or boarding, she wanted a behavioural assessment 📝

Being a rescue, Olive's past with other dogs was a bit of a mystery. Her mum wasn't comfortable introducing her to unfamiliar dogs herself, because if things went wrong, it could create a negative experience for everyone involved. So, she left it to me 😁

This is where having a well-balanced helper pack is invaluable 🏆 After assessing Olive, I introduced her to my pack 🐕 as they aren't just my pets—they're an important part of my training work. As trainers, we can influence a lot, but we can never replicate the communication that happens naturally between dogs. Sometimes, the best teacher for a dog is another stable, socially skilled dog ⚖️

Olive arrived with high arousal levels and was understandably guarded 🛡. She was scanning her environment, unsure of what to expect, and clearly preparing herself for the unknown. Without any pressure to interact, she slowly started to realise that my dogs weren't a threat. She could watch them, move around them, and simply exist alongside them without feeling like she had to defend herself or make big decisions 😌

With every passing minute, you could see the tension begin to melt away. The real success was that Olive was able to share space with other dogs calmly and comfortably. That foundation is far more valuable than forcing friendships as confidence is built through positive experiences 🤎

03/08/2026

⚠️ Careful with businesses that share this post but turn off comments. The why, it's self explanatory....🚩🫣

As someone who works as a dog trainer, I feel it's important to say something about dog socials.

There has been multiple incidents and reports of dogs getting into fights and unwanted behaviours to be allowed to carry on, posing certain dogs in uncomfortable situations during socials run by "dog trainers and behaviourists".

Dog socials can be an amazing opportunity for dogs to learn, build confidence and enjoy appropriate interactions with other dogs. But they can also do the complete opposite if they're not carefully managed.

Socialisation isn't about putting lots of dogs together and hoping they'll "work it out." It's about creating positive experiences, recognising when a dog is uncomfortable, preventing situations from escalating and advocating for every dog involved. A dog that is repeatedly overwhelmed, rehearses unwanted behaviours or is involved in fights can leave with more behavioural issues than they arrived with.

Before attending any dog social, ask questions.
How are dogs assessed before joining?
How many experienced handlers are present?
How many previous incidents there's been?
If a fight did break out, are the organisers physically capable and experienced enough to intervene safely?

No responsible organiser can guarantee dogs will never have a disagreement. What matters is how risks are managed, how well dogs are supervised and whether the welfare of the dogs always comes before numbers or profit.

Please don't ever feel pressured to put your dog into an environment that doesn't feel right simply because it's well advertised. A £5 social might seem like a bargain, but one negative experience can have lasting consequences for your dog's confidence and behaviour and they'll be paying the biggest price.

Choose quality over quantity. Your dog relies on you to make those decisions, and they deserve environments where their welfare comes first.

29/07/2026

Wedding day boarding duties💍🐾💐

Today I have the absolute pleasure of looking after Louise's (@ Delightful Dog Days Pet Services ) three beautiful girls while their pawrents tie the knot!💍

Now, as much as Louise loves these three (and trust me, she really does!), but even she had to admit that adding three dogs, wedding hair, makeup, outfits, timings and trying to leave the house looking remotely organised was perhaps a tiny bit ambitious 😁

So these three are having their own little holiday here with plenty of cuddles, playtime, and treats, while Louise gets to enjoy every second of her special day knowing they're safe, settled, and loved 🥰

Congratulations to Louise and her new husband! 🥂 Wishing you both a lifetime of love and happiness 💞

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Doncaster

Website

https://theseniorsretreat.co.uk/

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