The Ipswich Dog Trainer

23/10/2026

🐶 🐾

Thank you for your lovely words about how our first aid course structure worked for you.

We look forward to seeing you again! ✨

22/10/2026

22/10/2026

🐾 Rapid Recallers – Finn, Maple, Billy & Archie! 🐾

Four dogs, all under two years old… so there was the potential for a little adolescent chaos! 😂🐶

But adolescence is actually the perfect time to go back to basics and work on one of the most important life skills: recall! 🙌

Hormonal changes, developing brains and growing confidence can all affect our dogs during their teenage years. Suddenly, that once reliable recall can seem to disappear just when the world becomes even more exciting! 🙈

During our Rapid Recallers classes, we don’t just practise coming back when called. We also work on focus and impulse control.

After all, if your dog struggles to focus on you or control their impulses around distractions, getting them to come back when called can be a real challenge!

Finn, Maple, Billy and Archie all did amazingly well! ❤️👏

Their humans have come away with more knowledge, practical skills and confidence to continue building their recall, helping them work towards enjoying off lead walkies safely in the future. 🌳🐕

Well done to all four dogs and their humans! Keep up the brilliant work! 🐾✨

📣 We have a Rapid Recall workshop coming up in November!

If you think this could help you and your dog, find out more and book your place here: https://theipswichdogtrainer.com/about/

22/10/2026

🐾 PACT DOGX 2026 – SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT: Emmanuel Oloyede 🐾

The second speaker at Pact DogX was Emmanuel Oloyede, speaking about a message every dog trainer should remember: No Two Dogs Are the Same! 💚

Emmanuel is a veterinary surgeon who graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2024 with a degree in Veterinary Medicine. He is also completing further studies in Clinical Animal Behaviour at the University of Lincoln and serves on the board of the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians. 🩺🐶

🐕 Key takeaways from his talk:

💚 Every dog is an individual. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to training. We need a range of techniques and training plans to suit the individual dog in front of us.

📏 Thresholds vary. Every dog has a different tolerance for certain situations. Understanding when a dog is becoming overwhelmed helps us adjust our approach and set them up for success.

🏷️ Labels don't tell the whole story. Calling a dog “reactive” doesn't explain why they're reacting. Fear, frustration, excitement and other emotions can all influence behaviour, and each dog needs to be understood as an individual.

🧩 Keep your options open! Rather than relying on one method, we need a toolkit of techniques and the flexibility to adapt to the dog we're working with.

❤️ The takeaway? Don't train the label – train the dog in front of you!

A brilliant reminder that effective, force-free training is about understanding each individual dog, recognising their needs and finding an approach that works for them. 🐾

21/10/2026

🐾 UK Sniffer Dogs Silver Scentwork Classes 🐾

🐶 Does your dog already have the basics of scentwork? Have you completed our Introduction to Scentwork and/or Bronze course? Ready to take things to the next level? 👃

These classes are a great opportunity to build on your dog’s existing skills and put that incredible nose to work! 🌟

Your dog will be introduced to two new scents and a new way to search, helping to develop their scentwork skills and give them a fun mental challenge.

Scentwork is suitable for all breeds, ages and abilities 🐕‍🦺

👉 Featuring the methods of UK Sniffer Dogs, as seen on Dragon’s Den and Crufts! 👈

📅 Date: 08/12/26 (4 of 4 spaces available)
⏰ Time: 19:45 – 20:45
📍 Location: Castle Hill Community Centre, Ipswich
🌿 Outside: No
🚗 Free parking: Yes
🚻 Toilets: Yes
💷 Price: £150

🤩 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 - book your spot by clicking here: https://calendly.com/info-theipswichdogtrainer/uksd-silver-scentwork-classes-08-12-26?month=2026-12&date=2026-12-08

🐾 Let’s see what that amazing nose can do! 👃

20/10/2026

🐾 PACT DOGX 2026 – SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT: Zazie Todd from Companion Animal Psychology 🐾

The first speaker at Pact DogX was Dr Zazie Todd, presenting The Science of Making Dogs Happy! 💚

Zazie is an animal behaviour expert and award-winning author. She has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Nottingham and graduated with honours from the Academy for Dog Trainers. 🎓

📚 Her books include: 🐾 Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy 🐾 Bark!: The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog 🐾 Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy

🐶 Key takeaways from her talk:

✨ Early socialisation matters! Those first few months are crucial. Puppies can safely experience the world from a sling or carrier before they're fully vaccinated, following veterinary advice. Introduce people, noises, vehicles and different environments gradually – without overwhelming them.

🧩 Enrichment is essential. Puzzle toys, food games and sniffaris give dogs valuable mental stimulation and opportunities to use their natural instincts.

❤️ Food is a powerful motivator. Reward-based training builds positive associations, while aversive methods can risk long-term harm to emotional wellbeing.

🐾 Give dogs choices. Help them feel safe, respect their boundaries and build a relationship based on trust.

👀 Learn to read body language! Understanding when your dog is happy, worried or needs space is essential to their wellbeing.

💚 Our dogs deserve more than good behaviour. They deserve to feel safe, understood and happy!

20/10/2026

🐾❤️ Meet Lyra the Rhodesian Ridgeback! ❤️🐾

Lyra is one of three puppies from the same litter who are currently enjoying their puppy training with us! 🐶

All three pups stayed in the local area, and when their humans were looking for a qualified, force free trainer, they found their way to us. We’re so glad they did! 🥰

Lyra is a super confident girl with the BEST personality. She has made me laugh at every single session, and her humans have been absolutely brilliant, taking everything on board and putting it into practice. 🙌

What we particularly love is that, rather than trying to suppress Lyra’s natural breed traits, her humans are embracing them! ❤️

Yes, that includes digging and burying treats! 😂🐾

By understanding who Lyra is and giving her appropriate outlets for her natural behaviours, they’re helping her thrive in her home environment. That’s what it’s all about: working with our dogs, not against them, and helping them grow into happy, confident and well adjusted adults. 🐕✨

We’re so excited to see Lyra continue to develop, and we can’t wait to share updates about her littermates too! Watch this space! 👀🐾

Well done, Lyra and family! 💕

19/10/2026

🐾 Pact DogX 2026 – What a fantastic day! 🐾

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending PACT DogX 2026 at Wi******er University, and what a brilliant day of learning, inspiration and sharing knowledge! 🐶💚

One of the things that made the event so special was that all the speakers and trainers championed force-free, ethical dog training. ❤️

We heard from some fantastic speakers, including:

✨ Zazie Todd Zazie Todd
✨ Jamie Pound UK Sniffer Dogs
✨ Bravehound BRAVEHOUND
✨ Anne McBride
✨ Emmanuel Oloyede Emmanuel Oloyede

There was such a wide range of topics covered, including:

🐕 The science of making dogs happy – exploring what research tells us about canine wellbeing and how we can give our dogs the best possible lives.

👃 Muzzle training through scent detection, exploring a different approach to building positive associations.

💭 Why labels aren't always helpful and how they can influence the way we see our dogs.

❤️ No two dogs are the same. Every dog is an individual, with their own needs, experiences and personality. What works beautifully for one dog may not work for another!

🐾 A truly special demonstration from Bravehound, featuring two of their assistance dogs who support veterans living with mental health disabilities, including PTSD. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the important role these incredible dogs play in supporting the people they work alongside. 💚

It was a brilliant opportunity to learn, reflect and be reminded of why kind, evidence-based, force-free training matters so much.

📣 Starting tomorrow, I'll be sharing daily posts about the different topics covered throughout the day, as well as highlighting some of the fantastic stallholders who were there.

There's so much worth sharing, so keep your eyes peeled! 👀

Thank you to everyone involved in making Pact DogX 2026 such a valuable and inspiring event. 💚🐾

18/10/2026

😲 1 space has come available on tomorrow's Basics Over 6 Months Class in Kesgrave.

👉 For more details or to book click on the original post.

🐾 Kesgrave Basic Training Classes for Dogs 6 Months Up – Starting 19th October! 🐾

Is your rescue dog missing out on basic training? 🐶
Did your pup skip early training, or need a refresher?
Or is your dog hitting the tricky teenage phase?

Our 6 week basic training course is perfect for dogs aged 6 months plus! 🌟

What we’ll cover:
✅ Basic commands
✅ Recall
✅ Loose lead walking
✅ Confidence building
✅ Managing over arousal
✅ Improving focus

📍 Fred Upson Hall, Kesgrave
📅 19/10/26
⏰ 19:45–20:45
📆 6 week course
💷 £150
🟢 3 of 4 spaces available
🚗 Free parking & toilets on site

👉 Don't miss out to book your space click here: https://theipswichdogtrainer.com/basic-training-classes-for-dogs-6-months-up/

18/10/2026

What an amazing day of learning.......and still more speakers to go!