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Monday 10am - 7pm Tuesday 9am - 7pm Wednesday 9am - 7pm Saturday 9am - 7pm Sunday 9am - 7pm

Dakota's Choice - Animal Behaviour & Training

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Dakota's Choice - Animal Behaviour & Training

We are a small team of behaviourists, trainers, dog walkers and pet sitters. This is evident to the people I meet when with any of my dogs.

Helping you get back to real life situations!
🐶 Behaviourist & trainer
🤝 1-1 services & group classes
🧭 Canisports including; Canicross, Scent work and SUP
🏔 Dog Walks Our business has been running since 2021 but our individual experiences started long before that! An introduction to Lucynda (the owner and lead behaviourist); I have a Masters degree in International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law

, and I have a BSc in Animal Management. I have completed additional courses such as Canine Fear and Aggression, canine communication and am looking to top up my upon Feline knowledge to ensure I am always up to date with the latest information. Nearly 8yrs of my experience has been working with RSPCA centres, from Animal Care Assistant to Animal Care Manager. I have lead puppy training, obedience training, social play sessions and one to one training since 2019 and have owned, and been training, my own dogs since 2006. Dakotas Choice refers to my first Siberian husky and how we formed our strong bond with each other. I learnt a lot with Dakota and she was always been given a choice, especially when it came to training. By this, I mean that she was never made to do any training or forced to go somewhere she was uncomfortable with... I always listened to her (sometimes quite literally) and allowed her to make her own decisions. I feel that this is due to Dakota choosing to participate in training and our bond grew from there, so I want to share that experience and knowledge with as many people as possible so that you can have the same connection and understanding with your dog. Now, when I talk about understanding your dog and having a bond, I am talking about you being able to understand what your dog is trying to tell you (e.g. when they are nervous or uncomfortable), and your dog knowing what you want from them; this is generally to be a well mannered member of the family. You don't want them to interrogate visitors at the door, to 'help' you eat your dinner, or to do everything at 100 miles an hour. Your dog will only learn what you teach them and, taught right, they will remember forever. Google business - https://g.page/DakotasChoiceABT?gm

03/08/2025

ALL NEW

Be Vet Ready course is starting soon!

Want to know how to health check your dog? Do you have a pup who you want to make sure is comfortable being handled and confident at the vets? Perhaps you have a dog who’s currently anxious about being handled by strangers. Then this course is for you!
There are two dates covering;
🩺 Basic health checking at home
🩺 Confidence being handled
🩺 Helpful positions; Stand, Chin, Paw
🩺 Desensitisation to veterinary and grooming equipment

📍 St Cuthberts, Marton
🗓️ Saturday 16th August
⏰ 9:30
💸 £22 per session

02/08/2025

Life Skills sessions!

These sessions have really been helping dogs get comfortable walking loose lead in public spaces and also giving their owners more confidence to take them to new environments! Helpful on the build up to summer to prepare your dog for focusing in busier places 🐶

August dates below

Life Skills Shopping £15
🗓️ Monday 11th August @ 6pm
🗓️ Wednesday 27th August @ 4.45pm
📍 Teesside Park

Life Skills Cafe Settle session £15
🗓️ Sunday 24th August @ 10am
📍 Stewart Park, Henry’s cafe

Message us or visit the website to book. Your place will be confirmed upon payment

31/07/2025

Agility taster session is back again.

Do you want to try something new with your dog?
Interested in agility but maybe haven’t tried it before?

We run an agility taster session at K9 Fun-Time. Secure indoor & outdoor dog exercise facilities where you will get to have a go at agility for fun!

It’s £20 per dog and our next session is on the 17th of August at 10am!

Just message the page to book 🐶🐾

30/07/2025

Charlotte has 1-1 availability in August for training and behaviour sessions.
Sundays and Fridays available to book in August! Why not message our page and get started on your training journey today 🐾🐶

28/07/2025

Meet Barney!

Barney previously came to our positive walks course and his owners have seen a great improvement on local lead walks with him so when he started to develop an unwanted evening behaviour they knew just who to call 📞

Something I’ve seen in a few spaniels, and other breeds but mostly spaniels, is a tendency to get a bit cheeky on an evening… right when you want to settle down or when it’s time for bed. With Barney the behaviour presented as resource guarding the sofa so we discussed daily and weekly routines and implemented the following;
🌙 Enriching evening feeds
🌙 Teaching where and when to Settle
🌙 A winding down routine for evenings
🌙 Replacing some fetch play with toy searches
🌙 Teaching how to disengage

Barney took to the training very quickly so we know he can do it, now it’s a matter of practice and seeing how the new routine and training takes place in real life. I can’t wait to hear how he’s getting on next month!

27/07/2025

Introduction to Canicross (2 SPACES LEFT)

An explanation for those of you who have been asking…

What is Canicross?
Canicross is the sport of running with your dog attached to you by a waist belt, with a bungee line and harness. It can be for fun, improve both yours and your dogs fitness and there are lots of really well organised races in the north ran by fully inclusive people such as traildoguk

Do you need to be a runner already?
You don’t need to be a runner already, in fact myself and Sansa learnt together and it’s actually beneficial to build up your dogs distance and intensity just like you would your own.

How many dogs will be there?
Group sessions will be a maximum of 4 people/dogs.

How long will the introduction sessions be?
Sessions will last around 1hr and will be suitable for beginners. You will not be running for the whole session, in fact you’ll only be running in short stints and we’ll be focussing a lot on directional cues, harness fitting, warm up and cool down plus more

Group Introduction to Canicross
🗓️ Saturday 23rd August
⏰ 8:00
📍 Cod Beck Reservoir
💸 £25

1-1 Introduction to Canicross
🗓️ Various dates (message for details)
💸 £45

If you have any questions at all then please message 🐕 ~ 🏃‍♀️

26/07/2025

Still a few places left! 🐇

This years summer event revisits one of our favourites…
You, and your dog, are cordially invited to
Alice In Scentland

Sunday 10th August
K9 Fun-Time. Secure indoor & outdoor dog exercise facilities

10:00 - 10:50 Group sessions
10:40-11:30 Allocated time slots for dogs who need space

Come and Help Alice search for the White Rabbit and decipher some riddles along the way!
You will put your eyes and your dog’s nose to the test in a series of activities to help you narrow down your search to find him.
Your invitation gives you access to;

🎩Mad Hatters Tea Party – Find the Key
❤️Queen of Hearts Games – croquet set up
🐰Down the rabbit hole – find the white rabbit

Things might get a little bit bonkers so make sure you dress to blend in and there might even be a prize for the Mad Hatters favourite costume!

Suitable for all ages and abilities!

£22 per dog
BOOKING ESSENTIAL!
Book directly now or online starting tomorrow and don't be late! ⏰

25/07/2025

Puppy summer school ☀️

Still some availability for our Puppy Summer school sessions 🐶
You can either book a block of 4 sessions for £70 or individual sessions for the price stated below.

St Cuthberts, Marton £20 (50mins)
Saturday 16/8 @ 10:30 Teaching; Loose lead, Stay and Polite Meet and Greets (1 space left)

K9 Funtime Barn, TS15 0ER £20 (50mins)
Sunday 3/8 @ 11am Teaching; Lie down, Leave it and Wait (3 spaces left)
Sunday 31/8 @ 11am Teaching; Loose lead, Stay and Polite Meet and Greets (3 spaces left)

Recall £20 (50mins)
27/7 FULL
24/8 @ 10am (3 places left)
K9 Funtime field, TS15 9PY

Settle sessions £15 (up to 40mins)
27/7 G&T House @ 9am (1 place left)
24/8 Stewart Park Henry’s cafe @ 10am (3 places left)

You can either book online or message us to book.
If you have any questions about any of these sessions then send us message or comment below 🦮

24/07/2025

SUP with your Pup 🏄‍♀️

Want to try something new this summer?
Ever wanted to try your hand, and balance, at paddle boarding?

As part of our Canisports services we’ve teamed up with Yarm Paddle Boarding and designed a session just for you! You’ll be accompanied by a fully qualified and experienced paddle board instructor and behaviourist to help keep you and your dog safe both on the board and in water. We’ll give you the knowledge you need to start enjoying adventures out on the water together

Your dog must be fully vaccinated (or TITRE tested) and able to swim, although they will be provided with a life jacket. The session will teach you;
🏄‍♀️ How to plan ahead for weather
🏄‍♀️ Safety on the water
🏄‍♀️ Standing up!
🏄‍♀️ How to get your dog comfortable on the board
🏄‍♀️ How to get yourself and your dog back on the board
And more…

These sessions are one of a kind and will be available to book through www.yarmpaddleboarding.co.uk but you’ll need to message us for your PASSWORD to book first!

🗓️ Mondays in July & August at 10am
Sunday 24th August @ 8am
31st August @ 8:00 and 9.30
📍 Preston Park, Yarm

Now available to book! VERY LIMITED AVAILABILITY

If you’re not sure whether your dog can swim then why not try our Confidence in water course first?

Address

Middlesbrough

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 7pm
Tuesday	9am - 7pm
Wednesday	9am - 7pm
Saturday	9am - 7pm
Sunday	9am - 7pm

Telephone

+447496879278

Website

https://www.dakotaschoiceabt.com/

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