Middlesbrough Dog Club

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Middlesbrough Dog Club

Welcome, our club is the perfect place to bond with your four-legged friend while meeting like-minded dog lovers.

Founded over 60 years ago, we’re a volunteer-run, non-profit organisation formerly known as Middlesbrough & District Dog Training Association Our Classes

Are fun and friendly, using modern, motivational methods. We offer the opportunity for you and your dog to enjoy training alongside other pet owners, in a relaxed atmosphere providing the foundations for a lifetime of happy and responsible dog

ownership. Our reward based methods are kind and painless for your dog and have been scientifically proved to work more effectively than other conventional, corrective methods. Our methods can be used by the whole family, although of course children should always be supervised when training the dog. Our trainers backgrounds also include competing in the main dog sports of Obedience, Rally, Agility and Flyball with our own dogs. Training is delivered by a qualified Pet Dog Training Instructor who also holds qualifications as an adult tutor and in clicker training. She has over 15 years' experience of helping others with their dogs, as well as more than 35 years' experience with her own dogs

Clicker training is offered as an option in all classes

02/01/2026

January is International Train Your Dog Month… and we’re making it FUN

January normally means dark nights, soggy walks and wondering why your dog suddenly needs feeding every nine minutes.

But did you know January is officially International Train Your Dog Month, supported by the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)? It’s all about encouraging positive, kind, reward-based training, and helping owners see just how much their dogs can learn with just a little time and consistency.

So this year, we’re joining in… MDC style. Over the whole of January, we are running a fun, friendly, totally pressure-free training challenge that anyone can take part in.

We’re calling it the… MDC Doggy Dance-Off

And by the end of the month, you could accidentally end up with a dog who has a dance routine.

What’s happening?

Every Monday in January we’ll be posting a new, bite-sized training brief on this page.

Each week adds a new move to your dog’s routine, starting super easy and gradually building into a fun little party trick you can show off to friends, family and anyone who will stand still long enough to watch.

Just a few minutes, a few times a week… and a whole lot of ‘I can’t believe my dog just did that.’

What do I need?
Not much at all.
• A few small treats (or your dog’s favourite reward)
• A tiny bit of floor space
• About 5 minutes at a time
• A sense of humour
• And a phone ready to film your future Strictly Come Barking champion

How often do I need to train?

We recommend two short 5-minute sessions, three or four days a week.
Short, fun, easy to fit around real life, and you’ll be amazed what can happen in that small amount of time.

Can anyone join in?

Absolutely. This is open to everyone. you do not need to be a club member to take part.

You just need a dog and a willingness to have a giggle.

When does it start?

Our first training brief will be posted on Monday 5th January.

01/01/2026

As we tiptoe out of 2025 and wobble happily into 2026, we just want to take a moment to say a huge thank you to every single one of you.

This year has been full of muddy paws, waggy tails, nervous first classes that turned into confident partnerships, and more laughs than we can count. Whether you’ve joined us for Paw-Scholars, kept rolling with us in Paw-Masters, come along to our social walks, cheered on your fellow members, or quietly supported from the sidelines, you’ve helped make Middlesbrough Dog Club what it is, a genuinely lovely community of people who care deeply about their dogs and each other.

And 2026 is already looking rather exciting.

We’re planning more social walks, more opportunities to work towards Kennel Club Good Citizen Awards, hopefully more canine first aid training, and maybe even the odd workshop or two sneaking its way into the calendar. Most of all though, we’re looking forward to more shared wins, more confidence-building moments, more friendships formed, and plenty more tea-fuelled chats while the dogs learn to settle like absolute professionals.

Thank you for being part of our little corner of the dog world. We can’t wait to see what 2026 brings for you and your four-legged best mates.

Happy New Year from all of us at Middlesbrough Dog Club 🐾

31/12/2025

We’re Middlesbrough Dog Club, your friendly, local dog training club with a twist. Run by volunteers who just love dogs, we’re all about wagging tails, smiling faces, and building a supportive community.

We’re more than just training classes, we offer social events, ongoing support, and care about every part of your dog’s life, from recall to diet, grooming, and wellbeing.

We also provide Puppy 1-1s to help you get house training, mouthing, socialisation and more off to the best start.

Curious about how our classes run? You’re welcome to pop along and watch one in action, it’s the best way to see our fun, friendly style. Just let us know first so we can say hello, and please leave your dog at home this time so the class stays calm.

Want to know more or book a visit? Call/WhatsApp 07983 406295 or DM our page, we’d love to meet you!

30/12/2025

Today we’re taking a quiet moment to honour and remember a truly special human being in the dog training world, Sarah Fisher.

Many of our members may not know her name, but her influence is woven through modern kind, ethical training in ways that reach far further than people realise. Sarah was one of those rare souls who didn’t just teach methods, she gently reshaped how trainers learn to see, listen to, and understand animals.

Jody had the privilege of attending several conferences where Sarah spoke, including on bite prevention and her much-loved Free Work approach. To Sarah, she may simply have been another face in the crowd, but to Jody, and to countless other trainers across the country, Sarah was a huge inspiration.

Through her work at the beautiful Tilley Farm, and as the founder of Animal Centred Education (ACE), Sarah shared not only outstanding knowledge but a philosophy rooted in compassion, curiosity and genuine respect for animals as individuals. Her teaching encouraged understanding over judgement, connection over control, and reminded us that behaviour is communication.

Our thoughts are very much with Sarah’s family, friends and everyone at Tilley Farm and ACE at this incredibly difficult time. Her legacy will continue to quietly shape kinder training for many years to come.

25/12/2025

Paw-some Christmas Wishes from Middlesbrough Dog Club

Wishing all of our wonderful members, dogs, families, friends and supporters a truly paw-some Christmas.

Thank you for being such a big part of our club community this year, for the laughs, the learning, the muddy paws, the progress (and the patience!), and for making MDC the friendly, supportive place it is.

We hope today is filled with waggy tails, cosy cuddles, tasty treats (the dog-safe kind), and a bit of well-earned rest for both humans and hounds.

Have the loveliest Christmas, and we’ll see you very soon for more training, fun and dog-club adventures in the New Year

24/12/2025

We might have broken up for Christmas, but we never really stop…

Our online induction has now gone out to the next Paw-Scholars intake, so our new teams are already getting stuck into their homework and laying those all-important foundations ready for classes to begin on Tuesday 6th January.

And… we now have just ONE space left on this intake.

If you’ve been thinking “I’ll do it in the new year”… this is your sign.

Pop us a message for details, your dog will thank you later

19/12/2025

Tuesday 16th December marked our final session of 2025 and instead of quietly slipping off into the festive night… we went out with a proper Christmas Pawty.

It may have looked like festive chaos, Christmas music and a lot of laughter, but every game we played was carefully wrapped around the skills our teams have been working on all year. Because learning sticks best when it’s fun… and possibly involves a bauble on a spoon.

From Santa’s Loose Lead Dash, where calm walking, focus and impulse control were tested (along with hand–eye coordination), to the Christmas Biscuit Balance Challenge, which proved that sit, stay and leave really matter when temptation is involved, especially while your human sings one questionable line of a Christmas song.

Pass the Parcel… Dog Edition reminded us just how important settling, calmness and thinking skills are, even when excitement levels rise, and the Stocking Shuffle Relay brought teamwork, cues under distraction and real-life walking skills together in the most festive way possible.

What we love most is that nights like this show what training is really about. Building skills that work in real life. Helping dogs learn to think, settle and focus, even when things are noisy, silly and full of distractions, and reminding everyone that training doesn’t have to be serious to be effective.

Huge thank you to our members for bringing the energy, the laughs and the Christmas spirit, and to the dogs for proving (mostly) that they do know what they’re doing.

We can’t wait to kick off 2026 with you all

17/12/2025

Paw-Scholars Basic Skills Course

Looking for a friendly, supportive dog training course that focuses on real-life skills? Our Paw-Scholars Basic Skills Course is ideal for dogs who need help with focus, calm behaviour and everyday manners.

Training is reward-based, practical and designed to help both dogs and owners feel more confident, without pressure or judgement.

An online induction is included before the course begins, so everyone starts off on the same page.

If you’d like to know whether Paw-Scholars is right for you and your dog, drop us a message for more information, we’re always happy to have a chat.

WhatsApp, call or text 07983406295, or just message the page

12/12/2025

Puppy socialisation… it’s not just about other dogs

When we talk about socialising puppies, most people picture meet-and-greets with every dog in a five-mile radius. Helpful? Mmmnnn. The full picture? Not quite.

Real-life socialisation is about helping puppies feel comfortable around the weird and wonderful stuff they’ll meet out in the world. Things that don’t bark back… and don’t drop treats.

Walking sticks, wheelchairs, Zimmer frames, hats, hoods, masks, prams, children, babies, teenagers, elderly people, cars, scooters, bins, buses, trains, odd noises, flappy coats… basically anything that might make a puppy think 'WHAT is THAT?' and is it safe, do I need to be afraid

By gently and positively introducing puppies to these everyday sights early on, we help them grow into calm, confident dogs who don’t feel the need to investigate Granny’s walking stick like it’s a long-lost toy.

Good socialisation isn’t about overwhelming them or forcing interactions. It’s about calm exposure, choice, positive experiences and letting puppies learn that the world is a pretty safe place after all.

Little efforts now will mean fewer 'oh heck' moments later, if you've got a puppy ask us about our socialisation handout and checklist.

03/12/2025

Paw-Scholars Graduation Night!

Last night we celebrated another brilliant group completing our Paw-Scholars course, and honestly… what a fabulous bunch they were. Huge congratulations to every single pup and human who put the work in, laughed through the chaos, and came out the other side with skills, confidence, and a stronger bond than ever.

Special shout-out to Amigo, who proudly paraded his retrieve prize straight over to his new girlfriend Willow, nothing like young love to round off a training course.

As always, our trainers were ridiculously proud of how far everyone has come. Watching those lightbulb moments, little breakthroughs.

If you’re reading this and thinking, ‘I want my dog to be part of that’, our next Paw-Scholars course starts Tuesday 6th January 2026… and there are only 3 places left. No pressure of course, but we all know what happens to people who snooze.

Paw-Scholars is perfect for anyone wanting to build solid foundations, boost their dog’s confidence, and join a friendly, supportive community. If you’re looking for a pathway beyond the basics, there’s also our Paw-Masters class waiting in the wings when you're ready.

To grab one of the final spots or ask a question, contact us for more details, either message the page or contact us on 07983 406295.

30/11/2025

MONTHLY SOCIAL WALK, WET, WILD & ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

Today was another cracking Middlesbrough Dog Club social walk, our chance to get together, chat all things dog, and actually use those skills we’ve been grafting on in class.

We were meant to be adventuring through Guisborough Woods… but after yesterday’s monsoon-level rainfall, we decided to avoid recreating ‘The Somme’ and headed back to Redcar beach instead. Sensible choice, right?

Well… enter Rob, our fearless Club Chair, who took one look at the incoming tide and said, ‘Aye, we’ll be fine.’

Before any of us could say ‘Is this covered under club insurance?’ he was happily marching the whole group straight down onto the wet rocks like Moses parting the Red Sea, except the sea was very much not parting.

Next thing you know, we’re all on a full-blown wet ‘n’ wild rock-scramble like a pack of overexcited mountain goats, dogs included.

Once we’d survived Rob’s Aquatic Assault Course, a halfway pit stop at the lovely The Stray Cafe for a much-needed hot drink warmed the cockles before we squelched back to the cars for a change of footwear and a well-earned flop on the sofa at home.

Massive thank you to everyone who joined us, and to Rob, for providing the kind of leadership that keeps us all humble, cold-toed, and laughing.

20/11/2025

So who can relate to this?

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Middlesbrough

Website

http://www.middlesbroughdogclub.com/

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