About Us - Positive Pet Training, Dog Trainer, Whiston, Staffordshire

The Best Care for your Best Friend

Select links below to find out more about Dr Katie Friel-Russell our resident veterinary behaviourist, our state of the art facilities and our ethos.

“The training facilities are fantastic, with a spacious purpose built room and an outside arena.”

Chris B, Google

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see our most frequently asked questions below, and more on each of our services. If you have any further questions please get in touch.

How do I contact you?

You can call us on 07786 800008 – we try to answer calls as they come in but if we are busy training we will return your call as soon as we can. Please leave a message with your name, best time to receive a call and what type of training you are looking for.

You can also fill in our contact form here or email on info@positivepettraining.co.uk or message us on our Facebook page.

Where are you based?

We are based in Staffordshire Moorlands in Whiston village, between Stoke on Trent and Ashbourne on the main A52 Ashbourne road. If you have an older satnav the postcode ST10 2BF will likely take you into Cheadle instead. If this is the case you can try ST10 2HZ to bring you to Whiston. Stay on the main road in Whiston, don’t turn up Black Lane. We are on the main road with a car park and large Positive Pet Training Dog Academy sign on the building.

Can you offer training in my own home?

We happily offer training in your own home! This is particularly useful for training specific issues in your home e.g. toilet training, visitors or on your regular walks. We recommend home visits for all of our behaviour consultations and all cat training. We can also start training sooner at home for puppies before they are vaccinated. Generally for all our 1–2-1 training we would recommend at least the first session is in your home.

What days and times do you offer training?

We can accommodate any time of the week for one-to-one training subject to availability. Evenings (after 6pm) and weekends are higher in demand and book further in advance, to minimise wait list for those who truly need these slots we charge an additional £10/hr for these premium bookings. Our classes are run on a range of times during the week including weekends and weekday evening, please see individual class listings for current courses taking bookings.

What types of training do you offer?

We offer individual or group training as well as full veterinary behaviour consults for both dogs and cats. We run puppy training and our adult Life Skills class which once completed you can then go onto any other area of our training. We run Agility, Hoopers, Gundog, Scent Work and real life training with our APDT Good Companion Awards. Each class has bronze, silver and gold classes for you to progress through. All our classes have a maximum of four dogs. If classes aren’t suitable for you or your dog you can still have training in any of these areas on an individual basis. We also offer assistance dog training and reactivity training on an individual/smaller group basis.

How can I pay?

You can pay on the day of your first 1-2-1 with cash, cheque or card. For group classes you must pay in advance to secure your place. You can pay online through PayPal or via BACS. Cheques to be made out to Friel-Russell Clinical Services Ltd. Bank details: Friel-Russell Clinical Services Ltd Account number: 73849197 Sort Code: 53-70-15

Can you really train my dog?

We certainly can! The saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is completely false! We can teach dogs of any age and any capability. At Positive Pet Training we always recommend starting young where possible. This prevents your dog (and you!) from picking up bad habits. As an introduction we always ask you to attend seminar first. You then progress onto Life Skills course and then APDT Good Companion awards are the next stage (or diversify into one of our other types of classes)! We also train all breeds of dog and both have a wealth of knowledge working with all breed groups and plenty of fun cross breeds! Science has now shown us that there is more variation in behaviour in one breed than there is between different breeds! There may be certain training you and your dog might find more enjoyable/important due to the job they were bred for. As Katie is a veterinary surgeon we also specialise in training dogs prior to surgery. If we can help them cope with long periods of enforced rest prior to surgery then the success rates increase. We also specialise in training for dogs with health issues so please get in touch to discuss your dog’s specific requirements

Why should we train with Positive Pet Training?

At Positive Pet Training all of our training is force free (meaning we do nothing to hurt or scare your pets), high welfare and science based training. Our whole background is focused on the science behind training. We are proud to offer extremely high quality training in top of the range facilities! All our trainers are registered with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC). This means they have been examined to a high level. Dr Katie Friel-Russell BVSC APDT MRCVS is also a veterinary surgeon.Ian Friel-Russell APDT was a Class One Dog Trainer in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. We have both been working with and training dogs for over ten years and have a wealth of experience between us.

How is Positive Pet Training different to other dog trainers?

Firstly we are force free! I know we say this a lot, but it is because it is so important! We are not like old school dog trainers who still hurt and scare pets in order to get the behaviour they want. Our training also focus much more on real life training to help dogs cope in the modern world. We focus on what matters to you and help you understand your dog more. This way we can work on what matters to them too! Secondly this is our business. Katie works part time whilst also running our own home visit veterinary practice, Positive Pet Mobile Vet. Our facilities are top of the range and are purpose designed with your pets in mind. Many other classes are held in village halls but this means very little flexibility for times and often slippery floors. Our purpose designed flooring offers just the right amount of grip for your dogs feet for the best safety available. We also have a secure outdoor training area with purpose designed substrate. This is perfect for all the high impact training like agility work, or for any joint concerns. We pride ourselves on offering a high, professional training service following years of education and experience.