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.”
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.
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.
Currently we don’t offer training in your home but instead offer all training at our state of the art indoor and outdoor facilities at our Dog Academy in Whiston, Staffordshire.
We can accommodate any time of the week for individual training subject to availability. Evenings (from 5pm) 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.
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 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.
For Individual Training you can purchase directly from our website in order to access the online learning required before your first session. We can offer you dates for your sessions in advance but your booking will only be confirmed once payment has been received.
For group classes you must pay in advance to secure your place on the course and access the online learning. 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
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 learning the wrong things. As an introduction we always ask you to start with our online learning. You then progress onto Individual training or Life Skills group course and then 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 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
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.
Expert Advice
Our blog provides insight and tips for many common training issues, as well and help on treats, health and welfare issues.
Should I Use A Retractable Lead?
Should I use a retractable lead? Retractable, or extendable leads are those thin lines which wind in and out of the box container you hold. You can lock them or allow your dog
Saying “no” to “no”!
Saying "no" to "no"! We don’t recommend punishing dogs for their behaviours or telling them off and we explain more about that in this blog here. But one that lots of people struggle
Punishment in Dog Training
Punishment in Dog Training Telling dogs off, telling them no, and generally punishing their behaviour is still seen by many as what dog training is about. We actually never tell our dogs off,