Pets Corner: It's time to get your dog back to training class

Annette Boreham of Take The Lead Essex has met a lot of nervous dogs who have not had a chance to socialise with other dogs because of the pandemic.

Two dogs taking part in dog training at Take The Lead Essex (Image: Take The Lead Essex)

She has also met a lot of nervous owners, worried about dog theft or who have a pet for the first time.

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Annette said: "I have been doing this for 19 years."

She added: "I've helped so many people over the years."

Dog training classes at Take The Lead Essex (Image: Take The Lead Essex)

Annette didn't get her first dog until she was 23, when she became the new owner of a rescued German Shepherd who with others had been kept in a cupboard.

The animal was four to five months old and so scared that it peed.

She said of that experience: "I didn't have a clue, I couldn't afford a behaviourist.

"I started studying, reading, I went on courses. I've just kept doing it, I'm still doing it now even though I'm teaching.

"If there's a course I think I have not been on I will go, if I think it will help someone."

Annette had a mentor for the first 10 years. She said she has found that as dogs and their owners are trained, their confidence grows.

Covid-secure classes have restarted for Take The Lead Essex in Thaxted and Barnston (Image: Take The Lead Essex)

A class participant at Take The Lead Essex (Image: Take The Lead Essex)

A participant at Take The Lead Essex classes (Image: Take The Lead Essex)

A dog training session with Take The Lead Essex (Image: Take The Lead Essex)

A dog training class in session (Image: Take The Lead Essex)

She hands out free advice via her Facebook page, ranging from how to help dogs from getting too hot, through to them getting enough exercise.

Annette is an Advanced Instructor with the British Institute of Professional Trainers.

She currently instructs classes in Thaxted on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings, and in Barnston on Monday mornings and Thursday evenings.

Annette takes beginners, intermediate and advanced classes and her clients often return to the next level to add more knowledge.

She runs The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme within her club.

Annette is still asking participants to be Covid-secure, to wear their masks, and keep social distancing in place for everyone's safety.

To get involved, email annette.boreham@gmail.com, call 07785 745051 or search on Facebook for Take The Lead Essex.

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