Our curated list of the best professionals in the Neville's Cross area.
With its historic battlefield site and local green spaces, trainers in Neville's Cross focus on creating well-behaved dogs that are comfortable in a variety of settings.
270 Park Rd, South Moor, Stanley DH9 7ED
From the moment we brought our puppy Millie to Lee at School of Dogs, we knew we were in the best hands. Lee’s depth of knowledge, endless patience, and kind, positive training methods have made all the difference. He doesn’t just teach obedience—he teaches how to live well with your dog and truly bring out the best in them. Thanks to Lee’s supportive guidance, we’ve learned how to help Millie thrive and feel confident as dog owners. His gentle approach creates a safe space for learning, and every session leaves us feeling empowered and connected. Millie also attends the doggy day care at School of Dogs, and the care from Lee’s team is beyond wonderful. They treat her like one of their own—gentle, kind, and attentive in every way. We cannot recommend Lee and School of Dogs highly enough. If you want your dog to be taught with warmth, expertise, and genuine love, this is the place to be.
We have just completed 5 weeks of training with Lee for our cockapoo puppy Marley. We are extremely grateful for Lees training and support. Marley has came on leaps and bounds. If your looking for a great dog trainer then Lee is definitely your man. Thanks Lee for all your help.
We were recommended to school of dogs after Lee trained another family dog that was perfectly trained and thought the school would be perfect for our puppy Ralph. It was a pleasure to take Ralph to Lee’s puppy classes. In the five weeks we’ve spent with Lee, Ralph has progressed and has come on leaps and bounds especially with his walking to heal and recall. We look forward to working with him in the junior classes to advance Ralph’s training further. 😀
So happy to introduce our friends and their rescue puppy to Lee and School of Dogs. We trained our Staffie Sky with Lee and can honestly say he's brilliant. Phoebe enjoyed her first lesson :-)
Thanks so much Lee. We just completed the 5 week puppy course and it was fantastic. Really helpful!
14, Skillion Business Centre, Langley Moor, Littleburn Industrial Estate, Durham DH7 8HG
We can’t recommend Kev highly enough! Odie struggles with dog reactivity, and we honestly thought walking calmly near other dogs might never be possible. Within seconds of working with Kev, we saw a complete transformation — our boy was walking confidently right alongside another dog. The level of skill, knowledge, and calm no-nonsense approach was nothing short of magic. If you’re looking for someone who truly understands dogs and gets results, look no further.
We had a great experience with Kevin and received really helpful tips for daily work with my athletic, strong, playful, and nervous dog.
Took our 9 month old cocker spaniel for his first training session yesterday with kevin. We booked the session to get help with pulling on the lead and reactivity with dogs as he becomes very hyper when out for walks if he sees another dog. Within 5 minutes he was walking by our side with full attention on us. Kevin also brought out another dog and the difference in Arlo was amazing again full focus on us and not the dog. I took Arlo out for a walk today and came across 2 dogs who were barking and pulling to get at him and again he sat and just looked up at me instead of reacting. Iam so grateful to Kevin as the difference in the first 24 hours has been huge already
Brought my reactive dachshund to Kevin for an initial assessment and within 25 mins he had him walking past other dogs while maintaining a loose lead. More practice over the next few weeks but thanks to Kevin’s advice huge progress has been made already. Thanks again 👍
I had never owned a puppy before, and although my husband has had several dogs in the past, his offshore work commitments meant I initially found looking after our Labrador puppy quite overwhelming. Red turns one next month, and she has grown into such a well-behaved young dog. The dietary guidance we received made a significant difference, and my husband and I were very diligent in doing our homework between training sessions. When Red was just five months old, we had a distressing incident where our neighbour’s German Shepherds jumped on us. This understandably left her nervous and unsettled around larger dogs. I mentioned this to Kevin during her next class, and he worked patiently with her to help her regain confidence. It was worth every penny—we couldn’t recommend their service highly enough to other dog owners.
Walworth grange, Walworth, Darlington DL2 2LY
I've been attending scentwork classes with PDAT since 2019, and mantrailing workshops/classes before that with all 3 of my dogs at the time, including a fairly reactive Jack Russell. Reactivity wasn't an issue in a small group where the dogs worked individually and he enjoyed the class. Ellie and Pepper both love their scentwork class. They're both deaf now (14 and 15 years old) and Pepper didn't start scentwork until after she'd gone deaf at 10 years old but this wasn't a problem for Laura and she was able to adjust the learning to help Pepper really 'get' the game and she hasn't looked back. I am now taking my young Springer, Izzy to scentwork classes and mantrailing (when we're able to grab a rare place!) along with taking part in the monthly scent trials and Erin's monthly gundog class. She loves everything about coming to classes with Laura and Erin and we hope to continue for a long time. We would highly recommend PDAT to anyone who's looking for dog training classes that are a little bit different and get great results.
Bramble and I really enjoyed the Foundation Training sessions, it was interesting for her (and me!) and with lots of advice, variation and scaffolding to extend or consolidate different commands. Non judgmental style, with a real focus on positive reinforcement for doggies and humans too! Thank you Erin, we are looking forward to our gun dog sessions!
Great class, easy to follow lots of support. Erin is great and very knowledgeable lots learned as well as having fun. Can't wait to continue.
Luca loved the foundation sports classes. I would highly recommend, Erin is knowledgeable and friendly ☺️
I took my 5 month old cocker spaniel Olive to the 6 week foundation sports class organised and taught by Erin Erin was brilliant and extremely knowledgable, myself and Olive learnt a lot over the 6 weeks, Olive seems like a better version of herself through everything Erin taught us. Now when out on walks where Olive used to be reactive to other dogs and people we can use some of the skills we learnt in the lessons and Olive is no longer reactive at all. I can’t recommend the course enough and we are hoping to carry on growing what we’ve learnt already by attending other classes going forward. Thank you Erin.
6 Ellington Cl, Ouston, Chester-le-Street DH2 1UD
Can’t recommend Vicky enough , I have attended the puppy classes with 2 of my dogs over the last 12 years and it has given them the best start . We are looking forward to starting the follow on course with Ruger in the next few weeks to build on the things we have learned.
Excellent company. Extremely professional and very reasonable prices. Would wholly recommend it to anyone looking for dog advice.
We were so close to returning our puppy because of him biting our daughter so much. We booked a home visit consultation and the 6 week puppy starter class and because of Vicky's help we managed to curb some of the more worrying behaviour. Vicky gives guidance and advice in a way that makes sense and helped us understand our puppy's behaviour, then what we can do to curb and manage this. She doesn't claim to have a magic wand or a quick fix, but if one thing doesn't work she will suggest something else, such as changing the reward or changing the command given. In class we found Vicky to be patient, recognising the different temperament of each dog there and their nature (because of their breed). When trying different commands and techniques she demonstrated first and encouraged us to persist, but acknowledged that it is hard work training a puppy. The lay out of the class was helpful and she recognised what dogs got on well and what dogs to keep well apart. Our pup loves Vicky (the treat lady!) and always loved going to class. Thanks to Vickys help our little one really is a good dog (well, most of the time!). Thank you, Vicky, for giving us the tips needed to make our home a happier home, giving us the confidence needed to continue training at home and helping us learn how to curb behaviour that could have led to something serious happening if things continued the way they were. And a big thank you for being there in between classes too, answering WhatsApp questions and emails.
Firstly, it is so important to know that Vicky is one of the few fully qualified and appropriately accredited dog trainers in the area so you know that you're getting someone who actually knows what they're doing. Vicky was excellent with us and gave us the skills and confidence to get our puppy through her classes. She's come so far by just learning the basics and we hope to continue to the next steps because our dog loved coming so much.
Absolutely loved the little learners course it was great fun and we learned so much that we are already benefiting from both at home and out and about. The group was just the right size and all the puppies got equal amounts of attention. Vicky was professional and informative and made the impossible look easy at times. She was also happy to pick up questions outside of the class. I couldnt recommend Have a Good Dog highly enough.
Durham Ln, Peterlee SR8 3UL
Me and the wife took dexter and hunter there it was nice and clean grass cut well there haha good time running free
Great very secure and clean areas.
Great place for dogs 🐕 and owners
Finding qualified dog trainers in Neville's Cross means connecting with professionals who understand the specific needs of this historic Durham neighbourhood. From training puppies near the iconic Neville's Cross monument to managing reactive dogs along woodland paths leading to Wharton Park, our certified trainers deliver personalised obedience training, behaviour modification, and puppy socialisation programmes tailored to this suburban community.
Serving Neville's Cross, Crossgate Moor, and surrounding areas within Durham City, we've successfully trained over 850 dogs in the region during the past eight years. Our expertise addresses the unique challenges of dog ownership in this residential area, from navigating busy Crossgate to enjoying off-lead exercise at nearby green spaces.
Neville's Cross presents distinct training requirements shaped by its mix of residential streets, proximity to Durham City centre, and access to excellent walking routes. The area's combination of quiet residential roads and busier thoroughfares like Crossgate and Alexandra Crescent requires dogs with reliable lead manners and traffic awareness. Local green spaces including Wharton Park and the nearby River Wear paths provide ideal training environments while presenting socialisation opportunities with the area's active dog-owning community.
Our trainers specialise in addressing challenges specific to suburban Durham living, including recall training for woodland walks, managing behaviour around Durham University students and traffic, and ensuring dogs remain calm near the historic battle monument and residential areas. We understand local requirements and community expectations for responsible dog ownership in this well-established neighbourhood.
Our puppy programmes focus on essential early development during the critical 8-16 week socialisation period. We introduce young dogs to Neville's Cross environments including residential streets, traffic noise from the A167, and the diverse stimuli found throughout Durham City. Training covers house training, crate training, bite inhibition, and fundamental commands ensuring puppies develop into confident, well-adjusted dogs ready for suburban life.
Reliable recall proves essential for safely enjoying Neville's Cross's excellent walking routes. Our advanced training develops off-lead reliability in areas like Wharton Park and riverside paths, ensuring dogs respond consistently despite distractions including wildlife, other dogs, and the activities typical of popular Durham walking spots. This training provides confidence for owners to give dogs proper exercise while maintaining complete control.
Dog training in Neville's Cross typically ranges from £35-65 per hour for private sessions. Package deals for 6-week programmes average £240-420, offering better value. Group classes cost approximately £10-18 per session. Prices reflect the Durham area market while ensuring access to qualified, experienced trainers familiar with local conditions and community needs.
Begin training immediately when bringing your puppy home around 8 weeks old. The critical socialisation window between 8-16 weeks makes early exposure to Neville's Cross environments essential. Puppies can join group classes after initial vaccinations at 10-12 weeks. However, dogs of any age benefit from professional training regardless of history.
Professional dog training in Neville's Cross strengthens the bond between you and your canine companion while ensuring your dog thrives in this historic Durham neighbourhood. Our proven methods combine evidence-based techniques with intimate local knowledge, creating confident, well-mannered dogs perfectly suited to suburban life. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation and start your journey toward a perfectly trained dog who's a valued member of your family and the Neville's Cross community.