Meet the Team at K9 Academy

K9 Academy is led by experienced, qualified trainers who are passionate about kind, fair and effective dog training.

As a Kennel Club Listed Status Club, our training is overseen by Joy Cook, a Kennel Club Accredited Instructor and member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT 552). All APDT members adhere to a strict code of practice and are committed to positive, reward-based training methods.


Our team is dedicated to creating a welcoming, supportive environment where both dogs and handlers can learn with confidence.

Joy

I started K9 academy in 2006 to offer fun and relaxed dog training. I have been a member of the Association of Pet dog trainers since 1997.


I am a Kennel Club accredited trainer in dog activities and a listed examiner for Kennel Club good citizen dog scheme awards.


I have owned many dogs over my adult life both puppy and rescue dogs, including 8 Border collies, 6 Bloodhounds, and 4 British Bulldogs.

I compete and judge at bloodhound trials and love watching the hounds enjoying the job they were bred to do.

Jan

Hi I’m Jan and I’ve been at K9 Academy since 2006. I’m a Kennel Club examiner for the good citizens scheme at bronze level.


I’ve owned border collies for 50 years, at present I have a Border Collie and my first ever Jack Russell Terrier who keep me on my toes.

Rebecca

Hi everyone, my name is Rebecca and I’m a volunteer dog trainer at K9 Academy.  I first started at K9 Academy when I was 10 years old with my first Cockapoo and I have been hooked since. I help out with puppy, adolescence and adult dog training classes.  I have a degree and currently working towards my masters in animal behaviour and training, where I have taught a goat to count. I love teaching tricks as well as scent work at K9 Academy.

Hannah

I’m Hannah I’ve been at K9 Academy for around 18 months now. I studied Animal Management for 3 years gaining a level 3 diploma. I have my own Cocker Spaniel called Bobby. At K9 I love the getting to see how the dogs progress on and how happy they are to be at training!

Beate

Since retiring from her day job in 2023, Beate has become a dog trainer. She's successfully completed a two-year course with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), where she got her Certificate in Dog Training Instruction (Advanced) in October 2025. She's worked as a volunteer at the K9 Academy since the autumn of 2023. She also volunteers at the Dogs Trust in Darlington, where she met and adopted her beloved collie Max. She's particularly interested in herding and thinking games for dogs.