The Great Battersea Train Off
05 JULY 2018
Last month marked the first ever Great Battersea Train Off - a competition to find the top dog trainer in the country.
Working alongside The School of Canine Science, Battersea hosted the 5-day training challenge at its London centre, with our rescue dogs stepping forward as willing trainees.
Twenty-three participants were battling it out for the top spot, with each trainer being assigned three dogs to train. At the end of the week, they chose one dog to put forward for the final judging, giving as many dogs as possible a chance to get involved in the fun.
It wasn’t all about winning for these animal lovers though. Some chose their finalist dogs, not based on how trainable they were, but on who they believed would benefit the most from this extra care and attention.
Before getting stuck in, each trainer took a bit of time to get to know their dog. Familiarising themselves with their personality and working out how to train them in a way that worked for them.
Each contestant had to tackle a daily mini-challenge, as well as preparing for their final judging challenge. They were tasked with training their dog to retrieve a roller from the other side of their kennel and then hold it in their mouth, being actioned by only a hand signal.
But this competition posed a bigger opportunity for our Battersea dogs than simply learning new tricks. Having the chance for our dogs to get some extra one-on-one time, whilst enriching their stay in our kennels is truly invaluable and at the heart of Battersea's care.
It was too close to call by the end of the week, with the judges having to taking an extra hour to deliberate over who would be the winner. In the end, they decided to name Adam Delderfield ‘Trainer of the Year’ for his work with Battersea dog, Sebastian.
By the end of the week, all of our dogs had grown in confidence and made a new friend in their trainer, so they’re all winners to us.
