Our Founder and Head Instructor
Lorraine is dedicated to helping owners realise their dogs potential whilst allowing the dogs personality to shine through.
Lorraine is passionate about dogs and feels that every dog has the right to an education. She knows that an owner that has trained their dog using motivation techniques enjoys their canine companion on a much greater level. She strives to help owners realise their dogs’ potential whilst allowing the dogs personality to shine through. Lorraine is sympathetic and often empathetic with owners and receives great pleasure in watching owners and dogs progress and accomplish behaviours.
Lorraine is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) membership number APDT01054.
She has qualified as a Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme Assessor at Gold level and is a Heelwork To Music / Freestyle Judge, has canine first aid certificate and regularly attends workshops, seminars and training to keep up to date with continuously evolving modern training methods.
Lorraine has loved, lived and trained dogs for over 40 years and has shared her home with Rough Collies, German Shepherds, a Miniature Doberman, Cross Breeds and Australian Shepherds. She currently shares her home with Mally who is a tri Australian Shepherd.
Meet our Instructor
Kate
Kate’s lifelong interest in dog training developed having undertaken a pet dog training course as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme in the 1980’s.
In the 2007 Kate started training her own dogs with Lorraine at Lincs Dog Training, so it comes as no surprise that after retirement from a 31-year career in the Police Service, Kate joined the Lincs Dog training team as an instructor.
Kate has successfully undertaken and passed the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) Advanced course and subsequently the assessment to become a full member of the APDT. Member Number 01561. The APDT promotes force free ethical training based on kind reward-based handling.
Kate enjoys many canine disciplines and continues to professionally develop her own skills including:
- Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme having achieved gold standard with 4 dogs to date and is a Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme Assessor to Gold level.
- Scentwork UK Tier 1 (levels 1-4) Instructor, Trial Manager & Judge, Tier 2 (levels 5 – 10) instructor
- Agility, having competed at both non-affiliated and KC affiliated events.
- Heel Work to Music incorporating freestyle, training with Britain’s Got Talent and multiple time Crufts finalist Lucy Heath & Trip Hazzard and is part of The Trickstars display team with Lucy.
- Obedience – Training
- Rally Obedience
Kate can offer classes on a group, semiprivate or private basis.
Meet our Instructor
Sophie
Sophie loves working with dogs and people alike, she is committed to supporting the relationship between dog and handler and seeing their relationship build to new levels.
Sophie is passionate about positive relationships between children and dogs. Has spent time in primary and preschool introducing children to dogs and teaching about canine body language and handling skills and has worked with children to overcome their fear of dogs. Sophie enjoys helping children to train dogs in different disciplines.
Sophie has trained at Lincs Dog Training for 12 years and joined the team as a trainer in 2024. Sophie has completed the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) members course (Member number 1704) and brings the reward based methods and the ethical values of APDT to all her lessons.
Sophie is qualified as a Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme Assessor, has a canine first aid certificate and is working towards an Advanced Diploma Applied Animal Behaviour (Canine). Sophie recently completed a Talking Dogs Rally instructor course and is working with Canine Hoopers UK. Sophie has recently joined Helpful Hounds as an Assistance dog Trainer helping dogs reach their potential as assistance dogs but also helping transform the lives of those they support.
Sophie enjoys all aspects of dog training and takes part in many disciplines with her own dogs. She has owned and worked with dogs all of her life, she brings her experience and skills to teaching puppy, beginner and all level classes, TD rally, Gundog and Hoopers classes and one to one sessions here at Lincs Dog Training.
Meet our Instructor
Charmaine
For as long as she can remember, dogs have been at the centre of Charmaine’s life. That passion first took root in 1992 when her family brought home Lady, an English Springer Spaniel puppy who sparked a lifelong fascination with canine behaviour and communication. Over the years, this connection only deepened, guiding Charmaine into a career in both dog grooming and professional dog training.
In 2020, Charmaine became a proud member of the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT), reflecting her commitment to ethical, science‑based, welfare‑focused training. In 2025, she joined the Lincs Dog Training team, where her skills and qualifications have continued to grow. She is now a Kennel Club Good Citizen Assessor, a Scentwork UK Instructor, and an Accredited Canine Hoopers UK Instructor.
Charmaine is also undertaking The Dog Training School’s Year of Scent, further expanding her expertise — so keep an eye out for upcoming tracking and mantrailing workshops.
Her mission is to help dogs and their humans navigate the world together with confidence, clarity, and kindness. She believes that great training is built on empathy, communication, and teamwork, creating supportive learning experiences that strengthen relationships and foster trust.
Charmaine currently offers a wide range of classes, including Scentwork, Agility, Hoopers, Puppy Classes, Beginner Classes, and Levels Classes, all delivered with her signature interactive, compassionate, welfare‑first approach. She also presents specialist workshops such as Real World Ready, Hoopers, and Canine Body Language.
Lorraine's Dogs
Meet Mally
Mally is a tri colour Australian Shepherd who is an enthusiastic, laugh a minute, delightful character and embraces life with great joy.
He has accomplished his Gold Good Citizen Award and Advanced APDT Companion Award.
He was part of the Heelwork to Music Activities Team conducting demonstrations at Crufts 2017 and 2018 and Qualified for Crufts 2017 in the breed category as a puppy. Mally and Lorraine were part of the demonstration team, run by Richard Curtis in the Kennel Club ring at Crufts 2019 and 2020.
Mally continues to enjoy trick training, rally, scent work, general obedience, cuddles from the post person and neighbours, walks in the countryside, Hydrotherapy and cuddling on the couch with his Daddy
Meet Jade
Jade is a Blue Merle Australian Shepherd who competed in Heelwork to Music and Freestyle at Intermediate level and was part of the Heelwork to Music Activities Team conducting demonstrations at Crufts. Jade has also achieved level 2 Title at Talking Dogs Rally Obedience and has her level 1 Championship status.
Sadly Jade passed away in 2023 and is still missed very much by Lorraine, however Jade enjoyed hanging around with her mum, scent work, walks in the countryside, hydrotherapy and curling up on the couch with her mum until the end.
Rest in Peace Baby Girl
Kate's Dogs
Meet Bodie & Kal
Kate grew up with dogs, having shared her life with Irish Red Setters Ben and Rufus, a rescue mixed breed Gizmo, chocolate Labradors Sophie and Jessie and Border Collies Sam, Rebel and Tilly all of whom are running free over Rainbow Bridge.
Kate currently shares her life with her 2 Border Collies.
- Bodie, a blue and white boy who enjoys training no matter what it is. Being a stud dog, he particularly likes “The ladies”!!!
- Kal, a sable boy, and son of Bodie. He is the baby of the pack, he is by far the naughtiest puppy Kate has ever had, but is now coming on nicely and seems to be settling down. Kal thoroughly enjoys training like his dad no matter the discipline.
Sophie's Dogs
Meet Betty
Betty is our 10 year old Working Cocker Spaniel. Betty used to love agility and gundog work but now her skills are therapy work. Betty is a qualified Pets as Therapy Dog and has spent time in schools with children and is a particular good listener when the primary children are reading to her.
Meet Wilf
Wilf Irish Water spaniel. Wilf is a steady dog who loves to sleep! His favourite activity is water retrieves and his diving is very impressive! He has completed the KC Good Citizen Gold Award, taken part on competitive obedience training and enjoys scent work, agility, rally and gundog training.
Meet Noodles
Noodles. Toy Poodle. Noodles is full of character and definitely not shy! He absolutely loves children and loves to be trained by them. He’s keen on tricks training and will turn his paw to anything except for swimming!
Meet Florence
Florence. Irish water spaniel. Florence is by far the cleverest and with that comes much naughtiness too! She gets up to a lot of mischief but not when she’s training she loves agility and water retrieving. Sadly Florence has passed away and is missed very much.
Charmaine's Dogs
Meet Teddy
Teddy is a 14 year old terrier cross rescue. When he was 2, he had to have an operation to remove his outer and middle ears on both sides. As a result of this he has always been hard of hearing.
Nowadays he is almost completely deaf but he doesn't let that stand in the way of him loving life. He has taken part in Hoopers, Scentwork and Tricks training.
Meet Ziggy
Ziggy is a 2 year old miniature poodle and is the first puppy Charmaine has owned. He has been an education!
He loves Scentwork and Tricks training as well as dabbling in gundog training when he was younger. His true passion though is helping with Charmaine's mums knitting!
