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About us

Yorkshire Canine Academy is a collective of experienced dog trainers and behaviourists practicing out of our Leeds based HQ on Kings Road.

Our staff’s constant desire to better educate themselves puts our training methods and systems at the forefront of dog training and behaviour. Each training programme is carefully designed to optimise results for both dog and owner. Having worked on 1000s of cases, our training is both results, and evidence based.

Ask us a question
Where are you based?

We’re based just North of Leeds, on Swan Ln, Eccup, Leeds LS16 8AZ

How do I know which service is right for my dog?

Book an assessment! Our senior trainers will discuss your current concerns and what you’d like to achieve from your training. After your assessment they will recommend a training programme based on your goals.

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes, all payments over £50 can be made via our PayPal ‘Pay in Three’ option. This plan allows you to spread the cost of your training programme over 3 months, and is completely interest free.

I’ve been to trainers before, how do I know you’ll be any different?

Our unique training system has been tried and tested to tackle and treat even the most severe behavioural issues after others have fallen short. 72% of all our graduates have seen at least one other dog trainer before us.

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Jacob
Morgan
Head Trainer & Co-Founder
"
Sensei
"
7
Years exp.

Jacob is our head trainer and co-founder here at the Yorkshire Canine Academy. Jacob grew up around dog’s, specifically German Shepherds. The passing of his childhood dog Soffi in 2013 triggered a desire to work with dogs. After spending a few years volunteering to walk friends’ dogs while studying, Jacob decided to finally get his own dog Ranger. Shortly (but not wisely) followed by Darla in 2016. Out of his depth, both dog’s behaviour took a turn for the worse which called for some behavioural intervention for both dogs. After some help from dog trainers, many hours studying animal behaviour and undergoing countless online courses, Ranger and Darla were transformed into the trusty stooge dogs you’ll see around today. Having worked as professional dog trainer for over 6 years and training over 2500 dogs, Jacob brings a wealth of experience to the team. Jacob has a passion for working with large breeds but even more so, with motivated owners that want nothing more to help their dogs. In 2021 Jacob added a 3rd dog to his team, Stark the Belgian Malinois, who has featured in many of our puppy training tutorials, Jacob aspires to compete with Stark in protection Sports in the future.

Current dogs

Ranger (Staffy Cross), Darla (Romanian Street Dog) and Stark (working line Belgian Malinois)

Next breed

English Bulldog! (Rescue of course)

Interesting fact

Jacob once found a Labrador playing in traffic on a dual carriageway, while studying at university. The two were inseparable for 3 days while Buddy accompanied Jacob to rugby training, lectures, and the gym. Eventually Buddy owners were traced and buddy was returned home, Jacob was gutted.

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Ian
Kirke
Head Trainer & Co-Founder
"
Kirke McDragon
"
6
Years exp.

Ian (also affectionately known as Kirkey) is one of our senior trainers and co-founder of the YCA. You may have heard his name before, in very different circumstances. Ian is an ex-professional Rugby League player who had many notable performances with Leeds Rhinos, earning himself 5 grand final rings (yes, FIVE). Upon his retirement, Kirkey took up a career in strength and conditioning, gaining another grand final ring but this time as coaching staff. Ian got his first dog aged 11, an elderly and wayward Rottweiler who taught him many lessons in management of behaviour rather than ‘fixing’a problem. He had another two rescue dogs before his current team of four. Three rescues, (Rita 10, bullbreed. Blue 4, whippet/spaniel and Nerf, Frenchie), and a fresh Frenchie puppy Cora. Having studied behaviourism with the BCCS Ian was inspired by Jacob’s justification of modern dog training leading to a more inclusive life for dogs. Subsequently he bought into Sensei Jacob’s ways and hasn’t looked back! Kirkey enjoys working with all dogs and issues but has a particular penchant for a cute Frenchie, even the biters!

Current dogs

Rita (Admin assistant and Bullbreed cross), Blue (definitely not a Spaniel), Nerf (a rescue Frenchie), Cora (Frenchie)

Next breed

Probably another Frenchie

Interesting fact

Kirkey is a steady natural strongman competitor.

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Elisha
King
Senior Dog Trainer
"
Prawn
"
3
Years exp.

Despite being one of our youngest members of staff, Elisha has a wealth of experience training her own dogs from the age of 16, and has recently entered into the world of protection sport with her Cane Corso, Chief. Her love of dogs began with her first dog, Eddie the Jack Russell, at age 9. Since then, she’s gone to the opposite end of the size spectrum, currently owning a Cane Corso and a Presa Canario. Elisha studied for her level 3 in Equine Management at college and has previously trained and kept race horses before joining us here. Elisha loves nothing more than getting some downtime, adventuring in the lakes with Chief and Kyra, but when she’s at work she never stops. This girl is the toughest cookie we’ve ever met and isn’t afraid of a hard day’s graft. If you’re ever wondering how you can show your appreciation to Elisha as your trainer, Salt and Vinegar Squares, or Peperamis are the answer.

Current dogs

Kyra (Presa Canario), Chief (Cane Corso), Texas (Belgian Malinois)

Next breed

Bull Herder

Interesting fact

Small but mighty – not only is Elisha well versed in handling large dogs, she is a UK all styles kick-boxing champion!

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Dan
Garbutt
Senior Trainer
"
Dano
"
3
Years exp.

Dan joined YCA early in 2022 having brought his dog to training sessions and completed our training course (quickly passing through the “advanced” test!) Having agreed with his wife to get a dog and carry-out a course of training, Dan instantly loved the theory and practical application involved in training his own dog. Dan arranged to start spending some free time at YCA around his job as a Physio and started doing some reading and online tutorials on dog training. Through this he quickly realised that the skills he’d learnt helping patients with their injuries could be transferred to helping clients and their dogs. Dan has a keen interest in helping people reach their goals with their dogs, and enjoys applying theory and practical to real life situations to help people get the most enjoyment out of their dogs. Dan has an aversion to sitting still and will always find something to keep himself busy, he is even the self-appointed Chief Bin-Emptier. Dan enjoys running with Sanchez, and you’ll frequently see the two of them running around Leeds together.

Current dogs

Sanchez (Hungarian Vizsla), Heidi (GSP)

Next breed

Another dog with a good engine and high motivation to work and to keep up on runs

Interesting fact

In a former life, Dan could run 5k in 14 minutes and 10k in under 30 minutes. Sanchez frequently runs with Dan and a Sunday training group around Leeds.

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Chloe
Boomer
Cat Herder
"
Chlodelhay
"
3
Years exp.

Brought to you all the way from sunny Northern Ireland, Chloe is one of our newest members of staff and has taken on the role of Admin Assistant. Having moved to Leeds for university she fell in love with it and never left. Her love of dogs began with her first puppy – Lily, the golden retriever – who was definitely only bought to appease her after the arrival of her little sister. The golden retriever theme continued throughout her childhood, and she has experienced first-hand how it feels to have two dogs of the same breed behave entirely different to the other. As an adult, her love of dogs continued, volunteering as a foster mom for a Staffy rescue before finally giving in and getting one of her own. Enter…Kevin. Kevin is the little ginger Staffy you may see on site, he occasionally makes an appearance as a stooge but is more frequently found sleeping in between bouts of being an absolute lunatic. Chloe has always had an interest in the YCA and been involved from a distance, as a close friend of Jacob and Ian. So, she jumped at the chance when they offered her the role. Chloe will be the person with whom you have most contact, outside of your trainer, as she sends all our emails and mans the phone – so please excuse the accent when you give us a call (translator available on request).

Current dogs

Kevin (Staffy cross), Dolly (Bullherder)

Next breed

A clone of Kevin

Interesting fact

Once, during uni, Jacob changed Chloe’s name to Linda on facebook. As a result, anyone from her uni days, including Jacob’s family, still refer to her as Linda (7 years later).

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Suzanne
Moore
Social media Manager
"
Suzie
"
2
Years exp.

Suzanne is our Social Media Manager and in-house photographer/videographer. She graduated from Leeds College of Art in 2015 with a BA in Graphic Design. Suzanne’s first dog was a Retriever cross called Sandy. More recently she’s had Russel the Bulldog and Dennis the Cane Corso. Suzanne first came to the YCA as a client in 2021 with her Cane Corso, Dennis. Dennis arrived at the centre with a severe aversion to humans, Suzanne can now happily walk him, on her own, with no issue. Suzanne is a keen knitter, she has 80 balls of wool (that her husband knows about). We proudly display one of her creations above our sofa in the consultation room – keep an eye out for it the next time you’re in.

Current dogs

Dennis (Cane Corso)

Next breed

Staffy

Interesting fact

Her grandad invented the iconic yellow and black Staedtler pencils.

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Jake
Kaye
Junior Dog Trainer
"
The Wheeler Dealer
"
1
Years exp.

Jake joins us as a previous client, turned dog trainer. Nelly, his GSP is the reason he’s with us today. If you think your dog is bad, Nelly barked at the fridge for the entire consultation (yes, all 60 mins!). Now, she’s one of our very trusty stooge dogs. Before coming to us, Jake was in sales, he’s sold everything you can think of, cars, funeral cover, life insurance, more cars and bifold doors. For the past 2 years he has successfully run his own Bifold door company and supplied YCA with the beautiful doors you see in our café. Jake is so keen that he bought a van within 2 weeks of starting his job here, since then, he’s decided it’s not big enough for all the dogs he plans on having and now he has a bigger one.

Current dogs

Doris (Miniature Dachshund), Nelly (GSP), Trigger (Belgian Malinois)

Next breed

Dutchy (if Holly allows it)

Interesting fact

Co-Owns a dog food company specialising in raw and cold pressed dog food. (Shameless plug for Prime Canine).

State of the art facilities

Coffee shop

Relax with a coffee in our coffee shop before or after your training sessions and test your dog’s ability to do nothing before trying it out in the real world.

Canopy

We have a large canopy in our field so, come rain, hail or shine we can continue your dogs training in shelter and shade. 

Enclosed training field

Our large training field is perfect for training your dog in a safe environment while enabling us to increase the level of distraction they face.

Yorkshire Canine Store

Pick up all the equipment you might need for training your dog in our onsite store. We stock various leads, collars, toys and dog food, making us your one stop shop for all things dog!

Air-conditioned/heated dog room

Our dog room is air-conditioned in the summer months and heated through the winter so no matter what the weather, your dogs can rest in comfort between their training sessions.

Living room

Separate to our consultation space we have a mock living room for you to practice the art of doing nothing with your dog.

Trusted by over 1,000 owners since 2021
5.0
205 ratings
130+
Dog breads
What our customers say
We're rated
5
stars
on Google by
205
reviewers

I recommend the YCA to everyone I know. Atlas is almost 2 and struggles with dog reactivity. Before we started training with the YCA his recall sucked, I used to dread walks and I constantly felt like I was failing to give him the life he deserved. Atlas initially did 3 days training at the YCA & we went for 2 in person 1-1s where he leant the basics of loose lead walking, and we left with a clear plan & training exercises to do & had lots of WhatsApp support. We then did their online training with instinct programme and the e-collar course. I used to be very uneducated about e-collars and would never have even considered using one previously. However, after learning about how it is introduced & used in the course, I can honestly say that any misconceptions I had about them only being used in a “cruel” way went out the window. The course has been life changing for us and Atlas has been off lead on walks around the countryside, past dogs, cows, sheep and people for the first time this week since he was 5/6 months old. Seeing him run around off lead, genuinely loving life, is the most amazing thing. I can also now fully enjoy our walks as I’m not constantly stressing about not having control over him and him not having reliable recall. In my opinion, training with the YCA is the best decision I ever made for me & Atlas ❤️ Thank you!

Imogen Smith
1 week ago

Most importantly: If you’re unsure about the YCA - don’t be. It will change your life.When we adopted Goose, our little rescue, we weren’t prepared for the level of reactivity he had. Despite our dedication and regular obedience training, we couldn’t get within 50 metres of another dog without a full-on reaction - barking, lunging, no focus, and no way to reach him. We were constantly avoiding certain streets, trails, or parks, and Goose was always on leash. We felt discouraged and quietly wondered if we’d taken on more than we could handle.His reactivity wasn’t aggressive - it was social reactivity. He was overly friendly and didn’t know how to regulate his excitement around other dogs. But that didn’t make it any easier to manage, and it still kept him - and us - from enjoying the life we wanted together.Then we found the Yorkshire Canine Academy.It started with their YouTube videos - for the first time, we understood that Goose’s reactivity wasn’t just an obedience issue. It was about how he felt around his triggers.. and until we addressed that, nothing would truly change.Since joining the TWI Program, everything has. With the support of Ian Kirk, Elisha King, and the entire YCA team, Goose has transformed - and so have we. We now enjoy fully off-leash hikes, confidently pass other dogs on trails, and live a life of freedom together. Goose has perfect recall, a solid heel, and clear understanding of helpful commands that keep us both safe and connected. We trust him - and he trusts us.And best of all - YCA helped us achieve all of this without changing who Goose is. His friendliness and love for other dogs are still part of him, but now he has the structure, confidence, and understanding to navigate the world calmly and respectfully.What makes YCA so special is that they didn’t just help us “control” Goose - they helped us learn who he was at heart. They showed us how to understand his needs, his temperament, and what fills his cup. This wasn’t about creating a dog who’s obedient because he’s scared to disobey - this was about building a confident, fulfilled dog who wants to listen, because he feels safe, understood, and free.Goose is now the happiest, most balanced version of himself: curious, calm, goofy, and fully present with us. The bond we share today is because YCA taught us not just how to lead, but how to connect.And the course isn’t just for your dog - it’s personal training for you. It teaches you how to be the kind of leader and trainer your dog truly needs. The skills, mindset, and theory you learn don’t just improve your dog’s life - they help you grow into the best version of yourself for your dog.The program itself is brilliantly structured with step-by-step video lessons for every single training point. Jacob Morgan’s instruction in the videos is in a league of its own - he doesn’t just show what to do, he breaks down the why behind it, the timing, the mindset, and how it all fits together. His clear, detailed explanations paired with real-life examples make everything click - whether you’re brand new to training or feel like you’ve tried everything.And through every group call and 1-on-1 session, Ian and Elisha were patient, thoughtful, and fully invested in our success. They never rushed an answer. They gave us their time, their guidance, and their belief - even when we weren’t sure of ourselves.YCA didn’t just help us train our dog - they gave us back our joy, our freedom, and a bond with Goose we didn’t know was possible. If you’re struggling with reactivity or just want more from life with your dog, YCA will change everything.Big thanks to the YCA.

Steph Bt
1 week ago

The YCA boot camp for reactive dogs was a great experience. We made a lot of progress in a short space of time with our 9 year old Australian shepherd dog, Skye. Her age made no difference to learning the new behaviours.The techniques are well taught and thoroughly explained. The training was varied and well structured. This allowed us to progress and build our confidence throughout the week.The consultation, booking process and pre-course training was easy and well delivered.The team are really friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.Thank you YCA for helping us to give Skye a more relaxed quality of life.

Sally Nuttall
2 week ago

Simply outstanding results!Bespoke training, with no BS.It wasn't long before I realised that they utilise everything at there disposal to tailor their methods to each dog and their owners.Multiple trainers, dog handlers, and fellow owners ( and their dogs) are all utilised in fluid training exercises and even improv to get desired outcomes. I was and am still blown away with the speed and efficacy of how far we have progressed.Having a highly reactive pet is soul destroying. I feel like a heavy weight has been lifted from me, truly.But the "Real Deal" is now my dog has begun to live a life full of fun and even more happiness. The new things he is getting to experience for the very first time each and every day is astounding.Non of this is possible without the trainers, and other staff in the background supporting both them and all the clients online and at the academy day to day.Take your first step. We did.There is no looking back is there "Dodi"?

Allen Lackenby
3 week ago

We've just finished YCA's Training With Instinct programme and they've managed to help us with every issue we set out to address with Ted, our two year-old Malinois cross. We really cannot recommend them highly enough. The training documentation is fantastic and the accompanying video tutorials are easy to follow, the 1:1 sessions we had were transformative, and we were supported brilliantly throughout via WhatsApp and group calls. Ted arrived with us from Dog's Trust as a super-reactive whirlwind; beautiful temperament but wanting to chase everything that moved. As a result he pulled ridiculously on the lead, was far too boisterous around other dogs and had no self-control around footballs, basketballs etc...not a good look in the local park. He now walks brilliantly on a loose lead, ignoring other dogs with bad manners (we now notice how many of them there are!); he recalls superbly and is just way calmer in general thanks to the boundaries and thresholds YCA have helped us put in place. One particular moment to call out happened about 6 weeks in. We were really struggling with a particular step in the course and feeling quite dejected, which we conveyed via our private WhatsApp group: Jacob, Kirky and Elisha jumped straight on it with a plan, but more importantly, encouragement. A week later we were in a 1:1 with Kirky, and turning a corner. We were told right at the start to expect challenges and then a collective lightbulb moment when we and Ted would click, as all the foundations began working together, and that's exactly what happened. We're looking forward to staying in touch as 'graduates', as more than anything else YCA are just good people to hang around and natter about dogs with. Thanks everyone.

Owen Coombes
4 week ago

I’m so grateful to YCA they truly changed everything for us.Before going to YCA, Finn was reactive to dogs, people and tried to chin anything that moved. He pulled like a train when on lead and had a recall when nothing was at stake. We needed help.I signed up to the Focus in Four course and saw improvements but I wanted more freedom for Finn to be a dog. So I signed up to the Training with Instincts course, and started it. It took awhile to work through Finn's issues but Elisha, Kirky and the team at YCA walked me through every step.We started with simple play and moved to addressing his reactivity, and then his recall and using an e-collar. The videos and resources they provided me with were so helpful, almost holding my hand and walking me through the processes, how and why they work.I absolutely recommend going to YCA to get help for your doggy troubles.Finn is now living his best life, on and off lead, I can take pretty much anywhere without worrying. And is so much happier now being able to live his best life.

Rohan Hariharan
One month ago