Police dog training to be held at school - Weston & Somerset Mercury

The agreement will see the dogs training at the school

A SOMERSET school has announced it will be entering into a partnership with the police dog training unit.

The agreement between King Alfred School in Highbridge and Avon and Somerset Constabulary will see training sessions for the dogs, which are used to search premises and vehicles, held at the site.

Although most of the sessions will be held in the evenings and on weekends and school holidays, once a month the dogs will spend an afternoon in the school.

Headteacher Andy Owen said: “We are delighted to build on our strong relationships with the police and to act as a training base for the search dog unit.

“The presence of the search dogs will also act as a deterrent. We are unapologetic in that we have a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and that anyone bringing illegal substances onto the school site will be dealt with most severely”

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Day care for dogs - Weston & Somerset Mercury

(click on image for larger view) Hillside Nursery, Wraxall, opening up new dog day care and training centre, Grace Brutto with her children Chloe and Jodie.

Vicky Angear
Friday, May 6, 2011
5:00 PM

Day care for dogs

A NEW day care and training centre for dogs is being set up in Wraxall.

Owners will be able to drop their beloved pets off with dog lover Grace Brutto who runs Hillside Nursery with her husband Graham and her cousin Sally Hunt.

Grace already has experience in dog training as she helps out with training camps at the Young Kennel Club and her two daughters also enter their border collies in numerous competitions including Crufts.

Grace said: “I have had a lot of people asking me to look after their dogs and we thought it would be an ideal setting to do it in.

“Our nursery has a beautiful setting and it’s a wonderful place for them to be well looked after and exercised.”

The new centre will be able to take up to eight dogs during the day. The owners will not be putting up any more buildings, but utilising existing buildings on site.

Grace said: “We are on the main commuter route into Bristol. A lot of people have said they will drop their dogs off on the way to work or to go shopping all day.

“I’m going to do a small amount of dog training as well. I train with rewards through play and titbits.”

Grace will be offering obedience and agility training, but owners will also be able to pop in if they have a minor problem with their pooches and would like some advice.

Grace and her family have run the plant nursery at the site for 40 years and are looking forward to expanding their business. They hope to have it up and running later this year.

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