Lorraine Sentinel 2007

Seventies dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse may have made phrases such as "Walkies!" and "Sii-itt" as staples of canine obedience training, but things have moved on a lot since.Lorraine Walchester first got involved in 1991 when she bought Staffordshire bull terrier Jess.

The trainer then moved into agility and over the next decade her loyal pet - despite its breeding as a fighting dog - went on to become an advanced agility dog, landing rosettes from top competitions including Crufts.

Now Mrs Walchester, aged 45, of Staffs Agility School, holds training nights three times a week, and helps other dog lovers to teach their pets how to take part in agility courses made famous on television.

Despite the recent controversy about dangerous dogs after two savage Rottweiler attacks - one which last week left nine-year-old Jordan Gillon from Chesterton undergoing surgery - Lorraine insists that all dogs can be trained for obedience and agility.

She said: "There are all different types of dogs, but what is important is how they are bred and what they are used for. I've had people come to me to train a Boxer who say, 'He's a bit lively,' but what do they expect?

"If you keep a dog that's been bred to work and keep it at home all day, you should not be surprised if it's lively and gone to town on the furniture."

Lorraine has been running dog obedience and agility classes at Cheadle Equestrian Centre since 1999.

Two sessions held on Monday and Thursday are split between agility lessons and competition, while a third on Tuesday nights is dedicated to getting puppies ready for contact with other dogs and agility training.

The evening nature of the work allows Lorraine to look after her disabled husband and their five dogs.

She will spend some time each morning preparing lesson plans which both challenge the dogs and their owners.

She also insists on preparing each class by first setting up the collapsible tunnels, ramps, tyres and other obstacles that dogs must negotiate, rather than using pre-laid configurations.

It is this preparation that may give dogs from the school an edge in competition. She explains: "A lot of schools use equipment that stays in place, but I prefer to keep things fresh and different. If someone wants to practice a particular obstacle, that's fine.

"It is the dogs that can make tighter turns while running faster which will win and that difference makes it possible. That's why I'm one of the top six or seven in our league."

She can handle classes of up to 24, with groups split into four collections of six. This makes it easier to manage, but allows people to learn from the performance of their peers.

No dog will be turned away, although she takes measures to make sure aggressive dogs are not a threat.

"I don't want aggressive dogs, but I don't turn them away. We put muzzles on them so that they won't bite my dog, or so that my dog won't bite theirs."

The average dog starts training at six months old and generally takes a year to reach competition standard - although Lorraine admits that younger handlers can learn more quickly.

She said: "It's all about building a relationship of trust with your pet, although children tend to pick up the skills faster than older owners."

People from as far away as Stafford and Crewe are most initially drawn by the prospect of a more interesting way of dog walking, but are often bitten by the competition bug.

"At first it is a better way of walking a dog than being soaking wet in a field, especially for a work dog like a border collie who will run round all day," said Lorraine.

"Nine out of 10 start off saying they want to learn, but within 12 months most want to enter a competition.

"It's the same with dogs. Some dogs love obedience, other's aren't fussed, but all dogs love the agility."

And two of her junior pupils are lining up for the Crufts event in London in March.

This is also when her classes fill up with people keen to learn more about the discipline they see on TV.

She said agility training was also accessible to all ages and abilities of people.

"There are people on crutches, old women and men - it doesn't matter. Everyone gets involved.

"Competition is also fun. I can never walk in a straight line for obedience, but in agility it doesn't matter. If you can't run, it doesn't matter either, because you can send a dog on to run for you."

Lorraine not only sees lots of different people, but also a whole range of dogs, from poodles to terriers and everything in between.

She adds: "All dogs are different, with different sizes, breeds... the best advice I could give is to make sure that people looking to buy a dog read up and find one which suits their lifestyle.

"No matter how good the dog is in temperament, you never know how bad a child might be. If a child stands on a dog's tail, it will nip to stop the pain, not to bite."

PROS: seeing people do well with their dogs. It's seeing their faces when they learn a new skill or do well in a competition.

CONS: when people don't clean up after their dogs.