REVIEW: South Acres Training Field, Darlington

South Acres Training Field is part of the South Acres secure dog field complex just outside Darlington in County Durham. It is a 1 acre secure facility designed for training and exercising dogs and is perfectly suited for activities like man-trailing, scent work and more traditional behavioural training and fun activities.

Booking and Accessing The Training Field at South Acres

Booking is really straight forward via a secure website – you can book either a weekend session (£10) or a weekday session (£8) – for up to 7 dogs (more on request). Professional users are welcome and must make contact with the owner to discuss requirements.

Finding South Acres is very easy, just a few miles out of Darlington and well sign posted from the road – the access is very wide and takes you into an enormous car park area where you can wait out of sight of the fields if you are early. You access the Training field (there is a sign by each field) by a large 6ft steel vehicle gate – drive in, close the gate behind you and you are secure in an airlock area where you can contain your dogs before letting them into the main field. Space is designated here for one car but there is additional parking outside the field – however ALL dogs must be kept on leads when outside of the secure areas. 

What is South Acres Training Field Like?

The Training Field does exactly what it says – provides a purpose designed and built training facility for dogs. It differs from many training areas as it is securely fenced to 6ft all round with an air-locked parking area with 4ft fences, allowing you to contain your dogs prior to letting them in the main field.

The field is 1 acre which is large for a training facility but allows multiple groups to train with significant space and with qualified behaviourists, is an amazing space for introductions, and desensitisation of reactive dogs.

It’s also a great exercise paddock is you have a dog recovering from injury or illness, or you yourself are not able to get the benefit of the larger Adventure Field.

It has a some enrichment in the way of tyres, a sand-pit (play-safe sand) and there is a field shelter to escape the elements.

Hire is exclusive but you can keep an eye out on South Acres social media for training activities and group sessions that are taking place in the Training Paddock.

When your session has come to an end, there is a very welcome and well thought out wash down area complete with hose and shower attachment for dogs and boots.

The training paddock has Equestrian screening on the fences that are in sight of the Adventure Field – there is also a substantial 12m buffer between the fields which has been planted up and will create a good sound barrier when the trees and shrubs mature and come into leaf.

Is South Acres Training Field Secure?

The fencing in the Training Field is installed to the same high standard as in the Adventure Field using treated posts, Tornado wire specifically designed for dog fields and really well designed gates and entrance areas. The mesh is tight, heavy gauge meaning that it is also suitable for small dogs.

The field is inspected daily and there are no obstacles near any of the fences.

Things you should know about South Acres

• South Acres was the first dog field in County Durham to be awarded with British Dog Fields Accreditation – this assures users that this field is run and maintained to the highest standards
• South Acres is run by a local family who have always been involved with farming in the area and have strong community involvement 
• In the design and construction of this field, care was taken to make a positive environmental impact with the planting of thousands of young trees and completely avoid any disturbance of the surrounding mature native hedgerows.

Media © British Dog Fields & South Acres