For dog owners in Darlington, there are now two new secure facilities that have been designed from day one with a view to gaining British Dog Fields Accreditation.
South Acres secure dog walking fields cover all bases – with a huge 7.5 acre Adventure Field and a 1 acre Training Field, whether you’re looking to run off the zoomies or get some focused training in, you can benefit from the same drive-in parking; specialist 6ft dog field fencing; and a well thought out wash down area. Both fields are built to the same specification with the highest quality installation and attention to detail. Even the finish on the fencing could better be described rural carpentry then agricultural fencing!
Having met Matt and his family when they were just starting their dream of running a dog field, it was absolutely no surprise to me that when it came time for their Accreditation Assessment, the standard was excellent. Carefully positioned gates to ensure no users come into contact with one another; extensive planting to create a sound and sight barrier between the two independent facilities; and an easy to use secure online booking system. These are the things that users see and judge a field on.
However, it’s the behind the scenes efforts that make the difference between an exceptional field and a serviceable facility including daily inspections of the fences and equipment – no mean feat with 1000m of fencing to check each morning at South Acres! Most users assume that dog field owners put the effort in to inspect their fences daily (this would be a sensible assumption!) but it’s simply not the case and is a reminder to dog field users that if you are not sure of the security of a field, make sure you check for yourself before letting your dogs run free.
As a dog field user, you also may think that setting up and running a dog field is easy. If you like getting up at the crack of dawn, come rain or shine and you like dealing with customers all day, then yes, it’s easy! Despite the fact that dog fields are a non-contact businesses, every new dog field owner is surprised by the number of calls and emails they have to respond to each day.
This is no bother for Matt who really is a ‘people person’ – quite unusual in the dog field business which is largely made up of people who prefer the company of canines! Matt and his family really have created a haven here in the North East – not only a superb facility for local people and dogs to benefit from but for those like us who like to beak a journey with a dog field – for anyone travelling along the A1(M) – perhaps heading north for a holiday in the hills or south to escape the busy summer season in Scotland, South Acres is a perfect place to pause – just 10 minutes from the motorway (and a stone’s throw from a cheap fuel station away from motorway service prices!).
The Accreditation Assessment documents are produced for the benefit of the field owner but in the case of South Acres, I thought it would be good to share my summary because Matt and his family really do deserve their Accreditation and we wish them every success with this family run enterprise.
This field is a demonstration of what can be achieved when the owner of the business is absolutely committed to getting every little detail right. This is extremely rare in someone who isn’t a reactive dog owner. The commitment to understand and implement everything that’s required to fulfil the needs of the most challenging dogs and their owners is something that should be hailed as an example to all prospective dog field owners.
If you fancy a session at South Acres, check out our reviews here where you’ll find links to their booking site and lots more information you might find interesting.
If you’re a dog field owner interested in British Dog Fields Accreditation, you can find out more here.