About
I love the connection, joy and abundance of fun that my dogs and I enjoy with Hoopers. I thank the day I was introduced to Hoopers at an Association of Pet Dog Trainers Conference, and since achieving my Canine Hoopers UK Instructor qualification, I have loved guiding dogs and their guardians to build better connections and strengthen their relationship too.
Jude Irvine
MAPDT 1535, ABTC-ATI, ACHUKI, DPUKI
Jude is a UK Full Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), The Pet Professional Guild Canine Training Professional, accredited training instructor with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council, qualified Dog Parkour UK Instructor, Accredited Dog Parkour UK Assessor as well as being a qualified and accredited Canine Hoopers UK Accredited Instructor (ACHUKI).
Jude promotes kind, positive reinforcement training for all dogs and their guardians.
Why choose an ACHUKI?
All Canine Hoopers UK Instructors have undergone thorough training from Canine Hoopers UK. Jude is currently the only instructor in Wells, Somerset.
The Accredited Canine Hoopers UK Instructors programme is the only hoopers instructors course in the UK that has been approved by the British Institute of Professional Dog Trainers.
Annual continuous professional development (CPD) are completed to ensure that Canine Hoopers UK Instructors maintain and progress their skills and understand designing and running courses safely.
Recent CPD:
In person CPD training with E Hendy – due August 2025
In person hoopers camp with E Hendy – due August 2025
Currently studying for Canine Hoopers UK Judges qualification (2025)
In person CPD training with E Hendy – August 2024
In person hoopers camp with E Hendy – August 2024
In person workshops – September, October 2024 and February 2025
What is Canine Hoopers?
Canine Hoopers is a fun and exciting dog sport that involves guiding your dog through a series of hoops, tunnels and obstacles. This fast-paced activity focuses on communication and teamwork, as dogs learn to navigate the course with precision and speed, all while following their handler’s cues. It’s a fantastic way to keep your dog mentally stimulated and physically active, regardless of their age or skill level. Canine Hoopers is perfect for strengthening the bond between you and your dog while providing a fun challenge for both!
Who is Canine Hoopers suitable for?
Hoopers is ideal for guardians of all ages, abilities and fitness levels as it requires distance handling. Hoopers has a similar pace and excitement level as other dog sports (such as agility) but because we teach distance handling, you won’t need to run the course with your dog.
Why participate in Canine Hoopers?
As well as the dog and handler working together as a smooth-flowing team, it is brilliant fun. The way Jude teaches Hoopers means that it can be practiced everywhere and anywhere so not limited to the class environment weekly. This is in addition to the advantage of building the off-lead connection and relationship that becomes robust.
Jude deeply believes that the relationship between the dog and handler is to be nurtured and encouraged and we should stay in tune with the dog’s emotional state whilst training. As dogs progress, the courses become fast, so it is important that we always train whilst the dog is in a receptive capacity so under their individual threshold.
How do dogs take part in Canine Hoopers?
The best place to begin is by finding a qualified Canine Hoopers UK Instructor.
Jude is a qualified and accredited Canine Hoopers UK Instructor who has undergone thorough training with Canine Hoopers UK and is currently the only accredited instructor in the Wells, Somerset area. The accredited Canine Hoopers UK Instructors programme is the only hoopers instructor course in the UK which has been approved by the British Institute of Professional Dog Trainers.
Canine Hoopers UK require all instructors to complete the annual CPD to ensure that standards, ethics as well as understanding of course designing are all to the highest level. The CPD includes annual in person training, camps and workshops.
Where and when are classes held?
We like to train on grass and our dedicated and secure Canine Hoopers field is in Easton, which is close to the city of Wells in Somerset.
Please ensure that you have read the rules and regulations of Canine Hoopers UK before you start your first class.
We have a variety of classes and individual sessions available Monday to Friday. Please contact us and we will find you a day and time to suit you.
Good Hoopers Awards
You can complete the CHUK Foundation, Bronze and Silver Canine Hoopers UK Good Hoopers Awards through all of our classes and individual sessions.
Click here to view the Good Hoopers Award – Foundation criteria
Click here to view the Good Hoopers Award – Bronze criteria
Click here to view the Good Hoopers Award – Silver criteria
Please ensure that you have read the rules and regulations of Canine Hoopers UK before you attend your first session.
Testimonials
See what our clients are saying
“Hooray for Hoopers and for Jude! She makes this a gloriously happy time for me and my dog.”
Mel JB
& Luna 🐾
“I was recommended to take my border collie Patch to give Hoopers a go. She is a very clever girl and thrives on interaction.
Not knowing anything about Hoopers I was not sure what to expect, meeting Jude with her total energy and enthusiasm was indeed infectious, her love of dogs is clear to see. This is a training exercise to engage the dog and owner and Jude is a fully qualified and recognised trainer.
We started by a brief of what to expect and how to engage with Patch to work her way through and round hoops and barrels. I learnt from Jude how to guide and encourage Patch to ‘work’ with my body posture and direction to point her round the equipment. Patch just loved it and picked up the first stages of the process quickly, encouraged by cheddar cheese and little sausages!!
We are about to have our 4th half hour session to pick up moving through a tunnel as well as the hoops, eventually around a course of placed equipment. You can clearly see Patch working her brain to try new commands and direction, it is a joy to see her having such a wonderful time and that includes me too. She even smiles and is very pleased with herself. The minute we get out of the car into the enclosed paddock area she is raring to go.
Thank you Jude we are both loving it, can’t wait to do even more exciting things and achieve Patch’s full potential with Hoopers.”
Christine
& Patch 🐾
“Nothing gets in our way, as we enjoy our weekly sessions of Hoopers.
My dog loves working with me on a one to one basis and I get rewarded by seeing her happy face and her brain working hard. Jude makes the classes so enjoyable with her enthusiasm and clear instructions.
You always leave feeling that you have achieved a great deal and want to practice ready for next week, which cannot come around quick enough.”
Lyn
& Willow 🐾