N.E.A.T. DOGS 

North East Assistance and Therapy Dogs ​is a provider of therapy dogs for child and adult educational settings, aged care facilities, family support groups and therapists across the North East of England and beyond.  Unlike traditional therapy dogs, our dogs can be trained to provide individual-focussed, organisation-specific skills to enhance the therapeutic experience and deliver an impactful and life-changing service.

Our qualified staff also provide individualised training programmes for people wishing to train their own dog to be an assistance or therapy dog.

A new company with a long history

Alnwick Fear-Free Dog Training - 2023

Although NEAT Dogs was only created in 2024 its founder, Kay Whiteley, has been working with assistance and therapy dogs for over 25 years having begun life as a Mobility Instructor at Guide Dogs UK in 1996. 

After 10 years at GDUK, Kay spent several years training animals around the world in places as far-flung as California, Texas and Australia.  Finally settling in Perth in 2011, she founded and ran Western Australian Assistance and Therapy Dogs Inc for many years - a charity which is still going strong to this day. 

Kay recently returned to the UK, but her passion for assistance and therapy dogs has never waivered ... and so NEAT Dogs was born.

Kay at Guide Dogs UK - 1996

Force-Free, Fear-Free Dog Training

All NEAT Dogs are trained using only Force-Free, Fear-Free methods such as marker or clicker training. We do not punish our dogs for doing the 'wrong' thing - instead we reward them for doing the 'right' thing and gently shape their behaviours positively. 

​This means that we will never use equipment which may cause our dogs pain or discomfort,
​nor will we use fear, intimidation, physical punishment or even vocal corrections to control or force our dogs to do things they don't want to.