Fourteen dogs of all shapes and sizes showed their socialisation and exercise skills at the first good citizen bronze award assessment night at the Washway Road centre.

Bill Bleeze, of the Kennel Club, assessed the dogs’ obedience and exercises as well as the ownership skills of their handlers.

Sam Poole, of the centre, said: “That was the first one we have done since we applied to do it last year, and it takes a lot of practice for the owners to get it right.

“A lot of them have been with us for quite some time so hopefully they will now move on to the silver award.”

One student who did particularly well was ten-year-old Davina Clarke, of Holbeach St Marks, who handled her ten-stone Dog De Bordeaux Daisy with aplomb.

Mum Linda Snowling said: “She put in an awful lot of work, about three quarters of an hour each night.

“Sometimes dogs get a lot of bad coverage when you hear about them mauling kids, so it’s nice to see a story with a positive side to it.”

lFor more information on the centre, call Sam on 07534 611563.