Kids Club
Kids Club
Kids Club
Meet Tia Wardell, Britain’s youngest online dog trainer.
Every Saturday morning this inspired and knowledgeable 12-year-old has been online, teaching kids to do tricks with their dogs through her Top Kids Club. Tia comes with a wealth of experience way beyond her years, and you may wonder how one so young can be this focused and articulate about training dogs.
How did you get into training dogs?
My dad and his dog Finn are my inspiration. Before they got attacked I wasn’t too interested in dogs although I still loved cuddling them. But after the attack, Dad was going around training people with dogs dealing with behavioural issues and lots of other stuff, and I went with him and watched. I took notice and decided to do it myself with all our dogs.
Can you tell us about your Top Kids Club?
It all started with the 25 tricks before Christmas. We were in lockdown and everyone was bored so I wanted to create a bit of fun. It was a Livestream class with a trick every day before Christmas. Then people wanted more so that led to Top Kids Club which I do live every Saturday, doing tricks, behavioural stuff and walking on leads. I plan to do it in a field with more people after lockdown.
At what age can kids start training their dogs?
I was 5 when I started – not training the dogs, just observing them. At 4 they can start watching their dogs and doing tricks with them. Actually, any age.
Are you getting a good turn out for your online classes?
I am getting 30-40 thousand views on my videos.
What are your plans for Top Kids Club going forward?
Top Kids Club is all about me getting ready to become a professional dog trainer. I want to go around the world with my dog business, training people and their dogs. I’d also like to help charities with their rescue dogs. I want to help dogs that have problems and behaviour issues.

How are you preparing to become a professional dog trainer?
I have a whole box of dog training books that I nicked from my dad. I love studying dogs. At the moment I’m learning about their noses and I watch Nando Brown and Jo-Rosie. They teach me the importance of scent work. I watch Chirag Patel who is an amazing dog trainer. And Absolute Dogs, with Tom and Lauren. So, I’m watching quite a lot of people.
Your dad talks a lot about non-verbal communication with dogs, can you explain it to us?
It’s really about sitting quietly and watching the dogs, watching their body language and observing them as you’re going along – to understand them. With my little Frenchie, I’ve already observed that when her ears are back she’s either ready to play or she’s scared. I keep a book of all the things I’ve observed with our dogs.
Do you recommend keeping a journal?
Yes, definitely. I write down everything I observe.
How can we practice non-verbal communication with our own dogs?
Well, while noticing that their ears are back which you know might mean excitement or fear, you can then ask yourself what else are they doing? Are they bouncing around? That’s how I think of it. You can also watch them on their walks and whilst they’re eating. Are they bowing to other dogs? This might mean they want a play session. Sometimes our German Shepherd does it with our little Frenchie. She starts to bow and then she jumps out of the bow and starts playing. It’s indicating that they are about to play and that they want to play and that they are comfortable playing.
What’s your favourite aspect of dog training?
I love watching their body language, teaching them new tricks, and I love the cuddles with dogs after they have done something amazing.
We asked Tia for her Top 3 Training Tips
Tia’s Training Tip #1: Practice
Keep going, keep practising. Your dog is not going to know what you are talking about so you want to just practice consistently until they do.
Tia’s Training Tip #2: Repetition
You want to keep practising that same trick and then they will start to understand what you’re on about. Let’s say you are doing ‘sit’ if you keep practising they will understand what ‘sit’ means when you ask them.
Tia’s Training Tip #3: Calmness
You don’t want to be angry or frustrated with what they’re doing. You want to make it nice and fun so that when they do that trick they know it’s a fun trick, not a boring trick. Keep it positive.