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The most dangerous phrase when working with dogs is "we've always done it this way." For a decade, IMPACT has been the room where that gets challenged.
BEYOND TRADITION.
IMPACT Working Dog Conference 2026
2nd & 3rd October 2026 · Niagara Conference Centre, Sheffield
Includes lunch and refreshments · 12 CPD hours · ~150 delegates
86%
of past delegates would recommend IMPACT to a friend
100%
10
rated the conference good value for money
years convening the working dog community
BUILT FOR THE PEOPLE WORKING DOGS
IMPACT is built for professionals who live and breathe working with dogs.
If you're serious about the performance and welfare of dogs, you're in the right room.
Police handlers
Military specialists
Search & rescue
Search & rescue
Assistance dogs
Mantrailers
Gundog trainers
Sports & trials
Working dog vets
Conditioning specialists
Supervisors
Policy leads
Suppliers
The working dog community is sometimes labelled as toxic. We've found it remarkably collaborative when given the opportunity. IMPACT creates that opportunity.
Who Is This For?
BEYOND TRADITION
The 2026 theme runs through the whole programme.
  
'We've always done it this way' is the phrase that holds working dog development back — and we've all heard it a hundred times over.

The speakers at IMPACT 2026 are challenging it from every angle: how we train new handlers, how we condition dogs for career longevity, how we build resilience for the most challenging environments, how we approach pain, hydration, biosecurity, and decoy work.

This isn't about throwing out what works. It's about being honest about what doesn't — and being willing to ask why.
THE 2026 SPEAKERS
Practitioners, not theorists. People who've been tested where it matters most, hands on in the field.
— Yorkshire Pooches Therapies
Yaz Porritt, PGCert, BaHons
Specialism: Canine pain management and gut health in working dogs
  • That Ruddy Hurts — Understanding the Biomechanics of Pain in the Working Dog
Bio:
Yaz directs Yorkshire Pooches Therapies, a dedicated Canine Pain Management Clinic in West Yorkshire. With nearly a decade in the animal industry, she has developed a particular interest in the management of chronic pain and its role in complex behavioural
cases. She lectures on canine pain and nutrition, consults internationally in the pet food industry, and is currently studying towards a degree in Biomedical Science.
Talk(s):
  • Trust Ya Gut — Understanding the Influence of Gut Health in the Working Dog
— Royal Army Veterinary Corps
Gemma Jenkins & Darren Evans
Specialism: High Assurance Search Dogs (HASD) — British Army
  • Practical sessions on the bricks and lines — the training methodology that builds operational performance in HASD work
Bio:
Gemma and Darren are operational specialists with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, delivering two live training sessions on High Assurance Search Dogs work — the British Army's elite explosive search discipline. Their sessions demonstrate the core methodology behind operational HASD performance, taught as it is taught in the field. These sessions are delivered outdoors. Marquee fallback in place in case of poor weather.
Talk(s):
Outdoor practical sessions
— Canine Conditioning Academy
Emma Overend
Specialism: Canine conditioning, rehabilitation and operational readiness
  • Canine conditioning for career longevity and operational readiness in working dogs
Bio:
Emma is a recognised expert in canine therapy, rehabilitation and conditioning, with over 25 years' experience working with elite canine athletes and operational working dogs. She delivers multimodal therapy and conditioning programmes, has worked with military dogs in Denmark, and currently collaborates with the UK military police to develop structured conditioning education for working dog handlers. Emma owns Canine Conditioning Academy and runs the OFQUAL-regulated Level 4 qualification in Canine Conditioning and Fitness.
Talk(s):
— Decoy Murph
Jack Murphy
Specialism: Decoy work and motivation-led canine development
  • Building dogs through decoy work — motivation-led development of the working dog
Bio:
Jack — known in the trade as Decoy Murph — works at the craft end of decoy work: not just teaching it, doing it. His session focuses on building working dogs through motivation-led decoy work, rather than compulsion-based methods.
Talk(s):
— South Yorkshire Police
Josh Ingram
Specialism: Modernising police dog training
  • Tradition vs Performance — Evolving Police Dog Training
Bio:
Josh is a serving police dog handler with South Yorkshire Police. His talk takes on the way new handlers and green dogs are typically trained in the police service — and what changes when you challenge the defaults. Drawing on his work with his dog Zeke, Josh shows how problem-solving and decoy-based approaches can address operational stress more effectively than traditional bitework defaults.
Talk(s):
— Response Ready K9
Mick Attwood
Specialism: Building working dogs for the most challenging deployment environments
  • Building canines that work strong and confident in challenging environments — collapsed structures, earthquake disaster zones, floods
Talk(s):
Bio:
Mick is a former USAR and ISAR canine handler who has led multiple initiatives across UK Fire and Rescue. He now works as a consultant, training handlers and supervisors for overseas agencies. His session covers how to build dogs that stay strong and confident in the toughest environments — collapsed structures, earthquake disaster zones, floods, and operations where the consequences of breakdown are real.
— Safe4 Solutions
Alan Dudley
Specialism: Kennel hygiene, biosecurity and welfare standards
  • Welfare and hygiene standards for working dog facilities — keeping the spaces working dogs live and work in clean, free from disease, and built around operational reality
Bio:
Alan is CEO of Safe4 Solutions, the cleaning and disinfection company specialising in animal health environments. His session covers welfare and hygiene standards for working dog facilities — keeping the spaces dogs live and work in clean, free from disease, and built around the operational realities of working dog teams.
Talk(s):
— Oralade
Veterinary Practitioner (TBC)
Specialism: Gut health and operational hydration for working dogs
  • Gut health and hydration in the working dog — operational deployments and recovery from physical exertion
Bio:
A nominated veterinary practitioner from Oralade will deliver a session covering hydration and electrolytes for working dogs, with specific emphasis on operational deployments, gut health, recovery from physical exertion and managing gastrointestinal issues in the field. Speaker name to be confirmed.
Talk(s):
THE FORMAT THAT ACTUALLY WORKS
How It Runs
"Short slots with lots of information — much easier to digest than long lectures."
— A past delegate
That's how a past delegate described it, and it's deliberate. IMPACT runs short, focused sessions alongside demonstrations, not marathon lectures. Two full days of:
🎤
Seminars
Delivering the why — the latest research, methodology and thinking behind working dog development.
🐕
Outdoor practical sessions
Showing the how — see techniques in action, in real conditions, with real dogs.
🤝
Round-table networking
Built into the schedule. An intimate venue and capped delegate numbers mean you actually get to speak with the people on stage.
What's Included — and What's Not
Included with your ticket
✅ Two full days of seminars and practical sessions
✅12 CPD hours
✅ Light lunch on both days
✅ Refreshments throughout
✅ Access to all sponsors and exhibitors
✅ Networking sessions
✅ Onsite parking
✅ Use of bar facilities at the venue
❌ Accommodation (preferential rates available at our partner hotel, Hampton By Hilton, Sheffield)
❌ Travel
❌ Evening meals
Not included
Delegate Feedback
"
ITS TOO CHEAP… Up the price.
WHAT PAST DELEGATES SAY
"
Excellent mix of academic, behaviourist and operational.
"
Very relaxed friendly group of delegates, no animosity. Loved the atmosphere, sharing ideas without being judged.
"
The networking was great because of the speakers and their really relaxed, modest personalities, which set a comfortable tone that made networking natural.
"
Short slots with lots of information, much easier to digest than long lectures. Loved the use of videos in the talks to show how the methods worked, and the small venue and limited tickets meant there was chance to talk to the speakers.
"
I will be booking to go next year, and hope it has the same standard of professional management and speaker quality.
DAVE HIBBERT & LUKE PRYCE
The IMPACT Dog Conference is hosted by Dave Hibbert and Luke Pryce – two professionals with exceptional, real-world experience in handling and training dogs at the highest level.
​
Dave served as an explosive detection dog handler, taking part in some of the UK’s most high-profile counter-terrorism operations.
evel.
He lead one of the largest dog training centres, shaping national Police Dog standards and developing teams from all over the world.
​
Luke built his expertise in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, serving on numerous deployments – including two operational tours in Afghanistan.
​
Since leaving the military, he has travelled extensively, both delivering and attending specialist training courses worldwide.
​
Together, Dave and Luke have handled dogs on the ground, whilst also training elite teams and organisations across the globe.

The IMPACT Dog Conference brings their combined operational, instructional and leadership experience into one event – a place for like-minded professionals to connect, share ideas and raise the standard of dog training.
Meet Your Hosts
VENUE AND LOGISTICS
Niagara Conference & Leisure Centre
Niagara Road, Sheffield S6 1LU
— Preferential delegate rates available
— Booking details provided after ticket purchase
Hampton By Hilton, Sheffield
Getting There
— Onsite parking included
— Registration opens 08:45 each day; sessions begin 09:30
— Light lunch and refreshments included
— Bar facilities available throughout the day
Partner hotel
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Q: Are CPD hours awarded?
Yes. IMPACT 2026 awards 12 CPD hours across the two days.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Who is the conference for?
Working dog professionals across all disciplines: police, military, search and rescue, detection, assistance, mantrailing, sports, gundogs, security, conditioning, behaviour, instruction. Anyone serious about the performance and welfare of working dogs is welcome.
Q: What’s included with the ticket?
Two full days of seminars and outdoor practical sessions, 12 CPD hours, light lunch and refreshments on both days, networking sessions, access to all sponsors and exhibitors, and onsite parking.
Q: Where should I stay?
Hampton By Hilton, Sheffield is our partner hotel and offers preferential rates for
delegates. Booking details provided after ticket purchase.
Q: Can I bring my dog?
Dogs are welcome on site but not permitted inside the conference venue itself, and not
during outdoor practical sessions for health and safety reasons. Welfare provisions must be in place if leaving a dog on site.
Q: What happens to the outdoor sessions if it rains?
A marquee fallback is in place. Bring suitable outdoor clothing in case of poor weather.
Q: Is this for pet trainers, or only working dog handlers?
IMPACT is built for everyone who works with dogs. The IMPACT Working Dog
Conference.
The IMPACT Pack Gathers October 2nd and 3rd, 2026.
150 seats. Two days. One mission
WITH THANKS TO OUR 2026 SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
Copyright 2025 I IMPACT LXP I All Rights Reserved
info@impactk9.co.uk
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