Beyond Dogs

28/01/2025

Big boy Zeus learning some patience
Another handsome German Shepherd boy in for a session with us. This guy had some really good foundational obedience, but was struggling to get along with his new house mate - a feisty French Bulldog!
We often get asked to help introduce two dogs, or to introduce a new dog into a family home, and sometimes to help two dogs already living together to get along. This often isn't a straight forward task....
If you're thinking of adding a second dog to your pack, here are some things to consider:
- Always make sure that you can actually commit the time to training two dogs.

- Make sure you meet the new dog more than once before bringing them home.

- If possible, try to make the first meeting on neutral territory (away from your home).

- If possible, go for a "pack walk" together to set the foundation of the dogs relationship with you

- Make sure that both dogs are held accountable to the same rules and boundaries

- Make sure that both dogs have access to a safe space, away from each other.

- Make sure that you are managing their time together and supervising play time (things can and will escalate VERY quickly).
If this is something you're considering, or you would like help with your dogs, please get in touch with the team from Beyond Dogs today!

24/01/2025

Benny focused on success 😎
This handsome Koolie boy was a real treat to work with. He's very smart and very eager to achieve what he wants. However, these traits can mean trouble if you don't know how to harness them! 😬
His owners were struggling with some very typical "bad" behaviours. Pulling on the leash, over-excitement, reactivity etc. In particular they were struggling with his herding drive, which was presenting as object fixation and reactivity in the form of chasing (dogs, birds, people on bikes).
Genetic fulfilment is crucial for raising a calm and confident companion. For Benny, this meant building obedience training into play and changing the way his owners were interacting with him. Sometimes, as soon as you change, your dogs behaviour will change too 😱
Benny did a great job in just his first session, and with 2 follow ups booked in, his owners are now on the road to success 🤩
If you need help with your working breed dog, get in touch with the team from Beyond Dogs today!

14/01/2025

Titan back for a follow up
(Standard GSD head tilt)
This big working line German Shepherd boy has come such a long way since starting with us. There is no sugar coating it - he is a handful! Full of drive and lots of energy. Titan by name, Titan by nature 💪
His owners have done an excellent job following along with the training programs we have set out for them and they're seeing the results of all their consistent efforts 😎
Titan's biggest hurdle now is addressing his dog reactivity. Due to his size, he is hard to hold back when his impulses kick in. How do you address this? Obedience training in the back yard! 🐺
Impulse control is an important life skill for all dogs, big and small. If your dog struggles with impulse control - get in touch with the team from Beyond Dogs today!!

12/01/2025

Mr Sunny looking particularly proud of himself
This handsome Groodle boy is a real treat to work with. He's got lots of drive and is very smart! These things are great when you know how to handle them, but can mean trouble if you don't.... 😲
His owners were struggling to contain his energy and couldn't give him the freedom they wanted, because under any level of distraction, he would completely ignore their commands 😣
So, back to basics for Sunny. When you change the way you interact with your dog, change the fundamentals of your relationship, and change what your expectations are. Their behaviour will inevitably change too. 😎
If you're struggling to get your dog's drive and energy under control, or they're too smart for you, get in touch with the team from Beyond Dogs today!

05/01/2025

Zeus and Huey 🐺🐺
(brothers from separate litters)
Zeus is a German Shepherd x Husky and has been working with us on some behavioral issues. One of those was dog reactivity.
We see this A LOT. Dog reactivity can stem from a number of root causes, but we need to make sure that regardless of the trigger, our dogs are concentrating on us and listening to commands under varying degrees of distraction.
So we train the behaviour we want first, and in most cases this is loose leash walking. Then once the desired behaviour is known, we add in distractions, like another dog.
Huey does an excellent job of being neutral around other dogs, but won't put up with any bullsh$t either, making him an excellent helper. He's helped numerous dogs like Zeus with overcoming their reactivity and making some doggy friends 😍
If this sounds familiar and you need help with your dog, please get in touch with the team from Beyond Dogs today!

29/12/2024

Celebrating with your dogs! 🥳
Wishing everyone a safe and happy new year! While for most this is a joyous occasion, for some dogs, fireworks are traumatic. Below are some tips to help your dog enjoy New Year's eve.
✅ Make sure your dog goes through some, if not all of their daily routine leading into New Year's Eve.
✅ If you have time, put a fireworks video on the TV with the volume down low, to get your dog use to the sound.
✅ Make the sound of fireworks a fun and playful occasion. Do some light training with high value food or have a session of tug-o-war to take their mind off the sounds.
✅ Make sure they're secure and cannot escape. If they do get scared, the last thing you want to to be chasing them down the street.
✅ Make sure your dog is fed before settling in for the evening. A full tummy can create calm.
✅ If you know they're going to be frightened, try setting them up inside, in a crate or bed of some sort, windows close, blinds down, lights off, all to try and minimize the sound reverberation.
✅ Stay with your dog, but don't overdo the reassurance. Remember that we want to try and reinforce the right state of mind. Rewarding a dog when they're scared or frightened will only tell them they're doing the right thing.
Remember that your dog doesn't understand what the fireworks are, and will sense the explosions in different ways. By remaining calm, we can offer a good reference point for them and hopefully influence their reaction to the stimulus.
If you need help training your dog, please get in touch with the team from Beyond Dogs today!

24/12/2024

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR
As we approach the end of another incredible year, we wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude for your trust and support. It has been an absolute joy to work with all of our clients and their dogs throughout 2024, and we are so proud of the progress and achievements they have all made together 🥳

At Beyond Dogs, we truly believe that every small step forward is a huge accomplishment, and all our clients should all be incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication they have shown. It's been inspiring to see the bond that they share with their dogs grow stronger with each training session 😍

Wishing you, your family, and your beloved pets a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May your holidays be filled with love, joy, and plenty of tail wags 🐶🎅🎁🌲
As we head into 2025, we are filled with excitement for the new adventures and goals that lie ahead. We can’t wait to continue supporting our clients and their dogs in the coming year and helping them achieve even greater milestones 😁
Thank you for being a part of our Beyond Dogs family – we’re looking forward to another fantastic year together!
Warmest wishes,
The Beyond Dogs Team

22/12/2024

Double trouble with Zoe & Nook
These two Malamute girls join us for a series of training sessions. Their owners reached out for help addressing some pretty full on dog reactivity 🐺
When dealing with reactivity, whether it be ‘Fear reactive’, ‘Barrier reactive’, ‘Leash reactive’, ‘Noise reactive’, ‘Dog reactive’... We always make sure that we start by building solid foundations.
If your dog isn't listening to you in a certain setting, this can be summed up in a single sentence. The dog does not understand what you want in this situation. What you want in this situation is either unclear or deemed unworthy of a response.
How do you address this? Through training and play. Your dog needs to value you and their relationship with you. This will help give you the ability to influence their behaviour, particularly in high distraction environments.
If this sounds familiar and you need help addressing reactivity, please get in touch with the team from Beyond Dogs today.

19/12/2024

No! Really? Who would have thought?....
Even the "no pull" harness? Unbelievable 😜

Dogs generally pull about 60 per cent harder on a leash when wearing a padded harness compared with a collar, even when the equipment is marketed as “anti pull” – putting the people walking them at risk of injury.

Some dogs – especially smaller breeds – pull with a force more than twice their body weight on the collar, potentially damaging their throats, says Erin Perry at Southern Illinois University.

“It’s really very shocking,” she says. “The dogs are almost choking themselves on that collar repeatedly. But the harnesses in our study just didn’t inhibit pulling in any way, and that’s definitely a wake-up call – especially because of the risk to owners.”

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2459747-dogs-pull-harder-on-the-leash-when-they-wear-a-harness-than-a-collar/

Image: CBCK-Christine/Alamy

15/12/2024

Titan by name, Titan by nature 😅
Titan has some intense dog reactivity that's developed after being attacked by another dog as a puppy. Before we can begin to tackle this problem, his obedience needs a tune up. Impulse control and accountability are essentially for his long term success! 😎
He is a big working line German Shepherd boy and him and his owner are making big progress. His owner has been putting in A LOT of work, following along with the customised training program we created for them and the results are starting to shine through 🤩
He is now focused and engaged. He now has a good understanding of what will get him rewarded and his owner is becoming more and more confident in her ability to handle him (he's a lot of dog!) 🐶
They still have a way to go yet, but it is beautiful to see the transition in progress 😍
If this sounds familiar or you know someone who needs help with their reactive dog, please get in touch with the team from Beyond Dogs today!

10/12/2024

Today is an exciting milestone for all of us at Beyond Dogs. 😁
As of Wednesday , the 1st of January 2025, Beyond Dogs will be officially registered for GST.
Since beginning this journey in November 2021, we never thought it would all happen so fast! Each year, the business has grown bigger and better and has become something we are truly proud of. 🥰
However, the success of Beyond Dogs would not be possible without the support of friends, family, mentors, and all of our wonderful clients! We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who has shared this journey with us. 🐶
With this change there will be a slight adjustment to the prices for all services offered and equipment available for purchase. We appreciate your understanding with this and will continue to go above and BEYOND to provide the best service possible. 💪
From the Beyond Dogs team, here's to the future of our growing community and on to bigger and better things! There's lots in the pipeline and we're excited to share it with you as they eventuate. 😎
If you have any questions, please get in touch with the team from Beyond Dogs today!

03/12/2024

Shadow showing off his new skills 😎
What a difference a couple of weeks makes. This beautiful black Labrador boy has made some big improvements since we started. His owners have had many dogs before, but for whatever reason, training that had worked previously now seemed to be ineffective 🙃
Something that we consistently preach to clients is that to get your dogs behaviour to change, first we need to change how we interact with the dog. This sets the scene for a new perception of not only how your relationship with the dog will work, but how they perceive their place in the pack 🐶
Shadow and his owners have been working hard on his basics and he's even started to enjoy playing with them! Yes, believe it or not, he didn't know how much fun playing fetch was, despite being a retriever by design 😱
The power of play is an amazing thing!
If you want help changing your dogs behaviour and how they perceive the relationship you have with them, get in touch with the team from Beyond Dogs today!