Adelaide K9 Services

28/02/2025

Bosco on odour at the AWPDA - Australasian Working Patrol Dog Association Conference.

28/02/2025

Bosco - one of Chuck & Strykers pups - getting on odour at the AWPDA - Australasian Working Patrol Dog Association Conference.

28/02/2025

It was great to meet detection guru Paul Bunker today at the AWPDA - Australasian Working Patrol Dog Association Conference.

25/02/2025

True for other types of behaviour as well. We don't need to see it to make meaninful change. ❤️🐾

“Do you want to see what Fluffy does when I...?”

No, we don't need to! While it’s a common assumption that trainers or behavior consultants need to witness aggression firsthand, a well-trained professional can assess a case without putting anyone at risk.

Here’s why seeing aggression isn’t necessary:

1️⃣Historical Patterns Tell the Story
A detailed history—gathered through interviews, observations, and past incidents—paints a clear picture of what’s happening. A skilled consultant will ask the right questions to identify triggers, patterns, and antecedents that contribute to aggression.

2️⃣Recreating Aggression is Dangerous
Intentionally provoking aggressive behavior can create reinforcement loops, where the dog practices the behavior and learns that aggression "works." Worse, it can escalate the response, making things more severe over time.

3️⃣Behavior is Predictable When You Understand Triggers
Instead of waiting for aggression to happen, a behavior consultant will analyze:
✅ Past incidents (when and where the aggression has occurred).
✅ The dog’s body language before an escalation.
✅ Environmental triggers and stress factors.
✅ What the dog does instead of being aggressive (avoidance, freezing, tension).

4️⃣Real-World Context Matters More Than a Single Moment
Aggression isn’t just about what happens in a session—it’s about what happens daily in the dog’s environment. A consultant will assess:
- The home setup and routines.
- How the dog interacts with family members.
- What management strategies are already in place.

What Should a Trainer or Consultant Do Instead?
A behavior consultant will work with you to set up a safe, structured training plan without exposing anyone to unnecessary risks. They will observe behavior without escalating it and provide solutions that address the root cause rather than the symptom.

A good detective doesn’t ask a suspect to commit the crime again—they gather evidence to understand what happened. The same applies to aggression cases.

24/02/2025

Purple Poppy Day - 24 February - is a national day of appreciation for all war animals. Second photo is me with Socks guarding 62,000 hand knitted poppies at the Australian War Memorial during the centenary of Armistice Day in 2018. ❤️🐾

15/02/2025

Today I was elected as Vice President of the AWPDA - Australasian Working Patrol Dog Association. I was on the inaugural board of the AWPDA and I am super excited to continue to help working dog teams throughout the region.

The AWPDA has its K9 Conference coming up later this month so I am looking forward to that. Watch this space for more exciting news!

27/01/2025

With dog reactivity sorted we turned our attention to neutrality around the owner's horses. Bella is doing great here. ❤️🐾

25/01/2025

Happy Australia Day! ❤️🐾

24/01/2025

The young GSD in this photo is Marley. A few months ago she was one of the most reactive dogs we have seen, even fighting with another dog she lived with. Here she is chilling out with Jim and a young Labrador puppy. ❤️🐾

30/12/2024

Wouldn't have it any other way! ❤️🐾

✌🏼Sunday morning coming down ...


workingdogmagazine.com

25/12/2024

Christmas 2024 🎅❤️🐾

24/12/2024

Merry Christmas from Adelaide K9 Services!

Wishing you and your furry friends a joyful and relaxing holiday season! Christmas is a time for love, laughter, and making special memories—don’t forget to include your dogs in the celebrations!

Remember to keep your pups safe this holiday:

🌞 Its going to be hot so don't leave them in the car, and test the ground before a walk!
🎅 Avoid sharing rich festive foods.
🧠 Provide plenty of mental stimulation with new toys or enrichment games.
💤 Create a quiet space for when the excitement gets too much.

Thank you for trusting us with your dog’s training and care this year. We look forward to another amazing year of helping dogs and their humans thrive!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

– The Adelaide K9 Services Team ❤️🐾

24/12/2024

2024 was another challenging, but successful year for the Adelaide K9 Services Team.

🙍‍♀️ 214 new clients
🐕 129 packages delivered
🐾 1,100 sessions held.
🚗 Rural trips to Clare, Tailem Bend and Port Pirie.

🙋‍♂️. We welcomed Jed to the team, and saw him go from strength to strength before taking on clients of his own in the second half of the year.

💉 Volunteered our time to help save rescue dog Max from euthanasia.

📱 Trialled a beta version of our App.

🎙 Interviewed for the Pawsome Companion podcast.

🗣 Spoke at the Pet Show - Adelaide.

🎓 Achieved Canine Council Certification CBCC-KA.

We also moved house, had time off with pneumonia, and nearly lost our dog Chuck to a bowel obstruction.

23/12/2024

Thanks Bec. This was a fantastic result for our Reactive Dog Program. Great job guys! ❤️🐾

13/12/2024

Roger that!
Love Chuck & Striker ❤️🐾

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According to the American Kennel Club, 70% of people include their dog’s name when sending out holiday cards and 58% include their pets in family and holiday portraits. ⁣⁣⁣
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Do you include yours? ⁣⁣⁣👇🏼
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fun facts.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
you deserve a trusted source. •
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subscriptions available to everyone. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
workingdogmagazine.com

26/11/2024

Earlier this year I started the process of professional accreditation. I had to provide a vet recommendation, 300 hours of consulting, and sit a 200 question closed book exam.

I sat the exam last month and found out today that I passed!

This repesents another milestone in my journey to provide the best, most professional services.

My certification is Certified Behaviour Consultant Canine - Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA).

I am the only one in South Australia!

20/11/2024

Update on Chuck. The first bowel obstruction operation failed, the incision came open and he got sepsis. He was very, very sick. The survival rate for the resection was 50/50. The resection was a week ago today. He has recovered really well - eating, pooping and putting on weight. One tough dog, who has now had $30k of surgery!

10/11/2024

Chuck is recovering after surgery to remove a bowel obstruction. ❤️🐾