The dog trainer with dreads

01/09/2024

Ricky 😂❤️

Ricky is enjoying a nap after a hard day labouring

29/08/2024

Sydney dog lovers festival 2024

Last weekend was a big one! Not only did Ricky celebrate his 5th birthday, we also drove all the way to Sydney to compete in the dock diving competition and I am so proud of this dog. I'm so impressed with how he handled himself not only on the dock but also in dog town and on the long drive as well as staying in new places.

Ricky did some amazing jumps, his personal bests over the weekend we're a massive 19ft jump in big air, 6ft in the extreme vertical and 7.6 seconds in speed retrieve!

We have so many people to thank for this magical weekend!
Thankyou , and for putting on such a fun competition, for taking such incredible shots of the event.
Thankyou .so.sunny and for teaching me how to throw a toy so that Ricky can track it the whole way.
Thankyou for helping us treat Ricky's limp tail leading up to the competition.
Thankyou for not only letting us practice on your dock, but being such a supportive part of team Ricky and looking out for Ricky the way you do.
Thankyou , .of.holly, .the.gsp and everyone else for being such a supportive and inclusive community!
The community that surrounds dock dogs is just so incredible, it's so nice to see Ricky making genuine connections and friends with people and dogs.
And to my best friend, coach Kimberley for traveling with me, looking after Ricky, being my social media manager and just for being such an important part of team Ricky ❤️
We couldn't and wouldn't have done this without all of you :)

12/12/2023

Meet Marli and Luna!
I caught up with these lovely ladies to help them with a bit of a barking problem. They would often bark at people and dogs walking passed the house, as well as when they were on walks.
We saw a huge improvement with the girls during our sessions where we addressed not only the reactivity, but their impulse control, loose leash walking and their confidence.
Both of the girls had very different personalities and issues so we treated each dog as the individual that they are.
I had so much fun working with these quirky girls.

09/11/2023

Meet Nelson!
Nelson's owner reached out to me to get a little help with Nelson's nervousness and with that nerviness came some reactivity.

When I met Nelson he was barking and hiding behind his owner, it really made me to happy to see Nelson each week and see his confidence grow from week to week, seeing him exploring his surroundings instead of hiding.

During our sessions we worked on alot of different things, we addressed and saw an extreme decrease in Nelson's reactivity, we worked on building his confidence and his general obedience.

My job is to teach people, and even though Nelson's confidence has grown, it's going to be an ongoing process that Nelson's owner is now fully equipped on how to help him succeed in scary situations as well as build his overall confidence.

05/11/2023

Some photos taken by from Ricky's first Dock dogs competition! I absolutely love how focused he is!

18/10/2023

Meet Gus!
Gus is a really sweet and friendly fella who I originally worked with when he was a young puppy. We recently caught up to do a little touch up on his loose leash walking skills, his recall and working through a little bit of distraction. It was so fun working with Gus again, he picked everything up so quickly as it was just a refresher he had the previous learning to lean on.

10/10/2023

Meet Ruby!
Ruby is a 5 month German short haired pointer who I caught up with to help address her jumping and over excitement around distractions.
Ruby is a very high drive gsp who is not only going to be a fantastic pet dog, she is also going to be an incredible hunting dog.
Her owners worked very hard over our sessions which has resulted in Ruby relaxing around lots of distractions in our last session!
I was so impressed with not only how far her obedience has come, but how she is learning to manage herself.
Ruby is going to make the perfect companion and team mate.

Well done Ruby!

05/10/2023

Meet Bodhi!
Bodhi is a really fun dog, he's a young high drive english staffy who's got alot of energy and was very anti nap time when we met 😂
Bodhi struggled with managing his arousal which meant that playing with Bodhi could get a little out of hand at times. He was also rather rude with his guests and housemates, he would jump, bark, mouth and often air snap towards people. Bodhi was on the go so much, that he was over tired and over stimulated.
An important part of Bodhi's training plan was teaching Bodhi how to switch off. Adding in some structured nap times, teaching Bodhi how to do nothing as well as how to play nicely and to control his arousal.
I have been so impressed with Bodhi's owner's, they've work so hard with Bodhi and it was so nice to see their handling skills and knowledge develop so much during our sessions.

04/10/2023

Meet Chewwy!
Chewwy is a French bulldog who struggles with a bit of anxiety which leads to some reactivity, especially around unknown dogs and people. Throughout our sessions we've been working on Chewwy's basic obedience as well as addressing his reactivity.
Chewwy is a real smoocher and honestly loves nothing more than a big cuddle!

19/09/2023

Meet Drip!
Drip is an Irish wolfhound cross and I caught up with his owner to help out with his jumping on guests, his leash pulling and reactivity. Drip is a very large dog, so jumping to say hello to his house guests is a little unnecessary 😂
Drip is a very sweet and affectionate fella with a very big and goofy personality.
I'm excited to continue working with Drip and his owner to help them reach their training goals!

12/09/2023

Meet Meg!
Meg is a lovely young dog with a very lovely beard. I met with Meg and her owners to help Meg with a little reactivity she has been struggling with. Meg gets a bit over excited when she sees dogs out on a walk which leads to some barking and lunging trying to get to the dog to play.
We worked alot on teaching Meg the boundaries when it comes to seeing dogs out on walks, as well as teaching her how to walk nicely on her leash.

I'm really proud of Megs owners, the progress Meg made during our sessions was amazing. When working with a trainer most of the training happens between sessions, and it's always so nice to see such big progress from session to session.
Well done meg! Keep up the good work, and please never trim your beard 😂

31/08/2023

Meet Timone!
Timone had a bit of a rough time during her critical development period, Timone was born with bow legs which meant that her critical development period was spent having a surgery and extended bed rest.

Timone is very suspicious of people, and though she can tolerate being in the presence of certain people she cannot tolerate being touched by most people, and is very quick to snap. Which due to her experiences and pain makes total sense. Timone's owners reached out to me with one specific goal in mind, getting Timone a massage to help with her pain.
There was alot of things we covered in Timone's training plan, counter conditioning to people was a big one, in particular to touch.

Timone's owners are in this for the long haul to help Timone feel alot better in her day to day life, and though I was able to give Timone a gentle massage and a pat, they still have alot of work ahead of them, they're going to have work with Timone's masseuse to make sure it's a positive experience.

23/08/2023

Meet Zed!
Zed is 9 years old and has been struggling with a bit of anxiety, especially when in the presence of unfamiliar dogs when out and about. He would often see dogs and bark and lunge straight away.
Through Zed's sessions we not only addressed his reactivity, we also worked on building his confidence, impulse control and taught him some regulation techniques to manage his anxiety and though Zed is still an anxious dog the improvement he made over the sessions was incredible! He started to look to his owner for more guidance when in stressful situations and started to learn that he can overcome the pressure that the world puts on him at times.
I really enjoyed helping Zed and his owner reach their goals, walking passed dogs without barking and learning how to ease his anxiety. Our last session in particular was a stand out session! Watching Zed manage himself and make beautiful choices with the guidance of his owner just showed what a dedicated team can do and that it's never too late to reach out for some help!

15/08/2023

Meet Boyka!
Boyka is a really sweet fella with a huge personality!
When I met Boyka he was struggling with some reactivity towards dogs, vehicles and people when on walks and reactivity around his fence line, at his windows.
It's been amazing to see not only Boyka's reactivity become more manageable through desensitization, counter conditioning and managing his drive but also to see the confidence and handling skills of his owners grow!
They're setting Boyka up for success and giving him very clear communication of what is expected of him at home, and when out on walks and outings.

Boyka had a pretty rough start to life and he was very poor condition when his owners brought him home, underweight and covered in sores, it's so amazing to see him thriving physically and mentally. With the correct outlets and loving owners he is so happy!

I absolutely loved seeing such huge progress from session to session and am a little devastated I never took any videos of his sessions but those sessions will forever be ingrained into my memory, especially the zoomies in his first session 😂

08/08/2023

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvqnFGXrYPX/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

26/07/2023

Meet Rip! Aka Rippy ❤️
Rip gets a little overwhelmed when he leaves the house. Rip struggles with some reactivity to dogs and people, which means teaching him to walk loosely on his leash has been a hard task for his owners.
In our first session we broke it right down, we spoke about how important his diet is, and how to navigate his food allergies. We worked on how to greet guests calmly without jumping, and then we addressed how he gets overwhelmed as soon as he steps outside the house. We started by opening the door and letting him take it all in, then we ventured into the front yard. Sometimes taking it slow is the best approach.
I'm excited to work with Rippy and his owner to help them communicate better, and make walks more enjoyable for them both.

23/07/2023

Meet Scooby!
I met up with Scooby to help with his dog reactivity and resource guarding, Scooby doesn't like it when his brother gets a pat from his owner so we worked on changing Scooby's perception, and adding in some clear boundaries.

Scooby did so well during his sessions, it was amazing to see him make some really positive choices when he saw other dogs.

05/07/2023

Meet the handsome Dexter!
I met with Dexter and his owner to help with Dexters barking problem. Dexter likes to bark for attention, so in today's session we discussed not only how to stop the barking, but also how to build on Dexter's impulse control and teaching him other ways that will get attention.

20/06/2023

07/06/2023

Meet Saint!
Saint is a young Kelpie who has a little bit of a barking problem, his owners contacted me to help with his barking, but also his recall and loose leash walking. He's a high drive dog, and barks when he's frustrated, as well as a way of asking his humans to do things, like opening the door, throw his toy or even at other dogs to get them to play.
A big thing were working on with Saint is impulse control, and teaching him other ways he can ask for things.

I'm excited to continue working with Saint, he's a very fun dog to work with.

04/06/2023

Meet Benji and Teddy!
Yesterday was their first birthday and we caught up to work on some door manners, and jumping when guests come over.
The boys have lovely temperaments, and despite their size they are so gentle!
I loved meeting these fellas and teaching their owners how to work with the boys and their manners.

Happy birthday boys ❤️

01/06/2023

How cute is Nellie the Cane Corso!? 🥺😍
Nellie is only 16 weeks old and has just moved in with her new family, they noticed that Nellie is a little nervous of life at the moment and is showing some signs of reactivity towards dogs and people so they reached out to me so I can help them start her on the right track.
In Nellie's first session we focused mainly on how to build confidence, which is going to be a common theme in all of our sessions.
I'm super excited to work with Nellie.

28/05/2023

Meet Bella and Cookie!
Bella and Cookies owners got in contact with me to help them get Bella on the right track, as well as to help Cookie learn her boundaries around the house.
We worked on alot of different things during their sessions, from toilet training, crate training, door manners, boundaries, reactivity on the fence line and recall.
The girls are very eager dogs, and very playful! Every session ended with the girls having a big play together!

I had alot of fun working with the girls!

24/05/2023

Meet Louis!
Louis is a big boy, he's a young mastiff mix who struggles with his excitement at times. When people come outside he gets excited and jumps on them, and when he sees other people and dogs on a walk he gets excited and pulls on his leash to get to them to say hello. He's a very sweet dog, but it can be very difficult to take him on walks. I'm excited to work with Louis and help make his walks more enjoyable.

11/05/2023

Meet Koda! She is an 8 week old mini Aussie shepherd and I'm obsessed with how cute she is!
I caught up with Koda to help her owner get on the right track, we spoke lots about raising a confident pup and exposure.
I love puppy consults, I love owners who are proactive about their dog's behaviour. It's never too early, or too late to start training your dog.

Did you know that the first 16 weeks of a puppy's life are the most important? It's when 80% of their brain is developing so exposure is so important during that age! You want to expose your puppy to lots of different sights, sounds, smells and environments so your puppy has a better understanding of the world around them and can develop a positive association with lots of new things, as these experiences will influence and shape their behaviour well into adulthood.

03/05/2023

Meet Lady!
Lady is a 10 month old husky cross maremma and she is such sweet and playful pup.
I met Lady to help start her off on some training, as the goal for Lady is to become an assistance dog when she is older!

30/04/2023

The muzzle.

The muzzle is something I use for many different reasons.
I find with Kira the muzzle is an extra layer of advocation, people don't try and pat a muzzled dog without asking and they also don't allow their dog's to come up to a muzzled dog.
It gives me the opportunity to let my guard down when we're out.

The muzzle is something I want my dogs to comfortable in. As we're are getting closer and closer to going on our travels the muzzle is going to add an extra layer of protection in 1080 bait territory. I'm currently looking at purchasing both of the dogs new muzzles that are scavenger proof. So muzzle conditioning is something we're going to spend more time doing prior to leaving and while we're on the road.

Are you dogs conditioned to wearing a muzzle?

28/04/2023

Cookie smashing her door manners yesterday!
Door manners is a must with dogs! I like it when dogs know that if the front door is open they can only go through when released.
Cookie has a history of barging through the front door and running on the very busy road, so this is something we address very quickly within her sessions. We started teaching her that the only way she gets to go through the door is when she is asked to, we practiced lots of different scenarios. Opening the door and not going out, opening the door, stepping out ourselves and going back inside and then stepping out and releasing her out as well.

26/04/2023

Meet Honey!

Honey is a field line golden retriever who is an extremely friendly lady with alot of energy to burn. Since welcoming her new baby sister into their family her owners wanted to build on some foundational skills with Honey such as her leash walking, her recall, her over excitement when she sees other dogs and people when out on walks, as well as her impulse control now there are lots of new and exciting things around the house.

Having a new born and a high energy dog can be difficult at times, so we did alot of work around being calm, satisfying her drive using a flirt pole, working on her leave it and her out (letting go of things on cue) as socks and baby toys are very tempting for Honey.

I loved working with Honey, she's such a beautiful and driven dog who is gives everything 100%.

21/04/2023

Meet Veda!
Veda is still a puppy, but she has developed a few behaviours her owner is wanting to address.
One of them is running in circles as fast as she can when she goes for walks, along with some reactivity towards dogs and people.
Veda is a VERY busy dog and she lacks alot of confidence and the circling has become a bit of a coping mechanism for her.

Our training plan has a lot of little steps to work towards the big picture, some of it includes teaching Veda how to do nothing, desensitization towards people and dogs, how to walk on leash without the circling and there is going to be lots of confidence building activities thrown in as well!

Today's session I saw so much progress! She was so eager to engage rather than circle, she learnt how to drop which will be so valuable in teaching her to do nothing as well as we started a bit of a the desensitization towards dogs, which is where Ricky came in as a neutral dog.

I'm really excited for our next session!