Ky's animal services and pet outreach

27/07/2024

Sheath cleaning is a service we also can help with for anyone that has a gelding.

We recommend at least once a year check to prevent from any buildup.

Feel free to get in touch with us for a booking.

04/05/2024

Tie up can have a lot of people for and against in the dog world and pet owners.

When done correctly it can have many benefits especially for high energy or young dogs.

Here Bree is using her “place mat” in “tie up” and learning to settle and just be.

Teaching a good relaxed tie up can come in handy when you’re out and have to go in somewhere or needing to tie working dogs up while doing stock/ drenching work, on the back of a Ute, and the list is endless.

04/05/2024

We love soothing music like this EMDR therapy music.
Bree is fascinated and enjoys watching the screen, for Lilly and I it helps send us to to sleep and soothes our soul.

Soothing music is great for high energy breeds, young dogs/puppies, nervous or reactive dogs, through stormy weather or car trips and pretty much all dogs and animals including people!

Music video in comments

03/05/2024

‘Find the way’ is a good term to teach dogs when it comes to uneven, shrubby, bushy, or hard to see grounds/ environments.

It’s also a term a lot of guide dog handlers use when dogs comes up to obstacles on foot path and needing to find a different safer way.

Here Lilly helped find a safe way through this thick un even rocky ground scrub.

02/05/2024

One assistant dog task lilly helps with is taking off socks.

This is a good task for people that can’t reach down to do themselves or have problems with balance etc.

29/04/2024

This is a example why i prefers real grass to scatter kibble than sniff mats or bowls.

Smart dogs like my herding breeds just cheat and chuck it around to empty out.

With real grass we have to work harder and is rooted in the ground so they’re not able to cheat.

29/04/2024

My favorite training games provide choice. Of course, they set the dog up for success to be likely to choose a desirable behavior over an undesirable one. This is often accomplished by managing the training environment. Giving your dog a choice provides agency, increases confidence and leads to behaviors that are automatic instead of ones you must cue.

Want to learn more about teaching through choice? www.PawsitiveChangeMT.com

Thanks to Dogs Disclosed for putting it so well.

29/04/2024

Our hoodie range for reactive, nervous and assistant dogs.

We can also do custom orders with your own wording.

25/04/2024

Bree went to Bunnings today and worked on her assistant dog tasks and skills in a busier environment.

This included lots of people and some other dogs in store as distractions, Bree still managed to do tasks such as ‘round/orbit’, front, back blocks, watching my back when i was facing shelves and checkout, leaving items on ground and walking pass without sniffing. And much more.

24/04/2024

We have mersh!
designed specifically for reactive, nervous and assistant dogs.
We can also do custom designs.

23/04/2024

18/04/2024

To all our current and prospective clients,

We are in the planning to move our base to South Australia.

There might be a chance for sitting in Victoria if booked in advance.

Otherwise all services will be run South Australian base.

We’d like to send a special thank you to all our lovely clients over the years. 🥰

17/04/2024

So proud of miss Lilly 🥰

16/04/2024

A lot of dog trainers and people in general have hidden agendas and intentions setting out to make a profit from ‘training’ or ‘helping’ someone.

At Ky’s animal services, our intentions are as pure as they come along with honesty.
(Being autistic I don’t have a good filter and what comes out is true honesty without covering anything up.)

I can find phone calls can be a difficult task at times with severe anxiety and prefer message, voice mail (to get back at a better time) or email.
I apologise if this is a inconvenience and am trying to better heal with a lot of inner work for my Cptsd and anxiety, unfortunately there’s no cure for autism only management with my assistance dogs.
Writing out my thoughts is a lot easier to explain than saying on the spot as well and a detailed message will also be sent after a lesson or stay.

16/04/2024

You may have heard the term bluetooth connection on musterdogs.
If not, developing a deep blue tooth connection with working dogs (can also transfer to pet dogs too) starts with spending as much time with your pup or dog as possible, take them with you, pick them up, handle them etc. be friendly but firm. They’ve got to learn you respect and understand them and they you. If a working breed feels you lack confidence or that extra something they will go off and become their own boss so to speak and work themselves.
I hope that makes sense, Is a lot easier to do than describe into words, as it’s a second nature thing for me.

A lot of dog trainers out there recommend developing connection from feeding from you and not bowls for them to see you as a food source.

If you have a true connection with your dog it shouldn’t matter how you feed. Most working dog farmers feed off a plate and group feeding.

15/04/2024

I’m so proud of how far miss Lilly has come, from becoming reactive/ Aggressive after getting spayed to calm relaxed walks with others around.
It has taken a lot of hard work and time to get to this point and for any trainer that claims to ‘fix’ aggressive dogs in one or a few lessons is a massive red flag!
Having a deep bluetooth connection with Lilly definitely also helps in her training and is also willing to please like a lot of cattle dogs with their one favourite person.

With multi dog homes especially of different ages, levels of training, personalities, temperaments, etc
it’s always best to have 1:1 time at home and out on walks. As well as 1:1 training.
A puppy has different needs to a well trained dog, also a reactive/ aggressive dog has different needs to a puppy or well trained dog.
Having separate lessons and walks also allows for deeper connection.

15/04/2024

Approaching corners on a waking track is a great way in practicing ‘to me’, ‘get behind’, ‘heal’ and ‘leave it’.

This is also great with anxious, reactive or aggressive dogs to give them a job to do and your instructing the walk keeping everyone safe.

I usually say leave it when someone is passing. Leave it is also great if there’s something on the trail or bait or even wildlife and ducks. Teaching them to respect and leave wildlife alone. Especially great for herders or other dogs breed for chasing things.

14/04/2024

Training doesn’t always look fancy or working on exciting skills and tricks or even out away from home.

Sometimes training can look like a chair in the middle of the kitchen floor And learning our sitting, down stay skills and doing nothing. This can also help with impulsive control as well.

Is also great for multi dog homes to co exist with each other in a controlled manner.

All dog parents can do little lessons like this that can go a long way in the future and also intertwine into other areas.

It might be at home, but then you can take your chair outside, then gradually when their ready work up to sitting in town, at a park, a cafe etc.

Impulse control and learning to sit or down can also transfer to working stock getting the to sit while you close gates or handle stock, draft, etc. Teaching this and other foundation skills before hand can help in the long run.

Very rarely you’d put a kid in a deep pool and say swim. The kid would most likely drown.

Same way, pups or dogs that has seen much stock would fry and get into trouble if in a large paddock having to work stock. It’s best to start right back at the basics and foundations and gradually increase yard and stock etc.

14/04/2024

Some people or even other dog trainers might question why my prices seem on the cheaper side and rarely increase compared to other businesses.

It’s not that I’m not skilled or qualified that I am.

Ky first started training puppies and dogs as a very young girl under 6 years old, as well as everything that came with dogs and pets like feeding, care, walking, nail trimming etc. she also enjoyed helping her dad with his horses before and after school and on weekends/ school holidays.

As Ky grew up in her teens, she began to walk dogs for the public and cared for her agriculture’s animals over weekends and holidays.
During Ky’s teens she also started pet sitting as well for her neighbours and other public.

After completing her VCE she went on to further her education in a variety of animal certifications such as equine studies, companion animal services ect.

She is constantly researching and keeping up her education with animals and has invested in learning from leading working dog and livestock educators like Paul, Neil, Wayne, Matt, and many more.
Working dogs and horses are both Ky’s passions and specialise in.

I understand what it’s like coming from a lower/ Poverty income background as well as being homeless for a time living out of my car with my soul sister Kate.

At Ky’s animal services, we don’t want lack of income to hold anyone back from accessing training or care their dog or pet needs.

We also have a outreach team that helps with food, supplies, training, and a safe place to stay. All these services are offered free to those of homelessness or in a tough situation like domestic violence.

I do all this as a solo small business, but also have health issues and am autistic that make it difficult as well.

Prices shouldn’t be a indicator of lack of experience or knowledge.
But yet in the dog training world (and some other places) it is and very small businesses like mine of one solo person suffers with gossip and judgments.
Never assume if you don’t know the whole backstory.

Support small businesses.

14/04/2024

Advocating.

This can be a two way street where you advocate for your dog and they you.

One way of advocating is signage.
This might be leads with preferred wording on them or lead wraps such as nervous, give us space, reactive, no dogs, caution etc.
harnesses with Velcro patches is another example for dogs.
For humans we can wear vests with preferred wording or make up clothing to wear like I did.
I find a combination of me and my dogs wearing such things give both of us extra respectful space from bystanders.
Don’t be afraid to put such things your dog even if they’re friendly and you’re the one needing space in public places. Our dog help advocate for us too.
Wearing a muzzle can also automatically give extra space needed even if your dog isn’t a bite risk person assume they are.

Another way is telling someone to catch their off lead dog (this option is for those that have courage and able speak up and asking for help) or walk on opposite side of street to pass.

It might be going out early or late to miss all the hectic people and sounds of the world (this is a great option for autistic people and those with social anxiety)

Wearing signage limits having to talk to someone and they can still respect space without asking. (It’s a great option for those like me that may have selective mutism.)

13/04/2024

12/04/2024

We are trained in pet first aid and CPR.

Ky has a gift in picking up any heart abnormalities or disease and other illnesses or injuries in animals not just dogs.

This can be helpful in treating heart disease early before it develops further or other conditions and injuries.

If we feel your pet or animal may have a heart abnormality (or other illness) we will refer you to get checked out by a vet for further testing and treatment.

12/04/2024

We’re a member of the Victorian working sheep dog association

11/04/2024

Door manner starts right back to basic training with stay commands and create training.

I see a lot of people and other dog trainers teaching door manners right at the front door or in a open car.
(When first introducing this at a front door or car, it can become a unsafe hazard if not correctly with risk of other cars on the road or around.)

One bonus about being an neurodivergent autistic trainer is that I have a skill in seeing any potential hazards around and see the big picture in detail.

If you would like help with crate training, door manners get in touch and we can help.

11/04/2024

An example of introducing muzzle training to a puppy or dog. Where they voluntarily happily eat out the muzzle that’s in a bowl with kibble or treats.

Another way is using a squeeze tube of peanut butter or safe baby food and have that through the front of muzzle so the dog or pup learns to snout in to lick treats, then gradually take treats away and get pup used to having it done up and wear short burst at a time.

Always working at their own pace and moving forward when they’re ready.

If you need help with muzzle training get in contact and we’ll book you in for a lesson