Wisdom for Wags Dog Training

12/02/2025

It is time to break the stigma on muzzles. 🥰

Let’s change the conversation around muzzles. 🤐

A muzzled dog doesn’t mean a dangerous dog. ❌

It means a dog with a guardian who prioritises safety and care. ❤️

Even dogs with big feelings aren’t defined by a single moment. Just like us, they have good days and bad days… but that doesn’t make them “dangerous.”

Muzzles aren’t about fear… they’re about love, responsibility, and setting dogs up for success.

Let’s break the stigma. Share this and help shift the narrative! ✌️

09/02/2025

Put a thumbs up 👍 if you have fallen for this with your dog.

I am pretty sure Jenga got fed 3 times one morning. She is very good at convincing members of the family that she is starving.

09/02/2025

Did you know your puppy can attend our Puppy Pre School Program as early as 10 days after their first vaccination?

Early exposure to a variety of experiences, people, other animals, surfaces and sounds can help shape your puppy into becoming a confident,
social and well-adjusted adult dog.

The best time for exposure is during their socialisation or sensitive period (3-12 weeks). It is at this age that they are more accepting of new things that are subjected to them.

In fact, as the puppy ages their ability to readily accept new things can become increasingly more difficult.

After 18 weeks of age, it is much harder and sometimes impossible to train a dog to like something new or acclimate to something they find frightening.

During our Puppy Pre School course you are informed how to appropriately socialise your puppy to a variety of stimuli, how to monitor your puppy's response and what to do if things don't go as planned.

Remember we are looking for quality exposure. In other words, did the puppy find the experience to be a positive one?

02/02/2025

Another set of January Graduates.🐶🎓

Congratulations go to Honey, Buddy, Coco and Jasper.

Unfortunately, the group were missing their special friend Lottie in the celebrations.

We had a lot of fun at the Graduation class enjoying exploring the obstacles and a few recall races in the backyard.

Well done to all the puppy handlers and puppies for committing to the course and training in between classes.

🐶 ❤️🐾

31/01/2025

Saturday's funny 😁

30/01/2025

🥰 Beautiful 😍

30/01/2025

Our first graduates in 2025.🥰🐶🎓

Congratulations go to Merlot, Mataya, Raven and Sadie.

Well done to all handler and puppy teams. They worked hard between sessions practicing their new skills and exposing their puppies to new things.

It is always great to see the difference in their skill set at the end of the course.

Happy training.

30/01/2025

Congratulations to Willow and her handler for passing their Public Access test with Minddogs Australia.

I am so excited for this incredible team and can't wait to see them out and about.

17/01/2025

Training should be factored into your everyday life.

The more consistent you are the better.

Training is education or communication.

Don’t blame them—train them! Celebrate International Train Your Dog Month by focusing on effective, positive training methods that strengthen the bond between you and your best friend.

Remember, our canine companions thrive when given clear guidance and consistent support, which is why training should never feel like a punishment—it’s an opportunity to learn and grow together. Train Your Dog Month was launched by APDT International in 2010 and has since become a powerful movement promoting dog-friendly, science-based training techniques and responsible pet ownership.

Join the celebration, advocate for positive, professional training methods, and help spread the word: Don’t blame them—train them! Visit trainyourdogmonth.com for resources, tips, and ways to get involved this month and beyond. Together, let’s make every day a step toward happier dogs and happier families!

14/01/2025

Puppy position available.🥰🐶🎉

We have a Puppy Pre School course starting this Sunday at 6pm.

This course will be a combination of Sunday's 6-7pm and Thursday evenings 7-8pm.

We already have a few puppies ready to start their Puppy Pre School journey.

These puppies are looking for some new friends to share in the fun of Puppy socialisation.

If you have a puppy 8-16 weeks and wish to give it its best start in life enrol in our course.

Contact can be made by phoning or texting 0410 498 290 or through messenger.

Looking forward to meeting some new recruits.

08/01/2025

We have one spot left for a puppy to join our course this Sunday 4pm.

The course is a combination of Sunday's 4-5pm and Wednesday evenings 7-8pm.

We already have four adorable puppies ready to start their training and socialisation journey. It would be nice to add another friend to the mix for socialisation purposes.

If you have a puppy under 16 weeks please do not delay their training and social needs, enrol today.

Contact 0410498290

08/01/2025

Did you get a new puppy in December?

Now is the time to enrol them into our next Puppy Pre School course.

If you have a puppy 8-16 weeks old and want to give them the best start to 2025 enroll in our next course.

Courses are quick to fill up so don't delay your puppy's socialisation and training.
Research shows that early socialisation during your pup's socialisation period can help them develop into a confident and friendly dog.

Contact Sam 0410 498 290.

We over 24 years of running Puppy Pre School courses I am here to guide you on this exciting journey of puppy raising.

05/01/2025

The dog training community has lost a true gem in Karen Pryor.

As we grieve her loss, we also celebrate what she did for our industry. She was highly respected and mentored so many other trainers. She paved the way for so many other trainers and will continue to do so through her books and the Karen Pryor Academy.

Rest in peace Karen. 🌹🌷

While so many honour Karen in their Facebook posts Zak George's post was the one I had to share. Beautifully written. 😍

Today, we honor the incredible life and legacy of Karen Pryor, a pioneer who transformed the world of animal training and left an indelible mark on our industry.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Karen Pryor’s groundbreaking work paved the way for trainers like myself, and countless others, to advocate for humane, effective training methods. While the fight for positive change would still continue, her visionary efforts undoubtedly accelerated the progress, bringing us to this better place much sooner than we might have otherwise achieved.

Karen Pryor was one of the first to show the world that animals don’t need to be trained with violence or fear. Her work with marine mammals in the 1960s, grounded in science and compassion, paved the way for positive reinforcement techniques that continue to shape the industry.

She didn’t just teach us how to train better; she taught us to see animals as sentient beings, deserving of respect, patience, and understanding.

Her book Don’t Shoot the Dog! remains a cornerstone in the field of behavioral psychology and animal training, introducing the world to the principles of operant conditioning and the power of positive reinforcement. The Karen Pryor Academy, founded in 2007, has trained thousands of professionals, ensuring her legacy endures in the hands of those committed to ethical training practices.

She laid the foundation for a movement that prioritizes trust, connection, and kindness. The positive changes we see in the industry today, our collective rejection of outdated, punitive methods, are a direct result of her fearless advocacy and unwavering belief in a better way.

Her work changed our field, but more importantly, it changed the way we connect with the animals who share our lives.

Thank you, Karen, for showing us what’s possible when science and compassion come together.

Your legacy will continue to inspire us, and we’ll strive to honor your memory by carrying your vision of compassion for animals forward. Rest in peace, and thank you for everything.

Zak George

05/01/2025

Some days at Puppy Pre School we get real storms and not just the thunderstorm sound effects on the recordings we play.

Exposure to a variety of sounds both real and recorded during your puppy's socialisation phase can help prevent noise phobias down the track.

Playing recordings of thunderstorms, fireworks, traffic, dogs barking, city noise etc at low volumes during the day during meals, fun games and training can help form positive exposure to these sounds. The recordings can be gradually increased over time depending on your pup's response.

01/01/2025

What a great idea for people who are travelling with their assistance dogs.

A better and more convenient way for them to eliminate before travel.

I have never seen one of these areas in person. Had anyone else?

travellingwith