Gem Dog Training

18/01/2025

Graduation day for some of our Intermediate Puppy course students! The rain played havoc most weeks but mushy shoes and slightly soggy puppies didn’t dampen our spirits. The rain didn’t affect the progress of these owners and puppies either, they all saw great results.
We are looking forward to seeing them in the future for Top-up classes where they can continue to hone their skills with our casual, come when you can sessions.

07/01/2025

I’m excited that Umina Beach Groodles are now including a 1.5 hour phone/video consultation with me for everyone welcoming one of their puppies home.

It’s such a fantastic inclusion and it shows the high calibre of Umina Beach Groodles as breeders and the thought and expense that goes into their puppies.

I’m looking forward to helping more future puppy owners be as prepared as possible. The sessions are very individual and tailored to each owner and the feedback so far has been very positive.

A big thanks goes to David and Kate and also to Amanda (they recently welcomed puppies from Brisbane Bernedoodles & Groodles Australia who also include this service) for taking the time to let us know how much they appreciated this inclusion from their breeder.

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The phone conversation with Susan prior to our new puppy coming home for the first time was invaluable, not only for helping us get the physical environment right, but also inform us about how to establish good behaviours and routines for our pup.
Susan is very engaging and knows her stuff. An hour and a half flew by and at the end we felt really prepared to welcome the newest member of our family.
David and Kate with Ripley

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We cannot express enough how thrilled we are with the exceptional puppy advice we received from Susan. From the very beginning, Susan provided us with perfect advice that was tailored to both our puppy’s personality and our family’s needs. Her extensive knowledge of canine behaviour was evident and it made all the difference in ensuring we were equipped with the right items and strategies for success.
What truly stood out was how Susan patiently guided us through each step of the way to welcome our puppy home, allowing for a smooth and successful transition for our puppy into our family. The thoughtful, personalized approach ensured our new family member felt comfortable and confident, while also helping us understand how to create a positive and loving environment.
Thanks to Susan, we now have a well-behaved, happy puppy who is thriving in our family. We couldn't be more grateful for her expertise and dedication. Highly recommended for anyone looking to set their puppy up for success!

Amanda with Eric

19/11/2024

I love my choices so much but oh my goodness….. the pain of shedding and wet weather is real. 😱

17/11/2024

It was ladies day today for our Top-up Training session. 🩷 (Not on purpose, we just didn’t have any men folk today) It was such a lovely group of girls and their doggos and we had some great training opportunities as we set off for a mobile training session, working around other walkers and their dogs, bikes and joggers.
All the dogs did so well amongst the distractions. I love mixing up these sessions to keep the handlers and dogs progressing with their training.

07/10/2024

Most people know that puppy school can be an extremely valuable part of your puppy's development.
There are plenty of choices with vets, pet shops and dog training businesses all running classes in this area.

So what questions should you be asking to make sure you get the most from your classes and to even ensure that you don't do more harm than good to your pup's development?

- How much experience does your trainer have? Are they a trainer with many years of experience or are they a staff member at a vet clinic or pet shop who's been put in charge of running classes?

- Are the classes run in an environment with the least risk of disease transmission? Indoor spaces with limited foot traffic of both people and other animals provides a safer environment.

- Does the class include puppy play time? Despite popular opinion, playtime isn't a crucial part of a puppy class. Learning to be calm and neutral around dogs is though and this can be achieved by pups just being in the same room. Playtime is very loved by owners though and when it's included, it's important that it's conducted in a beneficial way. Pups should be separated into size, age, play style, confidence etc. Having pups feeling overwhelmed and not able to get away from more boisterous pups can be detrimental to their development.

- Is the puppy class family friendly? Many families take on a pup and would like the children to be involved. Although the younger ones can get a bit bored sometimes, a family friendly class enables children to hear snippets of important advice important for them. (And we all know kids listen more to people other than their parents!) Having children present in class can also help desensitise pups who don't usually have exposure to children.

- What is the curriculum of the classes? Is the information being given modern and relevant to your life with a puppy? Does it cover a wide range of topics including hands on training techniques, advice on puppy behaviours and advice on preventing future behaviour issues?

- Is there the opportunity to progress to further training with your puppy? Puppy school is the equivalent of kindergarten for puppies and just like humans, that's only the start of their learning journey.

Gem Dog Training classes are designed to be a safe environment for you to gain real world, relevant knowledge about raising your puppy. With many years of industry experience, we can get you and your puppy off to the very best start.

Classes run every
Saturday afternoon at The Gap.

Bookings online at www.gemdogtraining.com.au

14/09/2024

“My dog only does what he’s told when I have a treat in my hand” is a very common complaint I hear from dog owners. Many puppy owners fear that this will happen when training with food and to be honest, it’s a very valid concern if the correct steps and training methods aren’t put in place early on.

We use A LOT of treats in the early days of training but that doesn’t mean they will always be needed in those quantities.

At our most recent training session, we focused on the process of taking our dogs through to where they aren’t reliant on seeing a treat to be able to complete a requested behaviour. We want to be rewarding our dogs, not bribing them.

Our classes are comprehensive with loads of real world, practical advice that will give your puppy the best start in life.

Join us on Saturday afternoons for Puppy sessions and the Intermediate course and Sunday mornings for Top-up Training classes.

www.gemdogtraining.com.au

14/09/2024

Toilet training puppies who live in apartments is often much harder than for pups with access to a backyard.
Thankfully there is now a wide variety of systems ranging from artificial turf to real turf to tray systems and these can transform balconies into a makeshift toileting area.

However having a good system is just the start.

Many owners struggle with getting the puppy to reliably use that area as it often does take a little more know-how and patience than outside toilet training.

This is because when you have a yard available to use, it’s relatively easy to achieve piddling and pooping success in the correct place while the puppy is wandering around. (the movement stimulates their bladder and bowel) When you plonk a puppy on a small toileting area, they will likely either just sit there doing nothing or they will keep jumping off. This is usually then followed by peeing on the floor somewhere!

Achieving success when your puppy is young is key to a much less messy and frustrating time later on. If you are struggling with it, get in touch to book a comprehensive home visit.
I will step you through the process and develop a stepped out guide to get you on the track to success.

Pictured is my adorable client Mac who is one of many pups who’ve mastered their toileting systems while completing their puppy training at home with me.

11/09/2024

04/09/2024

My girl Sheena is getting ready to give birth to puppies.
Except that she definitely doesn’t have any puppies in her belly, she just thinks she does!

Have you heard of Pseudocyesis or experienced it with your dog? Also known as a false pregnancy, it occurs commonly in female dogs who’ve gone through their reproductive heat cycle.

For 70 or so days after a dog’s heat cycle, the dog is basically experiencing pregnancy hormones without the babies. This is because the corpus luteum which is responsible for producing progesterone is still active during this time. When the progesterone levels start to fall this stimulates the rise of another hormone, prolactin. In dogs with higher levels or who are sensitive to prolactin, this causes the symptoms of a false pregnancy and includes nesting behaviours, mothering objects such as toys, restlessness, mammary gland enlargement and even milk production!

It can be quite concerning for owners who are now left wondering if their dog has somehow managed to fall pregnant.

Needless to say, a trip to the vet is warranted to determine this and if any treatment is necessary or if the symptoms are mild enough to settle on their own after a few weeks.

Interestingly, it’s likely that we can attribute this phenomenon to our dogs evolving from wolves as non breeding female wolves within a pack share the responsibilities of raising the breeding female’s puppies and this includes producing milk in order to feed them.

I’m looking forward to Sheena being physically developed and ready for desexing before her next heat cycle as pseudocyesis isn’t particularly fun for her or me!

27/08/2024

Dog training classes won't train your dog.
But they will teach you what you need to know to train your dog and you can incorporate that knowledge into your everyday life.

As well as giving you the knowledge to train, they are fun, good mental and physical exercise for you both, a great opportunity to bond with your dog and meet other dog owners. Classes also allow you to work with your dog under distraction but in a controlled environment.

Beautiful Kenny (pictured) is an absolute joy to have at classes and the work his human is putting into him is paying off. Kenny has attended puppy sessions, the Intermediate Course and now frequently attends our Top-up Training sessions to keep progressing with his training. That’s the commitment that builds a great relationship and a great dog. 💙

(Classes currently being held at The Gap on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings.

26/08/2024

I’m looking forward to working with Candy’s Cavoodles / Theodores Place again next week with 2 new litters growing quickly. Maria has already given the puppies an amazing start with Early Neurological Stimulation and Early Scent Introduction. Next week we will continue to develop their confidence with some one on one work with each puppy. It’s such an important time in their lives and you can really see the difference it makes in their development.

26/08/2024

Happy International Dogs Day! Josie and Sheena are like “meh, it’s dogs day every day in this family.”
It really is like that and I wouldn’t change a thing. These girls are our everything. 🩷🩷

21/08/2024

If you’ve been told not to take your puppy out until they are fully vaccinated, please keep reading.

You are missing important and extremely valuable developmental weeks that you can’t get back and you are putting your puppy at risk of future behaviour issues.

Even waiting until 12 weeks will disadvantage your pup, their fear reactions are often well and truly in place by then.

The ideal time to start is from 8 weeks. But safe exposure is extremely important so choose outings such as…

* puppy preschool classes on hard, indoor floor surfaces. (1st vaccine is sufficient)
* small, frequent drives in the car
* trips to pet friendly shops while being carried in your arms or a pet stroller/carrier
* sitting outside shops with pup in your arms
* walks along roads with some traffic noise, with pup in your arms or a pet stroller.
* standing outside dog parks with pup in your
arms
*Visiting family and friends. If they have healthy and puppy friendly dogs, this is still fine.

There is always going to be slight risk. You cannot build a sterile bubble around your puppy. The key is to limit the risk of disease transmission while simultaneously limiting the risk of future behaviour challenges. It’s a balancing act where both sides have to be considered.

Thanks to my extremely handsome model Archie whose humans got him off to a great start coming to puppy sessions. 💙

Our classes run weekly and you can start any time so you won’t lose valuable weeks waiting for a course to begin.

Bookings online at www.gemdogtraining.com.au

18/08/2024

5 month old Bernie has landed himself a wonderful family to call his own. 💙

During a recent puppy consultation, we spoke about what makes a great dog.

Genetics and early social development play a huge role in a dog’s future behaviour but what can we do outside of these factors, especially as they are often not within our control, as is the case with older rescue pups?

Many people focus on teaching commands in the hope of ensuring a well behaved dog. This kind of training has loads of benefits but there are other components that are necessary to create a well balanced dog.

One of the most important steps is creating a balanced and healthy relationship with our dogs. A healthy relationship consists of communication that makes sense to a dog. This means getting out of our human brains and away from our own emotional needs. It means creating an environment and a relationship where we can assume the role of the decision maker and protector of the “pack” and not accidentally load our dogs up with these jobs.
Only when we spare our dogs from these responsibilities can we have a truly relaxed dog.

We covered a lot of this in our session and also started to develop a sit, drop, recall and lead walking with the use of luring, positive reinforcement and marker words.

We packed a lot of learning into 1 session but in reality, it’s just the beginning of a journey. It takes time and knowledge to build a wonderful relationship with a dog and I’m looking forward to helping this beautiful little guy and his family.

14/08/2024

If the puddles inside at the moment aren’t just from wet feet…..

14/08/2024

Pet strollers are a thing! And they can be a good thing! Your mind may conjure up images of ladies dressed in designer clothes with perfectly groomed white fluffy dogs with pink nails and diamond collars. But pet strollers can be really useful! They are especially helpful for safely exposing young puppies to the world without fear of contracting viruses. It also allows a puppy to view their surroundings from a less overwhelming vantage point while they are being exposed to the world during their critical exposure period. It can be much less taxing for the owner than struggling with a pup in their arms or a carry cage. And many people use them for older or recuperating dogs who are less mobile but still like an outing.
So if you see a dog out and about in a stroller, there’s probably a very good reason for it that doesn’t always include treating the dog like a baby. 😊

Puppacino O'clock!
Make outings a breeze with a Pet Stroller from La Luna Pet Care.

www.LaLunaPetCare.com.au

25/07/2024

Do you find yourself saying “ah ah” to your puppy constantly every time he/she gets into puppy mischief?
At our recent puppy session we talked about the pitfalls of relying too heavily on this and discussed better ways to manage and control puppy behaviours. We also had some fun playtime where all the puppies were able to develop their social skills in a safe and appropriate manner.
Sessions are for puppies 8 to 16 weeks and run weekly every Saturday.
Bookings online at www.gemdogtraining.com.au