Paws & Sniff

19/05/2022

Dog classes starting again soon.
Will update and start taking enrolments in the next couple of weeks.

Have a great weekend everyone!

10/11/2021

Tug is a brilliant way to have fun while teaching multiple important life skills.

Should I Teach My Dog To Play Tug? It's lots of fun, great for teaching impulse control, focuses your dog's attention and creates positive associations. So YES! Tug is great.
Anne from has put together some handy tips and things to consider for getting the most out of a game of tug with your dog.
Read the full article here in the vet-n-pet DIRECT Help Centre >> https://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/blogs/hub/should-i-teach-my-dog-to-play-tug

21/09/2021

I'm sure you've heard it before because I know I've heard it - a lot.

🚪 Ask your dog to sit before letting them out the door.

💥 Ask your reactive dog to sit when their trigger approaches.

🥩 Ask your dog to sit before you give them a treat.

👋🏽 Ask your dog to sit before you have a friend greet them.

Sit seems to be the answer for nearly everything, right?!

On some levels I can understand. Asking the dog to sit means that their stationary and that stationary position can present itself as "calm". The dog is no longer moving. The underlying emotion, however, has more than likely not shifted. It's simply an illusion.

With reactivity what we might be looking for is a replacement behaviour for lunging or pulling as if the dog is sitting they cannot be performing these behaviors. While more desirable than lunging or pulling your dog sitting everytime they see a trigger is bound to become annoying in its own right.

Sit is often one of the very first things we teach our dogs as puppies however it is often taught poorly by well meaning puppy parents. Dogs are masters at picking up on patterns. So when you bring out your hand to teach your dog a new task and that hand moves towards them, as it has done so many times before accompanying the request to sit, your dog offers the sit. We then have to unlearn the auto-sit!

So much of what we do with our dogs involves movement so when we focus on sitting as a primary action for our dogs we can disrupt many other learning processes, like moving and taking food.

So next time that you think about asking your dog for sit ask yourself what is the purpose of asking for it.

Is there something else I could ask for?

Do I need to ask for anything at all?

I encourage you all to think outside of sit.

11/08/2021

Great advice!
It is better to just ignore a dog, if they want to initiate a interaction they will.
If not, that's ok maybe some other time.

Some dogs will make it crystal clear that it's ok to pat them, and never stop!

We're not really sure where this advice originated, and I'm sure it was developed with good intentions...BUT...

If these sort of greetings stopped, dog trainers around the world would likely rejoice. 🙌🙌🙌 You don't need to hold your hand out to greet a dog and let them sniff you. Scientific studies have shown that dog’s noses are 10,000 to 100,000 times more powerful than ours. This means they can smell us coming- literally.

We should discontinue this greeting style not only because it's unnecessary, but also because it can be interpreted by a dog as rude (or threatening, or scary, or aggressive). And that miscommunication can lead a dog to feel so uncomfortable they might just snap or bite. And that's no fun for anyone.

'What should we do instead?' you ask.
You guessed it- Ignore a new dog. Not forever, just for a bit. Allow the time and space they need to smell you a bit and gather information. When they're ready to make friends with you, they'll let you know.

Spread the word

27/07/2021

Sounds like me!

27/07/2021

Here is a bust-worthy myth about tug-of-war we didn’t even know existed.

About one week ago, there was a very sad news item about a baby killed by a dog in Australia (https://salten.cz/2021/07/15/staffy-who-killed-a-five-week-old-baby-on-the-central-coast-viewed-infant-as-prey-experts-warn/). Such stories, while rare, unfortunately reappear again and again in the news. The local media interviewed a dog trainer who stated:

“…humans often teach canines to kill by playing games like tug-of-war with them. Dogs aren’t meant to have toys – they’ve only been around for 40 to 50 years and we now have more problems than we’ve ever had before. When dogs use their mouths on something non protein-based, they learn that it’s OK to do that with other objects. Tug-of-war is violent and riles the dog up, so we’re teaching them that’s okay.”

Playing tug with your dog will no more teach him to kill than playing fetch will teach him to knit. That’s ridiculous. A few thoughts to rebut the trainer’s comments a little further:

1. Dogs tug naturally. Not only that, but many will solicit “co-mouthing” with other dogs by shoving objects into their faces. Mutual pulling then ensues. Play is a necessary and naturally driven behavior and is needed to practice social skills and give-and-take. Some of the practice is also predatory, of course, but dogs are perfectly capable of killing prey without being educated in tug play.

2. Dogs aren’t meant to have toys? What does that even mean? And as far as 40-50 years of toydom, Nylabone has been around for 66 years (!), but dog people have been fashioning toys for their companions for as long as dogs have lain around their campfires. And, yes, it’s perfectly cool for dogs to put their mouths on non protein-based objects. Here’s a cool early 19th century Italian statuette of a dog playing with a toy: https://www.englishaccentantiques.com/product/italian-early-19th-century-carved-wooden-dog-playing-with-a-toy/

3. Tug-of-war can rile dogs up but the play can be well controlled by ensuring that tug is played with specific, tug-dedicated toys like a braided fleece or rope toy, by teaching the dog to let go of the toy on cue (by using food or a different toy with the cue, e.g. “drop it!”, then just using the cue. Of course, dropping the toy can be reinforced by giving the toy back and playing some more! And, finally, the play should be stopped if the dog’s mouth lands on human skin or clothing. Tug is an awesome game for redirecting an excited dog’s energy, such as at the end of a good, clean agility run , or for distracting a restless young dog who needs to wait her turn in training class.

The original story, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with playing tug. Safety practices with infants and dogs must include strict separation unless the dog is well controlled (leashed or verbally), and never, ever leaving them alone together. But suggesting that play can teach dogs to kill is over the top and diverts attention from more important and rational practices such as separation and active supervision.

23/07/2021

What is your dog not good at?

We want to see what yours do when you think they should be doing nothing! Postet die kreativen Aktivitäten Eurer Hunde, wenn „heute mal nichts“ angesagt war.

18/07/2021

A great guide for brining a new dog home.

Regardless of their background, going into a completely new environment with strange people can be quite stressful for a dog.
Guiding them gently is best, slowly introducing them to their new life.

30/06/2021

Emails going out shortly regarding classes this weekend.
For now they are going ahead, but keeping a close eye on the situation.

07/06/2021

$20 dog training class!

Yes you've read that correctly.

Paws & Sniff are running a class over two weeks to show you what is possible with your dog.

Class sizes are small, only 5 dogs per class so your dog will have fun in a relaxed setting. The best way to learn in a class!

With no regulations in the dog training industry, and plenty of bad trainers, come and see what we are about and if I am the right trainer for you. Or just come along and find new ways to get the behaviours you want.

You’ve entered a judgement-free zone with kindness and practical support for dogs and their families! Come learn with us in relaxed, fun group classes or book a private consult.

29/05/2021

Lovely infographic on body language.

12/05/2021

Genetics matter.

How many times have you heard "it's how you raise them"?
This statement is not completely true, and here is why.

Socialisation is important
A puppy needs to experience many different sights, sounds and smells during their critical socialisation period.
A socialised puppy can turn into a well adjusted dog that handles many situations with confidence.

Training is also important.
Having a solid recall and emergency stop can make the world of difference.
Having a solid "leave it" can save them, and your wallet, from a trip to the vet.

Life experiences can also play a role. Bad experiences can follow a dog for a lifetime.
Some dogs bounce back within seconds, some take longer. Some never recover.

But what about genetics?
Why is this so important too?

Genetics are the blue print to your dog.
Greyhounds run fast, but sleep most of the day away.
Malinois have energy to burn, and they bite.

Every breed has been bred with purpose, and even within each specific breed there are many varying lines.
Labradors can be a lovely house pet, or they excel with a physically demanding job. Same breed, different genetics.
Pet and field labs can even look different!

Understanding that every dog you work with has different wants and needs will be the key to your success.
Despite all of your best efforts, some things cannot be trained out.
Instead embrace what makes your dog who they are, and use those traits to your advantage.

My own dog has always been motivated by water.
She would lay in water while watching other puppies play at puppy group.
To embrace this I let her run through puddles, I let her roll in mud, she will even run up and slide through puddles in the grass if big enough.
By embracing this her frustration is kept to a minimum, and she ends up sleeping for the rest of the day.

What is your dog driven by?

01/05/2021

This is something I cover in lifeskill classes!

Sit is not important to learn, in fact my own dog's default position was down.

Raise your hand if the first thing you taught your dog was sit. 🙋🏽‍♀️

Yup. Guilty as charged.

Sit is easy.
It's quick.
It gives a little boost to your inner wannabe dog trainer ego.

"I taught my dog how to sit!"

Okay, great. But why?

When I ask people why they trained their dog to sit they either stumble a bit or say something like "I want my dog to pay attention to me"

Sit has become synonymous with focus or control, but what if I told you a dog could go their entire lives without being trained to sit and still have good manners.

We get our dogs to sit and they look at us, or we try to get them to look at us anyway!

It seems like we ask our dogs to sit before any and every activity like eating their food, going out the door or simply for them to earn a scrap of food.

Of course sit does have its uses. It can be a great alternative behavior which is incompatible with problematic behaviours like jumping up.

Sit can be a nice stationary position to work on duration cues like wait and stay, but you could also let the dog choose whatever position is comfortable for them and then work on increasing the duration.

I do teach a sit in my puppy foundation course, but I don't put a lot of weight into it. I try to get my clients to think outside the sit, asking themselves what is it that I really want my dog to do in this moment...

Does this require a sit?

Is my dog comfortable in this position?

Is my dog able to perform a sit in this environment?

Have I trained in this context?

Asking yourself if you need a sit and if there is an alternative instead can help take your training and your relationship from unconscious to engaged.

23/04/2021

This might be able to help you.
Trimming nails can be difficult enough, trimming black nails can be quite frustrating.
Having trouble with your dog cooperating? Sign up to our lifeskills class and we will help you with this and more!

30/03/2021

Focus on teamwork and you can work towards reaching your goals!

How are you a great teammate to your dog? ⭐

24/03/2021

We are back!
Bigger and better than ever.
Classes start soon, so get your dogs and pups ready, this is going to be an amazing journey!
From loose leash walking to ignoring food without being told on walks. We will cover it all.
Watch this space for updates!

14/07/2020

15/02/2020

🤔

14/02/2020

At Paws & Sniff the focus is on making many deposits during their time in my care.

What does your dog’s bank account look like?
Every interaction is either a deposit or withdrawal. It’s important to keep our dogs’ bank account stacked and prevent it from going into overdraft.
This family day weekend, start tracking your dog’s experiences and tell me if they’re in the green or in the red.

11/02/2020

Not exactly animal related, but applies all the same!

05/02/2020

Refer a friend and get a $5 bonus when they book 3 walks.
If you book 3 walks and refer a second friend receive an additional $10 credit!