Custom Companions dog training & behaviour therapy Geelong

10/08/2024

***Please note that this page is closed.

You can contact me through the Lara Dog Training page.

I still offer one-on-one home visits all over Geelong, Werribee and surrounding areas.

Cheers,
Deb 😊

Weekly dog obedience classes, teaching manners and social etiquette for a well behaved family pet.

06/09/2023

26/12/2022

Please take note

01/12/2022

Horrible stuff

16/08/2022

What's YOUR dog's favourite sleeping position? :-)

20/07/2022

Working dogs! 🤓

19/06/2022

Actually no, this isn't funny at all. Even though it might seem like "just a harmless little hamster" this poor dog is showing lots of fearful and stressed body language (wide eyes, avoiding eye contact with the hamster, ears pinned
back, lots of lip licking). When these signals are ignored dogs often resort to aggression in an attempt to make the "scary thing" move away. Please don't do stuff like this to your dog 😢

23/05/2022

13/03/2022

Ok, first glance, what do you see? Nawww how cute, right?

Let's look again, from the dog's point of view.

These dogs have not chosen this situation- it's been forced upon them.

The closer dog is trying to communicate its discomfort by using clear body language, not read or understood by the human/s involved.

"Whale eye" - when the whites of the eyes are are showing.

Yawning.

Lip licking.

Leaning away.

These are all signs that the dog is very uncomfortable, anxious and stressed by the proximity of the chicks.

And THEN what happens? One of the chicks bites the dog on the tongue! The dog was right to be anxious!

So sure, I may be a killjoy for those who want to view this as "cute," but please people, learn to speak a dog's language!

(The last photo would have been a split second when the dog blinked - not showing him falling asleep with the chicks.)

18/02/2022

Beautiful Tully, the 7yo Border Collie from today's in home session.

Very smart girl!

12/02/2022

Don't overdo puppy exercise - they're still forming.

This is something everyone should see.
When you get your 8/10 week old puppies, please keep this image in mind. Their bones do not even touch yet. They plod around so cutely with big floppy paws and wobbly movement because their joints are entirely made up of muscle, tendons, ligaments with skin covering. Nothing is fitting tightly together or has a true socket yet.
When you run them excessively or don't restrict their exercise to stop them from overdoing it during this period you don't give them a chance to grow properly. Every big jump or excited bouncing run causes impacts between the bones. In reasonable amounts this is not problematic and is the normal wear and tear that every animal will engage in.
But when you're letting puppy jump up and down off the lounge or bed, take them for long walks/hikes, you are damaging that forming joint. When you let the puppy scramble on tile with no traction you are damaging the joint.
You only get the chance to grow them once. A well built body is something that comes from excellent breeding and a great upbringing-BOTH, not just one.
Once grown you will have the rest of their life to spend playing and engaging in higher impact exercise. So keep it calm while they're still little baby puppies and give the gift that can only be given once.