Hello Pup

06/11/2024

Come join us with Thrive Canine at the fear-free Melbourne Dog Clinic in Camberwell!

Only three days until our very first Puppy School class, run by the amazing team at Thrive Canine, commences.

Aaaaaaaaand while stocks last our Puppy School pack, given to all our new puppy school students, has increased in value to well over $100. Woohoo!

We still have a couple of spaces left for this Saturday’s class so contact us now for a last minute enrolment and to get your hands on one of our exxy Puppy Packs.

For our currently enrolled Pups, we can’t wait to meet you on Saturday. 🐾

01/11/2024

Peach just wants all the skelly-tons to know she can do tricks AND have treats 🐾🎃☠️🕸️👻

27/10/2024

So thrilled to see this progress for Bryan and his family!

09/10/2024

What do you think of Coco's whiskers? She grew them herself ✨🌱🌞

23/09/2024

So excited to be a part of this partnership through my work with Thrive Canine 🙌

Melbourne Dog Clinic is SUPER EXCITED to introduce the first of three partnerships.

We PROUDLY present Thrive Canine.

The amazing team at Thrive Canine will begin running Puppy School on Saturdays AND Mondays starting 9th November and 11th November respectively at the Melbourne Dog Clinic premises. An introductory online class is to be completed the week leading up to your first in-person class.

Classes run for 5 weeks; 1 pre-online class plus 4 in-person classes. A few examples of key skills you will learn are: how to train for loose leash walking; preventing common behavioural issues such as reactivity and resource guarding; all the common cues such as sit, come, stay.

Most importantly, Thrive Canine are Force Free (positive reinforcement) trainers. Their training methods are humane and prioritise your puppy’s well-being and your relationship with them.

All puppies who enrol get a gift bag valued over $80!!

For more information and to inquire about Puppy School please visit the Puppy School page on our website. 🐶🐾

07/09/2024

Chilli would like everyone to know that camera angles are deceptive and he is actually definitely just as tall as Bowie the standard groodle 😉

11/08/2024

We can't resist these little faces - and they know it! This weekend, we were delighted to see puppy school graduate/all-round-superstar Mabel the dachsie again, as well as her two dachshund sisters, Shelby and (new addition) Alice.

A house move and change in doggy family members can be a lot for some dogs to adjust to, so we went through management to make sure they're all getting the space they need, a training protocol to help with some boisterous barking, and tips for teaching older dog Alice (5 years) new tricks. Alice is a super sweet snuggle bug who loooves her food! She is so lucky to have joined this wonderful family 🐾 .of.hounds
Private consults via .au

12/07/2024

19/05/2024

On playing fetch!

This dog is not relaxed 😅

I’m loving working with Scout, an adolescent kelpie who has been growling at her 13yo big sister randomly and at breakfast time, and also is a bit *too* focussed on playing fetch to learn anything else when outside. In this photo she is focussing on something other than a ball though - any guesses what?

When we play fetch with dogs the reward is coming from -over there- and not from us, leading to dogs that stay away from us, are getting too amped for the next throw to listen, and potentially becoming over aroused which can lead to redirected aggression, hu***ng, destruction, jumping up on people, or uncontrolled mouthing.

I don’t want to be a party pooper and forbid fetch, so please please please include training into your fetch games. This can look
like asking for the dog to sit, drop, paw, roll over or any other skill they know. This brings your dog back into their "thinking brain" and manages their arousal levels. Finish your fetch session with a chew or a sniffy treat scatter to help your dog switch off from the game.

Have you worked out what Scout is focussed on yet? Check the comments for a video of the answer 😜

18/04/2024

Trial by social media... again!

Today's target is The Muzzle Movement who are a fabulous collection of people who are totally dedicated to helping dogs live happier lives.

So why are they under attack?

Well, because they removed an affiliate from their programme because she uses and promotes aversives (which goes against their affiliate terms).

They didn't shame her. They didn't publicly bash her. They simply enforced the terms of their affiliate programme.

But since last night, they've been under attack on TikTok with said woman and her p*ers posting content that paints The Muzzle Movement to be a self serving, money grabbing company that couldn't care less about dogs.

TOTAL. UTTER. 💩.

The Muzzle Movement team is made up of a collection force free dog trainers and behaviourists that have dedicated decades of their lives to working in rescue.

They donate a huge amount to rescues and reinvest heavily in their business to help more dogs live comfortably in muzzles that fit properly.

They're also mammoth advocates for dog welfare and incredible educators that create a breadth of content to support dog owners.

Moneygrabbers? Nah.

It they were, they would have let that very profitable affiliate stay and quietly slip under the radar.

But since that profitable affiliate chooses to slip prongs and slip leads round dog's necks - The Muzzle Movement says no to any money that's funnelled through their marketing.

Please support The Muzzle Movement in any way you can - through sending good vibes, sharing their content or commenting on their posts in support.

Aversives aren't just harmful for dogs.

And as a compassionate community, I know how much your support in whatever form would mean to Clara and her team today.

12/03/2024

Enrichment is so important for ensuring our pets have maximised welfare in their home environment.
It lets them perform natural behaviours that are good for their brains - like zoo animals, our pets do better with enriched environments and lives!

TRAINING TUESDAY
What's something new you can do with your dog this week?

08/03/2024

29/02/2024

Our faithful fluffy companions use body language to communicate... and although humans can learn to understand some of what they are saying, most of us miss the point more often than we realise! 1. Relaxed dogs are floppy dogs! Relaxed dogs have loose muscle tone, bouncy movements, and often open mo...

04/10/2023

A very emotionally draining day today for … court was stood down after the accused’s lawyer was late. When it was reheard there was not enough time due to the serious allegations of the case and the severity of the punishment to be considered.

We will be returning to court November 16th for what will hopefully be a final decision on the case and will provide full details after this date. We learnt many upsetting facts today and we hope that justice will be served to the full extent at the next court hearing.

With love,
Chloe, Mica and Jem

14/09/2023

"The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists has a position letter about training methodology promoted by current popular trainers."
https://www.dacvb.org/page/sep2023statement

29/08/2023

Great tip to help stop excited puppy puddles!

23/08/2023

Shall we debunk this one straight away? 👇

No dog needs a firm hand. ❌

Especially a dog that is already struggling to cope with their environment.

The misconception that aggressive dogs need aggressive trainers is the most dangerous parallel, suppressing behaviour creates a ticking time bomb. 💣 A dog unable to effectively communicate will eventually find another way that works, and you're probably not going to like the alternative that is successful.

Aggressive dogs need compassionate, ethical, humane trainers more than ever. 💕

Share this if you agree! 👌

16/08/2023

Just happy little Chilli doing what he loves 🌶️🐾💨