Where You Lead Dog Behaviour and Training

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Melbourne, VIC
Where You Lead Dog Behaviour and Training

WYL is a dog behavioural and training service specialising in fearful behaviour and aggression.
(22)

Our trainer is NDTF certified and experienced with dogs of all shapes, sizes and temperaments.

29/10/2024

Say hi to Paddy - an adorable Beagle in his second session. Our first session was cut short due to bad weather but Paddy had been working hard with his mum to learn how to behave.

Paddy's main issue is loving too much. Jumping on every person and dog he sees, plus walking all over the place following his nose! His owner is a little older so sudden movements can send her head over heels.

We worked on a number of things with Paddy, but the main one was a good walk with 'swap' as a command to go to the other side when things might be more interesting. His owner is keen for him to follow his nose, just not to the point of tripping her up!

We also worked on some free shaping with Paddy and his mum so they have something to keep his clever mind occupied when she might be less able to head out for big walks! As you can see our session sure tired this cute pooch out!

23/10/2024

The most impactful training is often the most boring to watch. This is why great training makes dull TV.

At a glance there doesn't seem to be anything exciting in these photos does there? This is Rollo. He's a beautiful but quite high strung Ridgeback. The first day we started working on his relaxation he took six hours (not joking!) to even drop beside me. He would occasionally sit but generally was standing, moving around and fretting.

Today he lay down as soon as we started our exercise. This is not a commanded exercise, it is all about the dog and learing to relax themself.

In the second photo you can see Rollo in a recent home visit choosing to chill out near the front door - no leash, all of his own accord. Previously he would have either paced, remained standing or at best chosen to lay down on his extremely comfortable bed. Any movement would have had him running around to see what was going on. On this day he settled down multiple times and stayed relaxed while his owners and I moved.

So how does this apply practically? It assists in almost everything in Rollo's life. A calmer mindset will help him feel more settled in the house, on the leash, seeing other dogs and sleeping better.

It may not look exciting - but it is!

11/10/2024

Leia is absolutely gorgeous! It's not a question - just look at her! She is a rescue pup from GSRV and her owners contacted me a little while ago because, as with many rescue pups, she was a bit nervous in her home environment.

They are incredibly dedicated and Leia is utterly gorgeous, repaying them with lots of love! We have been shoring up her obedience, especially with her trust in her humans and working around other dogs while teaching her that she can trust her people to take care of her outside of the home, as well as in!

27/09/2024

This ten month old cutie is Aldo! Aldo's owners got in touch because their very beloved puppy was displaying some naughty behaviours like barking at them for attention, jumping and counter surfing and they wanted to be sure they were reacting appropriately to stop these behaviours.

They also wanted to learn about how to make sure Aldo stays as happy and awesome as he is now. Aldo LOVED training and kept coming back for more even when he was exhausted.

Can you pick Aldo's breed? You've seen them on this page before! For bonus points - do you know what he was bred to do?!

Have a great long weekend!

21/09/2024

One of the most common mistakes people make with their dogs is not proofing their recall.

What does proofing mean? It means taking them to multiple locations and working on their recall under different circumstances. A dog may be brilliant coming back to you at home or at the local oval, but taking them off-leash to a brand new location without proofing can be a recipe for disaster. Distractions are higher and your value might drop.

Atlas has been working hard on his recall during his board and train but to proof it we headed out to his favourite off-leash area where he has previously frolicked and ignored his recall with abandon!

The key here is the long line. IF Atlas chose not to come back or got too distracted to listen, there is still control and the ability to make him come back, as well as ensuring his and others' safety!

Happily, Atlas has been learning to love recalling so we never had to use the long line. There is still more proofing to be done though, so it will not be removed just yet!

An extra month on a long line can do wonders for ensuring your dog has lifelong recall!

18/09/2024

A great follow up session with Neville and Ron yesterday working on Neville's reactivity and teaching both boys some brain work to help with their natural instincts. Once it became clear to Neville that barking wasn't getting him space from other dogs, he started looking to his owner and trusting him to get him the space he needs while he learns dogs and people aren't scary!

14/09/2024

Do you want to continue your dog’s obedience training but are worried it’s getting boring? Does your dog need some additional mental stimulation throughout the week? Are you hoping to do something with your dog to strengthen your bond?

We have the classes for you!

After our pilot classes last term we are excited to be opening our group classes up to new clients. We aim to put ‘fun’ back into working fundamentals with your dog by mixing up obedience with games, enrichment activities and trick training in a small group setting of no more than six dogs. It’s great for confidence building as well as keeping your dog’s mind sharp.

Did you know that, like humans, dogs experience cognitive decline as they get older if they don’t keep working their brain? A number of studies have suggested that lifelong training has a positive effect on sustained and selective attention in older dogs. This kind of enrichment and trick training is a great way to help your dog stay mentally young longer! Just ask Toby – a 12 year young Kelpie who attended our last training sessions.

If you are interested in taking part in our new classes starting late September, please reach out via Facebook for more information!

12/09/2024

Happy Birthday to my 2IC! If you've got a reactive dog or a puppy you've probably met Maggie while she's helped us teach your dog appropriate manners.

11 years old today! A visit to Collingwood Children's Farm to enjoy all the smells, then to the Doghouse cafe for a puppacino, turkey and birthday cookie!

02/09/2024

Say hi to Atlas! Atlas is our first board and train in our new, permanent home. With a better space to train we will be endeavouring to post more video snippets of training for you to see.

Atlas is with us because he doesn't currently have an 'off' switch which manifests in demand barking, as well as working on some resource guarding of furniture and to shore up some obedience to help make life with a baby in the house easier for everyone involved. Atlas and his owners will both be learning better forms of play to work his brain and body.

As part of our board and trains, Atlas' owners will be coming out to be an active part of his training each week.

26/08/2024

Happy International Dog Day! To celebrate we thought it was about time to introduce you to the newest member of our pack. Tim Tam the Border Collie!

You might remember Tim Tam from his board and train with us several years ago. Due to unfortunate circumstances his owner was unable to keep him and - well the rest is history! Tim has settled into his new life with us well and has started training to become part of the team helping with your pups, as well as being an all round good boy!

20/06/2024

Tip #5 to help your small dog develop into a well-adjusted pup:
Set expectations for their behaviour and training. Dogs of all sizes benefit from structure and boundaries. Size doesn’t determine intelligence in dogs and some of the smartest dogs I’ve ever met I could fit in a pocket!

Imagine spending every day being cuddled and fed and walking similar routes. It sounds fun to start with, but eventually you would start to feel restless and frustrated. Brains need challenges and stimulation!

Don’t underestimate your dog. Though they be little, they be fierce!

Pictured is smiling Samson - a gorgeous little boy who will be doing a lot more mental work to help him develop his own confidence. We also worked on Samson's gate dashing habits which saw him taking off whenever the opportunity arose to explore the neighbourhood!

17/06/2024

Due to a wonderful amount of interest we will now be running two classes - one on Sunday at 10am and another on Thursday evening at 6.30 in Bayswater. There are still a few spots available so reach out if you are interested or would like more information.

And a throwback photo for you - my childhood dog, Lucky!

12/06/2024

We are very excited to be trialling a group class aimed at mental enrichment and stimulation for your dogs rather than just obedience.

The class is open to all dogs including those with behavioural issues like reactivity! It will have a maximum of six dogs to allow you and your pup to work on training while having some fun. Our venue is indoors and heated with an option for outside work, weather permitting.

At this stage the classes are only open to existing clients. If there is enough interest this may change in future so if you are not yet training with us, please let us know if this is something you would like to see happen.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, send us a message!

Photo of my current foster puppy Basil just because he’s adorable.

03/06/2024

Belle by name, boofhead by nature.

Belle's owners reached out after becoming concerned that she was having spats with other dogs and her leash pulling was out of control. They had tried every training tool they could to help and Belle happily pulled and choked her way through on all of them.

In our session it quickly became apparent that rather than having an aggressive tendency, Belle is simply too excited about life and channelling her energy inappropriately. Her humans, her walks, other dogs - they are all the BEST. Overstimulation was turning into arguments with other dogs.

Within ten minutes of having Belle outside, this beautiful girl was giving her owner's shoulder a break and walking with them rather than walking them. Addressing some areas in the house to give Belle other things to channel her energy into, as well as working on her social manners, means we're going to see some great changes in this lovely girl!

17/05/2024

Tip # 4 to help your small dog develop into a well-adjusted pup:

Learn about your dog’s breed.

When you ask someone what Border Collies were bred for, they will tell you they were bred to herd sheep. Most people also know that a Pointer’s job was to help a hunter. There is a lot less awareness around small dog breeds and the reason they were initially bred. Many small dogs are lumped into a general ‘lapdog’ category even though they don’t actually belong there. Thinking your dog was bred only for cuddles on the couch can mean you miss signs they give you through their behaviour that they are not being genetically fulfilled.

What does genetic fulfilment mean? It means the instincts which have been bred into the dog (such as herding, nipping and digging) are given a healthy outlet. The sport of Treibball, for instance, was created to give herding breeds a great outlet to practice their skills without the need to add a flock of sheep to your household!

If your dog is not given a way to practise those behaviours in a healthy way, it can result in nuisance behaviours such as destructive chewing, barking, and or aggression towards their owner or other dogs.

Learn what your dog was bred to do – then let’s find a fun way to help them do it!

Pictured: A trio of trouble (if they are bored). Did you know Dachshunds were originally bred to hunt and tunnel into burrows?

11/05/2024

Tip #3 to help your small dog develop into a well-adjusted pup

Listen to your dog. This is another area where smaller dogs are often overlooked because they are quieter or easier to shush than large dogs. You really notice when a large dog starts barking, but there seems to be an understanding that ‘small dogs yap’.
This shouldn’t be true though. Regardless of size, if your dog is barking they are telling you something. Maybe they are bored, scared, territorial, frustrated or attention seeking.

Barking is communication and it is important not to ignore it! Once we start listening, we can start helping our dog to work through whatever they are trying to tell you.

Lulu used to cause concern in her household by barking all the time - at the door, at her owner, at visitors. When we started getting her to use her very clever brain, all of that settled down! Lulu was trying to communicate boredom and once we listened, a whole new, happier pup emerged.

05/05/2024

Tip # 2 to help your small dog develop into a well-adjusted pup:

Have your small dog interact with dogs of all sizes but only when you know the temperament of the other dog. You want calm dogs who have experience with small dogs. Scout the Border collie was an excellent example of a larger dog who does well with a small dog. She got down to the ground repeatedly to let Penelope say hello. They also showed signs of good play such as taking turns being ‘on top’ and taking breaks while interacting. Penelope was also allowed to walk away without Scout following her which allowed her to learn that she also has control in this scenario in deciding when to play and when to stop.

Remember: Even once your dog is comfortable with dogs of all sizes, always watch your small dog with a large dog. There is a disparity in power and accidents can happen. But don’t live in fear that it will. Caution – not alarm! Your dog will be happier for it.

02/05/2024

Tip #1 to help your small dog develop into a well-adjusted pup

Don’t pick them up when they meet other dogs.

The size difference can seem intimidating but picking them up can actually cause problems. It encourages the other dog to jump up to greet your dog and also takes away your dog’s autonomy to move around. By restricting your small dog’s ability to choose when to approach or leave a situation you prevent them from learning how to appropriately signal other dogs. While you may feel like you are protecting them, it could actually cause your dog to feel trapped and uncomfortable which will build a nervous and helpless mindset in your pup.

Pictured: Penelope the Dachshund bravely climbing over my training bag in our session and building self confidence!

Address

Melbourne, VIC
3152

Website

http://www.whereyoulead.com.au/

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Videos

One of the most common mistakes people make with their dogs is not proofing their recall. What does proofing mean? It means taking them to multiple locations and working on their recall under different circumstances. A dog may be brilliant coming back to you at home or at the local oval, but taking them off-leash to a brand new location without proofing can be a recipe for disaster. Distractions are higher and your value might drop. Atlas has been working hard on his recall during his board and train but to proof it we headed out to his favourite off-leash area where he has previously frolicked and ignored his recall with abandon! The key here is the long line. IF Atlas chose not to come back or got too distracted to listen, there is still control and the ability to make him come back, as well as ensuring his and others' safety! Happily, Atlas has been learning to love recalling so we never had to use the long line. There is still more proofing to be done though, so it will not be removed just yet! An extra month on a long line can do wonders for ensuring your dog has lifelong recall!

Chester

Food Enrichment

Joey Begs

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Our Story

Where You Lead is a dog behaviour and training service, specialising in fearful behaviour and fear aggression in dogs. We are also able to offer help for a full range of behavioural and obedience issues! We don’t believe in the word ‘untrainable’ and if we can’t help you, we will find someone who can. Our trainer is NDTF certified and a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals.