Snuffle Mats, Snuffle Balls and other enrichment toys for dogs. Referrals to force-free trainers.
I sell dog walking harnesses, snuffle mats, snuffle balls, tug toys and bandanas. The list of products and ordering information is on my website: http://dogtrainingnewcastle.com.au/products.html
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Looking for a puppy or dog training class or one-on-on training? I have a list of highly qualified and experienced trainers on my website: http://www.dogtrainingnewcastle.com.au/re
fer.html
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-> My Qualifications and Professional Affiliations
09/04/2025
🐣 Be careful to keep all Easter chocolate away from your precious canine family member. You can give them a treat of healthy, top quality food instead. Lyka is cooked fresh daily, snap-frozen and delivered to your door for maximum convenience
You can get 50% off your first Lyka delivery by using the link in the comments.
Lyka Pet Food: for puppers living their best life. We deliver fresh, homemade dog food straight from our Australian kitchen to your door.
02/04/2025
The dogs were definitely the stars of this music video 🩷
31/03/2025
What a pity that one-third of the most popular breeds in Australia have potential health and welfare problems caused by breeding for looks not health. In particularly, the 2nd most popular, the French Bulldog, and the 6th most popular, Dachshunds.
It’s no wonder so many of these expensive breeds are being surrendered to rescue groups and pounds when owners can’t cope with the dog’s needs.
It’s simple, if the dog’s body is extreme in any way* then it’s more likely to restrictions on their health and ability to live a full life.
*Just a few examples: short legs (Dachshund, Corgi), short muzzle (bulldogs), extremely large (Great Danes), extremely small (Chihuahuas), flat head (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel), collapsed legs (German Shepherd).
Australia's Most Popular Dog Breeds in 2025: A State-by-State Look . Australia's Award Winning Pet Insurance. We care about your pets' health and well-being - Pet Insurance Australia
27/03/2025
On May 19th, the law in NSW changed to try make it easier for people to keep pets in rental properties. The law has too many loopholes, but it’s a positive step
A renter will be able to apply to keep a pet, but the landlord will able to decline for certain reasons:
* There would be too many animals at the property.
* The property is unsuitable for the animal because of the fencing, or lack of open space, or because it would harm the animal’s welfare.
* The animal is likely to cause more damage than the bond could repair.
* The landlord lives at the property.
* The animal would break other laws, local council rules, strata or community scheme by-laws, or a residential community rule.
* The renter did not agree to a reasonable condition for keeping the animal.
There will be limits on the kinds of conditions a landlord may ask for. For example, a landlord will not be able to ask a renter to increase the bond or the rent as a condition for allowing the pet.
👉 It is also important to note that strata by-laws that ban all pets are not valid, and cannot be used to refuse a pet.
Link to details in comments.
10/03/2025
It’s really important not to attach a lead to a dog’s collar because doing so can cause injury and also increase reactivity. I always recommend using a properly fitted harness instead for walking.
Of course you should also teach your dog to walk on lead without pulling, but even the best trained dog may get a sudden fright and pull or you may have to stop your dog from running forward in an emergency.
When you are beginning training, it can be beneficial to attach the lead to the front of the harness rather than the back. The Rogz Control harness is a good choice because it doesn’t impede front leg movement and it has a breastplate to distribute any pressure from pulling.
09/03/2025
If you live in NSW and have a dog or cat over 6 months old they need to be registered. Registration is different from microchipping.
You can check that your dog or cat is registered by entering their microchip number on the NSW Pet Registry Buyers Search.
Check that the "Registration Paid" row is YES. If it's "NO", then contact your local council to register your pet. There's no charge if you adopted your pet from a recognised agency or rescue group.
You can also check that your pet's desexing status is correct. If your pet is desexed but their registration says they're not, then you can contact the vet who did the surgery to ask them to update the status or you can take your pet's Desexing Certificate to council and they will update it for you.
I always recommend a mobile groomer, rather than a salon, for many reasons:
* Your dog doesn't have to spend any time in a cage before or after grooming.
* Your dog doesn't have to be around other dogs in a salon.
* No cage drying (dog is left in a cage with a blower pointed at them).
* They come directly to your house and you can watch the whole process. No dogs hidden in back rooms. I wouldn't drop a child off to some shop and leave them all day without seeing what's going on.
When using a new groomer for the first time, I always stay with my dog and watch how they handle my dog. If they are not being kind and gentle, or if I have any concerns at all about how my dog is treated, then I stop them right away, pay them for their time, and never use them again.
If a groomer who won't let you watch the whole process then don't use them. Accept no excuses.
Good groomers are popular and book out weeks in advance. I recommend booking a regular, recurring appointment, every 4, 6 or 8 weeks, depending on your dog's needs, so that you won't have to wait with a matted dog because you can't get an appointment for weeks.
If your dog's nails are long then get their nails clipped every 4 weeks until they are back to a healthy length. Most groomers allow walk-ins (no appointment) and charge a small fee for nail clipping.
To find a mobile groomer, ask your neighbours if they use a mobile groomer. You might be able book in on the same days.
23/02/2025
Some dogs are reluctant to use a dog door because the plastic flap can smack them on the bum as they go through. To help your dog, I recommend tying the plastic flap up and out of the way until your dog is in the habit of going in and out. To keep insects out, you can tie a piece of fly screen over the dog door. Most dogs will happily push through the fly screen.
After several weeks or months when your dog is in the habit of using the dog door, you can try lowering the plastic flap. You can use treats to encourage them in and out.
Note the bell next to my door. My dogs used to ring it to ask to go out when the dog door wasn’t available.
11/02/2025
🐸 Dog and cat owners in Edgeworth and surrounding areas be alert: cane toads have been found in the area. A dog or cat can die from eating or biting a cane toad, so please watch out.
06/02/2025
🐶 Now that I’m retired from paid work, I do volunteer work with Dog Rescue Newcastle. Milo is a fabulous little dog that is more than ready to find his forever home. Can you please help me and Milo by sharing his profile? 🙏
His forever family are out there somewhere. They just need to find him.
Milo is an adorable, 1.5 year old Jack Russell Terrier x Poodle. He has a terrier personality with a non-shedding coat. He is a fun-loving little man that is passionate about playing fetch. He...
04/02/2025
Free microchipping for pets of Maitland residents this Sunday the 9th. All dogs and cats need to be chipped when they are sold or given away or no later than 6 month old.
Microchipping is only the first step. You will then need to lifetime register your dog or cat before they’re 6 months old.
FREE MICROCHIPPING | Drop into Maitland Animal Management Facility from 10am to 2pm this Sunday to get your dog or cat microchipped for free or to update their microchip details 🐱🐶
📆 No bookings necessary
🏠 Maitland LGA residents only (proof of residency required)
🐾 Dogs and cats only
For more information, visit mait.city/PetRegistration
30/01/2025
Rally-O is a fun dog sport for all breeds and ages. Dog and handler move from cone to cone. A “trick” is written on cone for the dog to perform. It’s a great way to bond with your dog and give them mental and physical stimulation.
Contact your local dog club or trainer for information about how you and your best friend can participate.
28/01/2025
If you have a new puppy or dog, or even if you don't, these free guides are worth downloading. They'll give you modern, up to date information about how to take care of and train your canine friend.
Download our FREE guide to adopting a rescue dog. All you need to know about caring for, settling and integrating your new rescue dog into your home.
25/01/2025
👃🥓Nose Work classes starting up soon in Adamstown. This is such a fun class for dogs and their people. It’s suitable for dogs of all ages, breeds and abilities.
Nose Work is the only class suitable for dogs that don’t like to be near other dogs because the dogs never see each other. Each dog takes a turn going into the building to have fun searching. This is repeated multiple times per class, with a different challenge each time.
Once you and your dog learn how to do Nose Work you can easily do it at home. You might love it so much that you go on to learn advanced skills and go into competitions!🏆
We have some exciting news!
After a 5-year break, Nose Work classes are back!
I’m so excited to relaunch these amazing Nose Work classes for pet dogs that provide mental stimulation, build confidence, and strengthen the bond between you and your dog.
What are Nose Work Classes?
Nose Work is a fun and engaging activity for pet dogs that taps into their natural sniffing instincts!
Inspired by professional scent detection work (like that done by police and working dogs), Nose Work involves teaching pet dogs to search for specific odours in various environments.
It’s an activity that’s mentally stimulating, physically low-impact, and suitable for dogs of all ages, breeds, and sizes. These classes are suitable for reactive dogs as well.
Whether it’s searching for scents in boxes, around a room, or even outdoors, Nose Work is all about letting your dog’s incredible sense of smell shine!
🧨 There will be lots of fireworks this weekend. You can check your local council’s website or socials for times and locations.
Please keep your pets safe! Every time there are fireworks, volunteers are worked off their feet trying to help lost dogs and cats. Many pets will never make it home. 😵☠️
It’s very simple:
🎇 keep your pets inside.
If you won’t do that then at least:
🎇 make sure your fences and gets are extra secure.
🎇 put collars WITH ID TAGS on your dogs and cats!
Remember, the kind person who finds your lost pet CANNOT READ THEIR MICROCHIP! So ID tags with your correct phone number and address are essential.
19/01/2025
Turn any box into a dog toy by putting some dog treats in it and giving it to your dog to tear up to get the treats. You can put boxes inside boxes and include some scrunched up newspaper too.
17/01/2025
I think most dog guardians know not to feed COOKED bones to dogs. The reason is that cooking dries bones out so that, when eaten, they can splinter into dangerous shards which can puncture a dog’s intestines.
So why are these DRIED bones available in supermarkets and pet stores??? They’re dangerous!
Also be careful to only buy Australian and NZ made pet food and treats made from Australian and NZ ingredients. Pet food and treats from Asia and America are usually irradiated, plus their pet food production standards are very low.
Dried animal ears, tendons and other non-bone parts are fine for dogs to chew. Rawhide is full of chemicals and is a choking hazard so leave it on the shelf.
15/01/2025
FREE BOOKS: I'm giving away these dog related books.
Expand your knowledge 🙂
Update: all taken except there's one Puppy Manual left.
Pick up from Redhead or Warners Bay. You can take one or more. (photos of the front then the back of each book).
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Videos
Give your dog garbage
Turn any box into a dog toy by putting some dog treats in it and giving it to your dog to tear up to get the treats. You can put boxes inside boxes and include some scrunched up newspaper too. #doglover #dogenrichment
🦎🐦⬛ My dogs love their Lyka and so do the local skinks and birds. I feed them a bit of Lyka because it’s healthier for them than just meat because it contains calcium and other essential nutrients.
You can get 50% off your first Lyka order by using this link https://lyka.com.au/join/DOGTRAININGNEW
Lots of dog trainers post before and after videos of their work, but what I want to see is _HOW_ something was achieved!
If you're like me and care about your dog's welfare and your relationship with your dog, you want training to be done without using pain, force, physical manipulation or intimidation. It takes no skill to force and scare a dog into submission but it takes real skill to teach in a way that the dog enjoys learning and is your willing partner.
In this video a class participant is using food to lure his dog to do the desired trick and then gives the food as a reward. Notice his dog's happy participation.😀 The food reward is motivation to do the trick again the next time you signal. Once the dog understands what you're asking, you can fade away the food lure.
Next time you watch a dog training video look at the dog's body language. Are they having fun or do they look like they'd rather be anywhere else.
How to hold a long lead
How to use a long dog lead so it doesn't get twisted and tangled.
I love using a long lead (5 to 10 meters) to give a dog freedom to run around with running off.
I also use long leads to teach a dog to Stay and Come. For safety, never attach a long lead to your dog's collar, only to a harness.
BARKING TIP: One of my dogs tends bark at every little noise from outside in the mornings. So this is when I give him half of his breakfast in a Kong Classic dog toy or other food dispensing toy. So instead of gobbling his breakfast in 20 seconds, the toy gives him some breakfast and mental and physical challenge at the same time.
A wise dog trainer once recommended dividing your dog’s daily food into three portions:
1/3 in his bowl (2 meals),
1/3 as reinforcement during training,
1/3 in food dispensing toys and puzzles.
TOY TIPS: When you introduce a new food toy or puzzle, make it super it easy at first then only gradually raise the challenge level.
Have a small collection of food toys and puzzles and vary which ones you give your dog. The variety is necessary so that the toys remain fun rather than frustrating.
* The white dog is using a Kong Wobbler toy.
Small group classes, in-home Puppy Pre-school, Walk and Train, Day Training, Private Lessons, Behavioural Consultations in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, NSW. Prices on my website www.dogtrainingnewcastle.com.au
*** SMALL GROUP CLASSES ***
Level 1: Foundation Program = essential manners for all dogs.
Level 2: Intermediate Program = make the basics stronger and learn new skills.
There are 6 x 1 hour lessons taught over 6 weeks on Saturday mornings.
Location: Kotara South Public School, under cover (protected from sun and rain) and private (no other dogs).
Class size is limited to 5 dogs. Dogs need to be 6 months or older (no upper age limit) and fully vaccinated.
There are no group classes from December through February but I offer private lessons year round (see below).
*** PUPPY PACKAGE ***
Puppy Preschool comes to you. Private lessons, in your home, scheduled at your convenience. Instead of going to a group class, we bring the training to you. Four private lessons conducted in your home you'll learn the same things as puppy preschool. Available for puppies from 6 weeks up to 6 months old. If your puppy is 6 months or older please consider our classes or private lessons.
*** PRIVATE LESSONS ***
There are many reasons why private lessons or behavioural consultations would be suitable for you and your dog:
* Your dog has problem behaviours that you need help with (fear or anxiety; barking; unsuitable reactions to other dogs, people or objects; resource guarding; defending food or toys; etc).
* Your dog is not comfortable near other dogs.
* You have specific skills that you want to teach your dog that aren't covered in class.
* Private lessons are a more efficient use of your time because you and your dog get individual attention and can learn more in a shorter period of time.
* Your schedule doesn't allow you to attend classes.
* You appreciate the convenience of lessons at home instead of driving to classes.
* There are no suitable classes near you.
* Group classes aren't available during the summer.
All lessons are one hour. Unlike group lessons, I focus on your specific requirements. I'll give you printed handouts covering the topics which we cover in the lesson. I can book you in for a private lesson on any day of the week between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
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Rescue Dog Discount
Save $25 off your first private lesson or class if you adopted your dog from Dog Rescue Newcastle.
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-> Qualifications and Professional Affiliations
Snuffle Mats, Snuffle Balls and other enrichment toys for dogs. Referrals to force-free trainers.
