The Dog Lady

The Dog Lady Professional accredited dog behaviour specialist with over 23 years experience. Servicing Orange NSW and surrounds. Force free accredited professional.

Puppy specialist. Fearful dogs. Specially built dog training facility Debi Coleman is a professional trainer working in Orange and surrounds in Central West NSW. Debi runs puppy classes as well as behavioural consultations, and training for Therapy Dogs, Assistance Dogs and School Support Dogs

Deb’s training is flexible and versatile and caters to the individual needs of every dog and family. Visit our website for more information
www.doglady.com.au

Congratulations to Gryffindor and Betty on passing their PAT renewals this week. Well done beautiful dogs! 👏👏👏
29/06/2025

Congratulations to Gryffindor and Betty on passing their PAT renewals this week. Well done beautiful dogs! 👏👏👏

I love this so much! Many dogs I work with have a history of pain. We really can’t start helping our dogs behaviourally ...
29/06/2025

I love this so much! Many dogs I work with have a history of pain. We really can’t start helping our dogs behaviourally until the pain is addressed…

Imagine living in discomfort every day without the ability to tell anyone. That’s the reality many dogs face. They may not cry out, limp, or yelp, but that doesn’t mean they’re not hurting. Because of how stoic dogs can be, the only clue we often get is a change in behaviour and that’s where so many people go wrong.

Behavioural issues like aggression, reactivity, withdrawal, or anxiety are assumed to be purely emotional or psychological. But what if it's pain?

This is your wake-up call.

A pain trial involves a veterinary professional prescribing pain relief for a set period to assess whether there is a behavioural or physical improvement. It's a diagnostic tool, not a final answer. If your dog has had a behavioural issue for a long time, the pain trial should last at least 6 to 8 weeks to give enough time to observe any meaningful changes

Critically, it’s often used when there are no overt signs of lameness or injury, but the dog’s BEHAVIOUR suggests possible pain, think sudden reluctance to be touched, changes in posture, agitation, growling, or even withdrawal. Dogs don’t dramatize. They cope.

Let’s be brutally honest. If you don’t do a pain trial and the dog is, in fact, in pain, you risk:

- Prolonged suffering: Dogs endure silently. Pain can cause constant distress that no behaviourist or training technique will resolve.

- Worsening behaviour: Pain-induced behaviours can become ingrained and more extreme, including biting or phobia-like shutdowns.

- Misdiagnosis: Your dog may be labelled “anxious,” “aggressive,” or “stubborn” when in reality, they’re simply hurting.

- Unnecessary euthanasia: Tragically, some dogs are put down because their behaviour was misattributed to temperament or training failure, when the true cause was untreated pain.

The most common objections: “I don’t want to medicate my dog unnecessarily” or “I can't see any pain”

Here’s the reality: A properly managed pain trial is safe. A short-term use of analgesics is extremely unlikely to cause harm. The risk of side effects is minimal compared to the risk of ongoing undetected pain.

The danger of a pain trial? Almost none.

What’s your dog’s favourite sleeping position?  Feel free to share photos 🤳📷
25/06/2025

What’s your dog’s favourite sleeping position? Feel free to share photos 🤳📷

Welcome to Aussie Shepherd puppy Zed! Zed lives with my business guru, Banika and her family. Photo taken on his first d...
24/06/2025

Welcome to Aussie Shepherd puppy Zed! Zed lives with my business guru, Banika and her family. Photo taken on his first day of puppy training. I must say he looks pretty happy with himself...🐾🥰

🐾 It was a black & tan kind of day at The Haven yesterday! We had adorable Doberman X puppy Nova and the charming Cocker...
23/06/2025

🐾 It was a black & tan kind of day at The Haven yesterday! We had adorable Doberman X puppy Nova and the charming Cocker Spaniel Norman in for a visit. 💛🖤

We focused on building confidence, creating strong recall foundations, and improving lead work. 🐕✨

We also shared some fun, easy enrichment ideas you can try at home — think muffin tins, cardboard boxes, snuffle mats, scatter feeds, and food smears! Great ways to channel your dog’s natural behaviours in a healthy, rewarding way. 🧠💡🐾

This is a great opportunity to try a fun new game with your dog and it is FREE!
22/06/2025

This is a great opportunity to try a fun new game with your dog and it is FREE!

Discover a powerful concept for BOOSTING your dog's body awareness, coordination and CONFIDENCE. So that he can learn new skills faster and feel empowered in challenging situations.

Smiles all round for Ginny and Frankie this weekend at their private training sessions. Dogs learn best when we take the...
22/06/2025

Smiles all round for Ginny and Frankie this weekend at their private training sessions. Dogs learn best when we take the pressure off our dogs and off ourselves. Training should be fun for everyone 🐾🐶

Last session of our Whistle and Woof recall course this weekend. We have all had loads of fun and learning together over...
22/06/2025

Last session of our Whistle and Woof recall course this weekend. We have all had loads of fun and learning together over the past 5 sessions. Congratulations Nova, Lucy and Lilly👏 You are all fabulous! 🐾

Some of the cute puppies in our classes today 🐾🐶
22/06/2025

Some of the cute puppies in our classes today 🐾🐶

Address

Shadforth Drive
Orange, NSW
2800

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61408955346

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The Dog Lady - Orange NSW

Debi Coleman is a professional trainer working in Orange and surrounds in Central West NSW. Debi teaches a variety of classes for all ages incorporating good manners , behavioural consultations, temperament assessments and therapy dog training. Deb’s training is flexible and versatile and caters to the individual needs of every dog and family.

Visit our website for more information www.doglady.com.au