Best Paw Forward Dog Training

Best Paw Forward Dog Training Dog training and behaviour modification in the Greater Springfield and Ipswich region. We offer one

We are so passionate about feeding our dogs the best diets possible, not only for their physical health, but their menta...
14/01/2025

We are so passionate about feeding our dogs the best diets possible, not only for their physical health, but their mental wellbeing too.

Dogs that are fed ultra-processed diets (like kibble and most canned foods) often aren't thriving even if they are surviving.

Before I get into why we feed Lyka to our furry family, a quick mention. I absolutely understand that household budgets vary and although I would love to encourage everyone to feed the best food that they can afford, fed is best. As long as your dogs diet is nutritionally balanced (meat, rice/pasta and veggies is NOT a complete and balanced diet), even if the only food that fits in the budget is what is on sale at the supermarket, to me that is a better option then contributing to the huge amount of dogs looking for homes at the pound.

So why do we feed Lyka?

There are a bunch of factors that go into why we choose to feed our dogs what we do, but some of things the most important to me are:
- Lyka is a protein based diet that is not bulked up with carbs that can negatively impact a dogs health and behaviour.
- Lyka is made with human grade ingredients and not diseased meat that is unfit for human consumption like many major pet food companies use.
- My dogs LOVE it.
- Lyka works well in slow feeders and enrichment toys
- It is super quick and easy to feed. If I don't have any thawed in the fridge, the pouches of food defrost quickly in a sink of hot water.
- My dogs often don't drink enough on high activity days, so it is easy for me to mix some water in with their Lyka to improve their hydration and not strain their kidneys.

We have been feeding Lyka to our crew for years now and are super thankful that the team has given us a discount code that we are allowed to share with our clients and followers. If you copy and paste this into your URL: lyka.com.au/join/BESTPAW , when you get to the checkout you will get 50% off your first order.

You can also cancel after the first delivery if you just want something different to use in enrichment toys or lick mats without changing your dogs diet. Any amount of fresh food that you add to your dogs meals will be beneficial for their wellbeing.

I recommend starting to teach your puppy how to appropriately interact with other pets in your household the day you bri...
13/01/2025

I recommend starting to teach your puppy how to appropriately interact with other pets in your household the day you bring them home.

This is a topic that I feel very strongly about because I have had dogs and cats simultaneously my entire life.

I am a hard core animal lover and I want all of my pets to feel comfortable in my home. For me this means that one of my foundational household rules is that our dogs aren't allowed to chase or harass our cats. I don't think it is far for cats to have to run, hide or jump out of reach because of dogs lacking boundaries and impulse control. I want them all to be able to co-exist peacefully.

Because I have taken this approach with each of our dogs as we got them as puppies, my cats have all been super dog friendly and confident. Some of that would be genetics but I think that my cats not needing to be worried about their safety also plays a role.

If you have a puppy or dog who isn't being polite with other pets in your home, feel free to reach out for advice. This is a topic that we can easily help with an online consult which is more affordable then an in person private consult.

You can contact us at [email protected] or on 0452 193 375

Crate training is a skill that I think should be essential for every puppy and dog to learn.Even if you don't choose to ...
12/01/2025

Crate training is a skill that I think should be essential for every puppy and dog to learn.

Even if you don't choose to utilize a crate every single day, we can never rule out the possibility of our pets becoming injured or unwell and being needed to kept quiet and contained so that they can make a full recovery.

This is a photo of Havoc in his crate right now while I am in my office creating this social media post! He is clearly very comfortable being in his crate haha.

When do I use crates with my own dogs?
- After they have eaten they are often crated for an hour to prevent them from running around and reduce the likelihood of them getting bloat (a life threatening condition)
- When we have guest dogs staying with us that may not be dog social
- If they have done a lot of exercise already and need some chill time
- If we are having visitors to our home who are scared of dogs
- Havoc sleeps in his crate overnight (he prefers to feel safe and snug. When he has run of the house he has a decrease in sleep quality)
- When we go to sport dog training they need to be crated when it isn't their turn to do training
- If they are unwell or injured and aren't allowed to move around as recommended by their vet team

My favourite type of crate for most situations for pet dogs are wire crates. We get ours from Vebo Pet and our crate covers are from Stylish Hound.

It is the weekend!Rain or shine we hope you have a great weekend doing something fun with your dog!
10/01/2025

It is the weekend!

Rain or shine we hope you have a great weekend doing something fun with your dog!

RESOURCE GUARDING. If you have recently gotten a new puppy or dog (particularly over the holiday season!) and would like...
10/01/2025

RESOURCE GUARDING.

If you have recently gotten a new puppy or dog (particularly over the holiday season!) and would like to avoid resource guarding developing in your puppy, this post is for you.

You may have heard the old school recommendation of "take your puppies food and treats off them while they are eating to show them that you are boss".

That is actually a really excellent way to CAUSE resource guarding in puppies.

Imagine if you were sitting down eating your favourite food and a member of your household took it away from you or started putting their hands in your food. Is your first thought going to be "no worries boss" or are you going to get peeved that your food has been stolen or messed with while you are just trying to eat and relax?

Dogs are no different.

There are absolutely puppies that were raised that way and don't end up showing resource guarding behaviours. Resource guarding has genetic links and those puppies weren't going to end up becoming resource guarders anyway. Correlation does not equal causation.

So, what should you do instead?

While your puppy is eating, get closer to them and toss them some higher value bits of food like roast chicken then walk away and let them finish their meal. If you have kids they can absolutely do the same thing (under supervision).

Instead of your puppy thinking you are a jerk who steals their stuff so they should protect it at all costs, your puppy will think that people approaching while they are eating is the bees knees because good things happen when they do.

If your puppy is stealing things they shouldn't have and trying to eat them, firstly it sounds like more management is needed while your puppy is learning (have them in a crate or play pen when unsupervised and keep a lead on them while they are being supervised with free access in the house to set them up for success). Secondly, you can teach your puppy to willingly drop things when you ask which in the early stage always gets rewarded with something of a higher value.

If your puppy is already showing signs of resource guarding (things like a stiff body when you approach, moving away from you with their treat, lifting a lip and showing teeth, growling, lunging or biting) please contact a professional ASAP to get customised help before things get more serious.

When you are doing fun things with your dog where they are on lead, it is important to keep in mind what different types...
08/01/2025

When you are doing fun things with your dog where they are on lead, it is important to keep in mind what different types of training equipment are designed for. This will help you determine what is the best option for you and your dog.

In this photo Hexxus is wearing his running harness which was attached to my Cani X belt by a bungee lead. This specific set up is designed for Hexxus to be able to tow me along like a freight train while the harness is comfortable (and safe) for him to wear.

The harness has a 'Y' front meaning there is no pressure on his throat. The harness is also designed for unrestricted shoulder movement.

When I want to go for a loose lead walk, this is absolutely not what I would walk my dogs on. When I put this gear on them I want them to pull which gives them a resistance training workout for their fitness and muscle building, while I get a leg workout at the same time!

If you have any questions about what pieces of training equipment I would often consider recommending for specific situations, feel free to ask in the comments.

Hearing someone yell "It's okay, they're friendly!" as an off lead dog comes running at them is a situation that scares ...
08/01/2025

Hearing someone yell "It's okay, they're friendly!" as an off lead dog comes running at them is a situation that scares a lot of people!

Please keep your dog on lead in on lead areas and make sure you have effective control (meaning your dog comes back to you every single time you call them) when they are in off lead allowed places.

Other people and dogs have been attacked by off lead dogs before and not many dogs will tolerate being rushed by an off lead dog, particularly when they are on lead.

I wish that there were more off lead allowed areas in Ipswich (particularly un-fenced ones), but having dogs off lead and rushing other people is not the way to get that to change.

06/01/2025

Impulse control can be taught in so many different ways. We love practicing it in our usual activities!

Hexxus went for a swim over the holidays and needed to have the pool water rinsed off him afterwards. Playing with the hose is one of his favourite things so before he is allowed to play with the hose we asked him to be patient until he was given the okay.

Impulse control is often lacking in dogs that we meet and is a core skill useful for almost every situation.

Today is Hexxus 's 5th Birthday! This is one of our first photos of him as a little puppy ❤️Looking at puppy photos of h...
30/12/2024

Today is Hexxus 's 5th Birthday!

This is one of our first photos of him as a little puppy ❤️

Looking at puppy photos of him almost makes me forget how much work high drive puppies in particular can be 😂

We are making the most of the hotter weather by refreshing our indoor toy box! There's some toys in the toy box that had...
27/12/2024

We are making the most of the hotter weather by refreshing our indoor toy box!

There's some toys in the toy box that had been untouched for ages despite the boys previously loving them.

Washing your toys and giving them back to your dog makes the toys smell totally different so it can be like them getting a new gift!

26/12/2024

Training your dog can be fit into every lifestyle.

It is warm today so Havoc is playing in his paddle pool and while I was filling it I figured we might as well do some impulse control training!

I had asked him to lay down and he wasn't allowed to get into the pool until he heard his release word (sparkles).

Merry Christmas everyone!
25/12/2024

Merry Christmas everyone!

Group class enrolments are now open for 2025!Our first term will be starting on Tuesday the 14th of January at 6am in Co...
19/12/2024

Group class enrolments are now open for 2025!

Our first term will be starting on Tuesday the 14th of January at 6am in Collingwood Park.

The class term will go for 6 weeks and during these lessons we will cover:
- Loose lead walking
- Recalls (coming when called)
- Sit and stay
- Lay down and stay
- Leave it
- And more.

Our group classes have no age restrictions but puppies must have completed their 3 puppy vaccines to attend.

Boisterous and enthusiastic dogs and puppies are welcome but this term of classes would not be best suited for dogs with reactivity or aggression issues. These behaviours are best addressed with private lessons first before moving to a group class environment.

We keep our classes small so that everyone can get one on one attention each lesson. We only have 3 spaces left for term one so if you are interested please email me at [email protected] for details!

Dog parks aren't my thing (except for specific circumstances) but I do love letting my guys be around other social dogs ...
18/12/2024

Dog parks aren't my thing (except for specific circumstances) but I do love letting my guys be around other social dogs that I know.

One of my boys best friends is Mishka the Great Dane ❤️ She is a (literally) giant sweetheart and I love that my guys get to be exposed to dogs of different sizes.

Havoc was thrilled about having won the game of tug with his ball on a rope 😂😂😂Hexxus and Havoc are my 2 high energy dog...
18/12/2024

Havoc was thrilled about having won the game of tug with his ball on a rope 😂😂😂

Hexxus and Havoc are my 2 high energy dogs that need multiple activities daily.

All dogs have a minimum requirement for exercise, mental stimulation and drive fulfilment but each individual will need different levels of each to be happy.

For my guys, they find a training session involving an intense game of tug as their reward way more fulfilling than going for a walk around the block.

It is important to give your dog what they need, not just what you want to give them.

Prepping enrichment toys in bulk can be useful if you are time poor and need quick enrichment options for your dog/s dur...
09/12/2024

Prepping enrichment toys in bulk can be useful if you are time poor and need quick enrichment options for your dog/s during the week.

I use a lot of enrichment toys if I am raising a puppy, if the weather is terrible (crazy hot or multiple days of storms) or if I am taking care of a dog that is on rest/light activities from an injury.

I have accumulated a lot of different enrichment toys over the years (if you want a list of my top favourites let me know!) and find it easiest to bulk prep a stack of them in one go and then freeze them to use as needed.

What are you up to with your dog today? Sundays are usually rest days for our guys! We do a lot of training and exercise...
08/12/2024

What are you up to with your dog today?

Sundays are usually rest days for our guys! We do a lot of training and exercise throughout the week so on Sundays they can exercise as much as they like on their own, but they usually just have lots of naps while we get some adulting done in prep for the week ahead!

If your dog doesn't immediately destroy every toy you give them and they have worked up a collection, washing and rotati...
06/12/2024

If your dog doesn't immediately destroy every toy you give them and they have worked up a collection, washing and rotating your dogs toys can be useful and keep them interested!

Dogs can get bored of toys that they have access to all the time. My dogs are an example of this, they have an overflowing toy box of plush toys in the living room and although they have some favourites, they end up largely losing interest.

If you put their toys through the washing machine with a toxin free washing detergent and dry them, often dogs will think that they are being gifted with new toys when they are given them back.

So this is a reminder to chuck your dogs toys through the wash so they can get extra enjoyment from the toys they already have.

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Springfield Lakes, QLD
4300

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

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Impulse control can be taught in so many different ways. We love practicing it in our usual activities! Hexxus went for a swim over the holidays and needed to have the pool water rinsed off him afterwards. Playing with the hose is one of his favourite things so before he is allowed to play with the hose we asked him to be patient until he was given the okay. Impulse control is often lacking in dogs that we meet and is a core skill useful for almost every situation.

Spartan is our foster dog who is up for adoption through @scanimalrefuge ❤️ We are going to be posting some videos this week all about Spartan and the kind of home he is looking for. It is a challenging time for dogs to find homes at the moment thanks to the cost of living and the housing crisis, but Spartan deserves to find his forever home ❤️ If you know someone who is looking for a well behaved dog with a professional training foundation who loves cuddles and going on an adventure, please share Spartan's adoption profile with them! ❤️ You can read a little bit about Sparty here:https://www.savour-life.com.au/adopt-a-dog/search-now/view/81876

Training your dog can be fit into every lifestyle. It is warm today so Havoc is playing in his paddle pool and while I was filling it I figured we might as well do some impulse control training! I had asked him to lay down and he wasn't allowed to get into the pool until he heard his release word (sparkles).

If you have a young puppy at the moment all these Christmas events that are happening are great opportunities to expose your puppy to different things and busy environments while teaching them to find value in you while other cool things are happening around them.

This is your reminder to have fun with your dog ❤️ Life can absolutely get crazy this time of year and I totally understand the feeling of it seeming like there is enough time in the day to get everything done. Your dog doesn't know that though. Your dog lives in the moment (which is something so great about dogs!) so make sure you include moments of fun and joy with your dog ❤️

Yay, it's the weekend! What is your favourite thing to do with your dog? ❤️ I love taking my boys out on adventures and anything involving water is usually an especially big thumbs up from them!

I'm a big fan of teaching dogs windows of opportunity, essentially meaning when they can and can't do specific things. One of Hex's favourite things in life is playing tug, but for it to be safe and fun for both of us there needs to be rules around the game. A really basic rule that we have is that he isn't allowed to grab the toy until I say (his marker word is "yes" which you can hear in this video) and he also needs to let go when I ask. That's what keeps the game going. The same principles can be applied for other life stuff to make things manageable. Both of my dogs are obsessed with the hose for example, but I want to be able to water plants or wash my car without dogs launching all over the place and snapping at the water. Sometimes though I am totally happy for them to play with the hose. For the hose example, they aren't allowed to snap at the water until I give them their cue and they need to stop when I ask them to. These kinds of foundations are pretty straight forward to teach, they just require some consistency and can make living with high energy dogs much easier :)

Have you seen a slatmill before? They are self propelled by the dog and there is no motor. That means that dogs can run as fast as they like on one but they do not HAVE to run at all! There are some companies that come to your house with an air-conditioned van with slatmill in the back so that your dog can run in comfort. I utilized that when I had a foot injury so my guys could blow off some steam.

We hope you have been managing to stay cool with your dogs! The weather hasn't seemed to have gotten the memo that it is still winter for another few days 😬 Our crew has been doing heaps of water activities for exercise without causing them to overheat. They have been loving using their splash pool at home and going for proper swims at the lake and in their grandparents pool.

What did you get up to this weekend with your dogs? Saturday was warm enough for the boys to do some water activities which they were SUPER excited about!

I see flexi/retractable leads used incorrectly a heap, but when used correctly they can be a super useful training tool. This evening I took Havoc out for a sniffy walk at a park on a flexi so he had some freedom to walk and sniff where he liked. It also gave us the opportunity to practice some recall training at a distance while still setting Havoc up for success (and following the law) by having him on a lead.

Happy weekend! What are you doing with your dog today?

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