Working With Woofers

20/08/2024

A big shout out to Juno who just did his PB in his separation anxiety training!!

We are all so very proud of you, Juno!

12/08/2024

UNCHASE (r) classes starting soon! Stay tuned for dates, cost and program details.

If your dog is reactive towards other dogs and isn’t suited to a class environment, you can book a one on one package.

If this is the best option for you and your dog, comment below and I will DM you with details of this individual package and the cost.

Looking forward to helping you with your CHASER very soon!

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04/08/2024

Hello, I just wanted to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has so far donated to Shaun And Winksey’s GoFundMe fundraiser that I am running.

If you haven’t and you are in a position to do so, here is their story

Winksey a gorgeous 9 year old Greyhound who lives with his dad Shaun in my neighbourhood.

Shaun received the worst possible news on Friday in regards to a fast growing lump on one of Winksey’s front forelegs.

After Xrays and tests and the day in hospital, it was determined that the swelling is due to an aggressive form of cancer and Winksey does not have long to live.

Shaun is obviously devastated, as we all are, when we realize we are going to lose our beloved companion.

However this is exacerbated by the fact that he is on a pension, and it’s going to be a real struggle to pay for Winkey’s vet bills and ongoing care.

He wants to keep Winksey as comfortable as he can for the time they have left together. Hence me reaching out to whomever may be able to help.

I have found Shaun to be a caring and devoted dad to Winksey. Rocket and I often bumped into them when we were out on our local walks, but unfortunately Winksey cant go on walks anymore.

I know the cost of living crisis means most of us don’t have much money left over at the end of the week, but if you could donate anything at all it would be greatly appreciated by Shaun and Winksey. It all adds up.

We have reached the halfway point which means that the initial Vet bill is almost paid but I want to make sure that Winksey is kept as comfortable as possible with pain relief meds for the remainder of his time here.

I also wanted Shaun to have the option of a home euthanasia when the time comes as Winksey is very scared at the Vets

There are two ways to donate

1/ using the gofundme link: https://gofund.me/9b65e2f7

2/ call Greencross Vets on 8347 9666 and explain that you are donating funds to Shaun Johnson’s account for Winks (Winksey)

All the funds that are collected from this fundraiser will be paid directly to Greencross Vets Coogee’s-Maroubra

Thank you Kim

02/08/2024

Hi Everyone, I am fundraising for Winksey a gorgeous 9 year old Greyhound and his dad Shaun, who live in my neighbourhood.

Shaun received the worst possible news today in regards to a fast growing lump on one of Winkey's front forelegs.

After Xrays and tests and the day in hospital. it was determined that the swelling is due to an aggressive form of cancer and Winksey does not have long to live.

Shaun is obviously devastated, as we all are, when we realize we are going to lose our beloved companion. However this is exacerbated by the fact that he is on a pension, and its going to be a real struggle to pay for Winkeys vet bills and and ongoing care.

He wants to keep Winksey as comfortable as he can for the time they have left together. Hence me reaching out to whomever may be able to help.

I have found Shaun to be a caring and devoted dad to WInksey. Rocket and I often bumped into them when we were out on our local walk, but unfortunately Winksey cant walk anymore.

I know the cost of living crisis means most of us don't have much money left over at the end of the week, but if you could donate anything at all it would be greatly appreciated by Shaun and Winksey.

Thank you in advance Kim

Hi my name is Kim Doran. I am fundraising for Winksey a gorgeous 9 year old Greyhound and his d… Kimbra Doran needs your support for WInksey and his dad Shaun

27/07/2024

Meet Panda - how cute is she!

I looked after her and her sister Parmi while her mum Lucy was away recently. I fell in love! ❤️🐯❤️

21/06/2024

Congratulations to Pepper who crushed her PB today and did one hour of comfortable alone time!

This is Pepper’s seventh week of training and she is doing SO well….

She could’ve done longer, but we had to call it because we had time constraints

Pepper suffered a sudden onset of separation anxiety and her mum made sure that she didn’t continue to languish. She made sure that Pepper was not left alone for longer than she could cope with and start a training straight away and this has definitely paid off.

Whilst we don’t know exactly what happened, we think that something scary happened when mum was at work and Pepper was in one of her teenage “fear phases” and the combination had her traumatised.

So proud of you Pepper and looking forward to seeing you continue to do really well in your SA training

27/05/2024

A big shout out to Henry for doing his PB in his separation anxiety training tonight!

He did 20 minutes of comfortable alone time and we called it because it was getting late and his mum was getting cold outside. So he could’ve gone on and done even more…..

He has been able to achieve this in just seven weeks, which is really good for separation anxiety training as it’s a slow process. Well done Henry!!

Here he is pictured with a girl he met recently on a walk…

18/05/2024

Love these two 2 bits!!!!

05/04/2024

Just wanted to share this lovely testimonial. Thank you Molly!

If you have a dog suffering from separation anxiety, I offer a 30 to 40 min complimentary call to talk through your individual, dog’s circumstances and training options and cost ………………………………………………………………………………………….

We are so grateful for Kim’s help with our girl Poppy. She couldn’t be left alone for more than a couple of minutes before completely freaking out and now we are able to comfortably go out for a couple of hours, all the while Poppy is completely relaxed. I am so thankful we committed to this training, we were able to adjust Poppy’s behaviour while being sure she was never distressed or that we were pushing her too far. The support and understanding we received from Kim was crucial to our success. I was so embarrassed about how limited I was because I wouldn’t leave my dog at home by herself like everyone else, and Kim approached training with so much positivity, flexibility and empathy. Training is completely personalised to your lifestyle and your dog’s personality, Kim felt like a part of our household and cared for our little family. I couldn’t recommend her more if you’re struggling with separation anxiety with your dog. Poppy is a more relaxed and happy dog because of Kim - which has made us more relaxed and happy too !
Thank you so much Kim

13/03/2024

Kisses….. my beloved babies, Rocket and Mia ❤️🐶🐯❤️

03/03/2024

A big shout out to little Piccolo who is unable to make his Puppy School graduation class today as he is recovering from eye surgery.

We will miss you today Piccolo and wish you a speedy recovery and look forward to when you can join us for the next group’s graduation ❤️🎓🐶🎓❤️

30/11/2023

Thank you Amy for sending me this beautiful photo of Meeko and letting me know that he is doing so much better…….

Working with anxious dogs, take time, lots of patience, and commitment. Change often comes very gradually.

Meeko is very lucky to have the support and love that you both give him, and he is obviously starting to blossom in his adopted country…… this is my reward

13/10/2023

Today we had to say goodbye to our beloved little Meeko “Moo”

Meeko was a complex kitty. When he was not suffering from his chronic IBD and anxiety, he was the most gentle, kind, loving cat you could ever meet.

So many people stopped by our house to give him pats on the nature strip. He would roll around on the footpath, so it was irresistible. People just couldn’t help themselves and were lured in by our gorgeous tabby x white kitty who was so friendly and loved around our neighbourhood.

Meeko passed peacefully this morning, surrounded by his family and the love of his life Mia our other cat who is just as devastated as we are to lose this precious little man.

He was such a clever and learned many tricks. He would let me dress him up if there were treats involved no problem.

He wasn’t quite the same cat when he went to the vet, though he got scared there, even though the staff are amazing with him

I want to thank all the staff at My Vet I tried the very best to turn things around and also Maayan who helped make his passing very peaceful and came to our home on her day off which was so very kind of her.

We miss you already Meeko. No doubt, Charli was there at the other side of the rainbow, bridge waiting for you.

You have left us with many wonderful memories and will be cherished forever. ❤️🐯❤️

29/09/2023

It’s been three years since we said goodbye to you, Charlie I can honestly say not a day goes by that I don’t think of you. I miss you still…
You left us with such wonderful memories and we were incredibly lucky to have had you in our lives.

I picture you with your doggy friends who’ve crossed the rainbow bridge, eating lots of treats and following my dad around. I have no doubt he’s taken you under his wing.

The tears start the flow as I sit here and write this…. You will always be remembered as my soul dog and my rock. May your spirit be free and happy always ❤️🐶❤️

26/09/2023

Look at these gorgeous smile. This is Panda a 10 month, old Husky boy that I am going to be doing some basic training with very soon.

Can’t wait to meet your Panda!

06/09/2023

I just wanted to post a tribute to a very special little dog named Chu who crossed the rainbow bridge recently.

I have so many wonderful memories of this little guy. I knew him since he was a puppy and he came from the same place as my beautiful boy, Charli

Chu loved his food and he loved his mummy. He was a wonderful friend to Charli and with Rocket later on in life as well.

He didn’t do very well with his separation anxiety training because he couldn’t bear being separated from his mum, but he excelled in his role as her assistance dog.

Whenever he came to stay with us the first thing he would do when he arrived would be to check if there was any food lying around around. When Charli was alive, there were slim pickings, but with Rocket, he quite often scored a lambs ear or a pigs ear that Rocket had stashed.

I remember him snuggling up in bed enjoying tummy rubs and snoring like a little tractor!

We did video demos of tricks together and that early him lots of chicken treats which I found out later on had given him diarrhoea - poor mum!

I remember when I taught agility at My Vet in Waterloo, he absolutely loved trying out the new equipment.

My heart goes out to his mummy and family and workmates, and his pussycat brother and sister.

Chu you will always be remembered as that bright eyed little man who brought so much joy into the world.

Have fun up there with Charl and all your other doggy friends that have crossed the rainbow bridge. I hope you’re eating lots and lots of treats and rolling in things! I know you are still looking out for your mum from afar. RIP little man ###❤️🐶❤️###

05/06/2023

We get some very cute Puppy School graduates , but none cuter than Joey!!! Don’t you agree?

12/04/2023

Congratulations to Larry, who did his PB today and getting into double figures!! Who knows how long his dad Rod could’ve stayed outside, as he was fast asleep when we decided to call it today in order to capture what he was doing which was being calm and snoozing.

Larry has recently gone onto medication and for him its been incredibly helpful, and taken the edge off his generalised anxiety and has helped with getting some consistency into his separation anxiety training.

Sometimes medication can really help certain individuals lead a calmer life and bring down anxiety levels so that they are actually able to learn.

Not to say it’s for everyone, but for Larry its meant he has really started to kick goals and I’m so proud of him and his mum and dad, Rod and Kate who have worked diligently with his training.

Wishing you both well on your solo journey and looking forward to still playing a supportive role and following Larrys progression.

11/03/2023

Meet gorgeous little Eric who recently had a sudden change in behaviour around his mealtimes.

His mum cooks for him every night as he has special dietary requirements and he suddenly didn’t want his dinner.

He wasn’t sick, and for a couple of days he would except his dinner if his dad presented it, but then he started refusing it even with dad.

I suspected his bowl might of had something to do with it, as I have seen this sort of problem occasionally before and after discussing discussing this with his mum Lauren,
She mentioned that his two legged baby sister Maggie was sometimes playing and banging his food bowl and other times during the day

Eric is a sound sensitive dog as he had obviously associated his food bowl with an aversive, so we changed his food bowl and popped some boundaries in place around Maggie playing with it in future and Eric is back enjoying his meals!

Some sudden behaviour changes aren’t obvious, and you really need to delve into what’s going on to work out why those changes have happened

The first thing to rule out is anything physical, which often means taking your pet to see the vet, for a full physical check and then if they give them the all clear - you know it’s behavioural.

24/02/2023

A big shout out to Alfie today. This young man has recently started separation anxiety training with me. In his initial assessment, he was in a complete panic by 38 seconds

In only his third week, he did a comfortable 15 minute absence today, which even surprised me !!!! So proud of you Alfie!

Looking forward to seeing what you can do next week with your new coping skills

If you have a dog with separation anxiety and hesitating about making a start on their training, then hesitate no longer I’ll be more than happy to help you with your dogs recovery

It’s a slow and gradual process, but sometimes the most severe looking cases (and Alfie was an example of this) actually do really well with their training.

I’ve learnt from experience that categorising, the severity of a case is actually very misleading

Some of the most severe looking cases have been some of the more straight forward ones for me. It doesn’t necessarily always happen, but just because your dog is howling and jumping up and down at the door within seconds of you leaving, doesn’t necessarily mean that they are not going to grasp the training concept quicker than one who is hiding under the bed and not barking at all.

I truly believe that there are a lot of dogs out there suffering in silence, and they suffer just as much as the ones that bark and howl. But I neighbours don’t complain, and we know necessarily notice…..

12/02/2023

Night flowers on our Peruvian Apple cactus. They are so special and only last for one night.

28/01/2023

I am in the process of selling my 3 level Cat Cubby Houses. Price is $650 ONO.

The top floor is the bedroom, the middle level is the dining room and the bottom level is the bathroom. Each level has two vents for airflow.

Measurements are as follows: height, 210 cm, width 121 cm, depth is 57 cm. There are six vents in total. The cubby house is in one piece re-transport

The bottom level very deliberately does not have a floor as if a cat misses the litter tray. It would get into the wood so I line the bottom with cardboard which works well and can be replaced easily

These are perfect for people with a cat who is being terrorised by a toddler or another pet and could serve as a “safety zone” when the other is at large!

They are for short term confinement - similar in principle (if used correctly) to a crate for a dog.

Perhaps your cat is really restless at night and it may benefit the family and calm the cat if they spent the night in their cubby house.

Cats love getting into wardrobes and smaller spaces and it can be calming for some individuals.

Or you might have a multiple cat household, and there’s tension in the home? This will be a really handy management tool for that sort of situation.

If you are interested please let me know here on IG or email me at: [email protected]

28/01/2023

Making the most of the ceiling fan!

28/01/2023

Meet Vala who has just started her SA journey with me recently. She has me and her mum and dad scratching our heads in a good way!

Chrysta & Daniel had been working on her “alone time training” prior and she has been fully managed for the last 6 months

They described a history of panicked behaviour in her Initial assessment which was what I was expecting to see.

But what I saw was Vala laying on her side snoozing for the entire time! She changed sides a couple of times but was definately snoozing. Three more absences this week and things are unchanged.

It’s not often this happens, so we have a great spring board to start from, but will still approach her training carefully, just in case there becomes a time she puts the paw on the amber light so to speak.

Looking forward to seeing where things go with Vala!

26/01/2023

Look who started his SA training with me this week! Ricky the Italian Greyhound. How ridiculously cute is he, and he aced his very first mission today!

Sometimes it can take a week or so to get into the groove or find the right level for each individual dog, but we seemed to hit his sweet spot right off the bat! That makes me very happy!😀🐶

01/01/2023

Last year I learnt the following:
* not to chase Mia and Meeko 🐯🐯
* to walk on a loose lead
* to sleep in until mums ready to get up
* to be a bit more patient - this is hard!
* not to winge quite as much as I used to
* to pass other dogs politely!
* some self control
* to accept having my teeth cleaned
* to be a Puppy School assistant
* that I have a forever home
* that I’m loved very much! ❤️

Mum thought progress was a bit slow going as far as my training went, but now she’s looked back at it all she’s realised that I actually learnt heaps last year!

01/12/2022

Selfies with my four legged son.

27/11/2022

Twinkle Twinkle little star, what a clever girl you are!

Twinkle graduated from Puppy School yesterday. What a wonderful student she was. So gentle with the other little pups in the class.

She fell in love with Louie the Staffie and they didn’t want to say goodbye after they graduated yesterday.

Pictured here with her proud dad Charles. Congratulations Twinkle!!! 🐶🎓🐶

07/11/2022

Raffles doing some socialisation with my cat Meeko. He did SO well. Meeko likes dogs (especially when their parents have treats!), so he is the perfect cat for this sort of exercise.

It’s important to introduce your pup to as many different things / other animals as you can in that early socialisation window.

06/11/2022

Little Nora definitely has something to smile about today!

She just smashed her previous PB in her Separation Anxiety training and spent 11 mins just chillin out while mum went out!

Mum said she could have done longer and was so chilled that she had fallen asleep.

In Nora’s initial SA assessment she was panicking by 6 mins so she has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time.

SA training isn’t for the faint hearted but if you commit and can be very patient, real change is possible…..

Nora and her mum and Dad have been working diligently on her training and recently took a little break, which seems to have helped.

So proud of you Nora!!!! Keep up the great work!!