LoveDog Training Co

14/08/2024

14/08/2024

Hi!! I’m Meg

What’s different about working with me?

In addition to being a certified professional trainer with the IMDT, and also studying canine fitness, I’m a conservation detection dog handler and dog-sports enthusiast.

I'm a Zoologist, studying the evolution and function of movements, and animal behaviour.

I have deep-dived on teaching methodology at the University of Hawai'i Centre for teaching excellence as part of my postdoctoral program.

I have taught and mentored people from individuals to large groups, in sports, professional practice, academia, and dog teams since I started coaching the under-12 boys Softball team when I was 15 - and I actually care about you achieving your goals.

I am also a former athlete. I represented Australia in 2015 at the World Championships of Beach Ultimate. It's not the Olympics, but I know what it takes to make big dreams happen, the elation of achievement, and the heartbreak of missing out.

12/08/2024

🐶 🐶 🐶 FREE WEBINAR 🐶 🐶 🐶

Register NOW to reserve your space and learn what you can do safely with your puppy, what to avoid, and get started with some puppy-safe skills.

12/08/2024

ERMAGERD - More free stuff!!

I have a whole amazing pack of planners and habit trackers to help keep you motivated!! So download them, grab a pack of stickers and let’s do this!!

🌟 🌟 CREATED BECAUSE YOU ASKED 🌟 🌟

Tag me in your filled out posts to stay accountable!!

11/08/2024

💥💥💥 FREE WARM UP MASTERCLASS 💥💥💥

Join me LIVE to learn why warm-ups are so important, what makes a good warm-up, and how to design your own SAFE, PRACTICAL & EFFECTIVE warm-up for work, sports, and life!

Register here to join us!
https://lovedogtrainingco.com.au/warmup

Don't worry, if you can't make it live it's recorded and you have a whole week to watch it, but there will be some extra special surprises for live participants!

11/08/2024

ITS FINALLY HERE!! 🎉

CANINE CONDITIONING FUN-DAMENTALS IS ABOUT TO OPEN ITS DOORS 🚪

Join the Waitlist and put it in your diary!
https://www.lovedogtrainingco.com.au/presales

Doors open Friday 16th August at 7pm 🕖
Enrollment close Friday 23rd August at 8pm 🕗

I can’t wait to see you there!!

XxMeg

10/08/2024

When you work with me you can rest assured that you are doing exercises that are safe and appropriate, and I will ALWAYS have your back! Nothing makes me happier than seeing teams evolve and thrive.

24/07/2024

When it comes to puppies we want the absolute VERY best for them - but there’s SO MUCH conflicting crap out there it can be hard to have any idea at all what to do!!! 😦

I’VE GOT YOU COVERED - these exercises are safe and fun for getting started with growing puppies!! 🐶 (and dogs of all ages)

AND not only is it a great preparation for sports or life from a strength and fitness perspective, doing fitness will help grow your bond with a stress free bonding activity, help you know your dogs normal so if anything does happen you can get in early, and give you great building blocks for focus and engagement when out and about - WHO COULD IMAGINE ANYTHING BETTER! 🎉 🐶 🐾

Find this helpful?! Give it a like or a share and let me know in the comments 🩵 we really appreciate all your support!!

14/07/2024

#💪 Fitness = Confidence 💪

Just like us, when dogs are fit, they feel stronger and more capable physically. They are able to move more easily, jump higher, run faster, and navigate their environment with greater agility.

Through fitness training they learn where their limbs are in space (PROPRIORECEPTION) and this gives them confidence moving around.

Strength buffers against instability, which as anyone who as rollled their ankle or had a weak joint will know - can be SCARY and lead to distrust your own body!

Fitness involves problem solving, and solving a problem is really confidence building.

Canine Conditioning and fitness activities also often involve learning new things together! Which is FUN.

Bonding and Trust: engaging in fitness activities together strengthens the bond between a dog and their owner or handler. Dogs thrive on positive interaction with their humans, and this bond fosters trust and security, which can translate into increased confidence.

Just as with humans, physical fitness contributes to overall well-being in dogs. When they feel healthy, energetic, and well-cared for, their confidence naturally increases.

Long story short canine fitness activities not only improve a dog's physical health but also their mental well-being and confidence. Regular exercise, training, and positive interaction with their owners all play crucial roles in building a dog's confidence and helping them lead happy and fulfilled lives.

13/07/2024

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💥💥💥 STEAL OUR COOLDOWN 💥💥💥

Save this to steal my PERSONAL post-sports cool down.

It include 5 of my fave Active Range of Motion (AROM exercises) and covers the whole body and all the different ways the body moves!

What in the heck is Active Range of Motion you ask? It's the extent to which a joint can move when the movement is performed by the individual without any assistance. It's typically the FUNCTIONAL range of the muscle.

11/07/2024

I just love helping teams achieve their goals!
One of my fave things is when new teams succeed or when my clients level up!!
I BELIEVE IN YOU!

What are you all aiming for?

09/07/2024

This week something pretty special happened. Based on the continued success’s of our conditioning plan, Lilu has been cleared for pulling (with careful monitoring) by our awesome physio .for.all

Im not crying you’re crying 😭

All those days of discipline and doing the exercises no matter what add up ⬆️ The last 6 months have been peppered with little victories.

Able to use tug and for reinforcement again.

Cleared for return to running by our rehab vet 🏃
Able to tolerate off leash running mayhem without painful flare ups 🎉 l 🐾 which lead to…

New searching games including identification of lost people with a fine refind (for fun only, Lilus condition makes her unsuitable for live find search and rescue).

And, able to go on a long enough hike that we can go on proper adventures again!!

So when you don’t know what it’s taking so long remember: good things take time.

if you want to see our training plan, keep an eye out for our stories :)

01/07/2024

We’re looking for some brand ambassadors for our launch soon 🚀

What you get 👀

Access to our CANINE CONDITIONING FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM, MEMBERSHIP, and early access to all our future courses!!

50% off individual coaching (this is HUGE)!!

To be considered, tag us in at least one post with the theme and hashtag “fitness equals confidence” over the next week, and DM us to tell us why you want to be a part of our amazing crew 🤩

What we want:

✅ people who are genuinely interested in conditioning with their dog/s and want to implement the program

✅ 1 post per week - including you and your dog working on your fitness together.

✅ participating in sports with your dog and want to improve

**this is in no way associated with meta

26/06/2024

Twice a year, people share outdated and incorrect information about heat stress. Here's some information from people actually science around it.

19/06/2024

It seems like an extra cost, but it is a lot cheaper and FAR less worry in the long run. Most importantly it takes away the stress and worry about what to do, and you always have someone in your corner to help you figure things out and stay motivated.

If you want to get in on the fun, check out the link in our bio 🔗 TO JOIN THE WAITLIST for our Canine Conditioning FUN-mentals.

04/06/2024

No matter what, before work we prep our dogs to reduce injury risk, and get the best performance. 🐾 Spins, puppy ping pong, and down-to-stands are our secret weapons for warming up before hitting the field. Give these moves a try to amp up your pup’s game! 💪

These exercises build flexibility, agility, and focus, setting their body and mind up for success.

🔁
Hitting every plane of motion in the warm up makes sure all the muscles that stabilise and control are part of the warm up, ensuring our pups are ready to move freely and confidently in any direction! 🐾💫

So for love of dog, before you go out there get warmed up! 🏃‍♂️🐕

If you love this please share it, or tag a friend who needs to see this!! ⬇️ and if you have any questions, please hit us up below! 👇

03/06/2024

Squee! We've been working super hard to bring you a really amazing course and membership experience in the near future!

The new page for our Canine Conditioning Crew Hub and the FUN-damentals course is live for testing! Check out our bio for a sneak peek!

Do you love it? Please say yes 😂 We'd love love love your feedback!
Let us know what you think below!!

02/06/2024

Not sure what to do for your warm up?! Have mine :)

Grab it here ⬇️
https://lovedogtrainingco.mykajabi.com/caniwarmup

31/05/2024

I just love hearing from my incredible canine conditioning clients! Sonia is an incredible handler and so committed to doing amazing things with Drifter. We have been building him a fit-to-work program for their search and rescue certification, starting from the fundamentals, and I am just loving seeing how quickly they have progressed and how fast they are gaining confidence together!

22/05/2024

I am ready to do the platform game now best friend! Pleassssse can you stop eating do we can get started?!🎯

17/05/2024

Every week there should be one full day of rest :) you can do light untaxing fun stuff like going for a sniff, but rest is a super important part of exercise.

15/05/2024

STRONG DOGS ARE CONFIDENT DOGS 🐶 💪

🌟 Just like in humans, regular exercise and physical activity in dogs release endorphins, which are hormones associated with feelings of happiness and well-being. This can lead to an overall positive mood and increased confidence.

🌟 Exercise stimulates the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which are known to regulate mood and reduce stress. These neurological changes can result in dogs feeling more relaxed and self-assured.

🌟 Canine strength and conditioning activities involve problem-solving and learning new skills, which can boost cognitive function and increase a dog's sense of accomplishment, contributing to greater confidence.

🌟 Strength and conditioning enhances the dog-human bond through positive social interactions and teamwork.

🌟 Knowing where their body is in space (proprioreception) and trusting their body also builds confidence.

🐕✨

07/05/2024

If your dogs behaviour changes, look into pain. For love of dog 🐶

‘My dog is naughty/bad/untrainable/dominant/stupid’

I hear this most weeks on intake forms. Usually I get pretty excited to see these cos I know I’m gonna get to change a dog and owners life!

So often we write our dogs off as any adjective that fits the above and honestly, I’m yet to meet a dog who fits any of those adjectives (and I have worked with 10k plus dogs over the ten years I’ve been doing this!). I do however week in week out meet dogs with health issues that contribute to their slow progress in terms of training. Did you know dogs don’t show pain or discomfort how we do? We often think ‘oh he isn’t limping or yelping so he is fine’.

Please read the examples below ⬇️

🐾 A huntaway cross who I work with who bit his owner. Reluctant to have his feet cleaned, got spicy over any intense handling, had periods of seeming insanity and relentless barking and being unable to calm down. Huntaways are vocal dogs… but…

Turns out he had hip dysplasia. This dog didn’t limp. He wasn’t lame in any way. He chased his ball and sprinted and jumped and had no issues physically on the surface however under that behaviour was pain.

🐾 A French bulldog. Resource guarding to the extreme. Bit his owners while resource guarding the knot pattern in their wooden floor. Also bombed around without a worry in the world and had no outward signs of pain.

Turns out he had a severe spinal condition causing intermittent excruciating pain.

🐾 A young spaniel owned by a very good friend who was having confidence issues. She would ‘tap out’ of training on the regular and my friend went from ‘this is my ticket dog who will represent my country’ to ‘is this even possible?’

Dog had hormonal issues and likely spikes of hormones left right and centre. A carefully timed spay and she is now grade 6 in agility.

🐾 A friends Border Collie. Owned by a very experienced and talented agility handler and trainer. Regularly ‘checked out’ of training sessions, seemed to not be able to learn things that were moderately straightforward. Described by other trainers as ‘oh she is just a border collie it’s what they are like’.

Turns out she is mostly deaf.

🐾 A black Labrador. Always social and friendly and attended brilliant puppy classes and adolescent classes. Had the best start training wise you can imagine. He started showing some intermittent aggression to his owners in the home and aggression to other dogs out and about.

Turns out he had bilateral elbow dysplasia.

🐾 Young German Shepherd. Always energetic and silly in her behaviour but suddenly got worse. Excessive zoomies, inability to settle, increased reactivity to other dogs, reluctant to get in the car, obsessive destruction at home.

Turns out she had an infection in her va**na that was causing discomfort and exacerbating all those teenage behaviours to the point of being unmanageable.

🐾 My own dog! My NSDTR started missing his dog walk contact early last year. I was tearing my hair out trying to fix it.

Turns out he had a minor iliopsoas strain and some physio fixed the issue for us.

———————————

All these dogs have one thing in common. They are not stupid or untrainable or naughty or dominant. They are uncomfortable and that is triggering extreme behaviour fallout.

None of the above issues would be resolveable with training. All of the issues will be resolveable with training ONLY when the pain is resolved. Some of them will have drastic improvement from the moment the pain or discomfort is managed!

If your behaviourist or trainer doesn’t immediately advise a veterinary visit if any aggression, excessive ‘naughtiness’ or strange behaviour is present, walk away immediately. Even if you think your dog is fine, visit the vets. Ask for a thorough examination and push for a proper evaluation of your dog from nose to tail and potentially blood tests too. If you’re still not sure, get a second opinion.

You cannot train the pain or discomfort out of your dog. Address THIS first and foremost.

03/05/2024

Happy for dog Fri-YAY! We’re playing pulling games this weekend 🎉See you there! Running into the weekend like Merlin in a Sledding race!

How are you and your dog keeping fit and fab this weekend?

30/04/2024

Well done Lilu 🎉

Management pointed out your extreme fluffiness and really upping your game on greetings, as well as always showing up ready to work and being a fantastic communicator.

19/07/2023

I am obsessed with Posey 🤩

We are collaborating with Posey’s amazing family and their team including our favourite .for.all 🤩

It’s super valuable to have a trainer
on your recovery team to help you and your dog learn the skills you need to execute the exercises they need to get strong again 💪 under the guidance and restrictions of your rehab professional.

19/07/2023

🌟 there is something amazing about watching the transformation in dogs as they better understand how their body works and where they are! 🌟

🌎 It’s so incredible how big of a difference it can make to everyday life and confidence out in the world 🌎

🐾 it’s such a privilege to work with those doggos that can be a bit worried and watch them realise they have a choice and they can do it 🐾

🌱 if you want to grow your dogs confidence and have fun, hit up our DMs to join the FUN 🎉

15/07/2023

🔙 We often avoid things that are hard - consciously or subconsciously!

🧸 Not using toy rewards because it stresses you out? -> start with really small fun 1 minute games on the floor.

🧀 Not using food because your dog is sharky? - make the ask really easy and start by dropping the treats on the floor?

💪 Not doing fitness because you think you need equipment? Just use the couch for paws up!

Avoiding walks because your dog pulled? Play some games at home that build the picture you need.

The only way to guarantee you won’t get there is to never start!

Need help or motivation? Join our Monday night or online fitness crew or get in touch to help bring the motivation and joy back :)

Not doing distance work because it feels impossible? -> work on tiny increments, and alternate easy, average and stretch