26/01/2024
Windy morning walks with the girls š¬ļøā¤ļø
Dog Trainer and Behaviour Specialist. Dog training to suit all breeds, age, problems & people! Get I CAN HELP! Yes- even your dog!
Do you wish your dog would listen to you the first time, every time, even under REALLY high distraction? Is your dogs behaviour becoming increasingly difficult to manage? Do you have a new puppy and want to ensure they grow into fantastic, easy to have around family members? Hi, I'm Heidi and I teach dog owners how to teach their dogs to be well behaved in every situation so they can truly have them as part of their lives and families.
Windy morning walks with the girls š¬ļøā¤ļø
What breed of dog do you have?
Would you get another dog of the same breed in the future? Why or why not?
I love all the breeds Iāve had BUT my lifestyle (and amount of space in my carš) has changed so Iām reassessing which breed or combo of breeds Iāll choose for my next dog.
Choosing a particular breed isnāt a guarantee that they will behave a certain way or have a certain personality BUT it makes some characteristics MUCH more likely.
So choosing a breed suitable for your lifestyle is VERY importantā¦ itās also important to remember that every dog has their own personality. Siblings (pups from the same litter) can have vastly different personalities as well as some things in common- just like human siblings!
šøeg. despite having the same parents these two look and behave completely differentlyā¦ weird š¤·āāļøšš
šTraining equals freedom is a phrase youāll hear me say a lot but often itās not until you experience it that you really understand what that means.
ā ļøA huge misconception and reason people donāt train their dogs is because they donāt want to take away their freedom. They think teaching them to listen under high levels of distractions, teaching them how to chill and lie down for long periods of time, teaching them rules and boundaries around the house reduces the amount of freedom their dog will haveā¦ when in reality the opposite is true.
Hereās whyā¦.
šA dog who jumps on everyone, causes chaos in the house, harasses the kids will then end up being put outside because itās too hard to have them inside. šBUT a dog who can come inside and chill out on their bed, understand the behaviour expectations and isnāt constantly invading everyones personal space then gets to spend way more time inside because its easy!
šA dog who drags you down the street barking and lunging at every dog in sight gets less walks and outings because itās stressful and frustrating to walk them. šBUT a dog who can walk without pulling (no, that doesnāt mean marching by your side like a robot) and not over-react to other dogs and people getās loads of walks and adventures because itās a joy to take them out!
šA dog who listens CONDITIONALLY (meaning they only listen to some commands, some of the time) never getās to be off-lead, hang out with visitors or go on holidays because they canāt be trusted in any of those situations. šBUT a dog who has learnt to listen to commands under high levels of distraction and for long durations can run free off-lead, can come to cafes, camping trips and all sorts of adventures.
āSo by not teaching your dog commands under high levels of distraction for long periods of time, and by not setting boundaries and behaviour expectations (that you actually stick to you) youāre actually doing your dog a massive disservice.
š£Your dog isnāt lucky they have no rules and boundaries, your dog is missing out on the clarity and freedom they provide.
šøpic - me taking my baby and Savvy to the pub todayā¦ I swear I also took the rest of my family too š
Puppies everywhere at the moment! Hereās an old pic of me with my first ever puppyš„°
Thinking about puppy preschool?šš
Often owners book into puppy preschool for socialisation with other dogs, they have good intentions... and so they attend puppy school, they learn a few tricks and then the pups are ālet looseā to play.
Socialisation is about teaching your pups to be social as adult dogs...
Letting them essentially āwing itā is not teaching them anything, and unfortunately can potentially result in pups having a negative experience and becoming fearful, OR learning how to be a bully- neither of which is desirable in an adult dog.
Most of their socialisation with other dogs up until this point is with their litter mates and their Mum. The interactions you have when you greet family members is TOTALLY different to whatās appropriate if you meet a total stranger, so your pups need to be guided on how to behave in these scenarios.
Some pups will be confident, some pups will be worried, some pups are observers, some pups are 100kph... itās the trainers job to ensure that they ALL learn what they need to learn. For some that might be to not be rude and bowl a dog over when greeting, for some that might be building curiosity so they come out from behind the chair etc etc.
So to cut my rant shortš- I have no problem with puppy schools. When done well, they can be beneficial BUT you need to be your pups advocate, if the pups are just let loose and youāre given no guidance as to what is and isnāt acceptable behaviour then LEAVE. If your dog isnāt behaving as you would want an adult dog to behave and your given no instruction on how to teach them, LEAVE.
This is your dogs most critical period in development, donāt risk an avoidable mishap.
PS. Comment ātoilet trainingā below and Iāll send you my free puppy toilet training guideš©
2023- what a rollercoaster! šļø
You may have noticed Iāve been a little quiet around social media town this yearš¤·āāļø
I made a decision early in the year to stop marketing for a while and just focus on my current clientsā¦ hereās why-
šI had my third baby, beautiful Anika, which was a dream come true š„° BUT pregnant Heidi is a train wreckš¤¦āāļø I was SO so sick for the entire pregnancy and I have a history of pregnancy loss so it was also an anxious time. Weāre so glad sheās here safe and sound, we all love her to bits!ā¤ļø
šWe also started homeschooling this yearš„³It has been a really awesome journey so far! It took some time to find our feet but weāve settled into it nowš«¶
šSnickersā health slowly declined this year and then he passed awayš I still think about him everyday and miss him like crazy. Honestly, for a while I wasnāt sure if I would be able to continue as a dog trainer without him, but as time has passed Iāve realised how important it is that I continue the work he and I did together, because heāll always be a part of it through the lessons he taught me that I can share with others.
šPlus all the other highs and lows that come in lifeš¢
So now that Iām back feeling more like myself than I have in a long time Iām so excited to ramp things up again in 2024 and help more dogs and owners than ever before!šš
PS. My 5yo did this drawing and I canāt decide whatās sweeterā¦ that he drew himself holding his baby sister? Or that he drew Snickers in it because āeven though heās dead I still really love himā š„¹
Itās been the hardest couple of days. Snickers passed peacefully in my arms surrounded by his family at 15 years of age. Love isnāt a strong enough word but I sure hope he felt it right up until the end.
I canāt even begin to describe how incredible this dog was and how much he changed my life and the lives of so many other dogs and humans.
Thereās dogs, thereās amazing dogs, thereās heart dogs and then thereās Snickers in a league of his own.
We brought Snickers home when I was 19 so heās been through SO many milestones with me, I canāt imagine life without him, but I know the lessons he taught me will last a lifetime.
Love you bubba.
A new addition to the family is coming this October!š¶š
(Snickers is still wishing he was the only childš)
And itās all good news because nothing changes for members of the Dogmanship Training Academyš„³business and training as usualā¦. Iām just quite a bit rounder in my videosš¤°š¼š¤£
In the summertime āļø
On extremely hot days aim to walk your dog EARLY in the morning before the temp rises and the ground gets too hot for their feet. Sometimes the ground is too hot even at 9pm so an early walk may be your only option for the day. It also means theyāve used up some energy and are likely to be more content relaxing when you get home and are less likely to overexert themselves in the hottest part of the day.
New Year with some new followers so I thought I would kick of 2023 by introducing myself again!
Hi! My names Heidi, I help dog owners teach their dogs to listen in every situation so they can truly enjoy having them as part of their lives and families.
Iām also a wife, Mum of 2 kids (4yo, 6yo) and we have 2 beautiful dogs (Snickers and Savvy.)
Hereās 15 random facts about me-
1. Iāve been dog obsessed from a very young ageā¦ In primary school I even had a weird folder that I would stick pictures of dogs in that I cut out of magazines then I would give them a name and guess their breed.
2. My first job was a farm hand at an Alpaca farm.
3. I hate bananas.
4. I love being outdoors, if Iām feeling overwhelmed I know itās because I havenāt had enough nature time.
5. I love 90s RNB.
6. I love personal growth books and podcasts.
7. In high school a careers counsellor told me that dog training was a hobby not a job.
8. My worst habit is going bed at 9pm, having a āquick lookā at my phone and then realising itās been 3 hours.
9. I was once a stable hand and also love everything about horse behaviour and training.
10. I would die without my morning coffeeā¦ or possibly kill someone else.
11. My favourite colour is Sageā¦ but it might be different tomorrow.
12. In 2020 we travelled for 12 months in our caravan and I canāt wait to do it again asap!
13. I have terrible hand writing and zero desire to improve it.
14. I make a vision board every year and truly believe it works.
15. Iām a projector in human design, an enneagram type 8 and love personality tests.
Feel free to message me if you have any dog related questionsā¦ also open to discussing the gold that is 90s RnBš
How lucky is Murphy to have such fantastic humans! Training him means he can do more activities with his family and live a happy, fulfilled lifeš¤©
Merry Christmas! Hope you all have an awesome day with the people/dogs you love ā¤ļøš
We managed to get everyone in the photoā¦ but getting everyone to look at the camera and smile at the same time would have been a Christmas miracle šš
āTis the season!ššš
š¼
If your dog barks, lunges and appears aggressive when they see another dog on a walk then this episode is for you!
Tune in via Apple, Spotify or Google podcastsš
Truth bombš£š„
If you have a dog you need to train it to behave in a way that is socially acceptable to humans... that is the reality.
This is why dogs end up in shelters, stuck in backyards and living their lives feeling insecure in a world they canāt understand.
Is my dogs behaviour perfect? Hell no!
Could they still bite someone? Of course! THEYāRE DOGS!
BUT I have done my very best to help them be the best versions of themselves in a human world so they can live their best lives!
Want to help save dogs? Start with your own!
Our upcoming Q&A dates are-
šTuesday 13.9 at 9am (AEST)
šTuesday 20.9 at 8pm (AEST)
You can join the Q&A two ways-āØ1.Ā In the Dogmanship Training Tribe Facebook Group where you can type your questions and I can answer them in real time.
2.Ā Via 'zoom' where we can see each other and have a conversation via video call.Ā
šLinks for both are inside the Dogmanship Training Academy.
š„³See you there!
PS. Donāt forget if you canāt make it to the live Q&A you can post questions in the members only Facebook group anytime!
Iām a day late because I was busy with dog things!š
šYou can find the Dog Training Tips Podcast on Apple, Spotify or Google Podcastsš§
šHappy training!āŗļø
With friends, family and our kids we say things like -
āMistakes are good, thatās how you learn!ā
Yet with dogs people seem to avoid mistakes altogether OR continue to make the same mistakes over and over without actually changing anything.
Donāt be scared of mistakes/errors, but make sure the mistakes/errors that are made make you and your dog better!
I love seeing these flash backs.
8 years ago Snickers and I were out having the best time competing and today Iām helping him get down the stairs without falling over so we can take a slow wander together in the yardā¦ both times are equally special.
I wish dogs lived for longer but thereās something so amazing about knowing an animal through all their life stages, from goofy puppies, to cheeky adolescents, to amazing adults and to adorable oldies.
The reason I started training Snickers as a pup was so that he could go on adventures with me, run off-lead and be a part of my life and that was one of the best decisions I ever made. Because of that Iāve got a huge bank of amazing memories together and hopefully many more to come!
New episode of the Dog Training Tips podcast is out now! Find the Dog Training Tips podcast on Apple, Spotify or Google podcasts šš
So proud of this team!
Maze has been so lucky to have such a dedicated owner, now theyāre an amazing team who will enjoy many happy years togetherš„°š„°
šļøāāļøWhoās joined a gym and then never actually consistently put in the work?šāāļø
š©āšOr signed up for a course you never completed?šāāļø
āDid you expect to get results despite not actually doing the work?
Of course not!
So stop expecting your dog to be well behaved and listen even when thereās big distractions around if you donāt actually take the time to teach them!
Dogmanship Training Academy doors are open, come on inš
šTraining equals freedom is a phrase youāll hear me say a lot but often itās not until you experience it that you really understand what that means.
ā ļøA huge misconception and reason people donāt train their dogs is because they donāt want to take away their freedom. They think teaching them to listen under high levels of distractions, teaching them how to chill and lie down for long periods of time, teaching them rules and boundaries around the house reduces the amount of freedom their dog will haveā¦ when in reality the opposite is true.
Hereās whyā¦.
šA dog who jumps on everyone, causes chaos in the house, harasses the kids will then end up being put outside because itās too hard to have them inside. šBUT a dog who can come inside and chill out on their bed, understand the behaviour expectations and isnāt constantly invading everyones personal space then gets to spend way more time inside because its easy!
šA dog who drags you down the street barking and lunging at every dog in sight gets less walks and outings because itās stressful and frustrating to walk them. šBUT a dog who can walk without pulling (no, that doesnāt mean marching by your side like a robot) and not over-react to other dogs and people getās loads of walks and adventures because itās a joy to take them out!
šA dog who listens CONDITIONALLY (meaning they only listen to some commands, some of the time) never getās to be off-lead, hang out with visitors or go on holidays because they canāt be trusted in any of those situations. šBUT a dog who has learnt to listen to commands under high levels of distraction and for long durations can run free off-lead, can come to cafes, camping trips and all sorts of adventures.
āSo by not teaching your dog commands under high levels of distraction for long periods of time, and by not setting boundaries and behaviour expectations (that you actually stick to you) youāre actually doing your dog a massive disservice.
š£Your dog isnāt lucky they have no rules and boundaries, your dog is missing out on the clarity and freedom they provide.
Itās that time of the week againšš„³
Sunday ā¤ļø
What did you do with your dog this weekend?
Dog training is just as much about mindset as it is about physical skills.
Change isnāt always easy.
Itās totally normal to feel some resistance to the change at the startā¦
For both you and your dog.
So always remember why you started.
How will training make your life and your dogs life better?
Stay the course because itās 100% worth it.
At least once a month we say āoh Bailey would have loved this!ā
I donāt think weāll ever stop missing you Baileyā¤ļø
McCrae, VIC
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Itās been the hardest couple of days. Snickers passed peacefully in my arms surrounded by his family at 15 years of age. Love isnāt a strong enough word but I sure hope he felt it right up until the end. I canāt even begin to describe how incredible this dog was and how much he changed my life and the lives of so many other dogs and humans. Thereās dogs, thereās amazing dogs, thereās heart dogs and then thereās Snickers in a league of his own. We brought Snickers home when I was 19 so heās been through SO many milestones with me, I canāt imagine life without him, but I know the lessons he taught me will last a lifetime. Love you bubba.
š¤ÆMany dogs owners donāt even believe itās possible to have a well-behaved dog. š§ The first step to having a well-behaved dog is CHANGING YOUR MINDSET! šGet rid of those beliefs because they are absolutely NOT true and are holding you and your dog back from reaching your potential. ā So whatās the first step to get rid of those dodgy beliefs? š¤Become aware of them! Look out for and notice when you say these things either out loud or in your head. Catch yourself doing it and then exchangeā¦. Eg. āArgh heās so stupid, why wonāt he listen!ā Exchanged forā¦āHeās not understanding what I want. How can I communicate the expectations more effectively?ā You can, your dog canā¦ take the first step today. #trainwithme #dogtrainingmindset #dogmanshiptrainingacademy #gooddog #trainyourdog #alldogsaretrainable
NEW EPISODE of the š¾Dog Training Tipsš¾ podcast is up! Megan is such a dedicated owner on a mission to help beautiful Tilly live an even better life! Their story is just beginning but already theyāre inspiring othersš¤©Enjoy!#dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingtipspodcast #dogtrainingadvice #dogpodcasts #dogbehaviour #reactivedogs #betterdogbetterlife #dogtrainer #trainyourdog #australiandogtrainer
#trainwithme #startnow #gooddogblueprint #dogmanshiptrainingacademy #dogmanship #trainyourdog #offleadcontrol
Practice makes permanent!#dogmanshiptrainingacademy #dogmanship #dogtrainer #dogtrainingtips #dogbehaviour #dogadvice #dogtraininghelp #gooddogs #familydog
Grand Final Day Challengešš I would love to see how you go! Tag me in your stories š¤©PS. If this feels impossible right now you need to join the Dogmanship Training Academy! #aflgrandfinal #gocats #grandfinal #dogtrainingchallenge #aflchallenge #footydogs
There are so many benefitsā¦ š¾your dog will move, stretch and use different muscles š¾they will use their nose which is great enrichment and also calmingš¾they will need to problem solve to get over and under obstacles š¾you can practice training in new environments š¾itās fun and a great way to improve your bond #dogwalking #adventurewalks #dogwalker #dogadventures #walkyourdog #dogdays #bushdogs
If you donāt work on impulse control EVERYTHING else will be so much harder! #dogmanshiptraining #dogtrainingtips #trainyourdog #impulsecontrol #beachdogs
ā ļøTop 3 reasons people donāt train their dogā¦ 1ļøā£ They think they donāt have enough time 2ļøā£They think they donāt have enough money 3ļøā£They think their dog is untrainable š¤ÆMy goal is to show you how all 3 of those things are most likely untrue! ā Flexibility to train when you want, where you want. Even if you have kids at your feet, work shift work or are just a busy bee! ā Prices that are cheaper than your daily coffee. ā Proven methods designed to teach your dog to listen no matter the distraction so they can truly be part of your life and family. šāāļøI always say a trained dog is a happy dog and in this FREE INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP Iām going to explain exactly WHY training your dog will make you AND your dog so much happier!Get it at š dogmanshiptraining.com/free
Find the āDog Training Tipsā podcast on Apple, Spotify or Google podcastsš² #dogtrainingtipspodcast #dogtrainingtips #trainyourdog #betterdogbetterlife
Donāt focus on the past. If youāve adopted an older dog donāt make them a victim of their past by focusing too heavily on it. If you wish you did things differently with your dog (literally everyone, no one is perfect) take the lesson your dog taught you and move forward! Shout out if you need the blueprint!š²
Whatās your plan? Whatās your plan when your dog does a behaviour you would love them to repeat? Whatās your plan when your dog does something you wish they would never do again? Whatās your plan for building a clear communication system you can use in every situation? Without a plan itās likely youāll confuse your dog and just end up feeling frustrated. Need some help with your plan? Come and check out the Good Dog Blueprint, youāll find it in the Dogmanship Training Academy šš
They put in the time and the effort and now they get to reap the rewards! Are you and your dog next?šš#offleaddogs #traineddogshavemorefun #dogtraineraustralia #trainyourdog #trainingequalsfreedom #dogmanship #dogtrainingtips #betterdogbetterlife
We hear the word ācontrolā and think ālack of freedomāā¦ but in the case of our dogs living in a human world control is the very thing that gives them all the freedom ā¤ļø
So, your dog acts like an aggressive lunatic on walksā¦ despite the fact that at home they are super affection sweetheartsššæ šWe can change that. ā First we need to establish a communication system and a relationship based on rapport, leadership and trust. (No more ignoring you!). ā Then we need to make some lifestyle changes at home. ā Then weāre ready to transform our walksššš¤©. Ready to do it? š²Check out the Dogmanship Training Academy! šLink in bio