Ruff Mutts Dog Training

28/02/2026

I have met some new friends the last few days. Olive is a long haired Weimaraner, isn't she beautiful 😍

23/02/2026

Awesome puppy class commencing Sat 7th March in Coffs 🤩 Msg me

10/02/2026

From trainee to fully certified assistance dog today👍 Pearl rocked her Public Access Test. Superstar 🤩.

09/02/2026

A fantastic morning helping our mindDog clients in class this morning. I think everyone had fun 🙂 Big thanks to Key Community Group 👍

14/01/2026

When do you consider your age when getting a new puppy, or even an older dog? At around 60 I reckon you should have a future back up person in place for that animal, and should be part of registration details.

09/12/2025

Meeting some new friends, and catching up with old friends, Port, Taree, Forster 🤩

08/12/2025

She's done more international travel than most - Coffs- Sydney - Perth - Paris - Brussels and back again in the last 2 weeks. Smurf the superstar, supporting her favourite person 😊 Legends Scott Seccombe and Nice quiet quarantine time now, rest and recovery. MindDog doing her job 👍

27/11/2025

One of my teams leading the way 👏 Coffs Harbour to Paris ✈️ then a train to Brussels for the Invictus Games planning team. What an epic journey for Scott and his mindDog Smurf 👍👍

25/11/2025

Your dog is judging you for competency, who knew 🤣 I love studies on dog behaviour 👍

A research team at Kyoto University ran a hilarious and surprisingly deep experiment in 2022. They invited 60 dogs to watch two actors open food containers:
one who handled it smoothly…
and one who struggled like they’d never opened anything in their life.

When the dogs were allowed to choose which human to approach, something interesting happened.

Female dogs overwhelmingly chose the competent person.
Eighty-three percent walked straight to the human who actually knew what they were doing.
Male dogs? They didn’t care at all. No preference. No judgment. Just vibes.

But female dogs didn’t just choose better — they evaluated better.
They stared longer at competent humans.
They avoided the clumsy ones.
And they made choices based on who seemed more capable.

There’s one twist though:
They only cared when food was involved.
If the containers were empty, they didn’t bother judging anyone.
Which honestly makes them even more relatable.

Scientists say this puts female dogs in the same group as dolphins and chimpanzees, who can also assess the competence of others. It shows that dogs don’t just watch what we do — they judge our skill level when it matters.

So the next time your girl dog watches you struggle with the treat bag…
Just know she’s silently evaluating your life choices. 😏🐾

15/11/2025

I went to Perth to see a 2 day seminar with Turid once, it was an amazing enlightening 2 days. She really challenges your thinking

12/11/2025

Electronic collars - sold everywhere despite being illegal in NSW. Huge win in the US over false marketing of a horrible product. If you put one on a child you'd go to jail.

A recent U.S. class action (Hernandez v. Radio Systems Corporation) has resulted in compensation for consumers after claims that e-collars were misrepresented in sales and marketing as “safe” and “humane.” The complaint also outlined that such devices can cause both physical injury and psychological harm to dogs. Details are in the link below.

https://www.classaction.org/media/hernandez-v-radio-systems-corporation-complaint_1.pdf

At the UK Dog Behaviour & Training Charter, we uphold a strict no-shock collar and non-aversive policy. Training should build trust, promote wellbeing, and respect the dog’s experience, not rely on pain, fear, or coercion.

If you’re looking for humane, ethical training support that puts the emotional wellbeing of your pet first, you can find qualified professionals through our Charter member organisations and their members, who are all committed to kind, science-led methods.

Let’s keep bringing out the best in dogs through kindness, clarity, and care.

https://dogcharter.uk

23/10/2025

No dog needs “corrections.”

Corrections don’t teach. They only scare, startle, or interrupt. At best, they suppress behavior. At worst, they damage trust.

So what do we do instead?
We learn to understand why dogs do what they do.
We get better at reading body language.
We manage their environment.
We teach them what to do instead.

It’s never about “fixing” the dog.
It’s about us doing better for them.

Need help with your dog's behavior? Schedule a session today!