Dog Minds NZ

Dog Minds NZ Dog Minds NZ - Patricia - is a certified and experienced dog trainer & behaviour professional with a passion for education.

We work closely with owners to help dogs & humans live a happier life together in this crazy modern world. Patricia is a certified behaviour professional & trainer. Tailored 1-1 training & owner coaching sessions:
- private puppy/teen training sessions
- reactivity & anxiety
- full behaviour modification programmes
- educational workshops

Walks with Shadow are always full of excitement and lots of fun 😁 💕•
30/11/2025

Walks with Shadow are always full of excitement and lots of fun 😁 💕
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This week we had Juno's first training walk with us. The first session is often about building a relationship based on t...
28/11/2025

This week we had Juno's first training walk with us. The first session is often about building a relationship based on trust and communication, assessing where the dog is, how much it can handle, safety distances, ability to engage, etc.
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Juno is with us to work of leash walking when distractions are around especially dogs and strangers as she can be a bit unsure of people when out and about and reactive to dogs.
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We're only laying the foundations, but she was great and showed that she can handle a lot more than we expected her to. She is stunning which gets people’s attention and that will be one of the challenges we will face 😊
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Walks with Miss Zahra are always special. This girl is very unique. She doesn't find treats rewarding at all - we actual...
27/11/2025

Walks with Miss Zahra are always special. This girl is very unique. She doesn't find treats rewarding at all - we actually think she sees them as negative things because she often turns her nose in the opposite direction or spits them out.
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"I don't want that silly treat. I want to sniff, explore, and move."
It's like if we offer her a treat, we're creating conflict and taking away freedom to focus on her walk and sniff.
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We gave known her for a while now, so we only offer treats if she shows interest in them, normally at the end of the walk or at home.
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We are so proud of this boy! This week we saw quite a few dogs on our walk and he handled it like a champion. This was t...
25/11/2025

We are so proud of this boy! This week we saw quite a few dogs on our walk and he handled it like a champion. This was the closest he has been to a dog without reacting (except in the car). The fact that he laid down and watch him walk past, is huge for Zeus. It's been a long journey, but the improvement is visible 🙏💙🐾
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🐾 ERNIE 🐾When you are this small and cute, you attract attention and often aren't taken that seriously, so it can be ver...
24/11/2025

🐾 ERNIE 🐾
When you are this small and cute, you attract attention and often aren't taken that seriously, so it can be very hard to really show that you're actually scared and uncomfortable about humans and dogs in your space.
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This is Ernie and he is not very comfortable with strangers or dogs when he's out and about.
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His humans have learned to manage and control the situation by implementing very good strategies when they have visitors. However, now there is a baby, so a lot more management needs to come into place. It is also key that the next stage is all about coexisting, slow desensitisation and also counter conditioning him to the presence of this little human.
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He is adorable and he has so many feelings toward so many things. We are here to help him feel things a bit less intensely.
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Red, doing his absolute best to get that hidden treat. This week, we encountered quite a few dogs on our training walk, ...
20/11/2025

Red, doing his absolute best to get that hidden treat.
This week, we encountered quite a few dogs on our training walk, some barking behind fences and some just walking around.
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At the start, Red was ok to ignore, but as we saw more, he got a bit too excited. When that happens, he doesn't know what to do with that frantic energy and becomes agitated, so we found out that giving him a game or task to do is the best way to help him.
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A game of 'find it' (tossing treats on the ground), 'catch' (tossing treats in the air), or 'search' (hide treats in trees) are some of our go-to's and he likes it because they are active cues which allow him to redirect his arousal while still being focused.
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He kept his cool even when being barked at! Go Red!!!
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🐾 ROCKY 🐾We recently met this very handsome boy mainly because he has lots of (different) big feelings toward strangers ...
20/11/2025

🐾 ROCKY 🐾
We recently met this very handsome boy mainly because he has lots of (different) big feelings toward strangers and dogs. He distrusts humans and loves dogs a bit too much.
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Strangers are scary, and he doesn't trust them. Dogs are too exciting and make him lose control.
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Being 18mo (teenager) isn't easy, and it can make those emotions and reactions even more overwhelming for him and others around him.
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A process of "building trust and positive associations with strangers" is starting, cooperative care for vet visits, communication, clarity, and safety are the the base of his training and behaviour modification plan.
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Recently, a friend told me that her young son had seen my "I need space" leash cover, and that he said he wished he had ...
18/11/2025

Recently, a friend told me that her young son had seen my "I need space" leash cover, and that he said he wished he had one like that too so that people would give him more space.
That made me think....
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How often do people in general invade others' space without realising that they're actually applying some sort of (spatial) pressure and/or being invasive? 🤔
How many of us would actually like to be given a bit more space sometimes?
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So many more dogs today would rather be ignored and left alone than touched and petted by strangers. The concept of "if a dog is out and about, it is public property and wants to be petted" is alive and well, and sometimes, no matter how many times we ask them to not touch our dogs, they still do it anyway.
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It is interesting though that children often understand it so much better and quicker than adults...
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Address

Pukete
Hamilton
3200

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

+6421775562

Website

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Our Mindset

We help owners understand their dog’s temperament and behaviour at a deeper level. We focus on strengthening the bond and relationship between human and dog, guaranteeing that the dog’s basic needs are met and then we address specific issues and/or behaviour problems.

We believe that without a strong bond based on trust and a positive relationship between dog and human as well as the basic needs fulfilled (for each dog), successful training and behaviour modification will not be possible.

We also believe in real life everyday "training/management" of our dogs and we are passionate about ensuring dogs have an opportunity to live their best life and embrace their inner canine so we help owners know and better understand their dog's true nature.

We see our dogs as the bestfriends and life companions that we choose to share our lives with. But these friends need our help to understand how our crazy (human) world works and what is expected of them.