Pups Academy

06/08/2024

If the ingredients alone weren’t enough to put you off - this might 😳

04/08/2024

Finally, we’re at a turning point in veterinary nutrition. ✨ Vets are the last group of formally trained medical professionals to still actively (and sometimes aggressively) promote the exclusive feeding of ultra-processed, pelleted food for a lifetime (birth to death), as a means to achieve longterm health. 🥺❓
This incongruent and unorthodox recommendation is a result of our nutrition education during veterinary medical school. As of now, every vet school around the world is endowed by a Big Pet Food brand, so their nutrition curriculum is funded, prepared and executed (taught) by the top (ultra-processed) pet food manufacturers (or faculty funded by them), so our future vets don’t have access to unbiased nutrition information. But our Next Generation vet students are asking more questions 💥; aren’t less processed, fresher foods healthier for all mammals? How does heat and extended, unregulated, storage temps affect added nutrients, flavorings, palatants and additives 🌡️? Where are all the synthetic nutrients coming from, and is anyone regulating safety? In the U.S., there’s no limit on the amount of copper and other minerals in pet food… and what happens when we feed excessive amounts in perpetuity?
While some vet med students may not feel nutrition is relevant to their future (see link in graphic), and some (correctly) feel they aren’t adequately prepared for the job ahead of them, we have a whole new generation of intelligent, inspired, and empowered veterinary students who actually understand all of these issues, and are moving forward with a clear sense of what needs to happen in veterinary hospitals around the world, but also what has to happen in the industry ☄️. The next generation of present-knowledge vets is here… let’s support the heck out of them❣️

03/08/2024

Interested to hear your thoughts! Tell us in the comments - do you think this is an appropriate statement?

🗣️🗣️🗣️

Love your dog? You'll love our gear – visit ShopCanineAesthete.com 🛒👕

31/07/2024

This is Kobe the Siberian Husky 🐶 Kobe had his Behaviour Consultation today where we worked through:

🧡 Correct canine diet for a healthier more trainable dog
🧡 Dispelling common training and feeding myths
🧡 Marker conditioning
🧡 How to discourage jumping and nippy behaviours
🧡 Supporting your puppy through teething
🧡 How to stop puppies chewing on furniture
🧡 Eliminating demand behaviours such as barking/jumping for food
🧡 Toileting routines
🧡 Enrichment
🧡 Resource guarding (food aggression)
🧡 Crate training
and much more!

We can’t wait to move Kobe onto his next steps for training and see him smash his training 💪🏽

Is your dog or puppy struggling with some of the above issues? Call us today on 0466800347 for a free 15 minute discovery call to see if we can help you and your dog.

31/07/2024

Dogs are 10-16 year living, breathing commitments not gifts or toys 🤷🏽‍♀️

GIF for reference in the comments for anyone that didn’t grow up with Clifford 🙈

Imagine Franky the size of clifford....

29/07/2024

We still have a few spots available for tomorrows class! Our puppy pre-school class is run over 5 weeks with a small class size to ensure each of your wonderful puppies get the time and attention they need each week to make the most progress.

Tomorrow's Theory class will commence at 6:30pm at West Blacktown Veterinary Clinic and Weeks 2-5 will commence at 6pm at the same location 📍

📞 Contact 96214984 today to book your spot.

We will see you there!

24/07/2024

This is a 🐰🕳️ topic!

First we need to consider what is a reward to a dog? There is no single answer to that because what each dog finds reinforcing is dependent on that specific dog. This is why some dogs work and train for a ball where as others will only work for food. Some will work for a ‘good boy!’ or a pat. Each dog is different.

Beyond this - there are things we may not see as rewards which your dog in fact percieves as a reward. This can be very dependent on the particular situation your dog is in. If your dog is barking at the back door because they want to come inside - what do you think their goal is? This goal connects directly to what they will find rewarding in that very moment. Giving them a ball (even if they generally like their ball) may not be reinforcing at all in that moment. Instead - any sort of acknowledgment i.e. eye contact from you or being let inside would be considered a reward for that behaviour. The behaviour in their mind - barking, caused the reward to happen because it occured when they did said behaviour.

So what happens from here?

The next time they’re put outside - they go straight to barking, maybe even faster than the last time because they percieve it to be a rewardable behaviour (I get let inside when I do this!).

Behaviours that are rewarded are repeated!

Our dogs only do things which better their current situation so if we are apprehensive to provide them with food rewards through training - how will they possess the motivation to obey commands?

One of the most eye opening moments of my career was learning that even at the highest level of training i.e. police, military, high level obedience competitors, dogs are still rewarded! And this is absolutely the case for all animals. Everything they do is to better their own situation. So we need to show our dogs where their advantage lies and use appropriate reinforcement to do so.

In a nut shell - dog training is:

Step 1 - Figure out what motivates your dog.

Step 2 - Use that motivation to build value in yourself as a handler.

Step 3 - Teach skills using their primary motivator & reinforce behaviours you like so they present more frequently.

23/07/2024

Congratulations Archie, Maeve and Marshall for graduating our 5 Week Puppy PreSchool Program at 🎓🧡

What a fun class with a wonderful bunch of handlers doing their best to set their pups up for a happy & skilled life ahead! We really enjoyed this one 😍

Our next class starts next week the 30th of July running for 5 Weeks each Tuesday night at West Blacktown Veterinary Clinic. If you’ve got a puppy under 16 weeks and want to set them up well during their critical period (6 - 16 weeks) call on 96214984 ☎️

23/07/2024

Want a well-behaved, social pup? Never fear, West Blacktown Vets and Nad from have got you covered. Bring your new friend along to our Puppy Preschool Class and give them the best start to life. Spots are limited to maximize one-on-one attention, so book your place NOW! (02) 9621 4984

21/07/2024

Just over two weeks ago we made a trip all the way up to Goulburn to assess a very special dog by the name of Alice!

Alice is a support dog for a high school support unit and does such a wonderful job in her role at the school. During Alice’s assessment we looked at various scenarios and settings where Alice would be expected to coexist with students and manage herself whilst assisting students appropriately throughout the day. We were very happy to be able to pass Alice on her assessment and cant wait to work with her handler to continue to build Alice into the wonderful dog she is already proving to be! 🤩

07/07/2024

None

06/07/2024

Fussy Dogs

We posted a reel on motivation the other day but felt it’s important to go into a little more detail on fussiness in dogs. We have been seeing a rise in fussy eaters of late and interestingly enough it appears to be more prevalent in smaller breeds and particularly oodle mixes. We think it has less to do with the breed and more to do with owners perceptions of their dog (and how much they’re often babied 🙈).

Now let’s clear something up! The only issue with babying your dog is when there is fall out into other areas of their life with you. Sleeping on your bed? No problem as long as they arn’t resource guarding the bed or displaying aggressive behaviours. Sitting on furniture? As above. Eating human foods? As long as its dog safe and not while you’re sitting down for a meal - no problem and in fact this is recommended!! Ask us why in the comments if you want more info 🫢

In regards to fussy easters - the most common action I see owners who have fussy dogs take is: changing their dogs food constantly. From our years working in pet retail this was what we noticed was the common denominator between fussy dog owners. Essentially when you change your dogs food or give them cheeky snacks on top of regular food they realise something better is available and will refuse other foods. Remember our dogs stomachs have evolved to go long periods without food so not seeing them eat a meal or two bothers owners 100% of the time before their dog is bothered by it. The fact is - unless a dog is seriously ill or in pain they will not starve themselves. When hungry enough, they will take any opportunity for food that they’re given.

Couple this with the fact that most of our dogs are over fed and have large stores of fat and muscle to use up - means your dog is set to out wait you once you start getting stricter with their diet. Doing this has the added benefit of creating a feeding routine with your dog which means if they happen to actually be sick some day and go off their food, you will be able to pick up on this straight away.

So - how do we do it:

We ran out of characters in this caption so check the comments!! ⬇️

30/06/2024

🌟 YUZU EARNS HIS FIRST ANKC PASS IN SCENTWORK!! 🌟

Yuzu & Meng did us proud yesterday at the NABDTC Scentwork Trial in Hillsborough passing their first ever trial in Novice Interiors!

Our goal at Pups Academy is to better your life with your dog. Nothing less. Sometimes this looks like modifying difficult behaviours, teaching obedience or even trying a new sport with your dog. The overall aim is to better your relationship as a team through clearer communication and understanding.

Earlier this year we began running scentwork classes aimed at owners who knew nothing about the sport to learn more about it and get their dogs into something they could both enjoy together. We run our classes open to all dogs (reactive/nervous/aggressive) because all dogs are capable of using their noses and we find all owners are able to benefit from being able to teach & read their dogs better. Scentwork happens to be the perfect avenue for this whether you intend to compete or not!

About a month ago, Meng asked if I thought it might be too early to trial with Yuzu. Having only started their Scentwork journey with us right at the end of February this year and keeping in mind that Yuzu is also an Akita (naturally aloof and independent) we weren’t sure if Yuzu would be quite ready by trial day but encouraged them to ramp up training as a team and give it a red hot go!

We had also entered Neon in some Excellent searches at the same trial which was a wonderful opportunity for us to be present and help them out on the day to navigate all things trialling/dog sports!

We were so thrilled to see Meng and Yuzu walk out of their search yesterday with not just a quali card and ribbon but to have completed the search in 18 seconds!!! Those of you that have met Yuzu or any Akita for that matter will know just how much of an achievement this is. Congratulations team Yuzu! We are so proud of you both! 🧡

24/06/2024

Starting tomorrow!!! 🤩 For puppies 16 weeks old and under!

Introducing a new and exciting change to the way our puppy pre school classes are run! 🤩

It is our absolute pleasure to introduce our new puppy trainer Nad, head trainer from Pups Academy. With years of experience doing puppy preschool, 1 on 1 at home training, and training her own staff, Nad has a wealth of experience behind her.

Our next Puppy Preschool class starts on Tuesday 25th June at 6pm. Not only is puppy preschool important for training your pup, Nad brings a refreshing take on the classes with a particular focus on the relationship between you and your new family member.

Want to learn more about Nad or our puppy pre school classes? Visit our website or call us 🩵

24/06/2024

The four legged experts 🤣🙈

Adventures of Josie + Axel and their crazy dog mom

20/06/2024

Have you got a puppy 16 weeks or under? Sign up for our brand new puppy pre-school class starting this Tuesday!

📞 9621 4984 to book today

Just a reminder that Puppy Preschool with Pups Academy starts next week! This Puppy Preschool encompasses years of experience to deliver a cohesive and well versed class, catered to your specific needs. Call us to book in! 🐶 🎓

17/06/2024

🎉🐾 PUPS ACADEMY IS NOW OFFERING PUPPY PRE-SCHOOL 🐾🎉

We are pleased to announce starting Tuesday the 25th June 2024 we will be running an incredible 5 Week Puppy Pre-School at at 6pm!

The very beginning of our professional career in dogs started many years ago running puppy classes. This evolved into managing and training staff to run classes, then 1 on 1 in-home training - so it truly feels like we have come full circle at Pups Academy!

We have taken our years of experience working with puppies, difficult behaviour modification cases and everything in between to analyse the main issues owners are facing with their dogs today and create the ultimate puppy preschool program for you.

Our aim with this 5 Week Program is to equip puppies and their owners with the tools and skills needed to tackle not just the first few months at home but the years beyond!

This program will be open to puppies between the age of 8 and 16 weeks to capitalise on the critical developmental period and lower the chances of behavioural issues developing beyond this stage of life.

All bookings will be taken directly through so please contact 9621 4984 to book your spot in our brand new class 🐶 Limited spots available.

We cannot wait to see you there!

13/06/2024

11/06/2024

We are running our final block of Intro to Scentwork for Winter! Fill out the form to be notified and join us: https://forms.gle/BNMFuJ19X4QpXLLYA

Note:
- This class is the prerequisite class for all our scentwork classes and does not require prior training or experience. Scentwork builds on your dogs natural skills and therefore they do not need any specific obedience or skills prior to starting with us.
- Dogs work individually in the class and we are therefore able to take on dog/human reactive dogs as dogs do not see each other during the class and spectators can vacate the room if needed.

03/06/2024

What was the most valuable skill you/ your puppy learnt in puppy pre-school or from a trainer?

25/05/2024

Tyra is looking for a new home!

Tyra is a 2 year old, intact female, German Shorthaired Pointer. She is great with kids and dogs but unfortunately her owners don’t have the time to care for her so are looking to find her a good loving home 🧡 We are offering 2x free training sessions to help her get settled and assist her new family as needed.

Please contact Eddy on 0416 212 548 if you would like to meet her and potentially welcome her into your home 🐾 We’d appreciate if this could be shared around so Tyra can find the right home.

*Disclaimer: The above information has been provided to us by a third party so please contact Eddy directly and meet Tyra if you think she may be a good fit for your family.

Microchip Number: 991003000193262

23/05/2024

12/05/2024

To the dogs mums, the human mums, the mums juggling both roles, the should be mums, the single mums and all the mums in between - Happy Mother’s day 💖🌷🐾



📸 .and.pawprints

06/05/2024

Did you know it takes baby elephants up to a year to learn how to use their trunk to drink? 🤯

When you consider this, it highlights just how unreasonable it is that we expect our puppies to be perfectly toilet trained by 12 or even 16 weeks old. Yes many dogs naturally prefer to relieve themselves on grass however if your puppy has been practicing going to the toilet on puppy mats or hard flooring before they got to you - this just may be all they know and those indoor rugs sure can look a lot like puppy pads 🤔 Or maybe their bladder development is taking just a bit longer than most!

✈️ Send this post to someone you know who is using puppy pads/puppy mats with their puppy and tell them to get in contact with us!

How long did it take you to toilet train your current dog? Tell us in the comments ⬇️

06/05/2024

The Most

01/05/2024

Still remaining for tonights class! 🐾

Has your dog shown capability in searching for food, toys or maybe even you at home? Are they relatively confident in new environments? If so our Intro to Odour may be just the class for you! Our Intro to Odour class runs for 4 Weeks at our indoor location in Blacktown each Thursday at 6:30pm. We will be covering introduction to birch odour, teaching/strengthening your dogs indication and completing ANKC Novice level searches.

If you have completed foundations of scentwork with your dog or our Intro to Scentwork class it is likely you are eligible for this class. Dogs will not be passing other dogs so we are also able to take on reactive dogs at this venue. Contact us at 0466800347 if you'd like to join us this Thursday!

29/04/2024

Has your dog shown capability in searching for food, toys or maybe even you at home? Are they relatively confident in new environments? If so our Intro to Odour may be just the class for you! Our Intro to Odour class runs for 4 Weeks at our indoor location in Blacktown each Thursday at 6:30pm. We will be covering introduction to birch odour, teaching/strengthening your dogs indication and completing ANKC Novice level searches.

If you have completed foundations of scentwork with your dog or our Intro to Scentwork class it is likely you are eligible for this class. Dogs will not be passing other dogs so we are also able to take on reactive dogs at this venue. Contact us at 0466800347 if you'd like to join us this Thursday!