Sitdropstay Melbourne

27/06/2024

Well done to our Melbourne Trainer, Rod Sinclair, for another great review. Over 180 5 star reviews. 👏

27/06/2024

We recommend this book to all our trainers and anyone who wants to look a bit deeper into the human/dog connection and how it affects their dog’s behaviour.

“Holy s**t George, I’m on page three of starting this book and it’s resonating with the force of a slap in the face!!!
😳 Thank you so much for the recommendation 🙏😊”

27/06/2024

Meet Koukla 🐶 A gorgeous and very clever 4 month old Golden Retriever puppy. Her devoted owners reached out for help after she decided to add "demon mode" to her repertoire and was having big tantrums as well as nipping and biting whenever she wasn't getting her own way.

When dogs receive too much freedom too soon and a lack of healthy boundaries, they can quickly become controlling and entitled.

Owner education is the key 🙏 Koukla is now well on her way to being the polite and respectful pup her owners knew she could be.

27/06/2024

Today was the fist time I’ve ever seen or worked with a Landseer. Apparently there are only 10 in Australia. Meet beautiful Rogue who got overly excited and pulled around other dogs.

29/03/2022

04/02/2022

I had a distressed call last week from Molly the Labradors owners who couldn’t get into their car via her ramp, no matter what they had tried or been advised to do.
Today we looked at the problem for them. Too much pressure, tension and anxiety from them. Even too much excitement whenever they did finally succeed in carrying her up.
5 min into the consult this happened.

01/05/2020

Dogs are so cool.

https://youtu.be/p7fXa2Occ_U

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-do-dogs-see-with-their-noses-alexandra-horowitz You may have heard the expression that dogs ‘see with their n...

17/12/2019

Why do we discipline our human kids? Because we love them of course! Discipline means to teach, and teaching right from wrong is essential if we want them to grow up happy and well adjusted. It is not the same as punishment. One is saying "let me help you get it right" and the other is saying "I'm going to make you feel bad for getting it wrong". Big difference.
Done properly and with a loving intent, discipline does NOT mean scaring, intimidating or using force! Think about it - you don't have to yell at, scare or hit your kids for them to be respectful and well behaved - there is a calm, fair and firm way to teach life skills like boundaries, self control and consequences for inappropriate behaviour so they can be learn to have manners, be enjoyable to have around us and not be a menace to society. So why are we all being told that disciplining our dogs is abusive and that positive only training is the answer?
If you don't know how to discipline your dog effectively (which means without yelling, getting angry, rough or frustrated) get help! We are here to coach you on how to be an effective dog parent and help you find a balance between rewarding and saying yes AND saying no (and following through) when appropriate too.
Call us for a no pressure chat today 🙂

17/11/2019

07/11/2019

Brett - Sit Drop Stay Melbourne’s take on the incident in Pakenham:

https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/pets/dog-expert-says-staffies-are-gentle-dogs-and-hero-not-at-fault-for-pakenham-daschund-mauling-c-545686

A petition to save the dog from being put down has already amassed more than 80,000 signatures.

31/10/2019

10/06/2019

09/06/2019

Dog friendly weekends!

Take a walk in the park, follow fern shaded paths, and visit a pet friendly Yarra Valley winery.

08/05/2019

Pups these days eh?

19/03/2019

🤔 EXPECTATIONS 🤔
Meet Bobby and Bella. These guys are truely as sweet as they look to be in this picture. Although this wasn’t my first impression....
The family had explained these two before I met them, as being dreadful on walks, even aggressive towards other dogs. They would bark and carry on in the home, steal belongings to chew and the high pitched squeal they would make as the lead comes out and the door bell would ring was deafening. Overall, they were just ruling the house. 😈
Hearing this, it sounds like I’m about to have my hands full 🤯
All of the issues listed above though, are NOT separate issues. If we view them as being separate, we become attached to having to “correct” issues once they occur. Instead, if we view them as SYMPTOMS of the ONE UNDERLYING issue, work out what that is, and treat it, we fix the cause, and prevent the issues happening in the first place 💡
So, what was the underlying issue in this case? Well, these dogs were adored to the moon and back. Is loving your dog too much an issue 😂 of course not! We’re in this work because we adore dogs too... however... with those you love it is important to ask for respect in return... not only give it.
These dogs had been told they were king and queen of the household. So they were behaving that way! They didn’t know any different and hadn’t been asked to use any self control around the things that excite them or make them nervous before, so they simply didn’t do it! 🤴🏼👸
Honestly, it took less than 5 minutes to see a change in these dogs. By switching them off from a highly strung state to calm and passive the list of problems were fixed 🧘🏼‍♂️
I asked the owners to show me the reaction to the lead, interest in stealing objects or reactivity to the door bell and we honestly couldn’t get them to bat an eyelid 😉
Once we showed the humans how to communicate their expectations, rather than letting the dogs do as they please... we had two perfect little West Highland Angels 👯‍♀️
Anna - Melbourne
Need help communicating your expectations and helping your dog find its zen? Message us 🥰

17/03/2019

🐕 SMALL DOG SYNDROME 🐕

Ever heard that phrase❓Are all little dogs naturally bossy, yappy and stubborn❓
The answer is NO! Nature always plays a role in a dogs personality of course, but we have the ability as our dogs human parents, to redirect any of these traits into something more socially acceptable 😇
Why is it that more commonly little dogs get these labels over big dogs 🤷🏼‍♂️
Well, how easy is it to “manage” bad behaviour from a little dog compared to a big dog?...... Very easy right! That’s why so often we let small things slide as these pups are developing, that we would jump straight on top of if it were a big dog we had instead ❗️
For example... barking or growling at strangers, jumping on people and pulling on the lead 🤦‍♂️
How do most people treat those behaviours above? Well.. often you pick your dog up right? If not, we laugh it off or ignore it..... So, how can your dog learn if we aren’t redirecting, or even worse... sharing affection when the dog has done something wrong? See how it’s very easy for us to confuse our dog and tell them it’s ok by unintentionally rewarding bad behavior 💡
At the end of the day, whether or not your dog is the size of a shoe or a caravan 🤣 the behaviour is the same! So we should treat it the same!
So next time your Maltese pulls on the lead or your Poodle jumps on your guest or your Dachshund barks at a stranger, just picture it as a German Shepherd.. and think... is this ok?
At the end of the day, mutual respect between yourself and your dog is the key to a harmonious household. Always encourage manners and a calm state of mind, right from the puppy stage and your bull mastiff or chihuahua should develop into an incredibly pleasant family member 💛
Need some help curbing similar behaviours? Send us a message ❤️

14/02/2019

Assume the worst, until you know better...

Doing what I do, I’ve heard some incredibly unfortunate stories of owners making some serious mistakes, with serious consequences, with dogs that are new to them.

A few examples: Taking a newly adopted dog to the dog park, just hours after adopting them. (Resulting in a dog attack/fight.) Owners introducing a brand new dog to their existing dog(s), or friend’s/neighbor’s dogs straightaway. (Resulting in an attack/fight.) Owners (or their kids) interacting with a new dog in a very intimate, affectionate, pressure-filled fashion. (Resulting in a bite or attack.) Owners grabbing new dogs by their collar, or putting a new collar on, or physically moving/lifting a new dog into the car. (Resulting in a bite or attack.) Owners attempting to grab a food bowl, chew, or toy from a new dog that is engaged in the object/item. (Resulting in a bite or attack.)

With my dog Manny (featured in the picture above), he came into my life with a great report from the rescue person involved in pulling him. He was supposed to be solid, balanced, safe, and bomb-proof. But that didn’t change how I began our relationship. Manny came into my home where there were many dogs, lots of unfamiliar things and people, and he was totally unused to having any direction. He would growl from the crate every time someone walked by. (He was coming off of meds from his neutering surgery, which may have been the cause.) He also had, and still has, a peculiar staring problem. The kind dogs have just prior to a bite. It was terribly unnerving in a big dog like him. So even though the rescue report was great (and this person had done a great job in the past choosing solid dogs), I didn’t trust anything with Manny. I moved slowly, and I moved safely. I let him slowly earn my trust through an incremental, organic build. How was he with people (of all kinds and all situations)? How was he with dogs (of all kinds and all situations)? How was he with cats? How was he with kids? How was he with food, toys, affection? And what about that staring thing? With all of these, I moved slowly, carefully, and judiciously. And slowly I found out who he was. (The staring ended up just being a Manny peculiarity.) We had a few minor moments along the way, and we addressed them. What we found was he was indeed an amazingly solid, well-balanced, super tolerant, and safe dog...in every capacity. But it took a couple of years for me to trust at the highest levels.

When you work with troubled dogs regularly, it creates a keen sense of danger of the unknown, and unfamiliar. You not only see signs many don’t, you also see potentially dangerous situations in general, and if you’re smart, you navigate them, carefully.

My suggestion for anyone getting a new dog, is to indeed move slow. Remember that the dog is adjusting to all new factors, and factors that could cause stress and overwhelm, which could cause a negative reaction...now...but perhaps not in the future when the dog is more comfortable. Along with that, there might be issues that no matter how much time you take, your new dog could still be dangerous or unreliable in. Your job is to find out who your dog is, and what he/she is and isn’t capable of, and do this in as safe a fashion as possible.

As a professional that works in this world daily, assuming the worst until you know better is the best strategy I can share. It could save you, your dog, and others much heartache and grief.

06/02/2019

True?

05/02/2019

Does your dog steal objects from around the house then refuse to give it back⁉️
That is exactly how I came to meet Harlow. She would steal objects off the fridge, off the coffee table, from the bathroom, under the bed... then bring whatever she’d found into view of her parents. Then, would begin to tear it apart in front of them... or even worse.. go and hide with it then growl and threaten to bite if you tried to take it from her‼️
It is obvious this is an attention seeking habit. If it weren’t, Harlow would have been happy to lay and chew in peace instead of bringing whatever she had found in view of her parents first ☮️
How do we handle this.... well, the answer is not to put the tv remote on top of the fridge or closing all of the doors in the house. Doing that removes the triggers which is simply “managing” not “fixing” the issue 🔨🔧
Let’s make this habit an opportunity to teach. Firstly we need to teach Harlow it’s time to show a bit more respect around the household and it’s only ok to come inside once invited and calm. This way, she’s in a suitable headspace to be polite not bossy for attention 🙂
THEN! We go and find all of her favourite things to steal and chew and let her see them, let her see us having control over them not her. The only control she is allowed to have is self control to not touch them without permission ❌
Check out how well she’s doing in this photo here. This should be something practiced all day long. Get ready to drop something tempting on the ground, but before you do, tell your dog to “leave it”. When we’re a step ahead we have a much better chance of our dog not doing the wrong thing... rather than waiting till they’ve made a mistake to then have to correct. 👍🏻
At the end of the day, like most behavioral issues... a lack of calmness and manners will contribute to Behaviours like this. When we have a dog that is calm and respectful, we have a dog that is a delight to have around.
#

03/02/2019

Can anyone help?

12/01/2019

Who agrees? 😊

11/01/2019

This is a lovely idea ❤️

11/01/2019

Seriously.. how cute is my dog!? This is 12yr old Heidi 💕
Anna - Melbourne Trainer.
Please comment with your dogs pages below! We’d love to see how gorgeous your dogs are too 🐶🤗

10/01/2019

Teddy was such a pleasure to work with. He and his Mum learnt how to share a calm experience while walking today. Before today, Teddy has not been walked often because his family weren’t comfortable because of his strength and habit of pulling. Therefore he was being destructive in the yard and always hyperactive 😟
Today we were able to get Tiffany walking Teddy with a loose lead without any pulling, by encouraging a calm state of mind and teaching Teddy that the walk can be something different... It’s not about pulling, sniffing and jumping on everyone who passes. It’s about sharing a bonding experience with his Mum and enjoying it together ❤️
The loose lead walk only happens when your dog is using self control and is showing respect for you and your guidance 🐕
Need help with this? Feel free to give us a call 😊 @ Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

09/01/2019

Baxter is the new kid on the block.
At 8 months of age he was starting to push the boundaries with his 15 year old sister Coco 🐕
Their family were concerned as the dogs were beginning to fight as coco defended herself. Baxter was also starting to challenge his family by jumping on them, pulling on the lead and biting the children’s shoes/clothing 🤪
We spent 2 hours together today and put some exercises in place to help the family feel empowered 👨‍👨‍👧‍👦
When we all work as a team your dog will be sent a consistent message about what we expect. This will also help your older dog feel more comfortable as we’re taking the control of the situation rather than her feeling as though she has to 🐶
Sound familiar? Give us a call, we’d love to help 🤗
@ Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

08/01/2019

The bond shared between humans and their dogs can be such a special thing ❤️
When people bring home a new puppy, there is a lot of emphasis put on a plan to “train” the puppy 🐶
Instead, focusing on building trust, respect and sharing experiences is what will be the foundation of a meaningful, beautiful relationship 🤗
Once you have this, your dog will be willing to do anything for you, without the need for tricks or treats 💕💕
This photo is of me and my girl Olive. We’ve only been in each other’s lives for about 6 months and have lived by this idea. Our relationship is rock solid 😊🐕
Anna, Sit Drop Stay, Melbourne

19/09/2018

This is trainer Anna’s dog Heidi. She had an appointment today with the eye specialist to get these cataracts sorted. She was such a well behaved patient, that a stop by for a special treat was a must.
Want somewhere to take your dog for a bit of fun? Dog House is a dog cafe with Dogachinos ☕️, treats and a fun area for socialization. Check them out!

03/09/2018

This gorgeous pup was almost hit by a car in front of me this morning after taking himself for a wonder around the neighborhood. He is microchipped fortunately so his Mum and Dad have been called to come pick him up. Even if your dog is chipped, we still recommend having an Id tag with your phone number on their collar. If it were after hours this would mean we could still phone to let you know your dogs whereabouts rather than having to take him to a vet during business hours. Anything to get your loved one home safely sooner ❤️

30/08/2018

Butter wouldn’t melt 😂 .harper.oodles

02/06/2018

Martha and her new little mate Ronnie are really lovely dogs. Their Mum and Dad invited us in today to refresh them on all the important points for puppy training as it’s been a while since Martha was at that stage. Starting good routine and establishing boundaries right from word go is a far better plan than giving your new pup too much freedom, then try to tackle the problems caused as a result.
Give us a call if you’re having troubles with your dog, any age. We’d love to help

30/05/2018

Two of our Melbourne team Anna and Brett were on set today! Shooting a segment on Pawsitive Solutions TV show. Well keep you updated as to when this will air for you guys to check it out.

13/05/2018

“All this learning is making me sleepy. Can I cuddle up with my monkey now please”?
4 month old Ivy was running circles around her family and the cat! Today we put some simple exercises in place for her family to show what behavior they expected from her. Ivy was a perfect student. As soon as she was shown, she did it. As long as WE know how to be clear and communicate what we need well, our dogs are usually very happy to follow.. and we show YOU how to do that.

28/04/2018

Roxy was a 10/10 student today 💕

14/04/2018

Tiny Tilly is tuckered out ❤️

22/03/2018

03/03/2018

02/03/2018

Meet 5 month old Barney. An excellent example of the willful, spunky and loyal Bull Terrier breed. .
These guys will take the top spot within your pack if you show them the position is available. Any breed would. Dogs rarely want this responsibility. If we show respectful, solid leadership you will achieve better behavior from your dog and a happier environment for everyone.