Customized training to suit your needs We are a private canine training company focussed on creating harmony between dog and owner.
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We aim to give our clients the skills to correctly interpret their dog's behavior and to teach their canine companions the commands and boundaries that coincide with their owner's lifestyle and needs. We have various services that can be customized to suit everyone's needs, budget and time frame.
Meet Simba!
He is an 8 week old Golden Retriever. He had his first session with us today and in the video below he is attempting his first ever down.
Yes, there are other ways of getting the dog into the position faster, but sometimes practicing a little patience and allowing the dog the opportunity to figure it out on his own will benefit you both in the long run!
Really simple little activity that can be done on a patio or on the grass. Handfull the dogs food, mixed with some treats and scatter!
This promts the dog to use their nose to look for the reward. It's a mentally stimulating activity that can keep your dog busy for quite some time (depending how far you scattered the reward).
It can also be used as an alternative way to feed your dog his meal!
Remember that mental stimulation is incredibly important for your dog and doesn't always require fancy toys or a massive amount of preparation.
Success is often measured in small increments. A step in the right direction, no matter how small, is one step closer to the goal.
This is the first time Rambo has succeeded chooosing to obey the command vs. Greeting a person.
For a dog that struggles with impulse control this is a very difficult choice and progress can be slow.
In this particular case we have used focus exercises, marking and praise to teach him to make the right choice.
Remember that training is still a choice and if the relationship between dog and owner is built on a respectful and positive foundation, there is nothing your dog won't do for you!
Smile everyone! It's almost the weekend!
Remember to include your floof in some of your weekend activities!
Revolution Trails is having a trail run this Saturday in Irene and it's pet friendly!
Why not pop off to Whisk Wine Bar (who are pet friendly!)for a bite to eat after?
If the active side isn't your vibe, head out to Busstop7 Open air market for some pre-mothersday shopping while you enjoy some live music. Psssssttttt - your pooch owes you a mother's day gift too😉 So have him tag along and help you choose out a spoil!
Even city dogs can meet exotic animals.
Eco estates are becoming more popular. This is great for the environment 🍃and preserves natural habitats. It also creates a space for wild and domestic animals to co-exist. 🐢🐕
For this to be as successful as possible, it's important to socialize your pet and teach him or her how to behave when they come accross a species they don't know or haven't met before. This needs to be done with the safety and comfort of BOTH animals in mind.
In this video we came across a tortoise having a stroll and McGreggor wasn't quite sure what to make of him. He wasn't allowed to make contact with the little guy, as I didn't want to put him under unnecessary stress, but McGreggor seemed happy to observe from a distance.
TORTOISE TIP! 🐢
If you want to help a tortoise cross the road a little quicker, don't pick them up high off the ground! If you have picked one up before, you may have seen, what you thought was urine expelled from the tortoise.
More often than not, it's actually just water.💧 Tortoise have what you could call; a long-range reserve tank, between their shell and body. They use it to store water. They move slow and can't often get to water sources when they need them most.
To safely move the tortoise, keep it as close to the ground as possible, so gravity doesn't work against them. Move slow, so they don't startle and place them gently on their way.
If there is a little spot where you can leave some water, definitely do. Just incase they need a top-up.😉
Send a message to learn more
Remember, your house your rules.
Society has a created a pre-set idea of what is acceptable behaviour from a pet and what isn't.
The wonderful thing about your home is that if you are happy with the behavior then thats all that matters.
In the photo here, Layla, a 7yr old scottie is sitting on the kitchen table(the owner is sitting just out of the shot) Layla comes and asks to sit close when the weather is heavy to feel comforted. She doesn't like being on someones lap, cuddled or held. But just being close gives her the comfort that she needs.
She sits quietly and doesn't try to take food or cause a havoc.
She also likes to sit on a chair nearby when her owner is in the kitchen or busy with a task. She is curious by nature and life is pretty much ankle height for her. By raising her up she is stimulated, feels included without being disruptive and gets to experience a different perspective.
*ACTIVITY IDEA*
Get down to your dogs level. Lay on your stomach or get on all fours. Have a look at life and the world from your dogs point of view. This may help you get an idea of why they sometimes behave the way they do.
It's almost Friday!!!!!
The weekend has clear skies projected (for now) so it's the perfect opportunity to take your furry friend for an outing!
There is a Walk for Love event happening at The Big Red Barn on Saturday that is open to hikers, runners and cyclists. Funds contributed to Wollies Animal Project. Tickets are available online and the event kicks off at 7:30am! Doggos are ofcourse welcome!
Afterwards pop by the Irene Village Market at the same venue for some coffee, food and handmade goodies.
If that's a little too active for you, maybe stop by Irene Village Mall for lunch or swing by Whisk Wine Bar for craft beer, good vines and delicious food.
(Just so by the by...these spots all welcome family members of the four-legged variety)
‼️Remember to be prepped for an outing!‼️
💩Poo bags - when you know you know
🍵Water bowl - hydrated hound is a happy hound
🫙Water - yes all spots have bathrooms, but navigating that with a bowl and a dog in your hand isn't always ideal.
🥩Treats/snacks - they get hungry just like you do and outings make for fantastic training opportunity!
🟧Blanket/towel - the floor could be cold, wet,too hot or just uncomfortable. It also comes in handy if things get wet or muddy before the ride home.
🥎Enrichment - a pre-prepped kong or puzzle toy helps keep your pup calm and occupied while you sit back and relax. The outing will be stimulating, but they recover faster than we do and a busy brain is a happy brain!
➡️➡️➡️➡️Enquire about our doggy duffles that are kitted out with everything you need for any outing! Fully customizable and color coded!
Send a message to learn more
Feeling the heat?
What does your doggo do to cool down? And better yet, what can you do!
Not all our furry friends enjoy a dip in the pool or simply don't have access to one. If you notice your dog battling against the heat you can:
Make sure they have access to shade
Get them to a cool spot (fan/air-conditioned area)
Have you ever noticed your dog in the flower beds or a muddy spot on a hot day? - damp earth is cool. Maybe create a designated chill spot for your pooch...muddy paws are temporary, but a happy dog beats the mess.
Look into getting your pup a cooling mat.
Use isopropyl alcohol on the pads of their paws.
Keep their water fresh and in the shade!
Things to avoid doing!
Rapid cool down(ice baths) cooling a dog down too fast can lead to shock.
Spritzing with water - seems like a good idea right? For this to be effective the water needs to come into contact with the dogs skin. If it only coats the fur water drops can get trapped between the hair and the heat will turn it to steam. Warming your dog even more!
Dont shave your double coated dog!!! Your dogs fur works like insulation and helps them regulate their body temperature. We think we are helping, but they were designed that way for a reason.
Learning something new!
In this video we have Gemma 3yrs old and Ragnar 2yrs old who both started training with us at the same time.
In this video Gemma has been put in a down stay whilst her brother is learning the 1st step in a new task.
This is his first day practicing this activity with his ball, so it's still hit and miss, but with a bit of patience and encouragement he will get there in no time!
Our end goal will be to get him to identify different objects by name, retrieve them and place them at a targeted area. This is a complex activity that teaches the dog to chain together multiple commands and to choose the command over his personal preferences.
For Gemma, this tests her ability to remain within a command with external stimulus and distraction!
The importance of a solid recall cannot be stressed enough!
It keeps your dog safe, gives him freedom and allows you to take your dog almost anywhere without having the added stress of wondering where your pooch is!
Remember that giving your dog this freedom means you need to be responsible! Just because your dog is comfortable off lead, does not mean all other dogs are. If a dog is at the park on a leash or even off, he could be in training, have a new and insecure owner or be a little skeptical of other dogs/people. If someone asks you to please recall your dog or just give them a little space it's important that your dog is able to come back to you!
We are all learning and all deserve the chance to help our dogs grow their boundaries at a rate that they are comfortable with!
A few spots we love to practice our recall:
Wolwespruit Mountain Bike & Trail Park
The Big Red Barn
Walkhaven Dog Park
Rosemary Hill Farm
Huddle Park TRAILS Group
Happy walking!
Let them sniff!!!!!
Walks for dogs aren't always about getting to your 10 000 steps!👣
A walk can be for exercise, socialization as well as enrichment.
Sniffing is a great combo activity for your dog because it combines socialization and enrichment. It allows your dog to familiarize himself with his environment, experience new🔎 smells and teaches him to identify recurring scents, like other dogs.🐕
From an enrichment point of view, it stimulates your dogs' olfactory system (the area of the nose and brain that processes scent) and this releases endorphins!
Note! Remember to check🧐 the area your dog is sniffing for any hazards☢️ or harmful items before letting them off on an adventure.
Happy sniffing!
Some of our favorite sniff spots:
Irene Village Mall
Paoli Dog Park
Busstop7 Open air market
Wolwespruit Mountain Bike & Trail Park
Rosemary Hill Farm
Feeling like you need to keep your dog seperate when you have kids snack time or entertain with friends?
Why not let us teach your furry family member how to resist the temptation of stealing a snack so they can spen more quality time with you!
Catch my good side!
Rambo is a Bernese Mountain Dog. The breed originates from Switzerland and was used as a general farm dog. Sometimes even pulling carts with produce.
They are known for their good nature and sweet temperaments, which make them excellent family dogs.
Introducing Ally to some enrichment toys!
It's important to remember that your dog requires stimulation mentally, emotionally, as well as physically. Enrichment toys can challenge your dog or have a soothing effect depending on which ones you use.
20min of mental stimulation can equate to almoat an hours worth of physical activity. Just remember that one doesn't replace the other!
Control = Freedom!
Daily dose of cuteness anyone?
Do you have any adventures planned for the weekend?
Remember, taking your dog out of his home environment can provide a tremendous amount of stimulation. It can hit the nail on the head physically, mentally and emotionally.
Here's a few ideas, if you're not sure where to start!
Wolwespruit Mountain Bike & Trail Park
Busstop7 Open air market
Irene Village Mall
Rosemary Hill Farm
Paoli Dog Park
Sometimes we get a little silly when we train!
Socializing a dog isn't always about moving on to the next thing. An important part, that is often overlooked, is teaching a dog to be peaceful and content amidst the chaos of everyday life.
Our hearts go out to the family of beautiful Sheba. You may have seen her in some of our posts. A 12 yr old girl with a new lease on life after a loss.
Sheba unfortunately became very sick and deteriorated quickly. The family made the very difficult decision to send her across the rainbow bridge before her pain became unbearable.
Our thoughts are with the family and our hearts will always remember this very special girl.
A dream.. 😮💨🤞🏽
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Look at this handsome boy!
We recently introduced obstacles and balance objects into this boy's training!
They help with balance, muscle strength, coordination, mobility and its fun! You can use objects around your home to challenge your dog and make him stronger.
Simple, balls, buckets, stools, yoga blocks, skate boards, gym balls can all play a roll in your training!
A new update on Max and Luna!
So if you saw the first video I uploaded of these 2 you would have seen how cautiously they approached me the first time. The barely came close and would retreat as soon as my hand came out.
And look at them now! We still have a long ways to go, but we have wagging tails and happy doggies in the making!
Hey guys! Some of you may have seen Max and Luna in some of out previous posts or may be following their progress.
This is our second session for the new year and what a major step for Luna!
Today was the first time we were able to touch her while she remained relaxed, without the help of food!
So proud of how far this girl has come in overcoming her fear and so excited to see her progress!
Training is hard work guys!
Remember that mental stimulation for your dog can be more intensive than physical exercise.
There are many ways to work your dog's brain including:
Training
Sniffing activities
Socialization
Enrichment games
All of the above can aid in improving your dog's behavior, preventing boredom and it makes your dog happy through the release of endorphins.
Pretoria
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Meet Simba! He is an 8 week old Golden Retriever. He had his first session with us today and in the video below he is attempting his first ever down. Yes, there are other ways of getting the dog into the position faster, but sometimes practicing a little patience and allowing the dog the opportunity to figure it out on his own will benefit you both in the long run! #goldenretriever #goldenpuppy #dogsofinstagram
Really simple little activity that can be done on a patio or on the grass. Handfull the dogs food, mixed with some treats and scatter! This promts the dog to use their nose to look for the reward. It's a mentally stimulating activity that can keep your dog busy for quite some time (depending how far you scattered the reward). It can also be used as an alternative way to feed your dog his meal! Remember that mental stimulation is incredibly important for your dog and doesn't always require fancy toys or a massive amount of preparation.
#dogtraining #coldweather #southafrica #dogtrainingsouthafrica
Success is often measured in small increments. A step in the right direction, no matter how small, is one step closer to the goal. This is the first time Rambo has succeeded chooosing to obey the command vs. Greeting a person. For a dog that struggles with impulse control this is a very difficult choice and progress can be slow. In this particular case we have used focus exercises, marking and praise to teach him to make the right choice. Remember that training is still a choice and if the relationship between dog and owner is built on a respectful and positive foundation, there is nothing your dog won't do for you! #doglover #dogtraining #dogsofinstagram #dogsofinsta #dogsofsouthafrica
Learning something new! In this video we have Gemma 3yrs old and Ragnar 2yrs old who both started training with us at the same time. In this video Gemma has been put in a down stay whilst her brother is learning the 1st step in a new task. This is his first day practicing this activity with his ball, so it's still hit and miss, but with a bit of patience and encouragement he will get there in no time! Our end goal will be to get him to identify different objects by name, retrieve them and place them at a targeted area. This is a complex activity that teaches the dog to chain together multiple commands and to choose the command over his personal preferences. For Gemma, this tests her ability to remain within a command with external stimulus and distraction! #DogTrainingClasses #dogtrainer #dogoftheday #goldendoodlesofinstagram #dogsofinstagram #dogsoffacebook #dogsofsouthafrica
The importance of a solid recall cannot be stressed enough! It keeps your dog safe, gives him freedom and allows you to take your dog almost anywhere without having the added stress of wondering where your pooch is! Remember that giving your dog this freedom means you need to be responsible! Just because your dog is comfortable off lead, does not mean all other dogs are. If a dog is at the park on a leash or even off, he could be in training, have a new and insecure owner or be a little skeptical of other dogs/people. If someone asks you to please recall your dog or just give them a little space it's important that your dog is able to come back to you! We are all learning and all deserve the chance to help our dogs grow their boundaries at a rate that they are comfortable with! A few spots we love to practice our recall: Wolwespruit Mountain Bike & Trail Park The Big Red Barn Walkhaven Dog Park Rosemary Hill Farm Huddle Park TRAILS Group Happy walking! #dogoftheday #dogtrainingclasses #bernesemountaindog #dogsofinstagram #dogtrainer
Let them sniff!!!!! Walks for dogs aren't always about getting to your 10 000 steps!👣 A walk can be for exercise, socialization as well as enrichment. Sniffing is a great combo activity for your dog because it combines socialization and enrichment. It allows your dog to familiarize himself with his environment, experience new🔎 smells and teaches him to identify recurring scents, like other dogs.🐕 From an enrichment point of view, it stimulates your dogs' olfactory system (the area of the nose and brain that processes scent) and this releases endorphins! Note! Remember to check🧐 the area your dog is sniffing for any hazards☢️ or harmful items before letting them off on an adventure. Happy sniffing! Some of our favorite sniff spots: Irene Village Mall Paoli Dog Park Busstop7 Open air market Wolwespruit Mountain Bike & Trail Park Rosemary Hill Farm #dogsofinstaworld #dogtrainer #dogtrainingtips #dogoftheday #dogtraining #burmese #dogsofsouthafrica
Feeling like you need to keep your dog seperate when you have kids snack time or entertain with friends? Why not let us teach your furry family member how to resist the temptation of stealing a snack so they can spen more quality time with you! #dogsofsouthafrica #dogtraining #rescuedog #foodthief #sneakydog #dogsofinstagram
Introducing Ally to some enrichment toys! It's important to remember that your dog requires stimulation mentally, emotionally, as well as physically. Enrichment toys can challenge your dog or have a soothing effect depending on which ones you use. 20min of mental stimulation can equate to almoat an hours worth of physical activity. Just remember that one doesn't replace the other! #dogsofinstagram #dogtraining #dogsofsouthafrica #goldenretriever
Control = Freedom! #doglover #dogtrainingsouthafrica #germanshepherd
Daily dose of cuteness anyone? #rescuedogs #dogtrainingsouthafrica #dogtraining #dogsofinstagram
#dogs #dogtraining #huskylife #huskiesofinstagram #dogtraininglife #dogtrainingsouthafrica
Stil early phases, but on his way! #dog #malinoisworld #dogsofsouthafrica #workingdog
A new update on Max and Luna! So if you saw the first video I uploaded of these 2 you would have seen how cautiously they approached me the first time. The barely came close and would retreat as soon as my hand came out. And look at them now! We still have a long ways to go, but we have wagging tails and happy doggies in the making! #gsd #germanshepherdsofinstagram #dogtrainingisfun #dogsofsouthafrica #rescuedog
Hey guys! Some of you may have seen Max and Luna in some of out previous posts or may be following their progress. This is our second session for the new year and what a major step for Luna! Today was the first time we were able to touch her while she remained relaxed, without the help of food! So proud of how far this girl has come in overcoming her fear and so excited to see her progress! #germanshepherdsofinstagram #gsdlife #gsdpuppy #dogtraining #dogtrainingisfun #dogsofsouthafrica #lovewhatwedo #kustomk9
She's back and with some major progress!! Some of you might have seen Sheba in a few of our previous posts so you might know a little about her story. For those of you who don't, here is a little recap: Sheba is a 12yr old Bull Terrier female that lived with her elderly owner for her entire life. The owner had to relocate to a more stable environment and Sheba moved in with family. Although the family she is with now is incredibly loving and caring, a move that late in a dogs life still results in trauma and confusion. Sheba processed all of this by becoming withdrawn, skittish and avoidant of people. She remained on her covered and comfy patio, but didn't interact or show interest in anything or anyone. To add to her stress, Sheba lost her right eye due to an accident. We have been working with her over the last few weeks and she has improved leaps and bounds. She now willingly goes outside, shows more interest in people and even wags her tail! Today she has gone on her second walk since we started working with her on rebuilding her confidence and what an absolute joy it is to see this lady strutting her stuff! #bullterrierlovers #dogsofsouthafrica #dogtrainingisfun #dogtrainersofinstagram #rescue #bullterrierlife #olddogscanlearnnewtricks #seniordog #kustomk9
Max and Luna Day 4 In the previous video we made huge progress in getting the pups to relax in our presence. For these dogs we are moving at a slower pace to make sure we don't cause more damage. We continued with the touch activity for 2 more sessions and introduced more movement. Then began the process of introducing them to the idea of touch on day 4. At the start of the session I held the treats in one hand and moved the other above, just as in the video, but without the intention of actually touching them. Just to get them used to the movement. After about 45min I moved my non treat hand closer and kept it still so the pups head would touch my hand as they took some treats - this way I wasn't moving a hand towards them, the sensation simply became part of the treat. Once this was comfortable I began to move my hand as seen in the video. We still have a long ways to go with these two sweet souls, but with time and commitment they will shine. #dogsofsouthafrica #germanshepherdsofinstagram #germanshepherd #dogtrainingisfun #dogtraining #kustomk9 #lovewhatwedo
Max and Luna Session 1 Part 2 So proud if this little boy! The dession started off with him not wanting to come close and ended with him lying down and starting a very basic touch exercise. We have a long way to go, but very proud of how brave he was! #germanshepherdsofinstagram #dogsofsouthafrica #dogtrainersofinstagram
Bark Vader Dog School - May the force free be
Tipperary Road
Puppy School at Valley Farm Animal Hospital
Old Farm Road
Havre Doggy Retreat And Training Centre
Hornsnek Road Strydfontein
