Kaleidoscope K9 Training and Life skills

15/10/2026

Scout having a ball doing fun agility. She did such a good job. Lovely to have you return for another dog training weekend Suzie, Stephen and Scout.

12/10/2026

Obi and Luna loved the Dog Training Holiday. They joined in all the fun activities.

12/10/2026

What a fantastic weekend atBest Friend Holiday Retreat for our dog training holiday. The dogs did so well, the sun shone and the company was great. So much learning and enrichment for the dogs. Thanks to Kayla Boundy for co training with me and sharing her skills and knowledge; and to Susan Smith for making sure I was fed and looked after.

09/10/2026

We are back at Best Friends for another dog training holiday. Weather is perfect and lots of gorgeous dogs and their humans. Watch this space over the next few days to see the fun we are having.

08/10/2026

Banksy is only 17 weeks but is already learning lots of new skills. He rocked settling on his bed, showed great self-control in taking treats and is able to stay calm. What a gorgeous and clever boy. Well done Team Banksy.

07/10/2026

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EXIT STRATEGIES

An exit strategy is a practised, planned way to create sufficient distance or remove a dog that’s about to react to a trigger or situation.

An exit strategy could look like quickly increasing distance when a trigger appears, practicing quick U turns to change direction, or waiting behind a tree, car or similar object until the trigger is far enough away.

The important thing is that the strategy is not something we suddenly invent in the middle of a difficult situation. We need to keep practising it when things are calm so it becomes a normal event.

This strategy decreases stress levels, gives our dogs an opportunity to process information and helps them learn to respond in a different way from a space where they feel safe.

Think about how we may use exit strategies to help us cope and how they make us feel better.

I know from personal experience how beneficial an exit strategy can be.

Some time ago I suffered from debilitating panic attacks after a series of traumatic events. I couldn’t drive on a highway or be in an enclosed space.

My daughter was graduating from university and I could not miss this event, but what if I had a panic attack in the auditorium, couldn’t get out and embarrassed her and myself?

A therapist that I was seeing at the time helped me to develop an exit strategy.

I arrived early and found a seat right next to the exit. If I started panicking, I could just leave through the door. Just knowing that this option was there made such a difference to my state of mind and I ended up being able to make it through the entire ceremony.

The same strategy helped me cope on highways. I just had to drive from one exit to the next and if I was coping - the next and the next.

Having an escape route helped me to feel safe and I was gradually able to cope with more and more exposure.

The same is true of dogs. It’s about creating conditions that make coping and learning possible.

It’s not about running away, avoiding or not facing a problem, but developing a plan to help our dogs cope and feel safe in situations they struggle with.

06/10/2026

When we introduce a rehomed dog into our lives it is important not to rush it. Giving time for them to build trust, become familiar with a new environment, new people and new patterns of life.

Kind can be boring.
Sometimes it needs to be.

We want to show them their new life.
But they might need time to recover from the old one first.

And I completely understand the excitement.

You've brought this dog home and you want to give them everything.
All the things that say, "look how good your life can be now"!

But they don't know that yet.

They don't know this house is permanent.
They don't know which noises matter.
They don't know the people walking through the door.

Even the routines they relied on have changed.
Everything's changed.

But one thing we do know.

They arrived with a history.

Sometimes one we know quite a lot about.
Sometimes one we know almost nothing about.

So while we're thinking about all the wonderful things we'd like to add into their life, they may still be trying to make sense of the life they have just landed in.

That's why making their world smaller for a while isn't necessarily depriving them.
It can be giving them fewer things to process at once.

And then, when their new world starts making a bit more sense, it can grow.

There is plenty of time for adventures.
But they don't need to experience their whole new life in their first week.

02/10/2026

Lucy and I got invited to a community morning tea with Inner Peace Nursing and In home Care as part of Dementia Awareness week. So we came out of therapy work retirement and had a great morning.

28/09/2026

Beautiful Johnnie is working towards becoming a therapy dog with his “mum’s” aged care service Inner Peace. A therapy dog has to have a range of reliable skills such as no jumping, staying calm and confident and enjoying being around people. Getting used to being handled by strangers and ignoring distractions are essential. Johnnie is well on the way and we will be working on strengthening his skills so he is well prepared for his new role. Well done Johnnie and Annette.

24/09/2026

Kiwi the corgi that I have been fostering has now transitioned to his new and forever home. Here he is with his new owner and having a great time at the
Dog Training Holiday at Best Friends. His new owner came down from Canberra and we transitioned him over the weekend. A perfect way to say Goodbye from me and hello to his new life. Updates from Canberra indicate that he is having the best time with his new human and doggy friends. Go well little Kiwi.