The Operant Dog

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Bellingen, NSW
The Operant Dog

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The Operant Dog is based on the Coffs coast, NSW, offering practical dog training and behaviour support.

Practical dog training for real-world life
The Operant Dog provides reinforcement-based training in Coffs Harbour, focused on helping dogs function comfortably in the human world. Training is designed to improve everyday life - calmer dogs, clearer communication, and owners who feel confident handling real situations.

30/09/2026

Dog guardianship in one diagram. 😂

Equal parts anxiety and happiness - and somehow, we wouldn’t change a thing.

Featuring Alfie, who remains very pleased with himself. 🧡

Accurate?

26/09/2026

🐾 ONE SPOT LEFT. STARTS THIS TUESDAY. 🐾

Puppy Life Skills at starts on Tuesday 29 September, and there is one place remaining.

Across five weeks, we’ll build practical foundations for life together, including confidence, focus, recall foundations, settling, handling and positive early experiences.

Week 1 is a dog-free workshop for the humans, followed by four practical classes with your puppy. You’ll also have supporting resources and private WhatsApp group support between classes.

📍
📅 Starts Tuesday 29 September 2026
🕕 Tuesdays, 6:00–6:50 pm
🐶 For puppies aged 8–18 weeks when the course begins
💰 $120 for the complete five-week course

Puppies must have had their first vaccination before practical classes.

One spot left. Book your puppy’s place:
https://theoperantdog.com.au/product/puppy-life-skills-enrolment/

16/09/2026

New puppy? Let’s start them off on the right path. 🐾

Puppy Life Skills at Bellingen Vet Hospital is about more than learning to sit. It’s about building confidence, clearer communication and practical foundations for life together.

Across five weeks, we’ll work on focus, recall foundations, settling, handling and positive early experiences. You’ll learn how to help your puppy succeed, not just what to ask them to do.

And you’re not left guessing between classes. Supporting handouts, videos and our private WhatsApp group give you help while you’re putting the training into practice at home.

📍 Bellingen Vet Hospital

📅 Starts Tuesday 29 September 2026

🕕 Tuesdays, 6:00–6:50 pm

🐶 For puppies aged 8–18 weeks when the course begins

💚 Maximum 5 puppies per class

💰 $120 for the complete five-week course

Week 1 is a dog-free workshop for the humans, followed by four practical classes with your puppy.

Puppies must have had their first vaccination before practical classes.

Start them off on the right path.

Book your puppy’s place:

15/09/2026

After more than five dog training classes over six years, Ollie had plenty to compare us with.

His feedback? The Operant Dog was the most informative and in-depth training he had experienced.

That means a lot. Good training should help you understand your dog and build practical skills that work in everyday life.

Looking for reinforcement-based dog training in Coffs Harbour and across the Coffs Coast? Start with the support your dog actually needs.

12/09/2026

Ren and Frank never completed Puppy School or any previous training but Frank had a good understanding of how to train a dog and did a great job with Ren.

They enrolled in Life Skills when they started to experience some issues with Ren and her excitability around people. She was still quite young and very trainable.

Both Frank and Ren took to the program very well and progressed so quickly - mostly because they put in the work. Frank woukd have won an award for most consistent in sending in his homework had one existed!

Life Skills group classes aren’t simply about learning what to do. We explore why training works, what your dog is learning in each moment, and how your timing, reinforcement and communication affect the outcome. Not just constantly telling the dog what to do.

The students that get the most out of class are those who put in the work between classes, just 5-10 minutes each day on your homework makes a world of difference and sets you up for a long and happy life with your dog.

Life Skills isn't about endless sits and drops, it's a out building skills to do more with your dog.

I don't just teach the what, I teach the why so you understand how to reinforce and reduce behaviours in your dog.
Knowing what to do is useful. Understanding why is what helps you adapt when real life doesn’t go according to plan.

Send me a DM or comment Life Skills and I'll send over details of where to enrol.

09/09/2026

Already done puppy school or attended other dog training group classes?

It can be easy to look at the Life Skills group classes as just another group class and wonder, “Will we really learn anything new?”

Laurie’s testimonial offers a pretty good answer.

Life Skills group classes aren’t simply about learning what to do. We explore why training works, what your dog is learning in each moment, and how your timing, reinforcement and communication affect the outcome. Not just constantly telling the dog what to do

Even experienced handlers can benefit from revisiting familiar skills, refining their technique and developing a deeper understanding of the dog in front of them.

Knowing what to do is useful. Understanding why is what helps you adapt when real life doesn’t go according to plan.

If a very experienced and capable handler like Laurie can get so much value out of the classes, imagine what you could do!?

Comment Skills and I'll send you some details or send me a DM. Always happy to chat Dogs 🙂

08/09/2026

Whilst Nova was the first Reactivity Support dog to enrol and graduate from Life Skills, I'm sure she won't be the last.

I'm so fortunate to get to work with such dedicated dog guardians and change dogs lives for the better.

Reactive Dogs aren't bad dogs, they just need a little help and I'm here to do just that.

Is your dog struggling in life and you're struggling too. it doesn't have to be that way.

Drop me a DM or comment Super Nova and I'll send over some details on how we can start changing your dogs life for the better.

https://theoperantdog.com.au/life-skills-group-program/

Serving Coffs Harbour and the surrounds

06/09/2026

What a great group of students. I really do have the best job ❤️

This was a very special graduation. Not only did every dog and handler do incredibly well, but it was also the first time I’ve run back-to-back Life Skills classes.

There were a few very young dogs in the mix, as well as my first Reactivity Support client to continue into Life Skills and graduate... and my Wife graduates with our baby dog Gwen (I would have hated to fail them 🤭)

I’m so proud of every one of them. Watching their video testimonials back made me a little emotional and reminded me just how far they’ve all come.

For some, this is only the beginning. A few will go on to Agility Prep, while others will return for casual Life Skills classes, which are available exclusively to Life Skills graduates.

If you’ve been thinking about joining Life Skills, don’t leave it too long. Each intake is limited to six dogs and places tend to fill quickly.
Waitlist available on the website for those who missed our or prefer different days

https://theoperantdog.com.au/product/life-skills-program-enrolment-fee/

04/07/2026

I copped a bit of heat online for using AI-generated ads because apparently AI uses a lot of water... It's not an excuse that I used the time I saved to train dogs and volunteer my time helping dogs and their people...

So, for the Boambee East intake, I asked my wife Mel to draw this one instead.

She uses slightly less water.

Thanks, Mel. You're the best.

Life Skills is a seven-week program designed to help you communicate more clearly with your dog. Rather than teaching tricks or endless repetitions of sits and drops, you'll learn a system you can use in everyday life to build focus, reliability and better decision-making.
We'll cover things like pulling on lead, distractions, excitement outside the home, recall, engagement and helping your dog make better choices in the real world.

The next intake starts at Boambee East Community Centre on Wednesday 30 September.

Dates: 30 September (Human Workshop – no dogs)
7 October
14 October
21 October
28 October
4 November
18 November
Classes run from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm on a Wednesday night.

Maximum of six dogs per class. Suitable for dogs aged 5.5 months and older.

Find out more or enrol at: https://www.theoperantdog.com.au/life-skills-group-program/

Or comment LifeSkills below and I'll send you the link.

Not sure if it's the right fit for your dog? Send me a DM and we'll make a plan to get them there.

Address

Old Pacific Highway
Bellingen, NSW
2454

Website

https://www.theoperantdog.com.au/

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