Bec's K9 Training

10/06/2021

27/05/2021

Last week I got to train Lucy the mini Schnauzer and Koby the German Shepherd pup! 😍
Lucy is learning to manage her barking tendencies, whilst Koby is learning some basic manners - for a pup he is learning incredibly quick and already so well mannered!
Both did so well on our session 😄
How adorable are they both?!

16/04/2021

Introducing you to one of our other fabulous trainers that you’ll see in our Rookies courses, Rebecca!!

Bec is a dog trainer from the UK specialising in positive reinforcement training. She got her degree in Canine Behaviour and Training from Chester Uni and starting her own dog training business here in Melbourne’s west. Bec has a 4 year old Lurcher called Benji who is her baby and hopefully he’ll be making an appearance here in Australia as soon as she can get him here! She loves doing puppy training and helping people bring out the best in their dogs 😇

Bec is a wonderful trainer and a great group instructor. We’re so excited to have her on the team training our little Rookies crew. Those that have already met her on Sunday’s I’m sure agree she’s a great addition to the team. Welcome Bec!!! 🐾🐶

07/04/2021

DOG OWNERS - TAKE NOTE! 🐾🐕

02/04/2021

🐣🐰🎉HAPPY EASTER! 🎉🐰🐣

Just a friendly reminder to everyone over this long weekend to keep all chocolates and Easter eggs up and out of reach from our four-legged friends 🐶

Chocolate is highly toxic for our dogs and the last thing we want over the bank holiday is to be taking our pooches to the vets and suffering from an upset stomach!

For those of you who may want to get their dogs involved in Easter, hide a few treats around the garden as their own version of an Easter egg hunt 🐶

That being said, have a safe and fun Easter everyone, or just enjoy the long break from work! 😇

22/03/2021

Dogs are born to sniff!
Using their nose is often the highlight of their walk. They love to sniff. 🦮
The area of the canine brain that is devoted to analysing scent is 40 times greater than that of the human and dogs can identify smells at least 1,000 times better than we can! 🐶

11/01/2021

It’s a scorcher of a day here in Melbourne 🥵 It’s important to keep our doggies nice and cool today!
☀️ Here’s a few tips for hot weather:

• Make sure your dog/s have access to fresh, cool water at all times

• Put a few ice cubes in their water

• You can freeze a few treats in some ice cubes that makes great enrichment for them

• Make sure they have access to shaded areas, if dog has a paddle pool, keep it in the shade and topped up with cool water. You can also provide them with a damp towel to lay on if they want to be outdoors, as long as it’s in the shade too

• Enrichment games are great for days like these indoors - scatter feeds, puzzle games/feeders, cardboard box with treats hidden in, snuffle mats (enrichment should be observed however)

• Stuff their kongs with peanut butter (organic and safe for dogs) and put them in the freezer for a bit - this will make them last longer. If you don’t have a kong, you can use an apple that’s cored with no seeds and stuff it with your dogs fav food!

• If you plan to walk your dogs, only walk them early morning or late evening on a hot day as this is when it is generally cooler.
I also see many people walking their dogs on pavements on hot days, please if it’s too hot for you to walk on bare foot, imagine how hot it is for your dogs pads!

• To keep your pooches entertained, do some intermittent, low-energy training indoors - this is great mental stimulation just like enrichment and will help to prevent boredom.

Stay safe and keep cool, enjoy the weather 😎

13/12/2020

Just a heads up
These are in lots of doggy Xmas stockings
Be very wary of what your giving your precious baby for Xmas
In our opinion,it’s a no go

11/12/2020

👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

Training your dog doesn’t happen overnight.

I know, I know…

There are trainers out there promising quick fixes…

And there are all sorts of gimmicks that promise to solve your problems fast.

But the truth is…

To train your dog in any way that is even remotely fair to them, you have to do a few things…

One…

Learn how to do it. Learn how to handle your leash. How to read your dog. How to communicate with your dog, how to apply your lessons and how to pivot when things go South…

Two…

Teach your dog. Practice until the training becomes second nature and then prepare your training for the real world. Then go to new places, and practice some more.

Three…

Fail. Fix. And try again. (Because it won’t always be pretty…but unless you let setbacks stop you, you’re learning, growing and getting better).

Truth is…

I won’t EVER give you fast fixes. (I mean, my training doesn’t take an eternity, and most of my games are pretty quick, but they won’t instantly solve all of your problems - you have to practice!)

I want you to learn how to understand your dog…

How to speak their language…

To communicate with them…

Not rely on fancy collars , gimmicks or devices, to do the talking for you.

And I want you to learn how to keep your dog fulfilled…

How to give them what they need…

To ensure they can be comfortable and confident in your world.

I’m not going to solve your problems overnight.

I will not do that to you, and I will not do that to your dog.

But I will give you a rock solid relationship with your dog built on joy, on mutual respect, and on understanding.

But just like becoming a professional athlete…

Or an actor on Broadway…

Just like training a horse, or learning to ride (right)…

Just like any relationship that’s worth anything…

It takes work.

It takes sacrifice.

And it won’t happen overnight.

05/09/2020

Yesterday morning I got to help train the lovely, big Jasper 🤩 we focussed on when the best time to do recalls are and how to set them up for success, gaining focus and stays with distractions. Jasper also had some fear for traffic noise, but managed so well at a safe distance in that he was so focussed on his owner, and learned quickly that he was more rewarding when something potentially fearful was happening 😊 I know that Jasper and his owner will keep up the good work and have fun training sessions together 😇

04/09/2020

Here is the fabulous Lady Momo demonstrating a lovely settle behaviour with the help of a Kong and snuffle mat. 😍 So what’s a snuffle mat do you ask, and what are they any good for? Well, a snuffle mat is great for dogs as it encourages them to find treats in between all the fabric layers. It stimulates their brains, which just like physical stimulation, really tires them out as they’re having to figure out how to find the treats.

A common misconception we human have when owning dogs, is that if they get plenty of exercise, they should be tired. But how many of you have taken your dogs out for walks, maybe 2-3 times a day and your dog still comes home with bundles of energy? This is because physical stimulation is great, and a must, but dogs need mental stimulation just as much as they do physical. Providing your dog(s) with enrichment toys will help to tire them out even more as they’re really having to focus on what’s being asked and how to figure stuff out.

Enrichment can be snuffle mats, cardboard boxes with paper and treats inside, a toy that releases treats when it’s moved/hit, basic training, scatter feeds, puzzle feeders and many more! All you have to do is get your creative thinking hats on! Anything that requires your dog to think about what they’re doing with fulfill this mental exertion. And some dogs will need to be mentally stimulated more than others, like our working breeds for example.

Snuffle mats are great to use for enrichment, but also great to help with a settle behaviour. These can also be helpful for those whose dogs may have separation anxiety. Providing them with some stimulation whilst being in a separate area to you, though in the same room (beginning of teaching a dog not to be anxious) will help them to focus on something else rather than the fact that they’re distant from you. Kong’s are also a great aid in this, especially as you can stuff them with all sorts of goodness! I’ve put some peanut butter (organic is better) inside Momo’s, and as it’s paste-like texture, it encourages Momo to lick the peanut butter and anything that promotes licking in dogs releases endorphins and creates a calming, settle behaviour.

Snuffle mats are incredibly easy and cheap to make! I bought a rubber mat from Bunnings for $6 and a $4 fleece blanket from Kmart, cut the blanket into small strips and tied it around the holes in the mat and ta-da! A homemade snuffle mat for $10! 🤩 You don’t have to use blankets either, you can also use an old robe or towel, the choice is yours 😇

*When providing dogs with enrichment toys, they should always be observed at all times*

If you’d like any more ideas on enrichment, feel free to message me.
🐶🐾🐕