Diverse Tales

04/05/2026

TERM 2 AT SHIMMY DOWNS NOW OPEN FOR BOOKINGS

We’re excited to open Term 2! Running as a 4 week block to allow for my travel over east for Nationals. We’ll be back to our usual 6 week terms from mid-July.

With the days getting shorter, lighting will be in place so sessions can continue comfortably through the earlier sunsets.

We also know life gets busy, and with rising costs, committing to a full term isn’t always practical. To make things easier, we’re now offering casual bookings.
👉 Simply book and pay for the sessions you can attend.

Whether you’re committing to the full term or joining us casually, we can’t wait to see you and your dogs out on the field having fun & building bonds! 🐾

Head to the website to secure your spot!

https://www.diversesportdogs.com/?category=18608628-2ef2-4ad1-a01a-065324f3af60

03/05/2026

Our second Sip & Search will be this Thursday 07th May at the CWA hall in Eaton (Hamilton Road), 7:45pm.

We will be able to accomodate Interior, exterior, vehicle & containers at this venue.
Food provided, BYO sips.

See you all there! 🍷🐶🐾

29/04/2026

Yesterday, Glenda & Darcy visited Eaton Community Library to deliver a talk on assistance animals, in celebration of International Guide Dog Day, a day that recognises the incredible role guide dogs play within the broader assistance animal community.

For those who don’t know, Darcy is a certified assistance dog who also works across multiple therapy roles. She absolutely soaked up the attention all morning (as she should! 🐾), while Glenda loved sharing her knowledge and helping educate the community on the vital role these dogs play in so many people’s lives.

Unsure of the difference between Assistance & Therapy dogs?

Assistance Dogs
These dogs are trained to support an individual with a disability, with skills tailored specifically to their handler’s needs.
Examples include guide dogs for the vision impaired, hearing dogs, and medical alert dogs.
✔️ Certified assistance dogs have full public access rights.

Therapy Dogs
These dogs provide comfort and emotional support to multiple people across settings such as schools, aged care facilities, and hospitals.
✔️ Their visits are approved by the facility they attend.
❌ They do not have public access rights.

We love any opportunity to educate and advocate for these incredible dogs and the difference they make every single day 💜

25/04/2026

23/04/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who braved the chilly air, it definitely made the searches a little more challenging, but every dog rose to the occasion and worked their socks off! 💪🐶

We had some awesome setups and plenty of creative (and very tempting) distractions… from smelly herding boots and sheep’s wool, to roast beef and chicken 🤤 Safe to say the dogs had to stay very focused!

We absolutely loved seeing everyone get involved, and we’re already excited to see what clever and creative searches you all come up with next time 👀✨

Stay tuned… the next Sip & Search is going to be just as fun! 🎉

23/04/2026

☕🐾 Introducing…CAFE DOGS BUNBURY🐾☕

We’re excited to bring Cafe Dogs to the South West, in collaboration with Helen from Stellar Dogs Training & Education, who have successfully run Cafe Dogs Perth for the past 3 years.

Have you ever wished you could include your dog more in your everyday life?
Take them out to cafés, markets, and public spaces, without worrying about how they’ll behave?

This course is designed for you!

Our structured program is specifically built to help your furry companion learn and practice calm, polite behaviour in controlled, safe, and supportive environments.

🐶 Your dog will learn to confidently navigate real-world distractions, including:
• Other dogs
• Adults & children
• Trolleys & movement
• Bikes & busy surroundings

We set you both up for success with a gradual, confidence-building approach:

✨ Weeks 1–4:
A carefully designed mock café environment where we can work through behaviours, build skills, and grow your dog’s confidence.

☕ Weeks 5-6:
Taking those skills into local cafés, applying everything you’ve learned in real-world settings.

⸻

Ready to enjoy more of life with your dog by your side?
Secure your spot today and unlock your dog’s full potential, so you can confidently experience the world together.

Head to the website to secure your spot! ⬇️
https://www.diversetales.com/book-online

22/04/2026

Looking forward to seeing everyone at our first Sip & Search tomorrow!

✨ Sip & Search is here! ✨

After doing our best to find a day that suited everyone, we’ve locked in a schedule that will allow us to run these sessions consistently moving forward. We are hoping that holding these fortnightly will give everyone the opportunity to attend when they can.

📅 Fortnightly Thursdays
🕕 6:00pm start

Those who arrive first are welcome to begin setting searches. Our aim is to have a variety of searches set and left to sit for different durations, using a range of oils and vessel types to help build each dog’s scent library and experience.

🍇 $10 per person to contribute towards a shared platter of nibbles
🍷 BYO drinks — this allows everyone to bring along something they enjoy

We’re really looking forward to creating a fun, supportive environment where both handlers and dogs can learn, practice, and enjoy the process together.

Let us know if you’ll be joining us! 🐾

22/04/2026

Starts next week!
Still a couple of places left.

12/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GGxLDBPQ9/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Say hello to Paws and Pages, our brand new monthly reading program at Eaton Community Library 🐾

Designed for kids who are building confidence with books, dogs, or both, Paws and Pages pairs each child with a calm, trained assistance dog for a cosy 15-minute one-on-one reading session. No pressure, no judgment, just a patient furry friend who's always happy to listen.

It's a wonderful fit for hesitant readers, kids who find reading aloud tricky, or children who are learning how to interact with animals safely. Handlers are present throughout, so little ones are supported every step of the way.

Families are welcome to bring a favourite book or choose one from the library.

Sessions are one-on-one and space is limited, so bookings are essential. Head to the link below to secure your spot 📚🐶

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/paws-and-pages-tickets-1985786819834?keep_tld=true

12/04/2026

✨ Sip & Search is here! ✨

After doing our best to find a day that suited everyone, we’ve locked in a schedule that will allow us to run these sessions consistently moving forward. We are hoping that holding these fortnightly will give everyone the opportunity to attend when they can.

📅 Fortnightly Thursdays
🕕 6:00pm start

Those who arrive first are welcome to begin setting searches. Our aim is to have a variety of searches set and left to sit for different durations, using a range of oils and vessel types to help build each dog’s scent library and experience.

🍇 $10 per person to contribute towards a shared platter of nibbles
🍷 BYO drinks — this allows everyone to bring along something they enjoy

We’re really looking forward to creating a fun, supportive environment where both handlers and dogs can learn, practice, and enjoy the process together.

Let us know if you’ll be joining us! 🐾

06/04/2026

🚗 Friday – SprintDog in Perth
We kicked off the weekend travelling to Perth for a day of SprintDog with Darcy.
She absolutely flew down the 100m track, putting her heart into every stride and successfully qualifying in both of her runs. A brilliant start to the weekend!

⸻

⚡ Saturday – SprintDog Round Two
Another big day on the field with Darcy, Maloo, and Sunny.
• Darcy backed up beautifully from Friday.
• Maloo, our speed-loving boy, showed off his passion for going FAST (as always!). Even on a “slower” run at 42.5km/h, he’s now just 14 points away from his second SprintDog title – which he’ll be chasing next weekend at the Whippet Club trial 👀🔥
• Sunny had her very first SprintDog run and wow – she absolutely embraced the thrill! Chasing baggies like a pro, she clocked an impressive 40.68km/h in a brand new environment.

⸻

👃 Sunday – Advanced Scentwork Trial
Darcy and Nala stepped up into Advanced for their second trial since gaining their titles – and the level of work here is no joke! Multiple hides, plus strong distractions to ignore.
• Darcy worked her heart out, successfully locating both hides and confidently ignoring distractions in her Vehicle search.
• Nala was ON FIRE 🔥 She nailed both her Vehicle and Exterior searches and earned 🥈 2nd place in Exterior! An incredible performance.

⸻

🎉 Monday – Novice Scentwork & Birthday Celebrations!
A very special day as our two youngsters, Maloo & Sunny, celebrated their 2nd Birthday! 🥳 What better way to spend it than doing what they love?
• Sunny didn’t secure a pass this time, but she is still learning to navigate the trial environment – and doing so with a new handler (Glenda). This is a huge adjustment for both of them, and their partnership is growing stronger with every session 💜
• Maloo absolutely delivered! He aced both his Vehicle and Exterior searches and is now just ONE containers pass away from his Scentwork title and moving up to Advanced – an outstanding achievement for only his second trial!

⸻

We truly couldn’t be prouder of Darcy, Nala, Maloo & Sunny. Each dog showed heart, resilience, and growth across every single day 💪🐾

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💜 A very special thank you
To Helen Michelle, Stellar, Taco & Tinky – thank you for welcoming us into your home and for your ongoing support, knowledge, and guidance over the years. You’ve played such a huge role in helping us grow as handlers and teams, and we are so grateful. You made the weekend even more special 🥰

⸻

Here’s to more growth, more goals smashed, and more fun with our incredible dogs 🐕✨

Stellar Dogs Training & Education

31/03/2026

✨ We want YOUR opinions! ✨

We’re looking at starting a regular get-together for some fun scentwork training — and we’d love your input!

Jo has kindly offered to host at her place, and we’re thinking either monthly or fortnightly meetups 🐾

Here’s the idea:
Each person attending sets one search, so everyone gets the chance to run blind searches AND practice building their own setups, It will include Interior, Exterior, Containers & Vehicle. We’ll coordinate things like distractions (and even include some blank searches!) to keep it varied and valuable for everyone while building our libraries!

And of course… the best part 🍷🧀
A relaxed, supportive environment with wine & nibbles while we train and chat!

Now we want to hear from YOU 👇

💬 Would you be interested?
💬 Fortnightly or monthly?
💬 What evenings suit you best?
💬 Small fee to cover food OR everyone brings a plate?

Drop your thoughts in the comments — we’re keen to make this something everyone will enjoy! 🙌🐶