How to Train a Dog

26/08/2025

Happy International Dog Day

13/08/2025

HEADS UP! There’s some very cool silent auction items up for grabs to support this worthy cause :
accommodation (including Bali) massages, clothing, photoshoots etc and some great quality goodies!

Now in its third year, Mate’s Gift: Sunday Sippers is our much-loved annual fundraiser dedicated to animal welfare, community care, and honouring...

06/08/2025

Thinking about purchasing a new house plant? Got a dog?
Don't just think about buying a nice pot...

30/07/2025

This is Brian. Yesterday was my last planned visit at his home for a while. When I arrived, I was greeted with a burst of enthusiastic zoomies and play around the front yard -so lovely to see this.
He has come leaps and bounds since we first met, much to the credit of his devoted carers.
Here he is sitting on his mat, having very quickly worked out treats fall from the sky when you sit here!

21/06/2025

Seriously though, if you have a tennis ball happy dog, it is worth noting that the fuzz on a tennis ball rubs the enamel off the teeth - a very expensive vet visit.

16/06/2025

This shouldn’t be happening. Councils need to step up and help educate. Do you know what is required under the blanket term ‘responsible pet ownership’?

🐶🍋❌ "𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲, not a Solution or Management Tool" says PPGA. "The Problem isn’t the dogs — it’s the lack of support for guardians and workers".
https://www.australiandoglover.com/2025/06/citronella-spray-use-on-dogs-is-not.html
Pet Professional Guild Australia calls for immediate education and humane strategies to support postal worker safety.

03/06/2025

Zac is a qualified MindDog. Passing a public access test as an adolescent Black Lab is no mean feat, and is to the credit of the dedication of his handler.
Zac has been on six flights now and is becoming more relaxed each time.
On his latest flight, he even had a short sleep on the plane!

29/04/2025

Unfortunately, this deception happens here too. It’s all about the language. It can be so difficult to determine what methods a business uses, that even trainers spend time asking other trainers if they have any information about a particular service because they can’t tell by reading their website. In fact, if you can’t tell from the website for sure, that’s usually a big tell. - But then they might just outright lie about it.

Given that the UK are more advanced in terms of their animal welfare and legislation, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was worse here.

Be aware that what is written on the webpage or what is being told to you is not necessarily the service you are going to receive. There is very little regulation in the pet industry in Australia, it’s up to you to ask questions.

I was working at a park recently where another trainer was also working. They worked with 3 dogs over the course of the afternoon. All of them on e-collars.

The trainer's website states that they use positive reinforcement techniques and are committed to ethical training. There's no mention of e-collars or physical punishment anywhere. So an unsuspecting owner looking for a rewards based trainer would be forgiven for thinking this trainer might be a good fit for them.

If it's important to you to find a trainer who doesn't use physical punishment or force the ONLY way to to do that is to ask an explicit question and make sure you get a clear, unequivocal answer...

"𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙥 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨, 𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨?"

Don't rely on what a website or a page might say...they are marketing tools, remember. Always, always ask if it's important to you....even if you think you already know the answer. It's up to you to be an informed consumer and understand the product you're buying.

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(𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘰𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘴)

22/04/2025

What should you include in your Pet’s first aid kit? If you have an emergency, do you know where your nearest 24 hour clinic is located?

14/04/2025

Keep your dogs safe this Easter!

- Make sure all eggs are found during Easter egg hunts.
- Keep all toxic foods well out of reach.
- Common problem foods - chocolate, grapes, raisins, hot cross buns, macadamia nuts and xylitol products (sugar free products/chewing gum).
- Educate family and guests about the dangers of feeding potentially toxic foods
- Keep contact details and opening times of an urgent vet clinic handy and contact immediately if you think your pet has eaten something toxic.

30/03/2025

Inadequate legislation needs to be addressed Australia wide when it comes to our animals.

Tasmanian state law has the weakest protections for people relying on assistance animals, and discrimination reports are growing. Those affected say considering legal action to access public spaces and necessary services is exhausting.

30/03/2025

Lower your expectations when out of the home. Once you’re adding one of the three ‘D’s’ you have to make things easier. The three D’s being distance, duration and distraction.