Best Paw Forward Dog Training

Best Paw Forward Dog Training Dog training and behaviour modification in the Greater Springfield and Ipswich region. We offer one

Does your dog growl if you get too close to their food bowl? Stiffen up when someone approaches their bone? Give you "th...
04/05/2026

Does your dog growl if you get too close to their food bowl? Stiffen up when someone approaches their bone? Give you "the stare" if you go near their favourite spot on the couch?

This is called resource guarding — and while it can be alarming, it's actually a really normal dog behaviour. It is just one that we aren't okay with (and for good reason - It can become dangerous)

Here's what's happening and your first 3 steps to address it safely:

🔎 What's going on: Your dog is worried something valuable is going to be taken away. The growl is communication — They're saying "I really like this thing, and I don't want you to take it from me."

⚠️ Step 1: Don't punish the growl. The growl is a warning. If you punish it away, you still have a dog who's worried — you just have one who might skip the warning next time and go straight to biting.

🐾 Step 2: Stop rehearsing the problem. When you feed your dog, feed them somewhere where they can't be bothered by family members or other pets.

✅ Step 3: Work on building a positive association with your approach — teaching your dog that a person coming near their food means GOOD things happen, not that something is being taken.

Resource guarding can become very serious, very quickly if it isn't managed and handled correctly. If you have a puppy or dog starting to show signs of resource guarding, reaching out for professional help as soon as possible is the best approach.

— Sarah 🐾

If your dog barks, lunges, or goes absolutely nuts when they see another dog on lead… they might be leash reactive. And ...
27/04/2026

If your dog barks, lunges, or goes absolutely nuts when they see another dog on lead… they might be leash reactive. And you are FAR from alone.

Leash reactivity is one of the most common things I work with — but it's also one of the most misunderstood. There are often 2 main culprits for leash reactivity - Fear based, or over excited. This post is about fear based reactivity.

Here's a quick breakdown of what's actually going on:

👉 Off lead, dogs can approach each other naturally and use their full body language. On lead, that's restricted.
👉 When a dog feels like they can't get away from something scary, they often go on the offensive instead — barking and lunging to make the scary thing go away.
👉 And if the other dog DOES go away (which they usually do), your dog just learned that their behaviour works. So they do it again next time.

Fear reactivity is workable! Different dogs require different approaches since each situation is nuanced, but we can teach our dogs how to be more confident and that their reactive outbursts aren't necessary.

Have you been dealing with this? — you're definitely not the only one!

— Sarah 🐾

MYTH: "My dog is guilty - Just look at his face".I hear this one a lot. And I completely understand why it looks that wa...
22/04/2026

MYTH: "My dog is guilty - Just look at his face".

I hear this one a lot. And I completely understand why it looks that way. But, that look isn't guilt.

What you're actually seeing is a stress response. Your dog has learned that when you come home and look upset, something uncomfortable is about to happen. So they offer appeasement behaviours — the tucked tail, the big eyes, the whole routine — to try to calm you down and avoid conflict.

They're not connecting it to the thing they did an hour ago. Dogs just don't have that kind of retrospective thinking.

This matters because if you're punishing your dog after the fact, they genuinely don't understand what it's for. It doesn't teach them anything useful — it just makes them stressed, and the stress can cause more destructive behaviours to happen while you are gone. And the cycle continues.

What DOES work? Setting them up so they can't practise the unwanted behaviour, and giving appropriate outlets to meet their needs with exercise and mental stimulation.

— Sarah 🐾

If you are new here, hi! I'm Sarah, the owner and trainer here at Best Paw Forward Dog Training 🐾I'm based in the Ipswic...
21/04/2026

If you are new here, hi! I'm Sarah, the owner and trainer here at Best Paw Forward Dog Training 🐾

I'm based in the Ipswich council area and I've been working with dogs (and their humans!) for over 13 years. I absolutely love what I do.

I have known my entire life that I wanted to work with animals, since I was a little kid. Originally I wanted to become a vet, but then when I discovered dog training, I just had a feeling in my soul that it was what I wanted to do with my life. So I did, and have loved it ever since.

My favourite part of the job? That moment when an owner realises their dog is capable of so much more than they thought. It never gets old. 😊 I consider myself as a type of relationship councillor, but between humans and their dogs. Once everyone is on the same page as each other, progress is so much easier.

When I'm not training client dogs, you'll usually find me going on adventures with my own. Bushwalking and swimming are some of our favourite things to do together! As a non dog related hobby, I am also super into cross-stitch while listening to podcasts.

I share my life with my amazing husband Matt, our 3 dogs (Hexxus - 6yrs, Havoc - 3yrs and Lumi - 1.5yrs), and our 2 cats (Puff Pastry and TabTab). Hexxus and Havoc are brothers from different litters who we have had since they were 8 weeks old, and Lumi is a recent addition who we fostered, but when she fit in SO perfectly we couldn't say goodbye.

I feel endlessly lucky to be able to spend each day doing what I love, and helping other people to have amazing lives with their own dogs.

— Sarah 🐾

Does your dog turn into a sled dog the moment you clip the lead on? 😅You're not alone — lead pulling is one of the most ...
20/04/2026

Does your dog turn into a sled dog the moment you clip the lead on? 😅

You're not alone — lead pulling is one of the most common things I help with. But before you can fix it, it helps to understand WHY it's happening.

Here are 5 reasons your dog might be pulling on the lead:

1️⃣ The world outside is exciting, and most dogs natural gait is faster then we usually walk
2️⃣ They've never actually been taught that a loose lead is consistently what you want
3️⃣ Pulling has worked in the past — if they pull and you follow, they've learned it works!
4️⃣ They are over stimulated or struggle with impulse control, so plodding along is a challenge
5️⃣ They haven't had enough practice walking on lead in different environments

The good news? All of these are fixable with the right approach and a bit of consistency.

Which one do you think is your dog's reason? Drop it in the comments! 👇

— Sarah 🐾

What did you get up to with your dogs over the weekend? We had a lot of human activities on so our furry crew had a rela...
13/04/2026

What did you get up to with your dogs over the weekend?

We had a lot of human activities on so our furry crew had a relaxing weekend. Lumi is never mad about getting to claim her favourite chair outside 😂

We are so thankful to know a dog groomer who we love and trust. Lucy from is the absolute bees knees at her craft, an a...
08/04/2026

We are so thankful to know a dog groomer who we love and trust.

Lucy from is the absolute bees knees at her craft, an awesome human and such a skilled dog handler.

I see dog training as a way to help our dogs be the best version of themselves, so they can be included in activities an...
07/04/2026

I see dog training as a way to help our dogs be the best version of themselves, so they can be included in activities and have a more fulfilled life ❤️

We hope that everyone is having a great long weekend with their dogs ❤️
06/04/2026

We hope that everyone is having a great long weekend with their dogs ❤️

Happy Easter! ❤️
04/04/2026

Happy Easter! ❤️

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Springfield Lakes, QLD
4300

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 5pm
Thursday 7:30am - 5pm
Friday 7:30am - 5pm

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