K9 Instinct

21/10/2025

You’re not going to like this one… 😬

But yes, I take my baby pups out into the world before they’re vaccinated.

And no, it’s not because I don’t care about their health.
It’s because I do.

The real risk isn’t just disease, it’s fear, reactivity, and a lifetime of behavioural fallout from missing the most critical learning window of their lives. Especially with a singleton.

By the time most people wait for that “all clear” from the vet, their puppy’s prime socialisation period is gone. And you can’t vaccinate against fear.

So instead of locking my pups away, I make smart choices:
✅ Controlled environments
✅ Vaccinated, stable dogs
✅ Real-world exposure done safely and calmly

Because I’d rather raise a confident, resilient dog than one who’s been bubble-wrapped into behavioural problems.

Would you do it? Or is this a hard no for you?

16/10/2025

Check out Khaos the Abel the Wren the Cooper the Sox the and Murphy the learning to search vehicles

15/10/2025

My own dogs and I have had a week of wins - and early mornings 🥱
Loki (As**at) gained his Novice Sprintdog title at the weekend trial, and Gerda took out JD600 today in a midweek agility trial with Wollongong Dog Sport Club. And now, back to work!

14/10/2025

Georgia’s dogs have learnt be give space and be respectful of her leg pre and post amputation. Now that we’re starting some formal obedience we have to build some confidence in both handler and dogs in their position.
Here were marking the small things, not a perfect position, but a good attitude and willingness to be in a tighter position. 🦵

07/10/2025

If you’ve been wanting to try 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, this is your last chance for 2025 - our final 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟭 has just a few spots left.

➡️ Book now to join the fun, before the spots disappear 🫥

07/10/2025

05/10/2025

Yay for daylight savings! ☀️
What are you and your dogs doing with the “extra hour”?
You’ll catch us out doing some more dry sledding in tbt cooler evenings 🛴

04/10/2025

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 “𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀”?

❌ Not your 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘰𝘨𝘴.
✅ Your 𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴.

You know the difference.

Dog friends are the people you can walk beside in silence, both of you reading your dogs and adjusting without a word. They’re the ones who understand that “socialising” doesn’t mean throwing dogs together in chaos - it means calmly coexisting, moving together, sharing space safely and respectfully.

These are the people who don’t take it personally when you say, “We’ll give them a bit more distance.”
They don’t push for play when your dog isn’t comfortable.
They don’t judge your handling, your training tools, or your dog’s quirks.

Dog friends are the ones who understand that socialisation is about life skills, not playdates. It’s about dogs learning to regulate themselves, to make good choices, to be part of the world without being the centre of it.

With your dog friends, you don’t have to explain why you step off the path, or why you turn away from that oncoming dog. They see it, they do it too. There’s trust, mutual respect, and the quiet kind of communication that only comes from experience.

If you’ve found those people, hold onto them.
Because in a world that still believes dogs need to “just work it out themselves,” those who understand calm, controlled, real socialisation are gold.
They make the hard days easier,
the good days even better,
and the world safer for everyone’s dogs.

𝗦𝗼… 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀?

- Chia 7mo , Guido , Cali 6mo
Who today navigated public holiday traffic at a cafe and the

03/10/2025

🌟 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 🌟

I’ve teamed up with the new management at Gameford pet Resort in Shane’s Park to bring even more enrichment and training opportunities to the dogs in their care.

This means that while families enjoy their holidays, K9 Instinct dogs can continue their training programs, keeping progress on track and making sure your dog is happy, engaged, and thriving during their stay.

I’m thrilled to partner with a team who values quality care and enrichment as much as I do. Together, we’re making sure your dogs have the best experience possible - whether at home, on holiday, or in training. 🐾

👉🏻 Head on over and give them a follow

𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘨𝘴. 𝘌𝘯𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴.

02/10/2025

Dog trainer life 🤦🏼‍♀️

02/10/2025

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 🎓

What amazing results - the dog that was coming just to build confidence, Noni, took out top score in our mock trial, and littermates Tycho and Kalani placed second and third with a difference of just 2 seconds!

And it must be mentioned that Rain, Billy, Nio & Bruno ALL received some of the quickest times and were able to pinpoint odour in my rooms 👃

01/10/2025

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 🎓
So let’s start with our Puppy Class graduates.
Chewy the Oodle
Archie the Rottweiler
Brandy the Border Collie
Zoro the White Swiss Shepherd
Maple the Border Collie

Another amazing class that week by week excelled 💫