A Bark Above

18/07/2025

💛 LET’S TALK SUCCESSFUL SET UPS 💛

You’ll hear us say it a lot: “Let’s set them up for success” It’s not just something we say in passing, it’s at the core of how we train ✨

At A Bark Above, we don’t leave success to chance, we set it up through intention, observation, and that beautiful balance of science and soul, with you as pawrents at the fore front of your planning 🫶🏼

A successful setup isn’t about forcing a behaviour, testing thresholds, or seeing if your dog can “cope.” It’s about crafting a moment where they can thrive, emotionally, mentally, and behaviourally. Because we know that education and support are two of the biggest components when it comes to understanding our puppies and big feelers 🥹

So what does that actually look like?

❤️ It’s rewarding early and often, so your dog knows they’re on the right track.

🧡 It’s knowing when to pause, when to pivot, and when to say, “Let’s try a different way”

💛 It’s not waiting for a mistake, it’s celebrating the choice before the challenge.

💚 It’s creating just enough space from a trigger so your dog can observe without tipping over.

🩵 It’s building the environment around your dog’s current skillset, not the one you’re hoping for someday.

💜 It looks like our unique approach to our Perfect Puppy Program where you as pawrents are our focus because growth takes time, trust, and you need setups that feel as good as they look

🩷 It is also our incoming resource hub packed with free information from highly certified and experienced trainers from across our state. Because while you can find nearly everything on the internet, it’s not always accurate or it costs your left kidney!

Behind every win is a thoughtful strategy, a moment where the stage was perfectly set for learning to feel safe, for connection to shine through, and for your dog to want to engage 🐾

Because at A Bark Above, success isn’t about control, it’s about cooperation, it isn’t about making your dog do it, it is about making your dog want to! That’s where the real transformation begins and with our level of commitment to ongoing development and education, you can find comfort in knowing we have your back ✨

18/07/2025

When you find the party bubble is the best thing in the world, your tails nearly wag off and pawrents fingers disappear with the treaties 🤭

Layla, April, Curno, Rosie and Marlo are totally rocking their program! These babes are already perfect puppies but with some extra fun skills they really are joining the coasts best boys and girls 🥹

18/07/2025

We have a couple last places for this fabulous workshop next weekend!! Comment below or send us a message if you’re interested 😍

💛 AGILITY LOVERS, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU 💛

We’re sniffing out expressions of interest for an exciting upcoming Agility Seminar hosted by none other than the incredible Clover Ward 😍

If you’ve ever dreamt of zipping through tunnels, soaring over jumps, and building next-level connection with your dog, this is your chance to learn from one of the best 💜

Meet Clover:

With 13 years of experience, Clover has not only competed at three National Agility events, she’s also an agility judge, was named a Global Agility Ambassador by world champ Susan Garrett (yep, that Susan Garrett!), and won big at last year’s Nationals in the 500 height class. Clover is all about positive, games-based training and creating a relationship that shines on and off the course 🥹

Here’s what we’re planning:

Intro to Agility Info Session:

Curious but not sure where to start?
This is an auditing-only session to dip your toes into the world of agility! Clover will walk (or sprint) you through the basics, demo with her national-level border collie Trek, and answer all your burning questions. Think: from flatwork to full-course magic ✨

Fundamentals Session:

Brand new to agility? This session is your jam!
Build connection, motivation, body awareness, drive, and confidence. A brilliant intro to the core elements of the sport 🐾

Foundation Session:

Ready to level up?
Perfect for dogs with a basic start or a background in obedience/tricks. We’ll start blending in verbal cues, course foundations, and those essential handling skills to help you and your dog move as one 🫶🏼

Interested? Drop a comment below or message us to express your interest! Dates, pricing and location to be announced once we have the interest level sorted so if this has your tail wagging, let us know early 🤭

This is going to be a high-energy, tail-wagging, confidence-building, paws-on experience and we can’t wait to share it with you 😍

17/07/2025

😎 FUN FACT FRIDAY 😎

We love a big sciencey word, the kind that belongs spell binding magic in a wizard movie’ Some we’ll be honest… we cannot pronounce on the first try. Others we’ve probably said five different ways in the past 5 minutes before asking Google how to pronounce it 🤭

But either way, you know us and we are so here for the brainy stuff! Because here’s the thing: the more we understand the science, the more clearly we can hear what our dogs are trying to tell us and Aurora thinks you should get to nerd out with us more often 💃

So for this week’s Fun Fact Friday, we’re sharing 10 of our favourite big behaviour words this week and the juicy, behind the scenes bits that explain what’s really going on when it comes to them 🪄

So let’s go:

Amygdala: The brain’s emotional smoke detector, always scanning for danger and ready to sound the alarm. If your dog reacts before thinking? That’s the amygdala jumping the queue 🚨

Hippocampus: Your dog’s memory vault. This little structure decides what to store, especially if emotions were involved. That random bush they refuse to walk past again? Blame the hippocampus 🫡

Sympathetic Nervous System: This system puts the body in survival mode: ready to run, fight, freeze, or fiddle. Fast breathing, tight muscles, wide eyes, that’s the system in high gear 💨

Parasympathetic Nervous System: The calm down crew, responsible for rest, digestion, and emotional recovery. Sniffing, chewing, long exhales are signs they’re coming back to earth 🧘‍♀️

Associative Learning: The process where dogs form links between experiences, good or bad. If one scary noise = something uncomfortable, they might start reacting to the environment where it happened next time 😟

Limbic Hijack: When the emotional brain overrides logic and learning. “He forgot his training!” Nope, his brain went full emergency mode ‼️

Neuroplasticity: The brain’s ability to adapt, rewire, and learn new emotional responses. It’s how we help fearful dogs become confident ones over time and our favourite word today 🥹

Latency: The pause between a cue and a response, often overlooked, but full of clues. Slow to respond? Your dog might be unsure, distracted, or over-threshold 🧐

Threshold & Stacking: Every dog has a point where they move from regulated to have emotional outbursts! We call this their threshold. If small stressors stack throughout the day without recovery time, they’ll hit that point sooner. Barked at the dog across the street? It probably wasn’t just about that moment, it was the culmination of everything before it 😖

Displacement Behaviour: When a dog does something seemingly out of place to cope with stress or conflict. Scratching mid-training? Sniffing when you ask for a sit in the middle of a market? That’s emotional overflow in motion 🤯

As a certified Canine Behaviour Consultant, one of the biggest parts of our education is learning how to teach not just dogs, but humans too. We’re trained to translate this science into tools, strategies, and everyday support so you can truly understand your dog from the inside out! Because it’s the reasons to why, the how and the what’s that truly matter 🤩

If you’ve made it this far, and you’re here absorbing this, you’re one of us. Welcome to the Dog Nerd club friends 🤭

17/07/2025

✨THE ENRICHMENT FEEDING BIBLE ✨

Busy brains are learning brains, and enrichment taps into everything your puppy was born to do! From sniffing and shredding to solving and exploring, this is how we raise confident, curious, problem-solving little legends 🤓

We’re putting the final touches on a handout that’s basically the holy grail of enrichment. Think snuffle mats, shredding boxes, foraging, scent games, DIY puzzles, brain boosters, and calm-time strategies, all in one go-to and cost free guide 🤭

Whether your pup’s bouncing off the walls, chewing the wrong things, or just needs a better outlet for that clever little brain, this one’s for you! 📚

Because enrichment isn’t just a bonus, it’s a need. It fuels confidence and gives your dog an outlet that’s safe, satisfying, and so much fun 🤩

This is a new lifestyle that we know you’ll love, and it’s coming your way soon! Ps. If you want early access, just slide into our messages and we’ll hook you up 😋

17/07/2025

We had the pure joy of dropping by to see Stellar for her second session, but this time at home 🥹

This little lady has done some brilliant work with her mumma and totally nailed her goals! Showing off all those brilliant manners, shared her toy and showed off her tricks. It was a delightful visit and we couldn’t be prouder of her and her mumma ♥️

16/07/2025

🐾 DOGS AREN’T NAUGHTY FOR NOT RECALLING 🐾

Recently, I have come across a couple posts about dogs that had gone missing or disappeared mid beach walk, and some of the comments I saw really got me thinking. A few people were quick to label these dog as “naughty” for not coming back or wandering off from home… it’s something we’ve seen a lot in threads, and it’s time to address it ⭐️

Let’s get one thing straight: Dogs aren’t naughty when they don’t come back to us right away. In fact, there are many reasons why a dog might not respond to a recall cue immediately, or decide a solo adventure is much more appealing. None of them have to do with being misbehaved or deliberately disobedient. Instead, it often comes down to a combination of factors that can be both understandable and manageable with the right training and patience!

❤️ They Might Be Scared

If a dog hears or sees something startling or unfamiliar whether it’s a loud noise, a person they don’t recognise, or even an animal they’re not used to seeing, they might become frightened. In these moments, their instinct could be to freeze, run away, or hide rather than respond to a call. It’s not naughty, it’s their natural reaction to fear.

🧡 They Could Be Overly Excited

Dogs love exploration and new experiences, and sometimes when they’re adventuring, they get so excited by all the new scents, sights, and sounds that they temporarily forget the recall cue. A dog in the middle of a playful moment or a scent-tracking frenzy isn’t thinking about the return, they’re in the zone, enjoying life. This excitement isn’t a sign of disobedience, just enthusiasm for the adventure they’re having.

💛 They Got a Better Offer

Sometimes, dogs just find something that’s more interesting than us at the moment. Maybe it’s a stray ball, a rabbit, or a spot where they can roll in something that smells amazing (to them, anyway). When a dog is caught up in something more enticing, it’s not that they’re ignoring us out of spite, it’s just that they’re fully engaged in what they’re doing.

💚 Their Recall Skills Aren’t Fully Proofed

It’s important to remember that recall isn’t something that comes automatically for all dogs, especially in distracting environments. Just like any skill, recall needs consistent practice. Coaching a dog to reliably come when called requires time, patience, and positive reinforcement. We have to teach them that coming back is the most valuable thing in the entire world! Not every dog will have that flawless recall all the time, and that doesn’t mean they’re being disobedient, it means they’re still learning!

🩵 So, What Can We Do About It?

Instead of labeling a dog as naughty, we should approach these situations with understanding and empathy. If a dog doesn’t come back right away, it’s a signal that they need more support or that something in their environment is making their feelings change. As pawrents, it’s our responsibility to create an environment where they feel safe and confident enough to come when called, even when there are distractions. We go back to basics, build up that solid foundation again and use a longline for an added safety feature 🤝

Dogs are living beings with their own personalities, fears, and impulses. When they don’t come back when we call them, it’s not a reflection of their character, but rather a signal for us to be more patient, to learn more effectively, and to remember that they’re just dogs, figuring out the world one adventure at a time ✨

Let’s embrace the journey, both for ourselves and our furry friends. With a little understanding and a lot of patience, we can work together to improve those recall skills, and in the meantime, enjoy the wonderful adventure that life with a dog brings ♥️

16/07/2025

🤭 DOGS WHO LIKE TO DIG 🤭

We write this after we shared to our story the latest addition to the paddock… courtesy of Aurora and another one of her teaching moments!

Digging isn’t naughty, it’s not your dog being bad…
It’s instinctual, it is enriching and honestly a whole lotta fun 💃

Dogs dig for all kinds of reasons:

❤️ For treasure (aka snacks, sticks, bugs, or that biscuit they buried yesterday)

🧡 To create a cool or comfy resting spot

💛 Because they’re bored and digging feels good

Yep… you read that right!! Did you know digging releases happy hormones? It’s a full body, brain boosting, sniff and shift kind of experience. A bit like popping bubble wrap or organising your snacks into colour coded piles it just feels right 🤭

You know us, we are always full of transparency! Aurora’s had a digtastic morning here at home. I’ve been really unwell, and while she’s had basic enrichment and some brain training, turns out that wasn’t quite enough for my busy little workhorse! So… she dug. And honestly, I respect the commitment 😋

But what did we do? We took a video, said it was a nice new hole and moved one with diversion, we will never punish digging and here’s why:

It doesn’t teach them what to do, it risks damaging trust and making them avoid expressing normal needs which can often lead to secretive digging or frustration fuelled behaviours elsewhere 🫣

Instead, we say: “You wanna dig? Let’s dig here!”

Here’s how we give that digging urge a green light:

💚 Cardboard boxes filled with scrunched-up paper, loo rolls, and hidden snacks = dig box deluxe

🩵 A trip to the beach with an enthusiastic “Go dig!” cue = sand is the ultimate doggy spa

💜 A blanket burrito with treats rolled inside, layered like a snacky lasagne to unroll and forage through

🩷 A shallow patch in the garden made just for them, marked with praise and fun when they dig there, hello dam visits for our little princess!

We redirect, we provide, and we celebrate these instinctual behaviours instead of shutting them down. Aurora reminded us with great enthusiasm, that even when we’re unwell, her needs didn’t pause and that’s okay. These moments are feedback, not failure and it’s a lesson we have taken, hence tonight’s post 🤭

We hear you, girl and I’m upping my game and I love you for letting me know ✨

16/07/2025

🎓 GRADUATES 🎓

Check out these little sweeties and their fabulous families 🥹

Ned, Asha, Murphy and Derry are our next lot of superstars that have headed into the world officially joining the best kiddos on the coast! These little ones nailed all aspects of the class, braved the soggy ground and wet tootsies for the full experience of learning life skills 🫶🏼

We think the smiles say it all, right? 🤭

15/07/2025

⭐️ LET’S TALK ABOUT CUE FATIGUE ⭐️

Today’s hot topic is something we’re passionate about in the scheme of successful set ups! We’ve all been here… you cue a skill with confidence, and your dog gives you… absolutely nothing, just that classic blank stare that says, You’ll have to be more specific, mother 😶

Sound familiar? Well you’re not alone and today, we’re diving into the dog nerd sides of cue fatigue! This isn’t stubbornness, it’s not disobedience and it’s never about dominance 🙃

It’s something we see all the time in training, and it simply isn’t that the behaviour has disappeared but more that the cue has lost its meaning!

So… What’s really going on 💭

Dogs are expert pattern learners, they don’t speak English, but they’re fluent in cause and effect. When a word is overused, under-rewarded, or repeated without clarity, it starts to blur into background noise. That “sit” you’ve said 20 times today with no follow-through or motivation behind it, has just become part of the chatter 🤭

Sometimes, it’s because we’ve only practiced the cue in one environment and then asked it to work somewhere completely different. Other times, it’s emotional, the dog wants to respond, but stress, arousal, or distraction clouds their ability to do so and sometimes it’s simply a lack of clarity in understanding as part of a teaching moment for us humans 🥹

But here’s the kicker: we often respond by repeating the cue. Over and over. “Drop. Drop. Drop” before we know it, the cue doesn’t mean now… it means eventually, maybe, after the sixth time because that’s when it’s kicked in and the reward has accidentally but finally followed!

So what do we do instead? ✨

We go back to clarity. We remind our dog what the word used to mean through luring and timing, trust and reinforcement that makes sense!

We protect our cues by using them sparingly and meaningfully. We say the word once. We pause. We give space for our dog to process and we reconnect it to something worth responding to: whether it’s food, play, or that brilliant sniff they’ve been wanting!

Rebuilding a tired cue doesn’t require starting from scratch. It just takes a return to clean communication, where words are used like they matter, and behaviour is celebrated like it’s brand new again and if we need to we can skip the words together and use that magic flow of training and those fun techniques you’ve read about before 🤭

Because at the end of the day, if a cue falls flat, it’s not a training failure. It’s just a quiet little nudge saying: I don’t understand what that means anymore… can you help me remember? This is not a setback, it’s an invitation and an opening to rebuild with clarity, reconnect with confidence! You know to always reach out if you need a hand along the way, we always love talking nerdy stuff with you ♥️

Ps. A huge thank you to Kathy at Leaps and Bounds for providing a safe and supportive space for us to continue learning 🥹

15/07/2025

✨ SAFE SOCIALISATION HANDBOOK ✨

Our Safe Socialisation Handbook has been designed to help you navigate your puppy’s most critical learning period with confidence, clarity, and compassion while understanding all the nerdy details as you go along for the ride 🤭

This isn’t just a list of things to expose your puppy to. It’s a carefully crafted, Fear Free-aligned roadmap that shows you:

❤️ What matters most at each week of age

🧡 Real-life social experiences

💛 How to support recovery after something big or new

💚 The why to how your puppy feels and how it matters more than what they see

We’ll walk you through everything from vet visits and vacuum cleaners to guide you, to supporting your pup when the world feels a little too loud 🥹

Because real socialisation isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s about helping your puppy feel safe, seen, and supported while they learn how to be brave 🫶🏼

Stay tuned… the handbook is almost ready and if you’re after first looks, hoping the website mailing list is your best chance 🤭

15/07/2025

Check out these little tricksters 🤭

These totally superstars have rocked our first week in our latest fun collaboration with NOT ONLY DOGS Learning the foundations for four tricks we have:

Max and Eric, Jack, Georgie, Stanley, Georgie, Frasier and Millie!! It was a big group with some seriously clever kiddos, packed full of smiles and pride. Especially for me as I watch some of my regulars totally nail all aspects and of course, sweet Max doing what he was born to do 🥹