Life Lessons On Leash

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Life Lessons On Leash Offering positive reinforcement pet dog training by a Qualified trainer. Located near Colac, VIC, offering small classes & private consultations.

Disillusioned with 'traditional' training 15 years ago, I went searching for a better way. This led me to The Delta Society and positive reinforcement dog training. Fully qualified with a Cert IV in behavioural dog training, I opened Life Lessons On Leash. Aimed at those who want to train their dog in the manners needed to have a dog you can take anywhere with you, we offer group classes in Level

One Basic Manners, Level Two Basic Manners, Canine Good Citizen and Tricks & Targets as well as private consultations for those unable to commit to a class schedule or who have a dog not yet ready for a class situation. We also offer interactive dog safety talks for childrens groups. Bound by a code of ethics and to continue to meet quality assurance requirements, we use scientifically proven, positive methods to make training your dog not only easy but fun!

If cute had a name, I swear it would be Mavis 😍Mavis is the latest in a line of puppy consultations where their humans h...
25/05/2025

If cute had a name, I swear it would be Mavis 😍

Mavis is the latest in a line of puppy consultations where their humans have been getting me out very early on in order to help set their pups up to live their best lives.
Miss Mavis quickly worked out that 4 on the floor was much more rewarding than jumping up, and had an absolute ball trying out some new toys. We worked on recall as well as some other fundamentals cues, but we had plenty of time to also start to learn some fun stuff, like teaching her how to pose for a selfie 😉
Dog training doesn’t have to be serious, fundamentals should be fun to train in itself, but I do love to train some fun tricks too.

How did I forget to post this young man?! Meet Chiko, last weeks puppy consultation. Chiko’s humans wanted to make sure...
17/05/2025

How did I forget to post this young man?! Meet Chiko, last weeks puppy consultation. Chiko’s humans wanted to make sure they set him up to be the best version of what he can be, so got me out early.
I can’t wait to see this youngster grow up.

Look how much Baasha has grown already! Today saw me back working with this sweet boy for session number 3. We worked on...
23/03/2025

Look how much Baasha has grown already! Today saw me back working with this sweet boy for session number 3.
We worked on ‘4 in the floor’, appropriate child/dog interactions and activities as well, how to manage ‘inside quiet time’ and headed out for a loose lead walk. He did so well!! This young pup has some very dedicated humans who are doing an amazing job of setting him up to live his best life as part of the family.
I cannot wait to see where he is at for our next session.

Join me for a look see at some of the new faces I’ve worked with this weekend. Obviously a few puppies amongst the mix -...
16/03/2025

Join me for a look see at some of the new faces I’ve worked with this weekend.
Obviously a few puppies amongst the mix - who wants to take a guess at all of the breeds that have made up the weekends consultations?

Today saw a follow up with young Baasha, and boy has he already grown! His humans are doing a fabulous job with him and ...
16/02/2025

Today saw a follow up with young Baasha, and boy has he already grown!
His humans are doing a fabulous job with him and his confidence is growing daily.
He has a wonderful inside space set up where he can spend time still surrounded by his family but remain safe without needing constant supervision.
He is progressing well with his cues, and today really solidified ‘4 on the floor’ rather than jumping up on people.
Now that he is fully vaccinated, we went on his first sniffy walk outside of the yard and worked on loose lead walking expectations as well as setting up realistic goals, which of course includes lots of sniffing opportunities 😉

I’m really impressed with this little pup and his humans, and so glad to an active part in helping them help him to reach his full potential and life his best life.

Kicking off our 2025 one on one consultation with this handsome young fellow. Say hi to Baasha. Baasha is only 9 weeks o...
26/01/2025

Kicking off our 2025 one on one consultation with this handsome young fellow. Say hi to Baasha.
Baasha is only 9 weeks of age and his humans wanted to give him (and them) the best opportunities from the start and set him up to succeed from day one.
I am so looking forward to helping Baasha reach his full potential and watching him grow.

Wishing all of my clients and followers a fabulous Christmas and I’m looking forward to working together in the New Year...
25/12/2024

Wishing all of my clients and followers a fabulous Christmas and I’m looking forward to working together in the New Year.

Stay safe and have a fabulous day.

For those inclined, here’s a Christmas Carol rewrite (with a little AI assistance).

Jingle Bells (the Dog Training Remix)

Dashing to the park,
With a leash that’s nice and loose,
Over grass we run,
Wait, I think that trees a Spruce!
Treat pouch at my waist,
And clicker in my hand,
We’re shaping up behaviors
Exactly as we planned!

Oh, dog training, click and treat,
Rewards will pave the way,
Building trust with every step,
We train in a fun way!
Oh, dog training, tails should wag,
Positive’s the key,
Learning’s fun for everyone,
A well-trained dog’s the dream!

Recall’s going great,
They’re running right to me,
Look and Shake on cue,
Such focus, can’t you see?
Scent work games are fun,
It keep their minds so sharp,
With patience and consistency,
We’ll hit the training mark!

Oh, dog training, click and treat,
Rewards will pave the way,
Building trust with every step,
We train in a fun way!
Oh, dog training, tails will wag,
Positive’s the key,
Learning’s fun for everyone,
Together we’re the team! 💝

December 23 - plan your dogs Christmas menu. Just like you plan your Christmas meal, why not consider serving a special ...
23/12/2024

December 23 - plan your dogs Christmas menu.

Just like you plan your Christmas meal, why not consider serving a special Christmas meal for your dog?
This might be including some of their favourite foods, making a meal of their normal foods that resembles something we might choose to eat, or perhaps just serving their meal a little differently.

You will see in the photos some of the meals I have prepared previously for my hounds.
A ‘Christmas pudding’ (made from mince, coconut oil, berries and pickled veg), a ‘retro child’s birthday party platter’ (all dog friendly and made to look like favourites such as hot dogs. Chocolate crackles etc) and a ‘pie and tart platter’ (pie and tart crusts made using turkey mice and then filled with appropriate fillings).

If making a special meal isn’t something you have the time for, consider serving their meal a little differently (think scatter feed, using a plate rather than a bowl, etc) or just adding a few special additions that your dog enjoys as ‘toppers’.

Remember to stick to foods that are safe for your dog 😁

December 22 - scented fleece toysI have 4-5 jars like this in my dogs toy cupboard. Each jar contains some handmade brai...
22/12/2024

December 22 - scented fleece toys

I have 4-5 jars like this in my dogs toy cupboard. Each jar contains some handmade braided fleece toys (see how to make these items in the January 2022 DIY toy posts), and a small container with a scent inside.
Lavender, catnip, ginger, vanilla - basically anything that is safe for my dog and that they will enjoy. I use herbs or flowers as opposed to essential oils.
I leave them in the jar to infuse with the scent for a minimum of 24 hours and then will take one or two out, allow my dog to sniff them and then toss them for play. Once they are aware of what they are playing with, I might increase the difficulty by allowing them to sniff the toy, and then going outside or to another room and hiding the item - then bringing them in and having them search for it.
There are lots of different things you can do with your dogs with scented items, why not have a play around and see what your dog enjoys?

December 21 - the wrapping paper photo trend. Who has seen this challenge / trend? Basically you tape wrapping paper ove...
21/12/2024

December 21 - the wrapping paper photo trend.

Who has seen this challenge / trend?

Basically you tape wrapping paper over an entry point (doorway/hall entrance etc) cut a jagged type hole for your dog to poke his head through and then take a photo when they do. It’s supposed to look like your dog is bursting out of a wrapped package I presume.

We gave it a try - and I’d have to say it was fairly mixed results. đŸ€ŁđŸ€Ł
Both dogs insisted on doing it together (I should have thought that through) and I encourage you to use a really high quality, thick paper as mine tore through the thinner one quite quickly 😉😂

This isn’t going to be suitable for every dog, but your more confident dogs will probably be comfortable enough to give it a try.

I’d love to see your results if you do give it a go - please feel free to post them in the comments 😁

Meet Spyro 😍This sweet little pup is ultra smart and ready to absorb! Spyros human wanted some assistance with him jumpi...
21/12/2024

Meet Spyro 😍

This sweet little pup is ultra smart and ready to absorb!

Spyros human wanted some assistance with him jumping up, how to start teaching him a reliable recall as well as a few other behaviours.

We covered a lot of ground in our first session and he quickly learnt that having ‘4 on the floor’ meant that reinforcement was quick to follow.

I cannot wait to see this little guy progress and be there to watch what he can achieve.

December 20th - bobbing for treats or toys Did you ever ‘Bob for Apples’ as a child? This is 100% a game that your dog c...
20/12/2024

December 20th - bobbing for treats or toys

Did you ever ‘Bob for Apples’ as a child? This is 100% a game that your dog can play too!

Fill an appropriate sized container with fresh water and then add some of your dogs favourite treats (or toys).
Make sure you place the container at an appropriate height for your dog to be comfortable - having Irish wolfhounds, I placed the container on a chair for my guys.

Encourage your dog to ‘Bob’ for the treats.

For my hounds, I used a cored apple (we don’t want to feed the seeds), some blueberries (Orion’s most favourite fruit in the world) and a few chicken strips that my guys both love. Because they weren’t sure about the Apple when it was whole, I also quartered it to make it easier for them as well as to give them more chances for success.

You might want to start with a small or shallow container of water so that it’s easier for your dog and work your way up to larger or deeper ones to increase the difficulty as your dog becomes used to playing.
You can also add a variety of different items, including some that float and some that sink to add to the difficulty, but remember to make it easy for your dog at the beginning so that they want to play.

I ’d love to see photos or video of your dogs having a go! Please feel free to post them in the comments.

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Our Story

Disillusioned with 'traditional' training more than 15 years ago, I went searching for a better way. This led me to The Delta Society and positive reinforcement dog training. Fully qualified with a Cert IV in companion animal training, I opened Life Lessons On Leash in 2008. Aimed at those who want to train their dog in the manners needed to have a dog you can take anywhere with you, we offer group classes in Level One Basic Manners, Level Two Basic Manners, Tricks & Targets, Enrichment Building and Out & About courses. We offer private consultations where we come to you for those unable to commit to a class schedule, or who want some tailored assistance for a specific issue or who have a dog not yet ready for a class situation. And for those who are struggling for time, we offer a Day Training package, where we will work with your dog whilst you are at work, culminating with a handover lesson at the end of the package lessons. For those registered breeders who wish to provide socialisation and send puppies to their new families with basic manners we offer a litter socialisation service. We are constantly looking at new course options, and are hoping in 2019 to be able to reintroduce our Puppy Preschool course as well as a brand new course - Kitten Kindergarten. Other services include interactive dog safety talks for children's community groups as well as School Holiday Workshops for children (both of these options are dog free sessions, using a toy dog and not real dog). Bound by a code of ethics and to continue to meet quality assurance requirements, including accruing Continuing Education Points each year to ensure we stay up to date in the latest training information, we use scientifically proven, positive methods to make training your dog not only easy but fun!