Canine Conversations

Canine Conversations Behaviour Consultant IMDT
Aggression Specialist
Professional development Membership and case support for dog trainers.

Canine Conversations has been looking after your pets and training for 13 years. What I have learned being in the industry all this time is that loving animals just isn't enough. We feel its imperative to continually learn and further your knowledge and education with animal behaviour, enrichment and safety. It's important to have a tailored program that is right for you and your dog.

Your adolescent dog probably hasn’t forgotten their training.Knowing the behaviour is only one piece. The environment, t...
27/08/2026

Your adolescent dog probably hasn’t forgotten their training.

Knowing the behaviour is only one piece. The environment, their internal state and developmental stage all affect whether they can actually do it.

That’s why a dog can respond beautifully at home, then struggle when the world gets louder, busier or more exciting.

And excitement isn’t automatically a problem.

One study found that a little more arousal helped some calmer dogs perform better, while dogs who were already highly aroused found the same task harder.

Same task. Different dog. Different outcome.

So rather than simply asking for more self-control, I’d look at the whole picture:

More distance.
Less distraction.
Better reinforcement.
Easier choices.
Realistic expectations for that dog, in that moment.

In other mammals, brain systems involved in inhibition continue developing through adolescence. We don’t yet have the same direct evidence from adolescent dog brains, but it’s an interesting comparison alongside the behavioural changes we do see in dogs.

Adolescence isn’t something to battle through. It’s a developmental stage worth understanding.

Dog trainers, come nerd out with us. 🤓
Comment “HUB” to join us inside The Professional Hub.

If I were starting again, I would not put pressure on myself to know everything.I would work with as many different dogs...
23/08/2026

If I were starting again, I would not put pressure on myself to know everything.

I would work with as many different dogs as possible, choose my education carefully and keep learning from professionals across behaviour, health, pain, welfare and nutrition.

I would build relationships before I needed them, ask more questions and surround myself with people who genuinely wanted me to succeed.

Most importantly, I would remember that education gives you a foundation. Confidence grows when you begin applying that knowledge to the dog in front of you.

Imposter syndrome is real, particularly when you are working through complex behaviour alone.

That is why I created The Professional Hub. Not as another course, but as the professional support I wish I had when I was starting out.

Dog trainer working with aggression?

Comment HUB and start building confidence in your decisions.

21/08/2026

Every dog and session is different, so sometimes I’ll carry a few extra things, but these are my essentials.

My high-vis simply says “Please give space.” I don’t like to label the dog or explain why. Space is all people really need to know.

I use a walking belt, particularly with stronger dogs, with secure attachment points so I’m not relying on one piece of equipment. I’ll often have one attachment to the harness and another to the collar, and I always carry a spare lead just in case I need it.

My treat pouch is filled with small, tasty food that’s quick and easy for the dog to eat.

Then my clicker. I find clicker training really effective for this type of work.

Then, of course, poo bags, and my bum bag for my phone, keys and everything else I need.

Sometimes there’s more, but these are the things I rarely head into a session without.

14/08/2026

Perry’s Paddock is both a heritage-listed site and part of a protected conservation area within Yellagonga Regional Park.

This dog was off lead and at least 100 metres away from their guardian, moving through the area while scenting.

A short time later, a kangaroo raced out of the bush in a panic and ran from the same direction.

I can’t say whether the dog caused the kangaroo to panic and flee.

What I do know is that our wildlife has very limited habitat remaining, and we should not be adding extra pressure to the small pockets they still have.

The kangaroo jumped one fence, crossed a road, and then cleared another.

I’m very grateful he wasn’t struck by a car or caught in the fence.

Keeping dogs on lead here isn’t just a rule to follow.

It’s about respecting the wildlife whose home we are moving through.

They don’t have much space left.

We shouldn’t be taking any more of it from them.

I also choose places like Perry’s Paddock to work with dogs because it is an on-lead area.

There are signs throughout the park, yet I’m still regularly faced with off-lead dogs, even while wearing high-vis gear in a place where I shouldn’t need it.

On-lead areas matter for people working with reactive, fearful or recovering dogs too.

Please respect the space, the wildlife and the people using it as intended.

And please don’t put other people in the position of having to manage your off-lead dog or make sure they get back to you safely.

That responsibility belongs with you.

14/08/2026

A few months ago, Benny was really struggling around people.

He’s still scared of people.

But look at what he can do now.

We’ve been teaching “person” as an information cue.

“Person” tells Benny someone is approaching.

He can look.

Then, before that look becomes a prolonged stare and he begins to escalate, we click and help him disengage.

Person → look → click → disengage.

And we repeat.

With repetition, “person” starts to give Benny useful information about what is happening around him.

Someone is coming. You can look. Then we can move on.

The goal isn’t to stop Benny noticing people, and progress doesn’t mean he suddenly isn’t scared anymore.

It means he has more information, more predictability and more skills to help him cope when people are around.

That’s progress too.

If you’re a dog professional and want to go deeper into the thinking behind cases like Benny’s, that’s exactly what we do inside The Professional Hub.

Comment HUB and I’ll send you the details.

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