Loose Leads Dog Training

Loose Leads Dog Training We focus on assisting dog owners to experience the joy of their dogs becoming loving family members with great manners.

We do this through individual training and offering stay and train packages to fast track your dog's training. Our question to you -

"What can we do to make your life with your dog more fulfilling?"

We can help you by reaching into our broad experience and tailoring our training to suit the personality of your dog. Our trainers have a diverse background in training dogs for security, family pro

tection, tracking, obedience and herding livestock, as well as managing dog training kennels and animal shelters. We are constantly furthering our knowledge, benefiting from the experience of a range instructors specialising in training dogs for search and rescue, law enforcement, animal welfare, military, herding and dog sports. By trusting us to have your dog stay with us for an individualized stay and train package, you will be letting us do the hard work of training your companion. Of course, to us this 'hard work' is fun! When your dog returns to you, we will then teach you about, playing, motivation, reinforcement, timing, training adjustments, socialization, pack structure and proofing learnt behaviors. This enables you both maintain the training your dog has learnt with our team and to further your dog’s training yourself. We can then further assist you with phone and online consultations.

Just finished reading Tall Tails and True by my mate and mentor Roger Mayer. A great read that gives a real insight into...
11/12/2025

Just finished reading Tall Tails and True by my mate and mentor Roger Mayer. A great read that gives a real insight into policing from a different era, especially the experiences of a police dog handler. Funny, raw, and full of stories you don’t hear anymore.

If you want a copy, head over to his Well Mannered Mutts page and grab one – you won’t be disappointed.

And thanks for the note, but I'm not sure how much you learnt from me!

11/12/2025

Buster had his handover lesson last week and he certainly left in style. Before he headed off, we took the opportunity to proof his stay to the next level around our goats — which is especially challenging with the young kids jumping everywhere. He handled it like an absolute pro.

We then completed his full handover lesson, where his owners learned the foundations of dog training theory and how to apply it practically at home. We also set out a clear training plan so Buster can continue building his skills with confidence.

And to top it all off, Buster made his grand exit on his custom trike. At six years old, he’s living proof that old dogs really can learn new tricks.

Hi all. One of my customers has unfortunately had a change of circumstances and needs to rehome her dog. She is a 10mth ...
26/11/2025

Hi all. One of my customers has unfortunately had a change of circumstances and needs to rehome her dog. She is a 10mth entire GSD bitch from very good working lines. I have worked with her as a younger dog and she struck me as a very good example of what a shepherd should be and will make a fantastic companion for someone who wants a dog for a sport, work or personal protection. PM me for more details

25/11/2025

🎾🐾 Play — The Most Underrated Training Tool 🐾🎾

Playing with your dog isn’t just fun — it’s one of the best ways to build trust, strengthen your bond, and reward good behaviour.

A quick game at the end of a training session helps your dog associate learning with joy. It’s the perfect way to say, “You did great — let’s celebrate together!”

💪 Tug games are fantastic for focus, engagement, and teaching your dog to work with you, not against you. But remember — play should always be about connection, not competition.

Every dog has their own idea of fun, and that’s perfectly okay.
🐶 If your dog wants to chase a ball, play tug, or fetch a squeaky pink duck — go for it!
The goal isn’t to win. The goal is to enjoy the game as a team.

⚽ Play Is About Partnership, Not Possession

A game with your dog should never be about “give it to me.”
It’s about taking turns — “If you let go, I’ll give it back so we can keep playing.”

You don’t want to be like the kid who storms off and takes his ball home 🏈 — you want to be like the football team that hands the ball back after a set, so the game keeps going!

This approach builds trust, cooperation, and motivation — your dog learns that giving up the toy doesn’t end the fun, it keeps it alive.

And remember the golden rule: play must be FUN!
If you’re both laughing, wagging, and enjoying the moment — you’re doing it right. ❤️

🐕 Train Smart. Work Hard. Have Fun.
— Phil Campbell
Loose Leads Dog Training

⚖️🐾 Corrections — Fair, Clear & Always Balanced 🐾⚖️In balanced dog training, corrections are not about punishment — they...
24/11/2025

⚖️🐾 Corrections — Fair, Clear & Always Balanced 🐾⚖️

In balanced dog training, corrections are not about punishment — they’re about communication.

Corrections are used to eliminate unwanted behaviour or ensure a dog complies with a command that it already understands.
When used properly, they’re just one small part of a structured, fair training system designed to create clarity — not fear.

💡 Why Corrections Matter

Dogs with high levels of drive can become so focused that treats or praise simply don’t register.
A dog chasing a rabbit doesn’t care about the bag of treats — but a clear, sharp “No!” can snap them back to safety.

It’s no different than calling out to a child chasing a ball onto the road.
Some corrections may seem harsh in the moment, but they can quite literally save your dog’s life — like stopping them from eating a bait or running into traffic.

🧠 The Right Way to Correct

When correcting, our goal isn’t to punish — it’s to redirect and teach.

👉 For example:
If your dog jumps on a visitor, first teach an alternate behaviour — like Sit.
When guests arrive, you give the Sit command, and your dog gets attention for making the right choice.
If they still jump, a verbal correction followed by a leash correction provides clear feedback: that’s not the right answer.

Always make sure your dog understands the command first before you correct for non-compliance.
The sequence should look like this:

Command → Verbal Correction → Leash Correction → Command → Praise

This teaches your dog how to turn off pressure by responding correctly — building understanding and trust, not fear.

❤️ The Golden Rule

Corrections must be emotionless, fair, and consistent.
Never strike your dog — ever.
And remember:

Corrections come from the lips. Praise comes from the heart. ❤️

Plan your training with positive outcomes in mind. Corrections have their place, but they should always be vastly outweighed by rewards, praise, and success. That’s how we keep training productive — and our bond strong.

🐕 Train Smart. Work Hard. Have Fun.
— Phil Campbell
Loose Leads Dog Training

17/11/2025

🎯🐾 Training Methods — Understanding the Tools in Your Toolbox 🐾🎯

There’s no single “right” way to train a dog — there are just different tools, each with its strengths and limitations. Good trainers know how (and when) to use each one fairly and effectively.

Here’s a quick look at the three core methods: 👇

🍗 1️⃣ Luring
Food is used to guide a dog into position before rewarding them for the behaviour.
For example, holding a treat above your dog’s head so they naturally sit, then marking and rewarding.

As your dog learns the command, you gradually reduce the hand movement — from a full motion to a small cue — until the dog responds to the word alone.

🐶 If your dog stops responding, you may have moved too quickly — just back it up a step.

💡 2️⃣ Shaping
Shaping is about self-discovery — letting the dog figure out what earns the reward.
The trainer marks and rewards tiny steps toward the desired behaviour, repeating until the dog clearly understands.

For example, a detection dog is rewarded the instant he sniffs the target odour. Each repetition makes him more confident and focused.

Shaping builds powerful, long-lasting learning — but it takes patience, timing, and skill to get right.

📏 3️⃣ Compulsion / Guiding
This involves physically guiding the dog into the correct position, such as gently lifting the collar while applying pressure on the hindquarters to achieve a sit.

While effective in some contexts, this method is less enjoyable for the dog and can limit their willingness to offer behaviours freely. It removes the opportunity for self-discovery, which is one of the most powerful ways dogs learn.

⚖️ A Good Trainer’s Approach
Every dog learns differently. The best trainers can move seamlessly between luring, shaping, and guiding, using each as a tool to communicate clearly and fairly.

Balanced training isn’t about picking sides — it’s about understanding the dog in front of you and using the right mix of methods to bring out their best. ❤️

🐾 Train Smart. Work Hard. Have Fun.
— Phil Campbell
Loose Leads Dog Training

10/11/2025

🐾 Big Bad Buster (who’s actually a gentle giant!) the English Mastiff started training today — and wow, can he pull! 💪

This was his very first session learning the appropriate way to respond to lead pressure. Right now, I’m using praise only, since he’s a little too excited by his new surroundings to focus on treats — but that will soon change as he settles in.

🎯 Buster’s goals:
• Walk calmly on lead 🚶‍♂️
• Stay relaxed around other dogs 🐕
• Hold a drop calmly even with distractions 🧘‍♂️

We can’t wait to see how this big softie progresses over the next 4 weeks — follow along for updates as his confidence and control grow with every session! 🦴💪

Address

Wellington, NSW
2820

Telephone

+61408018946

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