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Cooperative Care | Fitness | Enrichment | Massage

Helping you make your dog's day better Are you puzzled by your dog's behaviour?

Cooperative Care | Fitness | Enrichment | Massage

Helping you make your dog's day better

Your Whole Dog is owned and operated by me, Annie Thorne, your Wellington-based canine wellbeing partner. Are you looking to enhance their physical wellbeing? Are you looking to advocate for your dogs' physical and behavioural health? I'm here to help you make your dog’s day better. We'll combine ethical rew

ard-based training, fitness, massage, and enrichment in an integrated approach. This approach, founded on the belief that a happy, healthy dog thrives

- when they are understood,

- when they are confident in their surroundings,

- when they are comfortable in their bodies,

- and when their needs are met. My mission is to strengthen the bond between dogs and their humans. We start by supporting your dog's emotional and physical health. Let's work together to create a harmonious household where both you and your canine companion will thrive! Professional qualifications:
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP),
Family Dog Mediator (FDM)
Certified Canine Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCC),
Certified Professional Canine Fitness Trainer (CPCFT),
Certified canine massage therapist, kinesiology tape practitioner and cold laser therapist. Fear Free Certified Professional (Trainer)
Low-Stress Handling Silver Certified. Professional memberships:
Association of Pet Dog Trainers NZ (full),
Pet Professional Guild (full),
International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (supporting),
International Association of Animal Massage and Bodywork/Association of Canine Water Therapy

18/10/2025

Happy World Menopause Day! 🎉 😬🥵

Your Whole Dog is proud to be a menopause-friendly business.

Odd post for a dog trainer… hear me out...

As a solopreneur, being menopause-friendly starts with me taking my own self-care seriously. And it also means creating a space where my clients - who perhaps are navigating peri/menopause themselves - feel genuinely safe and supported.

Having a day where your brain feels like it's wrapped in cotton wool?

Forgot why you walked into a room three times before breakfast?

Have the thermostat settings become a source of deep personal conflict?

We can work with that (and the rest, because let's be honest, that's just the start 🙄)

My sessions usually run as a "choose your own adventure" style anyway.

If you need to reschedule* because today is just NOT the day? Do it.

If we need to pivot mid-session because you're all out of spoons? We pivot.

If you need to pause because you've suddenly become irrationally angry at your dog for existing too happily? (The audacity of their joyful dogginess!)

Dog training shouldn't be another thing stressing you out. Life's doing enough of that already.

So here's to flexible, compassionate, real-life-friendly dog training.

Your hormones are valid, your struggles are real, and your dog's training can absolutely accommodate both.

*I have a 72-hr reschedule policy that applies in most circumstances. Sick? We shift. Menopausal? We shift. Forgot about your mani/pedi? Nope, that's not covered!

26/09/2025

Eating ... it's important!

I keep hearing “My dog loves treats at home but isn’t interested when [insert all kinds of scenarios here]!”

If this sounds familiar, your dog isn't being stubborn - they're actually communicating something really important about how they're feeling at that moment.

When dogs can't eat, they can't learn either. Their nervous system is basically saying 'this doesn't feel safe enough (or, isn’t a priority) for me to focus on right now.'

I've written about why this happens and what you can do about it (link in comments). It's one of the most common training challenges I see, and it's totally solvable once you know what to look for!

BTW - whilst this blog is focussed on the behaviour of eating, the same logic applies to any behaviour your dog "knows" at home but suddenly can't do elsewhere. If they won't sit, stay, or come when called in a new environment, it's likely the same thing: their brain is saying "this doesn't feel safe enough to focus on right now."

Pictured: Wolly and Tigg who have never met a snack they didn't like, so when they refuse one I have valuable info about how they are feeling.

22/08/2025

Wolly’s always pleased when the Flexiness shipment arrives with the new products … he gets to stand around and have snacks. One of his favourite activities!

He’s tested out the new SensiPaw Discs. Says they’re just right - not too small, not too big. And, since he’s an elder gentleman, he’s a big fan of the wave pattern sensory bumps.

Tigg is patiently* waiting her turn …

*thats a lie; she’s not remotely patient 😆

19/07/2025

One of the many things I enjoy about training is how much it teaches us and provides an opportunity to really pay attention, not just to the behaviours we’re working on, but to everything else our dogs are showing us. They are talking to us all the time, and we really need to listen! Their posture, how they move, how they take food... it all tells a story. And sometimes, the smallest detail can make a whopper change. Wolly illustrated that beautifully for me today!

We were working on a sustained chin rest to an object - a small side table. I had a front foot target in place to help Wolly line up straight. He was doing okay. And then I noticed that, over the course of a few reps, his rear feet were starting to creep in under his body. Not ideal. I didn’t want him standing like that, as it means he’s unbalanced. And almost certainly uncomfortable. Not ideal for any dog, especially one as aged as Wolly!

So, I added a textured mat under his rear feet to give him some sensory feedback and a bit of traction.

Almost immediately, his stance improved. He shifted his weight, planted his feet more evenly, and settled into a much more comfortable position. We carried on for a few more reps and his posture continued to improve. By the time we finished he was standing pretty much square.

And then it dawned on me … not only was his posture better, but so was the behaviour. He was no longer fidgety and twiddly. He was coming into position and holding it. Beautifully. The whole picture had changed. Not because I asked differently. Not because I changed my criteria. But because I helped his body feel better.

I hadn’t really registered the fidgeting until it stopped. My eyes had been on his feet. But it’s all connected, isn’t it?

It is precisely these kinds of moments that are why I spend so much time encouraging people to observe more, ask questions, and get curious:
Is my dog comfortable in their body right now?
Does this behaviour feel doable to my dog?

So, next time things feel a bit wobbly, pause and look a little deeper. There’ll be a reason. And the dog is always right!

Illustrations by Wolly!
1st picture - the last rep on the carpet.
2nd picture - very next rep on the sensimat
3rd picture - our final rep of the session

Address

Horokiwi Road
Wellington
5016

Website

http://www.yourwholedog.co.nz/, https://bio.site/yourwholedog

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Cooperative Care.Training.Enrichment

Your Whole Dog is owned and operated by me, Annie, a Wellington-based dog trainer and walker, who focuses on teaching cooperative care skills, and promoting enrichment strategies.

I have long been an advocate for a multi-modal approach to canine health, training and behaviour, and Your Whole Dog reflects my philosophy that neither behaviour nor health happen in a vacuum and many factors should be considered and addressed when looking at training, behaviour and health challenges. To that end, I am a strong advocate for enrichment and decompression activities.

My training areas of special interest are, primarily, cooperative care and foundations for fitness and rehab, and ensuring that a dog's behavioural and physical wellness needs are fully met.

As a trainer, I use positive reinforcement, and I am both Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling certified. I am currently enrolled in the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program.