THIS IS THE GO TO PAGE FOR EVERYTHING DOG TRAINING, BEHAVIOUR & WELLNESS RELATED. CHECK OUT ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND ARTICLES BELOW.
SETTLING YOUR PUPPY
Some puppies and even older dogs are hard to settle, and it can be frustrating especially when you are tired yourself! Here are some tips to help you settle your puppy or older dog...
TOILET TRAINING
Toilet Training can be a stressful and frustrating experience. Often you think you are on the right track, and then you find another accident inside...
PUPPY MOUTHING
While mouthing (often called ‘puppy biting’) is a normal canine behaviour, it is generally unacceptable to humans...
NEW PUPPY - HOME ALONE
Dogs are very social animals, and they love being part of the family. Consequently, it is quite common to see dogs become worried and anxious when left alone without their family.
A common cause of separation distress as an adult, is not being used to spending time alone as a puppy. If you start teaching your puppy to be happy home alone in small steps, it can help to set them up for success as an adult. Read on to find out how!
CRATE TRAINING
The benefits of crate training are endless. Read our full article to find out all about it and how to successfully crate train your dog...
TOY PLAY WITH YOUR DOG
Playing with toys can be a great way to connect with your dog and build a strong relationship. It can be super FUN, but it has a lot of other terrific benefits such as teaching your dog impulse control and rewarding a recall. It can also be a great way to get your dog’s attention and distract them away from other interesting things in the environment. If the ‘interesting thing’ is something scary for your dog, you can create a positive association by playing with toys.
Readyyyyy!! Set.... Get it!!
MUZZLES
The Misunderstood Muzzle
Times have changed – muzzles no longer predict big vicious snarling dogs. A muzzled dog is not a bad dog, and may not even be a dog that bites. However it is a dog whose people are being proactive and safe...
TARGETING
Nose Touch to Hand
Targeting is a training concept which teaches an animal to touch a target (which could be a hand or an object) with their nose or other body part.
ADOPTING LITTERMATES
There are a few reasons why it may seem a good idea to take 2 pups at the same time or from the same litter home. Keeping each other company is the first one that comes to mind. But is it really a good idea?
ADRENALIN AND COUCH DAYS
Could Your Dog Need a Couch Day?
Adrenalin (also known as Epinephrine) is a hormone and neurotransmitter. It is important to understand how adrenalin works in the body, as it is contributing to your dog’s behaviour.
BARKING
Dogs bark for many reasons. It is a natural communication and a way of ‘talking’ to people, other dogs and other species. If you are concerned about your dog's barking, and want to learn humane ways to manage it read on...
ESCAPING
Escaping Dogs
Coming home to find that your dog has escaped is extremely upsetting. It’s often hard to understand why a dog would want to escape their home, and often some dogs have learnt and practiced this behaviour over a long period...
CANINE BODY LANGUAGE - A GUIDE
Wouldn't it be great if our dogs could speak?
It would make it so much easier for us to understand how they were feeling. Instead, we need to understand how dogs do communicate, and that is mainly through a series of body postures, signals and vocalisations.
Download our Canine Body Language - A Guide
GROWLING
Facts about growling, what to do if your dog growls at you, and why you should NOT punish growling...
VISITORS TO YOUR HOME
For Shy and Fearful Dogs
If you have a very shy or fearful dog, having visitors to your home may be something that fills you with dread. Having a plan in place and working with a qualified trainer is the first step.
KIDS AND DOGS
It’s not easy living with kids and dogs. Life can be chaotic and busy, and miscommunications can happen even with good kids and good dogs.
As a family, your actions can play a HUGE part in how your dog acts towards you and those they meet.
The key is to learn what dogs like, what they don’t, and how to tell the difference...
RESOURCE GUARDING
Resource guarding is a normal and natural behaviour. It is simply guarding an item or ‘resource’ that means something to an animal...
TAIL CHASING
Tail chasing in dogs often seems to be associated with humorous videos, but while it may seem funny, let’s find out what could really be going on…
DOG PARKS
Dog parks are very popular in Australia, and more and more councils are including fenced off-leash areas in their town planning. But are they right for your dog?...
LEAD REACTIVITY
One of the most common questions we get asked is - How do I stop my dog from going crazy at other dogs when we go for a walk?
The ‘going crazy’ often refers to pulling, lunging, whining, barking and/or growling at other dogs. Your dog may be quite happy to meet other dogs in their home, or off leash in a park, but when it comes to being on lead; their manners can leave you pretty embarrassed...
EATING POO - COPROPHAGIA
Coprophagia or poo eating can be a serious problem behaviour. We say problem behaviour, because it is usually more of a problem for us, not always for the dog...
HEAT STRESS IN DOGS -PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT
Heatstroke occurs when normal body mechanisms cannot keep the body's temperature in a safe range. Animals do not have efficient cooling systems (like humans who sweat) and can get overheated easily...
ENRICHMENT BASICS
Enrichment is making something “fuller, more meaningful or more rewarding”. From our pet’s perspective, this can mean in their environment, their social interactions and in training...
RAINY DAY IDEAS
We have some fun ideas to entertain your pets and at the same time, connect and have fun!
THUNDER STORMS
Storms are part of living in our beautiful "sunshine state", but they may not be a favourite experience for your pets. In this article we explore ways to help your dog through this sometimes stressful experience.
ADDING VALUE TO DRY FOOD DIETS
Feeding dry food alone to a dog (or cat) is never ideal. Dry food or ‘kibble’ is highly processed, and while most meet the nutrient requirements of dogs and cats, by adding small amounts of fresh foods you can provide natural and more easily digested nutrients, which is better for their long term health.
FEEDING RAW BONES
Bones are nature’s teeth cleaner for dogs and cats. They are high in natural and digestible calcium and other minerals, they provide roughage in the diet, and are a source of essential amino acids, enzymes, essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins. They are excellent for satisfying the chewing urge and giving dental exercise including gum massage and aiding in plaque removal.
VACCINATIONS & TITRE TESTING
Most of us know the importance of an appropriate vaccination schedule to help our pets develop immunity to deadly diseases. But did you know that most adult dogs that have responded to their core vaccinations can have immunity to these diseases for many years?
HARNESSES
Does your dog's harness fit correctly? Read on for some important tips....
EASTER TIPS
Easter can pose quite a few dangers to pets, so here are some reminders to keep your pets safe...
CHRISTMAS - CHAOS TO CALM
If you are stressing about the Christmas holidays and want to make sure you and your pets are prepared, here are our top tips...
