Good communication is one of the most important parts of dog training. Dogs learn to understand the words, signals and sounds we consistently use to communicate what we want from them. 🐾 Commands A command is a word we use to ask our dog to perform a particular behaviour. Examples include: “Sit” “Drop” “Heel” “Come” “Stay” Commands should be clear, consistent and used in the same way each time. ✋ Hand Signals A hand signal is a visual cue that the dog learns to associate wit

An important message about respect, understanding and the reality of living with an Assistance Dog in Australia. We need to talk about Assistance Dogs. Not because people are deliberately doing the wrong thing. In fact, most of the people who approach an Assistance Dog team are friendly, curious and genuinely love dogs. But sometimes, good intentions can have a very negative impact. For the person holding the lead, what may seem like a harmless smile, a quick conversation, a

There’s been a lot of discussion about whether my puppies are “too young” to be out and experiencing the world, so I want to explain why early socialisation is not only important, but supported by decades of behavioural science. The critical socialisation period in puppies occurs roughly between 3 and 12 to 14 weeks of age. This is not opinion. It is a well documented developmental stage where puppies are neurologically primed to learn what is safe, normal and familiar in the

Is your dog's resource guarding becoming just a little bit unpredictable? Do they obsessively snap and lunge when you try to take their favourite toy away? Are they showing unwanted aggression around the food bowls or toys towards other people or dogs? Are you scared they'll cause serious injury to another dog or unsuspecting victim? Why Is My Dog Resource Guarding? In some ways, resource guarding is the most natural thing in the world. Ultimately, it's an instinctive trait t

Do you have a dog who needs to become calmer? Is your dog an adrenaline junkie? Do you struggle to walk him on a leash and keep him from jumping up? Chances are that your dog has too many high-impact activities or does not get enough rest throughout the day. Unfortunately, there are two extremes when it comes to exercising dogs. 1. We have dogs that obviously do not receive sufficient mental and physical stimulation and challenges. These dogs are bored, destructive, o