ANY QUESTIONS?

You’re not alone! Many guardians feel this way with the bewildering array of advice out there. That’s why I’m here to provide clear, positive guidance to help you move forward confidently. Sometimes you're using the right training concepts but some adjustments are needed to be effective. Other times a new approach or technique may work better. There may be stressors, pain or other factors affecting your dog's ability to learn which need to be addressed. Training and changing habits takes time. We all know how hard an effort is required to break old habits and start new ones. Expecting your dog to completely change theirs overnight or in a short space of time is unrealistic, especially if they've been doing it for months or years. You'll need some patience and commitment. Often the amount of "training" you need to do may be minimal but doing this consistently can be our biggest challenge!

I really enjoy getting to meet people and and their dogs in-person and providing hands-on coaching but it's not always feasible or even the best option. In certain cases, such as seeing how your house is setup, it can be helpful in person, but in many cases we can achieve the same outcomes and there are other advantages to online training. We don't want to put your dog in situations that cause them or anyone stress or encourage them to practice unwanted behaviours, just to "see" the problem. We'll gain a good understanding of what's going on for your dog, based on discussions and experience. You're also welcome to provide video you already have or videos you take when something happens (again without intentionally putting your dog in that situation). So while you may initially discard the concept of dog training via video call, here are some of the many benefits: • It may reduce your dog's anxiety and/or distractions, which can occur with my presence • You need coaching on how to train and change your dog's behaviour as it's you who lives with your dog • Learning separately to training your dog can be very beneficial • If I train your dog and you can't do the same, it's not helpful when I leave • Empowering you with skills and knowledge to build a good relationship with your dog is essential for them to learn to trust, listen and respond to you • I can see your dog and any videos you send from anywhere in the world! • Videos of training can be slowed down and replayed many times to see what's going on with your dog and their behaviour without distractions - and we might see things missed in real-time • Online sessions can be recorded and summaries provided from the transcript so nothing we discuss gets forgotten • We can often be more flexible with scheduling when there's no commuting involved

Initial behaviour consults are held at your home or online via video call* Ongoing sessions will either be at your home, a suitable location or via video call* The issues your dog is presenting with and how much training experience you and your dog have, will determine when and where sessions are held. It also depends on how much we are coaching you vs hands-on training with your dog. *If you're outside our service area, all sessions will be via video call.

Our training principles: Do No Harm, Cause No Pain, Create No Fear. A holistic approach to behaviour change means we don't focus solely on training but look at different aspects of your dog and how they affect behaviour - health, activity, enrichment, environment, relationship, trust and more. Here are some other common terms used to describe our approach: Rewards-based, Positive Reinforcement, Force Free, Fear Free. Click on the Training Information tab for more information and to dispel some of the myths surrounding these training methods. The term 'Balanced' trainer is sadly a misnomer. Unlike it's namesake it describes a training style that uses rewards / positive reinforcement techniques but also relies on punishment to get desired behaviours. Punishment can come in many forms and range from mild to downright abusive. Some dogs are resilient and cope with a mild approach, whilst other dogs may shutdown, increase aggression or form other behaviour issues. Either way, we don't advocate for this approach. It's unnecessary when real world trainers can train dogs and even zoo animals without using force or causing discomfort or pain. There's so many amazing dog trainers and behaviour consultants out there using the principles I follow and helping dogs and their guardians live better lives. As a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDTNZ), I abide by their code of ethics which you can read here: https://www.apdtnz.org.nz/code-of-ethics.(https://www.apdtnz.org.nz/code-of-ethics)