We train lots of fussy dogs with our food-free training method Picky Dog Guide As a dog trainer, I work with LOTS of picky dogs who are fussy about food. Why? Because our food-free training system is ideal for dog who won’t eat food that’s freely available in their bowls (let along work hard for a tiny little treat!). Which is why I decided to write this guide to picky dogs, including how to get a finicky dog to eat. A “backwards” tip (that really works!) for how to make a picky dog eat… If your dog is a fussy eater, and picks and chooses when to eat, you probably leave their food down all da ..read more

Training your dog before your baby arrives will make the transition easier for everyone. Introducing Dog to Newborn Baby The arrival of a newborn baby is a massive life adjustment, for both you and your dog. Which is why I wrote this in-depth guide to introducing your newborn to your dog. Introducing Dog to Newborn Baby Step #1: Start ASAP (before baby’s born!) A successful introduction is all about the preparation beforehand. The better you can prepare your dog, the easier it will be (and vice versa!). Start training your dog! Any issues you may be having with your dog’s manners or obedien ..read more

How to Teach Your Dog to Come Without Treats Training your dog to reliably come back when called is top of the list for most dog owners. Training your dog to “come” reliably is high on the wish list for most dog owners, for good reason. Having a reliable come command (especially one that doesn’t rely on treats) is essential to keep your dog safe AND to allow you to involve them in activities without stress or frustration. Which is why I wrote this guide to teaching your dog to come without treats (reliably!). How to Teach Your Dog to Come Without Treats Tip #1 - Don’t just focus on the “come ..read more

Offering rewards for good behaviour, and ignoring bad behaviour accidentally teaches your dog to ignore you when there’s something more exciting on offer. If you’ve been using this strategy with your dog, it’s totally understandable – it’s become super common advice in the dog training industry.  But it’s no coincidence that “selective hearing” has ALSO become super common, especially around distractions like other dogs, guests, or cats! And it’s easy to see why, when you think about how you’d respond in a similar situation. If we lived in a world where there were no speeding tickets, an ..read more

Toilet training your dog or puppy can be super frustrating when it’s not going well! There are five common mistakes people tend to make when toilet training their dog. If you’re still finding accidents inside, and your dog is old enough to have good muscle control, and doesn’t have any health issues, chances are you’re making at least one of these… Mistake #1: Too much freedom, too soon It’s really tempting to let your pup have free run of the house while you’re doing other things. However, if they’re only partly toilet trained, unfortunately you’re just setting them up to fail. They need to ..read more

Canine obedience training Want more insights like this sent straight to your inbox? Click here to get our Free Dog Training Insights. Training dogs to listen reliably is top of the “list” for many dog owners, and for good reason… Why canine obedience training is so important for a happy dog & owner: Dog obedience training makes a huge difference to your enjoyment of life with your dog. A dog who listens to you reliably is much easier to have around as part of your everyday life (imagine being able to put your dog in a “down/stay” command while you clean/eat dinner/do the gardening, rath ..read more

Training a Labradoodle – Common behavioural problems and personality traits Want more insights like this sent straight to your inbox? Click here to get our Free Dog Training Insights. Labradoodles are often fun, energetic, social and “high on life”! Labradoodles are fun, energetic dogs who are often “high on life”! They’re super intelligent, can be over-excitable, and often have a stubborn streak that surprises their owners! They’re becoming super popular in both New Zealand and Australia (which is where our online course members are from), and are one of the most common “breeds” in our onlin ..read more

Do dogs learn from their mistakes? Want more insights like this sent straight to your inbox? Click here to get our Free Dog Training Insights. When done right, dogs learn from their mistakes, you just want to avoid some common pitfalls to prevent their training going backwards. Yes, dogs do learn from their mistakes... BUT only if they’re set up so that they learn what you WANT them to learn (rather than the opposite!). It’s also important to get the balance right in terms of the ratio of successes to mistakes. If you go too far one way or the other, your dog will either get stuck and never g ..read more

Best Dog Collars and Leads to Stop Pulling Want more insights like this sent straight to your inbox? Click here to get our Free Dog Training Insights. As a dog trainer, I get asked allll the time how to stop dogs pulling on the lead. It’s a super common (and frustrating!) problem. Which is why I decided to put together this list of the best collars and leads to stop dogs from pulling. I also created a free 5-day challenge to stop your dog pulling on the lead without treats, so if your dog pulls (and since you’re here, I’m guessing they do!), make sure you check it out – it’s got amazing result ..read more

Training a Huntaway (as a pet dog) – personality traits & common behavioural problems Want more insights like this sent straight to your inbox? Click here to get our Free Dog Training Insights. Huntaways are strong, intelligent dogs who love life and having a job to do. A Huntaway is the only dog from New Zealand origin that’s recognised by the NZKC. They were bred by combining many different breeds to work and move stock (sheep and cows), through barking and driving the stock away from the farmer. Hence the name “Hunt Away” (versus the New Zealand “Heading Dog” who were bred to ‘head’ th ..read more