Barking
1 Jul 2026
Dog barks at the window all day? Here's why and the fix
Why dogs patrol the glass, how it quietly raises their baseline all day, and how to settle the house without shouting over the barking.
Nutrition
21 Jun 2026
Should I feed my dog fresh food?
Why diet shows up in behaviour, not just health, and how to start fresh feeding with a simple base mix and a slow switch from kibble.
Reactivity
18 Jun 2026
Why is my dog reactive?
The real causes behind barking and lunging: a baseline running too high, and the fear, frustration and FOMO underneath it.
Breed
16 Jun 2026
Training a Cavoodle: small dog, big feelings
Why Australia's favourite designer dog gets separation anxiety and demand barking, and why a small dog needs the same structure as a big one.
Case study · Yarraville
13 Jun 2026
Fear-based reactivity: Bodhi's story
How fear-based reactivity differs from offensive reactivity, and what four sessions changed.
Methodology
11 Jun 2026
Still Waters: reading your dog's waterline
The waterline model of baseline arousal: what raises it, and how to bring it down.
Pre-puppy
9 Jun 2026
Before you get a puppy: the questions worth answering first
The questions most people don't ask before the dog comes home. Time, cost, breed fit, household setup.
Behaviour
6 Jun 2026
Resource guarding: why your dog growls over food
Why dogs guard food, bones and people, the freeze that comes before the growl, and why taking the bowl away makes it worse.
Reactivity
4 Jun 2026
What not to do with a reactive dog
The handling mistakes that keep a reactive dog reactive, from punishing the bark to forcing greetings, and what to do instead.
Breed
1 Jun 2026
Training a Labrador: the food-driven adolescent
Why a food-obsessed gun dog stays a puppy in the head for years, why food alone is a weak lever, and what a Lab needs to settle.
Case study · Newport
30 May 2026
Training an aggressive dog: Ella's story
Ella the GSD had bitten two trainers. The four sessions that built the framework, and the year that changed the household.
Methodology
28 May 2026
The four modes: PLAY, ANCHOR, CALM, EXPLORE
How the PACE framework organises a dog's day, and why mode confusion causes most problems.
Reactivity
25 May 2026
How to calm a reactive dog's nervous system
Rest, decompression and a lower daily baseline, not in-the-moment tricks. Plus what the 3-3-3 rule really means.
Breed
23 May 2026
Training a Golden Retriever: soft, smart, easy to over-handle
Why a sensitive gun dog needs clarity rather than correction, and how nagging turns a soft dog anxious.
Case study · Heidelberg
20 May 2026
Why some dogs lose it at passing cars
Benzi's car reactivity, and the arousal that builds before the walk even starts.
Reactivity
18 May 2026
How to walk a reactive dog
The loose lead, a longer lead while your dog learns, and why walking one calmly really needs guided help.
Breed
16 May 2026
Training an oodle: Spoodle, Groodle, Labradoodle
Why two working breeds in one fluffy dog need more than cuddles, and how to train the poodle brain behind the coat.
Methodology
13 May 2026
Cycles, not walks
Why structured daily cycles replace walks for reactive dogs while they learn to regulate.
Puppies
11 May 2026
Why walking your puppy more makes things worse
Why "a tired puppy is a good puppy" backfires, and what actually settles a young dog's nervous system.
Aggression
8 May 2026
Aggressive dog training in Melbourne: what actually works
Most aggression is fear or frustration wearing a loud coat. How to read offensive versus fearful, and why suppressing a growl makes a dog less safe.
Reactivity
6 May 2026
Can reactivity be trained out of a dog?
Managed and reduced, not cured. Whether reactive dogs ever calm down, and how long it actually takes.
Case study · Kingsville
4 May 2026
The alert that never stops: Figgy's story
Alert barking that ran six or seven times a day, and CALM as the lever that brought it down.
Breed
1 May 2026
Training a Cocker Spaniel: the busy gun-dog brain
Why a nose-driven spaniel needs a job, the truth about spaniel rage, and the one way gun dogs read differently under stress.
Reactivity
29 Apr 2026
Is my dog's reactivity my fault?
Mostly no. Whether reactive dogs are unhappy, whether dogs forgive yelling, and being curious instead of guilty.
Methodology
26 Apr 2026
Reading body language is the whole job
What dogs say before the bark, and the signals owners miss.
Case study · Thornbury
24 Apr 2026
The dog who had to say hello to everyone
Herne's FOMO reactivity, the bow-and-arrow problem, and what changed it.
Breed
22 Apr 2026
Are Staffies aggressive? An honest answer
The bull-breed reputation versus the reality of a people-soft, high-arousal dog, and what Staffy owners actually need to manage.
Reactivity
19 Apr 2026
When your dog lunges and barks, try doing nothing
Why adding eye contact, talk, touch or treats feeds the reaction, and what to do with your hands instead.
For breeders
17 Apr 2026
The handover gap: what happens to your puppies after week 8
Why most of the foundation breeders install in the first eight weeks gets undone in the next eight.
Guide
14 Apr 2026
How to find a good dog trainer
A practical seven-question guide to picking a dog trainer who can actually help.
Method
12 Apr 2026
Force-free training vs the bonding method
Half of Melbourne's trainers lead with force free. What the label means, where I agree, and why I build a dog on relationship rather than food.
Case study · Yarraville
10 Apr 2026
Reading your dog: what the body says before the bark
Gibbs the Kelpie cross, and body language reading in practice.
Reactivity
7 Apr 2026
Which dog breeds are most prone to reactivity?
Breed is only half the story, and the smaller half. Why training and daily life decide the outcome.
Guide
5 Apr 2026
The dog training rules explained
The 3-3-3 rule, the 7-7-7 rule, the 3 bark rule and the 5-second rule, and which are worth following.
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