Who I work with
Most of my private clients have been to two or three trainers before me. Their dog knows the commands. The dog still pulls, lunges, barks at every passing dog, paces the house, can't settle in a cafe, takes advantage of guests. The owner is exhausted and starting to wonder if this is just who their dog is.
It usually isn't. What I see in those sessions is almost always the same thing: a dog whose nervous system has been on high alert for so long that good behaviour has become impossible, and an owner who has been managing the dog's behaviour without ever addressing the regulation underneath.
What's different about how I work
My background isn't standard pet-training. I have a Bachelor's in Veterinary Science and a Master's in Early Childhood Education, and fourteen years of work across zoos, wildlife reserves, assistance dog programs, and pet training. The animals you can't manage by force teach you the most. That cross-industry lens is what I bring to private work in Melbourne, and it's why my sessions look different to most.
I don't hand you a command list. I show you how to read your dog moment by moment, then how to set up the day so good behaviour is the easy choice. The methodology I use is PACE: PLAY, ANCHOR, CALM, and EXPLORE. Each mode has clear rules. None of them blur. Get the modes holding and most of what you came in to fix resolves on its own.
How sessions run
The first session (90 minutes, $390)
The first 5 to 10 minutes is theory and methodology. I walk you through the PACE framework, explain how I read your dog, and give you notes to take home so none of it disappears after the session. Then we go hands-on: lead handling, CALM setup, PLAY structure, or breaking a reactive cycle on a walk, depending on what your dog needs that day.
You leave with a clear plan for the next week, built around what your dog is actually doing right now.
Follow-up program
After the first session I'll recommend whether a follow-up program is right for you. Ninety-eight percent of my clients, whether it's general pet behaviour, serious reactivity, fear-based cases, or aggression, find the four-week program is enough as long as they're committed. Ongoing sessions are $370 to $380.
Between sessions, you film your homework and send it via WhatsApp. I send back specific feedback. The video loop is where most of the change happens. I can describe what a good pop on the lead looks like, but until I can see your hand, your footwork, and the dog's response in your context, I can't fix what's actually going on.
Murphy
I bring my dog Murphy to most reactive-dog sessions. She's a black Labrador, certified assistance dog, and the most regulated dog I have ever worked with. Reactive dogs read her calm and start to mirror it. She's not a prop. She's a working partner who lets me show your dog what neutral, present, unbothered actually looks like.
What I work on most
- Leash reactivity (barking and lunging at dogs, people, bikes, cars)
- Anxiety and fear-based behaviour
- Resource guarding and household tension
- Dogs who can't settle at home or in cafes
- Pulling on lead and walking that boils over
- Adolescent dogs who suddenly stop listening
- Households with multiple dogs not getting along
Sessions run Wednesday to Saturday
I take on a limited number of new clients each week. The form below is the fastest way to check current availability. Tell me about your dog, what's happening, and what you've tried. I read every form myself.