The Canine Behaviour Academy

19/09/2026

Prey drive, compulsion or hyperarousal?

15/09/2026

Bobby was used as a security dog until he became too much to handle. He is 3 years old and has received no training, no socialisation and hasn’t had a positive experience on lead.

His new family are very committed to him. Today we worked on building trust and connection by supporting him in his new environment.

13/09/2026

The really fun part about this job is getting to meet cool dogs and their lovely humans. The other part I really enjoy is driving to regional areas of Australia that I would never otherwise see.

Today I was on a farm in the Yass Valley and it was so pretty. I got to meet this dude and we worked to turn his love of jumping up on people into a love of jumping up into the car.

Jimmy is a Bernadoodle. Sadly Jimmy was too rough with his previous young family and his jumping was causing injury and became unsafe. He is going to have SO much fun on this lovely farm.

06/09/2026

Reactive dogs need time to unwind and that’s what we give them at Canine Calm Club.

Space to relax and regulate so when they do see another dog they feel calm and confident.

Max, Anouk, McCoy and Winnie did so well today at their first session. Big shout out to all the handlers who slowed down with their dogs and did some really great lead management.

02/09/2026

Henry is an Australian Cattle Dog. He is very gentle and affectionate with people but the farm animals are over him!

He is a young fella and he is looking for work to do. His herding instinct have him chasing the Clydesdale, ducks, sheep, cattle and his favourite - the geese!

Today we worked on impulse control, introduced cues for stopping during stalking, coming around stock and we turned up recall. We also taugh him how to get in the ute using an esky for a step. 🤣❤️🐶

01/09/2026

21/08/2026

Does your dog really enjoy walks?

Let’s think about this for a moment.

Ask yourself is your dogs barking, lunging or unmanageable on lead?

Are walks stressful for you?

We hang on to the idea we need to take our dog on walks around the streets and we can become disheartened when the reality is actually stressful for us and our dogs.

If any of the above sounds familiar chances are your dog may love an outing but might not enjoy the neighbourhood walk.

If you would like to reimagine this, try taking your dog to a wide open space and let them explore on a longline lead. Walk in big circles not in straight lines this will be difficult for you at first. Sit and watch nature- I bet you will get bored before they do! Scatter treats in the grass to get them sniffing or try scent work at home or in the garden.

There are many things we can do to help our dogs relax without pounding the pavement but it might require a shift in mindset and a curiosity to try something new.

11/08/2026

This is Anouk.

When she was a puppy, two off lead dogs attacked her in a public space - their owner arrived at the scene way to late. The family fought off the dogs as best they could until the owner final arrived.

For Anouk and her family the emotional scars are deeply embedded. As Anouk gets older she feels frightened and apprehensive of other dogs especially when she is on lead.

Her barking and lunging look scary and have been increasingly difficult to manage. Her family are dedicated to learning how to support Anouk.

I can’t wait to see this girls confidence grow over the coming weeks so she can relax and enjoy her outings.

09/08/2026

Whylie is our rescue pup. Originally I was looking for activities that would help her recover from a tricky start to life.

She is the reason I became interested in Mantrailing and became a qualified instructor so I can share this fun activity with other people looking to help build their dog’s confidence.

26/07/2026

Thank you everyone for such a wonderful weekend. It was great to catch up and have a laugh with old friends and new friends. Whylie and I learnt so much.