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Specialty Training and Fun Dog Sports
FROM CAUTIOUS TO CONFIDENT: EMPOWERING TRAINING FOR DOGS
Paws With Patience
5-week course | 60 mins per class | Max 4 dogs per class - $320
For recently adopted rescue, shelter or foster dogs who have been in their new homes for less than 4 months.
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Let us guide you through the first months of adjusting to a new life.
Obedience can wait—relationship comes first.
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Ready to be the superhero you want to be for your recently adopted dog?
​This course supports guardians in creating calm routines, reading body language, and building a foundation of safety and trust.​​​
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What to Expect
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5 week course - one 'dog free' lesson + Four practical lessons.
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Small class sizes: maximum of 4 dogs
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Each lesson runs 60-80minutes
This specially designed course is to help recently adopted dogs settle, decompress and establish trust in their new environments.
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Teaching you all about the importance of taking things slow - Working at your dogs pace - not yours. Ensuring that you are listening to what your dog is telling you will ensure that you support them when they need it, reducing anxieties growing and behvioural issues forming down the track.
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We focus on making sure that our new companions feel safe and cared for and back it up with building connection, growing confidence, providing enrichment and supporting emotional stability and wellbeing.
What You’ll Learn
Our goal is to teach you, as the new guardian, that building trust and creating a safe home for your new family member is paramount right now.
Any obedience training or fancy tricks can come at any stage AFTER the dog has truly settled in.
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Class one: Dog Free Lesson
Human only learning day!
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Class Two: Foundations
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Class Three: Settle and Unwind
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Class Four: Building Connection
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Class Five: Trouble in Paradise
Let us help you make them finally feel at home.
Parent Education
We help you understand what’s usual and what’s unusual, and how to provide the best support for your pup.
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Topics include:
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What stuff you need and why. Including recommendations of tried and tested products and harnesses.
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What can be classified as a treat or reward, and how we know it's actually reinforcing.
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How to set both you and your dog up for success from the beginning.
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Enrichment activities – what they are and what they aren’t.
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Understanding body language, thresholds and emotions, and what to look out for.
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Potential behavioural challenges and how to work through them, whilst navigating your dog in the big wide world.
Locations: Marrickville & St. Peters
Ready, Set, Groom...
4-week course | 60 mins per class | Max 5 dogs per class - $295
Do you have a fluffy Puppy 2-8 Months of Age?
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Grooming can be very stressful for so many dogs; wouldn’t it be better if we set them up for success at the salon early to reduce the worry and fear? ​Welcome to 'Ready, Set, Groom'. A unique, one of a kind course, designed specifically to help prepare your puppy to be pampered by the professionals in the future.
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We must start the desensitisation, habituation, exposure and understanding to the grooming experience as soon as possible. Let's get them ready for their first professional make over!
Education
Why it is important to teach your puppy about the grooming experience in a positive fear free way BEFORE they have to go to the groomers.
Understanding why regular maintenance of your pets coat and nails is important for health and wellbeing AND why it’s better for your dogs mental, emotional and physical health if the experience at the groomers isn’t traumatic.
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Many animals only need one scary experience to cause life long phobia's and high levels of distress in certain situations. As our dogs guardians, we need to ensure that we set them up for success as best we can to ensure that we are doing right by them.
Handling & Tools
Showing you how to gently acclimate your puppy slowly to being touched and handled from head to tail to ensure that their short back and sides is a pleasant experience for everyone.
From your puppies first 'Bath and Tidy' (which can be done from their 2nd vaccination), right through to their first full and comprehensive groom (6-10months) it's important to start early and get it right.
We will help you expose your puppy to the tools of the trade and introduce them to the world of grooming.
Experiences
Through the power of games, engagement and patience, we show you how to gently desensitise all the scary parts they may be worried about when encountering the grooming salon.
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We will incorporate the noises, smells, movements and overall familiarity to the environment, as it's a great start to reducing long term anxiety and worry.
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Help your dog feel safe and understood. When your dog is telling you something... Are you listening?
What this IS…
This is for everyone who knows that their pup will need to visit the groomer to maintain their fabulous style, maintain a healthy coat and want their dogs to be as relaxed as possible during the process. Most families don't have time to groom their pet themselves, and because it takes a lot of skills and knowledge to do it right, it's often recommended that it be done by a professional who is experienced and qualified.
We teach you how to reduce the trauma that some puppies can go through at the groomers due to being unprepared in advance.
Having a dog that is less stressed at the groomers allows the groomer to calmly work WITH your pet and not against your pet.
Thus making the grooming experience hopefully quicker with more calm compliance and less concern for both your puppy and the groomer!
What this is NOT…
This is NOT a grooming course, we do NOT teach you how to groom your own pet.
We do not provide specific professional grooming techniques to groom your dog.
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We do not sell you any grooming tools or upsell you any products.
This course is for families who are wanting their dog to be comfortable when they visit a professional groomer.
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Preparing your pup to be pampered is a vital life skill that benefits your dog for the rest of it's life.
Start early with this course, to give your puppy the tools they need to feel calm and confident at the groomer’s.
​​Let’s set your puppy up for success—enroll today and make their grooming journey a breeze!
Location: St. Peters
Hoopers
6-week course | 45 min per class | Max 2 dogs per class - $300
Low impact, high fun. Let’s hoop it up!
‘HOOPERS’ IS RIGHT HERE IN THE HEART OF THE INNER WEST!
Finally, a sport that is easy to get to, easy to partake in, and fun to play!
What is Hoopers?
Welcome to the adventures of Canine Hoopers World, where everyone is invited.
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Dogs of any breed and any age (over 6 months) can join in the fun!
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It’s like a low impact agility so it’s better for your dog’s joints with no jumping, no sharp turns and no large pieces of equipment. Through the course we will learn how to enjoy the sport of running through large hoops, flicking around barrels, and zooming through tunnels… but most of all… we grow a strong connection with our dogs all whilst learning to have fun!
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It’s gentle on joints and big on confidence. Whether your dog is a bit nervous or just needs something new to do, Hoopers builds skills, boosts self-esteem, and makes you both feel like superstars.
Hoopers Levels
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Foundation – Dipping a paw in the water. See if Hoopers is your dog’s thing.
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Beginners – Skills get sharper, moves get fancier. Keep up the ‘wait’ and ‘recall’ practice outside class so you’re ready for the Hoopers stage.
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Intermediate – Stepping it up with trickier courses, better connection, and distance handling. Solid ‘wait’, rock-solid recall, no resource guarding, and happy collar holds required.
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Advanced – For dogs and handlers with the goods: top-notch hoop value, slick distance handling, and confidence on challenging courses.
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Hoopers for Hackles – For our reactive legends. One dog at a time, slower pace, calm vibes. No pressure — just progress.
Why You’ll Love It
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Only 2 dogs per class = more one-on-one time with your trainer to help build the necessary skills.
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The sport builds confidence and focus, and creates next-level teamwork etween you and your dog.
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And did we mention… it’s REALLY fun?
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nb: Hoopers does require some running by the human initially, until distance handing skills are developed. Each dog and Handler team are different and each dog and handler team will have their own special magic - Let me help you find it.
Ready to hoop like no one’s watching?
Location: Marrickville
K9 Nose Work® – Sniff, Search, Succeed!
6-week course | 60 mins per class | Max 5 dogs per class - $300
K9 Nose Work® is more than just a fun game — it’s a confidence-building, brain-boosting activity that taps into your dog’s natural hunting and scenting abilities.
If your dog has a nose, they can play!
What is it and Who is it For?
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This unique, low-impact activity is ideal for:
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Shy, anxious, or reactive dogs
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Senior dogs or those recovering from surgery
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Dogs who struggle in traditional group classes
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High-energy dogs needing a mental workout
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Home-alone hounds who could use a meaningful job
Nosework, also known as scent work, is a dog sport where dogs use their sense of smell to locate hidden target odors.
It's a fun and engaging activity that can be done for recreational purposes or even competitively.
Nosework taps into a dog's natural ability to detect scents and provides mental stimulation, stress reduction, and confidence building.
How Does it Work?
Each dog searches one at a time, with no dog-to-dog interaction, no pressure , making this class a calm and safe space for dogs of all personalities and needs.
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We get to fine turn your individual dogs scent detection skills, what to look for in your dog and learn to communicate and listen to your dog to a completely elite level of understanding
When and Where
Classes are starting in Balmain at Darling Street Vets from October 2025.
Monday Nights at 6.30pm
Coming to St. Peters in the future!!
Whose the Trainer?
You’ll be guided on this amazing journey by Shelley, who is currently in training to be one of only a handful of Certified Nose Work Instructors (CNWI) in Australia.
Shelley will ensure both you and your dog feel supported, successful, and most importantly, have a blast!
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This dog sport is one of the most amazing things you could become a part of.
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We don't teach dog's how to sniff things... they already know how to do that a billion times better than you can! We teach them a seek and search game that will make you see your dogs natural skills in a complete different way.
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If your dog has a nose, they can play!