FAQs

My dog's old and has formed bad habbits, can it be trained?

We can train dogs at any age - it's never too late to work through some of your dog's ingrained behaviours and give you the dog you've always wanted.

Do you use food rewards?

No, we don't train using food as a reward for your dog. We want your dog to listen even when you haven't got your treat pouch or roast chicken on you. Imagine if your dog just escaped the yard and you need it to come back instantly - but you don't have any food on you!! Our reward-based training method means you can get your dog to do whatever you need it to do, whenever you need it to.

How do I know which of your courses to choose?

All you need to know at this point is we can help you with whatever challenges you face with your dog, from basic obedience to high-end problem solving and everything in between. If this sounds good to you, give us a call on 0402 211 659 to discuss your needs in detail and work out the course for you!

Should I get another dog to stop the first one being destructive?

A second dog is never a solution to the first dog's problems - the new dog is much more likely to learn some bad habbits off the first one and then you have two dogs who are being little ratbags! We can put things in place that ensure your dog knows you're in charge and teaches it to respect your property.

Will my puppy grow out of the bad behaviours it's showing?

No. This is a very common misconception. Your puppy is experimenting when it nips/bites, growls, jumps up, steals/destroys things, licks you, etc. If you don't shape its behaviours whilst it grows, the problems will only get bigger. We can still help you when it's an adult dog with bad habbits, but it's easier to fix it when the behaviours are still new. Your puppy's only going to get bigger - imagine it fully grown, doing the same behaviours it's doing now, for the next ten years or more - better call us now!

How much time and effort should I expect to commit to training my dog?

Whilst we'll tackle dogs of all ages, breeds and needs, we're picky about which owners we take on. We require owners to practice daily, however the practice can fit into your lifestyle - it's more about doing it right than for great lengths of time. Initially you might spend at least ten minutes a day, scattered randomly throughout the day, and work up to doing hour long drop step aways (stays) or practicing throughout your walk, at a cafe, etc. Our goal is to get your dog to fit in with your life, so the practice needs to happen during normal activities you carry out.

Can we train more than one dog at a time?

Yes, we can help you with multiple dogs in the one family. Once we understand the dynamics of the relationship and the problems you'd like to tackle, we'll work with you on a strategy to achieve your goals with you.

Which problems can you help me solve?

Almost anything. The best thing to do, before you get in touch with us, is write a list of everything you'd like your dog to learn to do. Then add to the list any bad manners or behaviours you don't like your dog doing. Then add to the list any changes you've made to your life to accommodate your dog's bad behaviours (ie. you can't leave your dog outside when you're out because it will bark and annoy the neighbours, you have to lock your dog outside when visitors come over as it gets too excited and you can't stop it racing around, barking or jumping/licking everyone, etc). Look at your list - we can help you with everything on it!

Why is obedience training important?

It's important your dog really knows some basic obedience as we use that to teach your dog to listen to you, to understand what you want and to respect you. If you need to say sit to your dog five times, for instance, and it finally sits on its terms, only when it's ready, who's really in control? And you might be fine with your dog not sitting on the first command - every time - it is only a sit after all. But if your dog won't do a basic sit reliably, on command, when not much else is going on - how do you think its off-lead recall will look, especially when it's busy playing with all the other dogs?! These little interactions with your dog, when done properly, are teaching your dog to listen to you and that what you say matters.

My dog won't come back at the park, can you help me get a reliable off-lead recall?

Yes, we can help you train your dog to an off-lead level reliably, including getting it to come back from distractions when you call it. We can even get your dog playing nicely at the park if it's scared or agressive towards other dogs! There are times you really need your dog to come back, straight away, no questions asked - we undertsand the importance of this exercise and help you teach it in a way that you know, without a doubt, that your dog will come back when needed.

My vet and/or behaviourist have told me there's no hope for my dog because its behaviours are high level, can you help?

We can help work through high end behavioural problems that others may not be able to tackle. Our method is quick and easy and gets amazing results fast. If you're at the end of the line with your dog - what have you got to lose by giving us a call. We'll be able to tell you pretty quickly if we can help where others couldn't.

Can you help me socialise my dog to things it's scared or over excited by?

Yes, by teaching you to build your relationship with your dog and how to communicate with it, you're halfway there. When your dog knows you're in charge, it will trust you and listen to you. This gives you a good starting point for socialising your dog to anything that triggers it to be fearful or over excited, with the goal of getting your dog to be calm instead.

I'm embarassed by the problems I'm facing and feel I should know how to fix them but I don't - what should I do?

It may seem like you're alone, it may seem like your dog's more challenging than everyone else's, you may be at your wit's end - but it'll be ok, we're here to help you (not judge you). Most people we help feel the same way you are right now, but we really undertsand what you're going through and approach you and your dog with compassion and empathy. We work with you as a team to get the results you need. Imagine how you'll feel when everything's easy and you have the dog you've always wanted.

My dog is driving me crazy, what are your thoughts on surrendering it?

It's never too late to train your dog and we can help with most problems. Is your dog worth one last chance? Wouldn't you love to keep them and have them be happy and well rounded - the dog you always hoped for? With Muddy Paws by your side, we can redefine your relationship with your dog and how it fits into your life.

My dog is a 'hard' breed to train/not very smart - can my dog be taught?

We've worked with so many breeds, there's not too much we haven't seen or worked through! Oh, and usually the smartest dogs are great at acting dumb - we can teach your dog to do what you need them to do.