Steve Courtney Dog Training

Every week, I speak with someone either in a phone consult or an in person consult that is in trouble with council due to something their dog has done. They are usually in a panic because their dog will be declared menacing or dangerous and the restrictions that will be applied and the conditions they will need to meet are …

There is a growing debate on the use of these training aids and it really is a concerning topic. People say “Prong collars e-collars – why?” and this is a great question, but it is a poor statement. Maybe twenty years ago, many people had never heard of a prong collar, I remember using them and discussing them on various …

Bringing a baby into your home with or without dogs is going to be a disruptive exercise, anyone with children will agree, but if your dog/s are not ready for this then they may react in a way that will make this very challenging time, very much more challenging. At times a new mum contacts us at her wits end …

One of the most common areas people struggle with is being an effective leader for their dog/s.The greatest differences between dogs that are trained and those that are not are:-Dogs that are trained display behaviours they have been taught vs untrained dogs display behaviours based on their instincts.Dogs that are trained have had the benefit of being taught how to …

Now there are people who one day dream of having a (human) child and look forward to this being a BFF relationship.Many people reading this who are already parents might say that being your child’s best friend may happen SOMETIMES but most parents will agree there are many other priorities to being a responsible parent.Responsibilities are work, they mean that …

I was reflecting on the year (2018) and the many dog owners I have met and worked with this year and it came to me that most dog owners at some point will say “he is a good dog” or “she is a good dog”. Fair enough but what l does that actually mean? I don’t think it means as …

Recently another child bitten in Australia by a dog he was interacting with. We shared this story on our Facebook page and of courseit has gone viral with comments from dog lovers calling the parents irresponsible and stupid. At first thought it is easy to go that way, but ask yourself, “do you feel that these parents or the grandparents …

This is something I hear a lot,  from so many different people and rarely, and I mean very rarely are they correct in assuming their dog hates something or someone. The reason for this article is that when a dog is labelled as anxious, dominant, fearful or even as hating something, this often dictates or determines the treatment or training …