Six weeks to a dog you can actually live with.
A private, in-home program for the daily-life stuff: pulling, jumping, recall, puppy foundations. Evidence-based, force-free, built around your routine.
Your dog knows 'sit' in the kitchen. But then...
Out in the real world - on lead, at the front door, when the neighbour's cat streaks across the yard - it falls apart. Your dog knows the cues. The problem is they don't DO the cues when it actually matters.
Your dog learning 'sit' is not the hard part. The hard part is your dog choosing to sit when there's a cat bolting across the road, a kid on a scooter, and another dog barking its head off twenty metres away.
That gap between what your dog knows and what your dog does under pressure is not a training failure. It's the most common thing I see, and it has a very fixable cause: the training happened in isolation, without the piece that actually matters - management and enrichment and an actual training plan that helps make the skills stick in real life.
Essentials exists for this exact problem. It helps owners and their dogs to create a structured plan to close that gap. The goal by week six is you knowing how to read your dog, an environment set up for success, and training that works, even without me there.
Sounds
Familiar?
"This has been the best thing we have done for our girl Nala!"
Great tips for us to understand and use, very accommodating, approachable and reliable. We had seen an improvement in a week with our puppy which just increased with every session. Don't hesitate, just book — highly recommend!
Christina & Nala
Most training programs are designed to fail by only focusing on training your dog cues.
Puppy preschool, weekend classes - those programs only work on training the basics, sometimes where the dog struggles to even learn it in the first place. They focus on teaching new skills or 'cues' and hoping they can be performed in the real world. Often they don't - because the program is missing two-thirds of what you actually need to address:
Management to set up the environment so the problem can't keep practising itself.
Enrichment to make sure your dog's actual needs are being met - not just "give them a Kong" but genuine behavioural needs that, when they're unmet, drive the exact problems you're dealing with.
Only after this do we focus on training that builds the specific skills your dog needs for YOUR life, not a generic obedience syllabus.
Essentials is built around what we call the M.E.T. Method - three pillars, not just one.
The three pillars of every plan
Management
The bit most trainers skip - and the reason your dog keeps rehearsing the behaviour you're trying to stop. We set up your environment so the problem can't practise itself. Think of it as putting the fence at the top of the hill instead of calling the ambulance at the bottom.
Enrichment
Not just a walk to the park. Enrichment is an outcome, not just a thing you give or do with your dog - it's actually meeting your dog's needs daily. We figure out which needs are going unmet and build realistic solutions into your existing routine.
Training
The skills your dog actually needs for YOUR life. Loose-lead walking, recall that works outside the backyard, settling when guests arrive, impulse control at the front door. Real skills, real contexts - not a list of obedience cues nobody uses past week two.
From quiz to independence
Take the quiz
We recommend you check this is the right fit for your needs first - by taking our quiz, you can figure out whether Essentials is the right fit, or whether something else makes more sense.
M.E.T. Assessment
If Essentials is right, you can book today to get started ASAP. Your first session is in your home where we can assess your dog, your household, your daily patterns, and what's actually driving the behaviour - then build a plan specific to your situation. After the initial assessment you will receive your starting plan within 48 hours to start your dog's training.
Training Sessions & Guidance
Over the next 6 weeks, you will implement the plan and also access your follow-up training sessions - you have up to 3 follow-up sessions that you can book in at a pace that suits you. We go at the pace your dog's learning ability sets, not a calendar.
Independence by week 6
The program is designed to teach you and your dog skills - you can read your dog's body language, manage your environment, and handle new situations without me. You feel confident in your dog, and in your own skills.
Sessions are outcome-gated, not calendar-gated. You don't book weekly - you can book in a time that suits you for your sessions, as we don't know the right cadence for your dog until after the program starts.
"Vinnie responded exceptionally well to Marianne's training."
"Being new puppy owners, we initially started with In-Home Manners course for our puppy, Vinnie and have continued with weekly group training sessions with Marianne. From the very beginning, Vinnie responded exceptionally well to Marianne's training which gave us confidence and motivation to continue as it was easy and FUN for all of us!"
"Marianne has great tips and advice for new puppy owners and is very committed to providing the best training for your doggo so they are not only well-mannered but focused and come back to you when called, and want to be around you! Thanks Marianne – you've been a life saver!"
Natasha & Vinnie
Essentials might not be the right fit if...
Your dog is reactive on lead
Lunging, barking, growling at other dogs or people when you're out walking. That's a different problem and it needs a different approach. Essentials won't touch it.
See Reactivity PathwayThere's a bite history
If your dog has bitten or snapped at a person or another dog, we need to talk before anything else happens. That's not something a self-serve program can handle responsibly.
Get in touch directlyYou want someone to "fix" the dog
Essentials requires your active participation - the homework, the video check-ins, the daily management changes. That's what makes it work. If you're after a drop-off service, that's not what this is.
Not sure where you sit?
Take the quizPricing
In-Home
We come to you. Zone A or Zone B only.
Final price depends on your postcode. Enter it to see your exact zone and price.
At our venue
4 Australia Street, Camperdown
Sessions at our Inner West venue. Full program, same structure as in-home.
Online
Zoom or FaceTime, Australia-wide
Same program, same support, delivered by video. Works for most Essentials cases.
Includes: M.E.T. Assessment (session 1) + up to 3 follow-up sessions + between-session video feedback + custom plan
Afterpay, Zip, PayPal Pay in 4 available. Card payments incur a processing fee. Extension sessions: $250 to $330 per session by zone.
Questions people actually ask
- Up to four in-person sessions over six weeks. Most dogs need three or four. The exact number depends on your dog's progress - sessions are unlocked by milestones, not a fixed calendar. If your dog nails the foundation work quickly, we don't drag it out.
- You get a practice plan with specific homework exercises - max five at a time, because a twenty-item checklist helps nobody. Submit video check-ins and I give you direct feedback before your next session. The between-session work is where the real change happens.
- Yes. Online sessions via Zoom or FaceTime work well for most Essentials cases - assessment, coaching, homework review. Often this is better for dogs who are overwhelmed with fear or excitement when visitors come to the home and they need to work on building skills first before applying them in practice. You can always recruit a friend or family member to come be a 'decoy' in the training so that we can work with you for these cases. If you are in our Zone A or B and want to have us come halfway through the program to do some in-person training, we apply a travel fee to cover the costs of a home visit.
- This exact issue is why we set our quiz up on the website - to try and make sure that you are booking the correct program from the beginning. Sometimes however, it happens. If we get into the M.E.T. Assessment and I can see that what's going on is more complex than the quiz suggested - reactivity, fear, suspected pain - I'll tell you. We'll talk about adjusting your training program to include the additional time and training support required.
- No. The M.E.T. Assessment IS session one of your Essentials program. It's included in the price - not an add-on.
- Our in-home program works well for new puppies, dogs with basic manner problems or outside excitement. This can also work well for our clients that are outside of our area and need support, but don't have anyone local that can help - online training has been proven to be effective, as more often than not what is occurring can be seen via video and we can support you just as easily there as in-person. If you are outside of our area, or budget conscious, you can also choose to come to us instead - this saves you travel fees as we are able to complete the training skills in person at the venue we use for classes.
- Extension sessions are available at $250-$330 per session depending on your zone. The whole point of Essentials is to make you independent because the program is the best fit for your training goals - if you have signed up for the 'cheaper' program but know that your dog needs more support, then Reactivity Pathway is likely a better fit. You can always book the free discovery call to ensure you are in the right program from the beginning.
- We always take payment before a program starts. We accept Card, Afterpay, Zip, and PayPal Pay in 4. If none of those work, get in touch and have a chat to find a solution.
Marianne Dawson
Behaviour Trainer & Founder, Pet Professor
Cert IV Companion Animal Services
Force-free, evidence-based, games-based training for dogs and cats across Sydney since 2018.
About MarianneReal dogs, real problems, real progress
Lockie is a 40kg Labrador who was pulling hard on the lead and eating everything off the ground. Now the whole family walks him safely.
Merlin was pulling on walks, jumping on everyone, and ignoring recall. His family now has the tools to keep his training going.
The most loving of dogs, Moses completely forgot mum Dana was there when he was out and about.