Six weeks to a dog you can actually live with.
A private in-home program for the daily life stuff: pulling, jumping, recall, and puppy foundations.
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 all falls apart.
The gap between what your dog learnt in a training session and what your dog does day-to-day is not a training failure. It's training that is not yet complete. This is one of the most common issues I see.
It's like taking the training wheels off a bike before you've learnt to balance. You could pedal with them on, but now you're trying to balance, steer and keep moving all at once. It's too big a jump, and when the pressure is on, everything falls to pieces.
Puppy preschool and group classes are great places to start your learning journey and build a relationship with your puppy or dog. But the learning doesn't stop at following instructions in class. The next step is helping your dog use those skills in everyday life, without waiting for you to tell them what to do every time.
Sounds
Familiar?
Brad no longer jumps up on people and says hi with his best manners
Our greyhound Brad wasn't always on his best behavior when meeting new people. He's a big boy (36kgs), so jumping up on people to say hello and give them a kiss wasn't ideal (even if he was just being friendly). With Marianne's help, Brad no longer jumps up on people and says hi with his best manners! We continue to seek Mariannes advice and recommend her to anyone who loves their dog and needs a bit of help!
Tom & Brad
Knowing the word 'sit' and choosing to sit to greet someone are actually different skills.
Often, we're asking for more than our dogs have learnt how to do. They've practised a skill in one situation, so we assume they'll be able to use it somewhere much harder. But knowing how to sit in the kitchen doesn't mean they're ready to sit while your friends arrive and everyone's excited.
That takes practice, again and again, with distractions your dog is ready to handle. It also means setting things up so your dog has a chance to get it right, and making sure their daily needs are met so they're in a better position to learn. We need to build those foundations before asking for behaviour they're not ready to give.
Our Essentials program is designed to help you get from constantly nagging to watching your dog make good choices for themselves. We build a customised plan around your dog, your routine and the situations you need help with, bringing together three things: Management, Enrichment and Training.
The three pillars of every plan.
Management
I help you set up your environment so your dog can't keep practising the behaviour you're trying to change. 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 meeting your dog's needs daily. I figure out which needs are going unmet and build realistic solutions into your existing routine.
Training
Building useful skills your dog actually needs for your lifestyle. Loose-lead walking, recall that works outside the backyard, settling when guests arrive, impulse control at the front door.
How the program works
Get clear on what your dog needs
Instead of trying another tip and hoping it works, we start by looking at what's happening with your dog and why. Your first session is the M.E.T. Assessment, included in your program, where we work out what needs to change and what to focus on first.
Know what to do at home
Within 48 hours, you'll have a written plan explaining what to change in your dog's daily routine and which skills to practise first. You'll know what you're working towards and how the practice fits into life with your dog.
Help those skills hold up in everyday life
We build on what your dog can do, with practice that gets more challenging as they're ready for it. You have up to three follow-up sessions to work on this together, with video feedback between sessions so you can see what's working and get help with what's not.
Feel confident carrying on
The aim is for your dog to use their skills with less prompting from you, and for you to know how to help when things get difficult. You'll learn to recognise when your dog is ready for more of a challenge and when to make things easier, so you can keep building on what you've learnt together.
Your six-week program is built around what you and your dog are working towards, rather than a fixed weekly lesson schedule. Weekly check-ins help us review how practice is going and what needs adjusting. We time your training sessions around your dog's progress, so we can build on their skills when they're ready for the next step.
Get the help you need
"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
Is our Essentials Dog Training program right for you?
This program 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. That's Reactive Dog Training.
See Reactive Dog TrainingThere'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. This program isn't designed for aggression or bite-history cases.
Book a free 30-minute Scoping CallYou need trainer-led sessions without attending
This program runs through you and your household: the homework, the video check-ins, the daily management changes. Walk & Train may suit if you need trainer-led practice between your own sessions with your dog.
See Walk & TrainNot sure where you sit?
Take the quizPricing
In your home
I come to you. Check your postcode to see your price.
Total for your six-week program
- M.E.T. Assessment and up to three follow-up sessions
- A customised plan and practice exercises
- Weekly check-ins and between-session video feedback
Final price depends on your postcode. Enter it to see your exact zone and price.
At the venue
4 Australia Street, Camperdown
Total for your six-week program
- M.E.T. Assessment and up to three follow-up sessions
- A customised plan and practice exercises
- Weekly check-ins and between-session video feedback
Sessions at the Inner West venue. Full program, same structure as in-home.
Online
Zoom or FaceTime, Australia-wide
Total for your six-week program
- M.E.T. Assessment and up to three follow-up sessions
- A customised plan and practice exercises
- Weekly check-ins and between-session video feedback
Same program, same support, delivered by video. Works for most everyday training cases.
Your program includes the M.E.T. Assessment as session one, up to three follow-up sessions, between-session video feedback and a custom plan.
Afterpay, Zip and PayPal Pay in 4 are available. The price shown is the total you pay. Extension sessions are $195 online, $250 at Camperdown or in-home Zone A, and $300 in-home Zone B.
Questions people actually ask
- Up to four sessions over six weeks. Most dogs use three or four of their sessions. We'll agree on the timing together. If your dog gets there 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. You can do the program online via Zoom or FaceTime, including the assessment, coaching and homework review. I help you work with your dog in your own home, so you don't need to travel. Online sessions work well for most everyday training cases and often suit dogs who get overwhelmed when a visitor arrives.
- The quiz helps suggest the right starting point, but it can't tell us everything. 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, I'll tell you. If it looks like reactivity or fear, we'll talk about whether Reactive Dog Training is the right service instead. If I suspect pain or a health issue, the next step is your vet, not another program.
- No. The M.E.T. Assessment is session one of your program. It's included in the price.
- Extension sessions are $195 online, $250 at Camperdown or in-home Zone A, and $300 in-home Zone B. If at the assessment I can see your dog needs more than this program offers, I'll tell you and we'll talk through the right fit before we go further.
- I take payment before a program starts. You can pay by card, Afterpay, Zip or PayPal Pay in 4. If none of those work, get in touch and we'll talk through the options.
Real dogs, real problems, real progress
Ellen's 40kg Lab was eating everything off the street, pulling her down the footpath, and getting harder to control by the week. Her elderly mother and kids couldn't walk him safely. Here's what changed.
Merlin was pulling on walks, jumping on everyone, and ignoring recall. Jenny didn't know how to channel his intelligence. Then she saw a Pet Professor trainer in action at the park.
The most loving of dogs, Moses completely forgot mum Dana was there when he was out and about. She reached out to games-based trainer Marianne to help focus her disengaged boy.
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 Marianne