Your dog's training doesn't stop when your week fills up.
One-to-one training walks for the dog who pulls, scavenges or reacts, when your week doesn't leave room for all the practice. Because sometimes it takes a village.
When you can't do the between-session work yourself.
Training needs practice, and a busy week doesn't always leave room for it. Walk & Train adds trainer-led practice to what you're doing: 60-minute structured training walks, twice a week, in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, Inner South and St George.
Your dog builds skills while you're at work, with a trainer who already knows their triggers, thresholds and history. On the other days you walk your dog as usual, send me clips, and I show you how to use the same handling yourself.
Sounds
Familiar?
Helping your dog on walks. Helping you enjoy them again.
When walks mean watching for every passing dog or worrying about what yours will grab off the footpath, it's hard to enjoy being out together. Walk & Train gives your dog regular practice with someone who understands what they find difficult and can adjust the walk to suit them.
I work from your dog's assessment and plan, helping them practise useful skills in situations they can cope with. You'll hear what we worked on and what to carry on at home, so you can build on their progress on your own walks too.
The aim is for walks to feel more manageable for you both, with your dog better able to cope and you feeling more confident at the other end of the lead.
If I notice signs that your dog may be in pain, I flag them with you and recommend a vet check. We then work with any recommendations your vet makes.
Six weeks. Twice a week. One plan.
Find the right starting point
A few questions about your postcode and your dog help us check whether Walk & Train suits you both. If another kind of support would help more, I'll explain the next step.
Understand what your dog needs
In our initial 2-hour M.E.T. Assessment, we explore your dog's behaviour, routine and health history. You leave with a plan built around what they find difficult and what you want to feel easier.
Build skills you can use together
Across 12 one-to-one, 60-minute walks over six weeks, I help your dog practise those skills. You get updates after each walk and up to two video reviews a week, so you know how to build on the progress when you take the lead.
Feel clearer about what comes next
We look at what's improved, what still needs practice and how you can keep going. If your dog needs further support, we'll talk through the options together.
"I highly recommend Pet Professor."
"I reached out to Pet Professor to give my Labrador, Lockie, some training. He is a big, strong dog and was okay but room for improvement. I was attracted to the flexible and easy booking of the group sessions so we could still go away on the weekends. Group classes are small and fun. Pet Professor focuses on keeping safe and good doggy manners which have proven invaluable."
"We also signed up for the walk and train package to deal with his leash pulling and eating everything on the street. I am very glad we did this as he is greatly improved in a short amount of time. It has taken the stress out of our walks – we couldn't have done it on our own."
"If you are reading this review then I would encourage you to contact Pet Professor. They have a huge improvement in my everyday life and I have a better bond with Lockie. My only wish is that I knew about Pet Professor when Lockie first came to us."
Ellen & Lockie
Format & pricing
Walk & Train
$2,495 total
Paid in two stages, starting with your assessment.
Available in Zone A. Check your postcode before booking.
1. Start with your assessment
2-hour M.E.T. Assessment
$395
Pay when you book your assessment. We work out what your dog needs and whether Walk & Train is the right fit before you commit to the walks.
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2. Book your training walks
12 walks over six weeks
$2,100
If Walk & Train is the right fit and you choose to go ahead, pay when you book the walks. That covers two 60-minute walks a week, updates and up to two video reviews each week.
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What if another option suits your dog better?
You don't book or pay for the walks. We'll talk through private training or other suitable support. If you move into Dog Training or Reactive Dog Training, your assessment and plan carry across and the $395 assessment fee is credited towards that program.
Questions people actually ask
- Because it isn't a walking service. The 12 walks are working sessions: each one targets a specific skill, with an update afterwards on what we did, what to practise, and what we noticed. Your dog comes back tired AND further along on the actual behaviour problem. A walker is paid to keep your dog safe. A Walk & Train block is paid to move the needle.
- No. Each walk is structured around the M.E.T. plan we built in Session 1 - usually a mix of loose-lead work, recall proofing, environmental exposure, RZA-aware decision-making, and decompression. We're not running your dog into the ground. We're giving them the kind of behaviour-aware handling that's hard to get right when you've already worked an 8-hour day and are trying to remember six things at once.
- Behaviour change needs frequency. Once a week is a maintenance cadence at best. Twice weekly is what's required for the skills to consolidate inside a 6-week block, the same logic as twice-weekly physiotherapy for a serious injury, not weekly check-ins.
- You don't book or pay the $2,100 for the walks. We'll discuss private training or other suitable support. If you move into Dog Training or Reactive Dog Training, your assessment and plan carry across and the $395 assessment fee is credited towards that program.
- The program includes two walks a week to give your dog regular opportunities to practise and build on what they're learning. If once a week would suit your schedule or budget better, you're welcome to book a Scoping Call. We can talk through what you need and explore other ways to support you and your dog.
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