Services & Pricing
All consultations and classes include comprehensive notes, video homework helpers plus phone and email follow-up support.
So you're thinking of adopting a dog?
Before You Get Your Puppy
There are many human-canine combos whose problems stem from the simple fact that they're the wrong fit. Let me help you make a better choice by assessing breed and age suitability for your individual situation by booking a Pre-Adoption Advice Session. Along with breed suitability, I can help you make the right decision when it comes to selecting the correct equipment from the mind boggling number of options available out there. I can also help you to prepare your home for your new arrival and most importantly, ensure your expectations are realistic! By setting your new puppy or dog up for success, many more costly problems can be avoided further down the road.
Conducting this session in your home, gives me the opportunity to better assess how best to set up your home for maximum success in those important early weeks and to meet all the family, giving me the best idea of what sort of dog would best suit your individual situation.
Pre-Adoption Advice Session - 1.5 hours - $100.00
Puppy Training
You've waited for just the right time and now your brand new puppy is here! Congratulations! You might now also be realising that there's more to raising a puppy than you thought? How do I house train or toilet train my puppy? How do I stop my puppy biting? What is all this puppy socialisation you keep hearing about and how do I best do it? You've come to right place!
Private, in-home puppy training is broken down into two sessions, the first being NEW PUPPY, where we address the immediate behavioural training issues that all new puppy parents require, such as settling at night, toilet training, mouthing, chewing, alone time, feeding and establishing good household routines and introducing the foundations of future training. As your new puppy is in his or her Critical Socialisation Period (or Sensitive Period for Socialisation), you will also learn how best to take full advantage of this precious time, setting your puppy up for becoming a relaxed and resilient dog!
New Puppy Session - $250 (1.5 hours)
The next stage is SENIOR PUPPY. This is usually conducted 1 or 2 weeks after your first session and here we will start your puppy's basic manners training, instructing you on how to teach your puppy exercises such as responding to their name, gaining their attention, Sit, Drop, the beginnings of Recall (coming when called) and walking on a loose lead. This session is also a great opportunity to address any behaviour you're having trouble with.
Senior Puppy Session - $290 (2 hours)
All sessions can be booked separately. Book the full three session package and receive a $50 discount off the final session!
1.5 hour follow up sessions - $220
Looking for Puppy Classes in Balmain?
Puppy School is about learning how to raise your perfect puppy, developing a great bond and capitalising on your puppy's Critical Socialisation Period by learning together in a small and friendly group. Courses of 5 x 1 hour weekly lessons for puppies 8-15 weeks at the time of the first lesson.
Balmain Village Vet Hospital, 3 Beattie Street Balmain, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings 6-7pm
Small class sizes (minimum 3, maximum 5 puppies) ensure individual attention while still providing valuable puppy socialisation opportunities.
Over the 4 weeks you will learn how to raise your perfect puppy and all the basics in puppy training such as
- Toilet Training
- Mouthing & Biting
- Chewing & Destructiveness
- Crying and Barking
- Settling
- Handling, grooming, general husbandry and care
- Environmental enrichment
We will also get you well on your way with training basic skills, such as
- Response to Name
- Hand Targeting
- Sit on cue
- Lie down on cue
- Beginnings of Recall (come when called)
- Beginnings of loose lead walking
- Leaving a food distraction (e.g scraps in the street)
5 x 1 hour weekly puppy classes + Puppy Manual+ training video homework-helpers- $295
Perfect Puppy Package
When it comes to raising your puppy, do you want to cover all the bases? Help settle your puppy in to their new family with an in-home Baby Puppy session, follow up with fun learning and puppy socialisation in a friendly 4 week group class at Puppy School. After all the excitement of graduating Puppy School, it's time for a 1:1 Senior Puppy session. By this time your puppy is close to being fully vaccinated and ready to take on the world! This is a great time to get coaching on how best to tackle real world environments, work on your leash skills, leaving distractions and continue your work in getting a rock-solid rocket recall!
Perfect Puppy Package: Includes Puppy Manual, homework helper videos,1.5hr Baby Puppy session PLUS 5 week Puppy School course PLUS 1.5hr Senior Puppy session - $835 or $810 - 5% discount when booked and paid in advance
Puppy Home Schooling
Includes
- Digital version of my Puppy School Manual
- 12 comprehensive videos on how to teach your puppy the basics
- 3 x 1 hour one-on-one Zoom consultations where I can coach you on the above exercises and trouble shoot any behavioural issues you're having
- Graduation goody bag and certificate for your fridge!
Puppy Home Schooling - $300
Get in touch for details.
Adolescent and Adult Dog Manners Training
Training your dog should be an enjoyable experience for you both. The more you understand about how your dog thinks and learns, the more effectively you can communicate. Clear communication means more successful training and desirable behaviour – with no need for force or coercion!
These sessions will cover basic manners and life skills and can also be tailored to address individual issues such as pulling on the lead, jumping up, lack of focus, not coming when called, mat training and settling etc.
Many perceived behavioural problems are actually due to a lack of training and understanding. Private training sessions or individual consultations are conducted in your home and/or local area at a time that suits you.
Private in-home adolescent and adult dog training - $380 (2 hours)
Follow up sessions - $180 (1 hour) or $220 (1.5hour)
Dog Training Group Classes in Balmain / Birchgrove
Have you and your puppy done puppy school and would like to continue with formal training with your now adolescent dog? Have you missed the age range for puppy classes but you and your friendly, older puppy or teen dog could do with learning some basic manners? Or perhaps you and your adult dog could benefit from some formal training in a small group environment?
Life Skills is a 5 week small group course for fully vaccinated adolescent and adult dogs, from 20 weeks of age and older.
Classes are held on Thursday evenings 6.30 - 7.30 at St John the Evangelist Church Hall - 125 Birchgrove Road Birchgrove
Learn to teach, or improve such skills as:
- Polite Greetings
- Hand Targeting
- Four on the floor (anti jump) greetings
- Go to your mat & settle
- Stay
- Loose Lead Walking
- Rocket Recalls (come when called)
- Leave a food distraction (Leave it)
Orientation materials sent upon booking, followed by 5 x 1 hour weekly classes + homework sheets - $310
Not all dogs are suitable for group classes but may do much better with private training. Contact Cath to discuss your dog's behaviour and your needs.
Day Training Package
Are you struggling to find the time to attend dog training classes, or do the homework required with private training? Book a Day Training package and I can do the training while you get on with the rest of your busy life.
In some other cases it becomes apparent that the dog would benefit from some intensive work before I begin working with you. In the hands of a professional, the dog will be receiving reliable signals right from step one – no confusing messages from the handler in the early learning stage.
All Day Training Packs require handover sessions to bring you up to speed on the work your dog and I have been doing, so you can learn how to maintain your dog’s new skills and carry on from there.
Minimum of 4 x 1 hour sessions, (booked and paid for in advance) receive a $10 discount per session. Sessions are most effective if they are grouped closely together.
4 x 1 hour Day Training sessions + 1 x 1 hour Handover session - $850
Any extra Day Training sessions + handover sessions charged at the discounted rate.
Behaviour Modification
Behavioural problems are those that are not responsive to manners training but require a Behaviour Modification Program, management strategies and sometimes a referral to a Veterinary Behaviourist.
Poor socialisation, dog to dog reactivity, destructive behaviour, resource guarding, fear, phobias and aggression are some common behavioural problems. Successfully resolving behavioural issues is dependent on a number of variables but requires time, understanding, patience, persistence and dedication.
Call or email to discuss your dog’s particular issue.
Canine Good Citizen Award
The Delta Institute is the accrediting body for positive reward based trainers who have undertaken the national accredited training course conducted by Delta.
Every dog guardian would like their dog to have good manners and be well behaved both at home and out and about. The aim of the Delta Canine Good Citizen Award is to reward those guardians who put time and effort into their dog so that he or she is well mannered and confident and comfortable in everyday situations, both at home and in public.
The Canine Good Citizen™ Award can only be offered by currently accredited Delta Institute Members who have been certified to conduct the Award.
To be eligible to qualify for the CGC Award, you must complete a class or private training program with a Delta accredited instructor. At Positively Rewarding, I offer packages of 4 x 1 hour private lessons. These cover the initial Foundation Skills, followed by the more advanced Life Skills required to successfully achieve the Award. Assessment of each criteria is recorded throughout the course. Book as many 4 x 1 hour lesson packages as necessary to achieve the award and single lessons can be added to the end of any package.
To ensure you and your dog are truly competent in the range of exercises included in the Award, I will observe you demonstrating these skills in different contexts during the length of the program and on at least 3 occasions before you can be assessed as competent.
Email me for more details and an outline of exercises to be assessed.
Canine Good Citizen Award - 4 x 1 hour lesson and assessment package - $720
Additional single 1 hour lessons - $180
Contact Cath on 0421188819