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News
Dog training accreditation
25 August 2021
I am now officially a CANZ Accredited Animal Trainer & Animal Training Instructor in addition to being an Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDTNZ) - Endorsed Trainer.
When choosing a dog trainer, you need to be aware that the dog training industry in New Zealand is currently still unregulated.
However, Companion Animals New Zealand (CANZ) along with animal industry stakeholders has developed an accreditation system to regulate the companion animal behaviour and training industry. The aim is to ensure the ethical treatment of animals and humans who have enlisted the services of an animal trainer or behaviourist and that trainers have a level of knowledge, experience and academic qualifications, or accreditation that is of a high calibre.
New dog sport takes hold in Northland
19 July 2021
Seven competitors and eight dogs tested their skills in the first nosework mock trial held in Whangarei on Sunday 18 July 2021 by Happy Tails Dog Training.
Nosework is a fast-growing search and scenting dog sport. Inspired by working Detection (Sniffer) dogs, it harnesses a dog’s natural ability to use his nose. The dogs must find a hidden target odour and alert the handler. After the dog finds the odour, he is rewarded with food or a toy.
Dogs just love it. The search becomes a fun ‘game’ for both the dog and the human. If you’ve been watching the professional detection dogs in Dog Squad on TV and always thought your dog might enjoy sniffing out secret hides – now pet dogs can do it too.
The sport is huge overseas and is rapidly growing in New Zealand. Nosework trials are now being held around the country through the Scent Sport Association New Zealand (SSANZ) and DogsNZ. I’m planning to hold a SSANZ sanctioned trial later in the year here in Whangarei – a first for Northland.
Whether you want to compete or just do it for fun - The great thing about nosework is that it provides a highly beneficial enrichment activity for your dog and it easily burns mental and physical energy. It makes dogs very happy and aids relaxation because it satisfies their natural instinct to use their nose and it increases the ‘feel-good’ hormones in their brain.
Coronavirus information
13 March 2020
I’d like to update you on what I’m doing to prioritise your health and safety when you attend your class with Happy Tails Dog Training.
There still seems to be uncertainty how the Coronavirus pandemic will affect New Zealand, but I feel it is better to ‘be safe than sorry’.
Like other businesses tackling this issue, I’m being guided by the Ministry of Health, which recommends regular cleaning as one of the most important preventive measures we can take.
I’d like to let you know that all equipment used in the class such as chairs, table, cones, dog beds etc. will be sprayed with ‘Safe4 Disinfectant Cleaner’ that is chosen by hospitals, veterinary surgeons etc. across the world. Safe4 has a verified pass for both Feline and Human Coronavirus. For the puppy class, the floor is also disinfected as usual. In addition, hand sanitiser is available at class.
Please stay home and contact me if you have symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, a high temperature (at least 38°C), and shortness of breath.
As circumstances continue to develop, I will make any decisions with the health, safety and wellbeing of my clients and their dogs my highest priority.
Kind regards and stay healthy
A Home for Happy Tails
As of mid-August 2017, Happy Tails Dog Training will have its own place to call home – a dedicated indoor facility in the Whangarei town centre at 120 Roberts Street, Whangarei.
This is fantastic news and I’m very excited – it’s been one of my goals for quite a while.
The space is cosy but perfectly suited for my group classes. I prefer to keep numbers small so that everybody gets some individual attention. I will soon be able to offer classes and one-on-one sessions during the day as well as after hours. And, best of all, we’re no longer dependent on weather and ground conditions. I will be at the facility for classes and for my clients by prior arrangement.
Puppy classes continue at Pet Essentials as usual until further notice.
Work on progress at the new indoor facility - still quite a few jobs to do before we can open doors.
New services coming soon
I’ve been working on expanding my range of services and I’m planning on introducing new types of classes and activities for you and your dog later in the year / beginning of next year including:
Canine Fitness – Learn exercises to build your dog’s core fitness, flexibility, and muscle strength, teach your dog how to control movement, maintain your dog’s mobility, improve balance and build confidence. Great for most dogs, but especially sporting and working dogs, aging dogs, and dogs recovering from injury or surgery. My partner Christophe Pallies, who is a registered osteopath with over 17 years’ experience and a postgraduate diploma in Equine and Canine Osteopathy will run the classes together with me to provide a functional assessment of your dog and supervision of your dog's exercise programme.
Reactive dogs – A course designed to help dogs that bark, lunge, or snarl at other dogs they see on walks
Tribball - This fun new sport replaces sheep with exercise balls to make herding accessible to any dog owner, anywhere!
Training for other species such as horses (groundwork or behaviour issues such as problems with trailer loading etc.), cats and birds
Workshops
A good number of people attended the recent ‘Train Your Dog Like a Pro’ workshop – designed for people who have some basic experience and understanding of dog training and want to advance their training skills.
Participants learnt about improving their mechanical training skills, behaviour principles, and developing and running effective training sessions.
We also had some fun with a few short training games. A big ‘Thank-you’ to the two handlers with their demo dogs who allowed us to observe them putting the learning into practice.
This workshop and others such as Canine Body Language, Clicker Training, and more will be offered at regular intervals
Farewell to Bev Binney
In April, I said good-bye to Bev Binney - my friend, dog training colleague, and Happy Tails Dog Training co-founder. Bev left Whangarei to move to Taupo where she now operates Best Friends Dog Training.
We started out in 2013 with the aim to promote force-free training methods and to make a difference so that fewer dogs are rehomed or left at shelters.
I wish Bev all the best for her new exciting ventures and I know she’s now helping dogs and owners in the Taupo region.