On The Good List:
ALL4PAWS — BEACH PLAYGROUP ADVENTURES AND TRAINING
See Field Trips above as they cover both. Clever humans.
Location: Newcastle & Lake Macquarie
The short version
For when repeatedly saying "mate, seriously" has failed to produce meaningful behavioural change.
Dogaholics provides professional dog and cat training and behaviour support across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, led by qualified trainer and behaviour consultant Eve.
They work across everything from puppy foundations and everyday manners through to behavioural challenges, assistance dogs and K9 Nose Work.
DOGAHOLICS DOG TRAINING
Why GDS loves them
Their approach is practical, positive and science-based.
Rather than just focusing on the behaviour you're seeing, Dogaholics looks at what may be driving it and helps owners understand how their dog learns.
Which is considerably more useful than concluding that your dog is simply "being a dickhead today".
Sometimes they are.
But apparently there can also be science involved.
Things you need to know
📍 Based in Kotara; services Newcastle & Lake Macquarie
🐶 Puppy preschool and puppy training
🐕 Private dog training and behaviour support
🏠 In-home training available
👃 K9 Nose Work
🦮 Assistance and service dog training
🐈 They even train cats. We have questions.
🧠 Positive, science-based training methods
Good for: Puppies, manners, behaviour challenges, confidence and humans who would like to understand what on earth is going on.
GDS verdict: Professional help before you resort to asking strangers on Facebook.
Website: https://dogaholicsdogtraining.com.au/
Instagram: @dogaholics.dog.training
LEASH & LEARN DOG TRAINING & BEHAVIOUR COACHING
Location: Newcastle · Hunter Valley · Central Coast
The short version
For when repeatedly explaining the situation to your dog has produced limited results.
Leash & Learn offers personalised dog training and behaviour coaching, with a big focus on understanding why a dog is doing something rather than simply trying to stop them doing it.
Founder Amelia works with everything from puppies and everyday life skills through to anxiety, reactivity, rescue dogs and more complex behavioural challenges.
Why GDS loves them
We like the philosophy here.
Amelia's approach is force-free, practical and built around helping people understand their dog, not just control them. She's also a Delta Institute-certified animal behaviour and training specialist, with particular expertise in cooperative care.
There’s also a genuinely useful range of support depending on what your dog has going on — behaviour sessions, puppy preschool, Walk & Train, nosework, cooperative care and muzzle training. For more complex cases, Leash & Learn can also work collaboratively with a veterinary behaviourist.
In other words, considerably more useful than shouting their name in an increasingly disappointed tone.
Things you need to know
📍 Newcastle & Hunter Valley, with some services also available across Maitland and the Central Coast
🐕Puppies through to adult dogs, including anxious, reactive and rescue dogs
🏠 In-home or familiar local environments
🎓 Puppy Preschool, Walk & Train, cooperative care, nosework and muzzle training
⭐ Amelia holds a Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour and Training through the Delta Institute.
Good for: Dogs who need help building confidence, learning better ways to cope, or working through behaviours that are making everyday life a bit harder.
GDS verdict: Turns out “mate, seriously” isn't a recognised training methodology.
Website: https://www.leashandlearndogtraining.com/
Instagram: @leashandlearn_dogtraining