Servicing Brisbane’s Eastern Suburbs, Queensland.

Our instructors

The People Who Can Help You and Your Dog
Training with a CLEAR winner: Caroline Strainig

CLEAR Dog Training’s new owner is no stranger to dog training – or the winner’s circle for that matter.

Before taking over from long-time owner Oliver Beverly when he retired in October of 2019, Caroline worked for CLEAR as a trainer for three years, helping dozens of Brisbane dog and puppy owners during that time.

Caroline has also had national, state and royal-show success with different dogs in obedience, rally obedience and Dances With Dogs and has competed at masters level in agility and flyball.

 

Training with a CLEAR winner: Caroline Strainig
Training with a CLEAR winner: Caroline Strainig
Training with a CLEAR winner: Caroline Strainig

 

Her older dog, Adam, a chocolate border collie, is the national, state and EKKA champion in rally obedience and the current NSW open obedience champion. In 2017 he won an amazing four Queensland Dog of the Year awards.  

Her young dog, Groot, a BC-cross rescue dog she has had for only nine months, recently won his class in rally obedience at the NSW State Obedience Championships – a remarkable transformation from failed cattle-herding dog to state champion in only nine months.

A few years ago, Caroline also trained a friend’s dog in flyball, and only six months after starting work the dog, Eve, helped her flyball team win a national championship.

In addition to proving her training expertise by competing, CLEAR’s new owner holds professional dog training qualifications through the National Dog Trainers Federation of Australia. She is also a qualified horse-riding instructor who represented Great Britain internationally in the sport of three-day eventing.

Based at Wynnum in Brisbane and servicing inner Brisbane and southside Brisbane, Caroline is available for one-on-one home training, catering for puppies as well as more advanced obedience training and/or behavioural trouble-shooting.

Caroline says working with pet dogs and their owners is the ultimate job as far as she is concerned.

“I find teaching really rewarding, helping owners build better relationships with their dogs, and seeing them start really enjoying spending time together as their communication and joy in training increases,” she says.

 

Founder and consultant trainer: Oliver Beverly

Oliver Beverly, the founder of CLEAR, has now retired on a full-time basis but still acts as a consultant.

Oliver came from a traditional training background before discovering positive-reinforcment training.

"For 25 years I trained 'obedience' by punishing undesired behaviour out of dogs with 'push and pull' techniques - for much of that time I simply didn't realise there was a choice," he said.

"I stopped using a check chain, initially with hesitation and skepticism, only after noticing the consistently steeper learning curve of reward-based trained dogs and seeing the dogs and their owners enjoying training."

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His most successful competition dog and much loved family pet, Millie, now sadly deceased, was entirely taught with positive-reinforcement methods.

"Unlike our previous dogs she never received a collar correction in her life," Oliver said.

Millie obtained her Master's title with the Agility Dog Association of Australia before she was 3½. In 2000 she was ADAA's Dog of the Year in the Mini class and in the International Agility Link Competition she was the highest placed Australian dog and ranked twelfth internationally. She won the Mini class in the Agility Dog Club of Queensland's Monthly Top Dog Competition in '00, '01 and '02 and for the same three years was a member of the Eukenuba Agility Demonstration team.

Millie was also used regularly in school education programs (see below photos). 

Oliver is a Dog Obedience Trainers Association Instructor, has a Certificate IV in Behavioural Dog Training and am an accredited Delta Canine Good Citizen Instructor - the highest level of nationally accredited dog trainers in Australia.

While now formally retired, he still acts as a consultant occasionally and is very supportive of CLEAR's new owner, Caroline Strainig, who worked for Olliver for several years before taking over the business.

 

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Our History

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At C.L.E.A.R Dog Training Sunday Puppy School - October 2005

C.L.E.A.R Dog Training provides the most effective and enjoyable solutions to Brisbane Dog owners who wish to co-exist happily with their dogs, enjoy their company on walks and have rewarding long term relationships with them.
 
Originally formed in 2001 to fill a gap in the Brisbane market for giving a head start in life to puppies and adolescent dogs in the immediate post-puppy-school stage C.L.E.A.R is nowadays well respected and referred to by local veterinarians, veterinary behaviourists, animal welfare shelters, breeders, breed rescue groups, pet stores and other dog trainers. 
 
Until the early 1990s nearly all obedience training in Australia was done by traditional correction methods. In recent years a greater understanding of learning theory, animal behaviour and psychology has revolutionised how we are able to communicate with and teach our dogs.
 
As the dog-owning public becomes more knowledgeable people are increasingly looking for an alternative to the traditional correction based training methods.
 
Our gentle reward- based training techniques, together with a 'Yes! That's right!' marker signal, are designed to ensure that people's dogs learn willingly and quickly through Cooperation rather than compulsion, Love rather than subservience, Enthusiasm rather than stress, Authority rather than domination and Respect rather than fear.       
 
For ten years owners came to our group classes from as far away as the Bay Islands in the east, Mt Tamborine and Surfers Paradise to the south, Ipswich and Gatton to the west and Caboolture and Buderim to the north. Some people, including several vets and breeders, drove a round trip of two or more hours to attend a second, third and even a fourth course.

Third years students from the University of Queensland Veterinary Science School came to us regularly for work experience, as did students doing the Delta Society Australia's Certificate IV in Behavioural Dog Training.

We always welcomed vets, vet nurses, breeders and other trainers who brought their own dogs to our training classes, professional development workshops and seminars. Although potentially we were training future competitors we always encouraged people to use our systems and training techniques back at their own puppy schools or dog training establishments.
 
In late 2012 we discontinued group classes in favour of in-home training only. Why? Even in small group classes of up to six dogs like ours used to be one of the obstacles to the successful application of positive reinforcement principles is that it is impossible to consistently reinforce desired handling actions of the OWNER within one second of it occurring.
 
This lack of immediate feedback affects not only the owner's rate of learning but also their level of motivation (which is why the dropout rate at group classes at many dog schools and clubs is often high). However, with individual lessons an instructor is able to immediately reinforce correct handling techniques of the OWNER and give non-judgmental feedback for anything that could be done differently. If the owner acquires good skills in terms of timing, raising criteria gradually and knows how to correctly reinforce their dog then training at home is simple, quick and fun - at both ends of the lead. 
 
Since then people have found that CLEAR's private in-home lessons have been enjoyable, effective and time efficient for owners of puppies and older dogs in need of some more training or that have behaviour problems. In terms of knowledge gained and time spent they are, in the long run, more economical than group classes. 

Click HERE for recent comments by in-home clients and HERE for further benefits of home training

About Us - Professional Development

As part of on-going education and professional development all the instructors at C.L.E.A.R Dog Training - present, past (and future!) - attend as many workshops, seminars and conferences on modern training and behaviour modification as possible.

C.L.E.A.R Dog Training has also organised several seminars and workshops in Brisbane with interesting and knowledgeable presenters. These have included Dianna Cooper in 2007, Debbie Calnon 2008, Cyn D Fisherand Debra Millikan 2009, Theresa McKeon (USA) 2010 and Terry Ryan (USA) 2012.

2010

September 2010: “Teaching with Acoustical Guidance” 2 day primary accreditation workshop in Brisbane with Theresa McKeon (USA), Co-founder and Vice President of TAGteach International

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June 2010:Kay Laurence's workshop ("What’s new in clicker training ?") for established clicker trainers to keep abreast of new developments at her internationally famous 'Learning About Dogs' centre in Gloucestershire, UK.

2009

October 2009: Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia's 3 day conference in Sydney with Dr Pamela Reid (Canada) 'The Stages of Exel-erated Learning' ,'Training on the Cutting Edge', 'Canine Cognition', and Sarah Kalnajs (USA) 'Serious Aggression in Puppies', 'Living and working in a Multi-Dog Household' and 'Guarding: Food, Bones, Toys and Beyond'.

March: Kay Laurence's workshop ('Teaching with reinforcement - for every day and in every way') for established clicker trainers to improve their micro-shaping skill at her internationally famous 'Learning About Dogs' centre in Gloucestershire, UK.

February - September 2009:Brisbane Veterinary behaviourist Dr Cam Day's monthly "Help! PetFix'" seminars on 'My Dog is Aggressive to Other Dogs', 'My Dog is Aggressive to Other People', 'My Cat is Aggressive to People and Other Cats', 'My Dog Has Separation Anxiety' ,'Getting good behaviour from delinquent dogs' ,'MyDog is Bored, Escaping, Destructive and Barking' and 'My Dog Has Noise Fears''.

2008

2008: Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia's 3 day conference in Sydney with Dr Roger Abrantes (Denmark), Pamela Dennison (USA) and Dr Jennifer Messer (Canada) - "The Evolution of Canine Social Behaviour, Redirection and Desensitization for Aggressive Dogs, Striving for Puppy Wellness'.

2008:Mary Ray UK (the originator of the Sport of Freestyle and Heelwork to Music and three times winner of Crufts Obedience Championship) workshop at Coolangatta on puppy training and junior obedience.

2007

2007: Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia's 10th anniversary 3 day conference in Sydney with Ian Dunbar and Nicole Wilde Nicole Wilde ('Needs of the modern dog owner, in-home training, treating canine fear issues, growing your business and the future of dog training').
 

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Nicole Wilde, Oliver Beverly,
Ian Dunbar, Sandra Lawrence

2006

2006: Kay Laurence's 3 day Seminar at the Learning About Dogs Centre in Gloucestershire, UK where many world experts gathered to raise their clicker trainings skills a notch or two and to share their extensive cutting edge knowledge.

2006: The Delta Society Australia's 2 day 'Current Best Practice' update seminar in Brisbane for Delta Accredited Canine Good Citizen Instructors with veterinary behaviourist Dr Gaille Perry from the Sydney Animal Behaviour service.

2006: Hills Dog Club, Sydney, 3 day seminar with internationally renowned Terry Ryan from USA, below with C.L.E.A.R instructors, on 'Coaching People to Train Their Dogs'.

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From left: Tina Quinn, Danielle Dickinson, Eliza Borlace, Oliver Beverly, Emma Riches

2005

2005: Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia's annual 3 day conference in Sydney, with Sue Sternberg ('Bite-O-Meter' and temperament testing for shelter dogs prior to adoption).

2005: Steve Martin's 'Parrot Behaviour and Training Seminar' at the University of Queensland. This half day seminar was a challenging eye opener for all the dog trainers and trainers of other types of animal, vets and veterinary behaviourists in attendance. Click HERE to read notes taken at the seminar

2004

2004: Delta Society Australia's "Anxiety and Aggression" 2 day seminar in Brisbane with veterinary behaviourists Drs Kersti Seksel and Gaille Perry from the Sydney Animal Behaviour service.

2004: Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia's annual 3 day conference in Coffs Harbour with Dr Suzanne Hetts(Raising behaviourally healthy dogs and pet behaviour protocols').

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Kate Meadows, Tina Quinn,
Rose Kefford, Oliver Beverly

  

2004: Kayce Cover from USA (exotic animal trainer and consultant to Taronga and other leading zoos) 2-day bridge and target seminar in Sydney.

2003

2003: The Fourth International Veterinary Meeting, a 3-day animal behaviour conference held for the first time in Australia - at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast.

2003: Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia's annual 2-day seminar in Sydney with Dr Patricia McConnell (Canine psychology and aggression).

2002

2002: Dr Ian Dunbar's 3-day seminar on the Gold Coast (behavioural problems, temperament problems & motivational training). 

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Why use us?

If you decide to use a dog trainer be aware that wrong choices are often financially and emotionally costly. Here are ten reasons to choose C.L.E.A.R:

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1. You will enjoy training your dog with a choice of modern force-free training techniques. The methods used are all easy, effective and enjoyable, at both ends of the lead, and you will quickly get the dog you WANT from the dog you HAVE.

2. You will obtain the right advice first time. Incorrect information and poor training techniques are major reasons why so many dogs are re-homed or end up at the RSPCA.

3. You will be able to love your new puppy or your adult dog without spoiling him. You will be able to provide discipline and boundaries without intimidation. 

4. You will avoid making management and training errors. Mistakes made inadvertently by owners ruin good behaviour and cause thousands of dogs worldwide to develop behaviour problems and end up in animal shelters. 

5. You will benefit from our experience and track record. More than 6000 people have had private training or attended one of our unique puppy schools and follow-on classes in Brisbane. Vets, breeders and dog trainers with their own puppies came to us from as far away as the Sunshine and Gold Coasts.

In group classes immediate feedback to every owner is not 100 percent possible and learning is slower. With individual coaching, however, an owner gets instant reinforcement for correct handling skills, as a result of which their dog learns very quickly. This was why, in 2012, we discontinued group classes to provide:

* In-home problem behaviour solutions for dogs of all ages.
* Individual tuition and advice on junior obedience and effective long-term socialisation procedures for puppies aged 8 weeks upwards (either before, instead of or after attending puppy classes).
* One-on-one 'Good Manners' obedience training for adolescent and adult dogs.

6. You will get personal coaching. You won't have to spend time listening to other people asking questions on issues that do not apply to you or your dog. Immediate feedback on your dog training skills will enable you to quickly become an efficient and effective teacher.

7. You can remain in your own house. Basic education at home is not only faster but less stressful for puppies than taking them too soon to high distraction environments. Existing problem behaviours with boisterous or timid adolescent or adult dogs often get worse at classes - and even more so at dog parks - and should always be treated at home first.

 8. You will benefit from the following resources:

♦ Qualified and experienced instructor-coaches with good communication and people skills.
♦ 'Home Training Guide: any dog can live calmly - even yours!'
♦ 'How To Teach.. behaviour' information leaflets.
♦ Customised home training plans with specific exercises.
♦ Recommendations for suitable on-going training - what to do next, where to go and what to avoid.
♦ Information on tick, flea and worm control, nutrition and insurance.
♦ Follow-up information by email.
♦ On-going support by telephone or Skype as needed.

9. After just one home session you will be on the right track for future success. Follow-on sessions are sometimes needed if a dog has developed behaviour issues or an owner wants to achieve a higher than average level of obedience.

10. You will find that an in-home session with C.L.E.A.R Dog Training is unequalled value for money.  

By choosing C.L.E.A.R Dog Training you will save not only money but time and travel costs and, possibly, considerable future expense and heart-ache.

Whether you have a new puppy that nips and bites, or an adult dog behaving badly, a personal training session will be an invaluable investment in your knowledge and training skills and, therefore, in your dog's future behaviour-wellness.

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If you would like any further details please ring during office hours on 0468 990 050 . 

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Dog Training Tips

  1. GIVE your puppy a HEAD START to his/her life
  2. CHOOSE a good puppy school VERY carefully
  3. REALISE how compulsion and coercion INTERFERE with learning
  4. UNDERSTAND what positive reinforcement training is and what it is NOT
  5. FORGET the "Alpha Theory" - it's based on discredited 1947 research
  6. AVOID becoming couch potatoes!

Dog Training FAQs

  1. My dog knows how to sit when he wants to. How can I get him to stay?
  2. My dog will only do things for me if I have food available. What should I do?
  3. My dog barks all the time. What should I do to keep him quiet?
  4. Is using "compulsion" a good way to train my dog?
  5. What exactly is "positive reinforcement" training?
  6. I am going away on holidays, what should I look for in a boarding kennel?

How We Help You