Training the CLEAR way
CLEAR Dog Training uses modern positive reinforcement methods combined with calm, practical household management. The philosophy remains simple: reward the behaviours you want so they increase, while calmly managing and blocking the behaviours you don’t want so they gradually decrease. That combination of positive reinforcement and sensible management helps owners build calmer, happier relationships with dogs that are easier and more enjoyable to live with. Caroline finds helping owners through day-to-day challenges incredibly rewarding, particularly seeing the moment when training starts becoming fun rather than frustrating. As owners gain confidence and consistency, dogs naturally begin looking to them more and more for guidance, interaction and enjoyment. Caroline is known for a training style that is both empathetic and direct. She enjoys helping owners understand not just what to do, but why they are doing it. She also understands that learning new skills can sometimes feel overwhelming. In fact, she jokes that ballroom dancing was never her natural talent, so she remembers very well how difficult learning and coordination can sometimes feel when you are outside your comfort zone.
That is one reason CLEAR places such a strong emphasis on making training enjoyable, achievable and rewarding for both dogs and owners. Where appropriate, training games are also designed to involve children and help the entire family become part of the dog’s learning journey. At CLEAR, the goal is simple: the best results happen when owners become fun, kind and calm leaders their dogs naturally want to follow. Caroline also holds a Certificate III in Dog Behaviour and Training through the National Dog Trainers Federation (NDTF) and continues to regularly attend seminars and courses with leading trainers and behaviour specialists from around the world. The goal is to continually refine and improve CLEAR’s training methods using modern, reward-based techniques that work in real-life situations.
Positive reinforcement, clear boundaries and kind but firm management are at the heart of the CLEAR approach. Dogs are rewarded for the behaviour we want, while unwanted behaviour is calmly managed and redirected. The aim is a dog who understands what is expected and enjoys working with you.
Food is an important part of training because, for most dogs, it is one of the quickest and most effective ways to build new behaviours. But food isn’t the only reward. CLEAR also uses toys, play, praise, permission to sniff and access to things the individual dog enjoys.
And no, that doesn’t mean stuffing your pockets with treats for the rest of your dog’s life. As a behaviour becomes well understood, food rewards can gradually become less frequent and other rewards take over. With time, your praise, your voice and the pleasure of working with you can become rewarding in their own right.
Teaching dogs — and people
There is no one-size-fits-all formula. Caroline looks at the individual dog, the behaviour, the home environment and the family’s circumstances, then works out what is practical, fair and achievable in everyday life.
Decades of working with animals have taught Caroline that good training starts with understanding the individual in front of her. She knows firsthand that learning something new isn’t always easy, so patience and empathy are as important when teaching people as they are when training dogs.
CLEAR’s job is to teach owners how to train their own dogs. When Caroline walks out the door, she wants clients to understand not just what to do, but why they’re doing it — and to have the tools and confidence to keep moving forward on their own.