For most CLEAR Dog Training clients, the Foundation Package gives them what they need to keep making progress on their own. But sometimes you may want to fine-tune things further, work more closely on a particular behavioural issue, or take your training in a new direction.
CLEAR Dog Training owner Caroline Strainig is available by phone or email, and we offer a range of affordable follow-up options for existing clients, including private follow-up sessions, Walk & Train, Dog Sports Foundation training and basic obedience for trainee assistance dogs.
Walk & Train
Walk & Train is probably our most popular follow-up option and is available to existing clients around Wynnum–Manly. Caroline can work one-on-one with your dog, or you can come along too.
In many cases, she will do two or three sessions with the dog first, concentrating on the areas that need the most work. That might include loose-lead walking, calmer behaviour around distractions, recall, confidence out and about, or further work on a particular behavioural issue.
A handover session can then be arranged so you can come along, see what Caroline has been working on and practise the new skills yourself. That way, you can make the most of your dog’s new learning and keep the progress going.
Stanley’s Walk & Train sessions
Young Stanley, the Oodle featured in this photo, is a good example of just how much can be covered in a Walk & Train session.
Stanley needed help with several things at once. Caroline worked on walking nicely on lead, useful cues such as “Let’s go”, “This way” and “Wait”, and helping him feel more comfortable with some of the everyday sights and sounds he found worrying.
Whenever Stanley noticed another person, dog or bicycle, Caroline marked the moment with “Yes” and followed with a treat. The aim was to gradually change the way he felt about those things: instead of “That’s scary”, we wanted Stanley to start thinking, “That means treats. Yum. Happy.”
That’s counter-conditioning — helping something a dog finds worrying begin to predict something good instead.
This was only Stanley’s second Walk & Train outing with Caroline, but he had already settled considerably and was working beautifully. In fact, a passer-by stopped to ask whether he was training to be an assistance dog. Not quite, Stanley — but we’ll take the compliment.
His owners were so pleased with his progress that, when they later added a second dog to the family, they asked Caroline to help their new arrival with Walk & Train sessions too.
Other follow-up options
Not every dog needs Walk & Train. Some clients prefer a private follow-up session to fine-tune what they have already learned, while others want help getting started in dog sports or with the basic obedience needed for a trainee assistance dog.
The follow-up is shaped around the dog, the owner and what they want to achieve. Contact Caroline if you’d like to have a chat about what might suit your dog.
