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Monday 1pm - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

https://www.heelinghounds.com.au/

Heeling Hounds, Frankston South (2026)

03/09/2026

Do you live on the Mornington Peninsula and have a dog who would love to participate in a friendly Dog Competition?
🐾 Ritchies IGA, Mt Eliza, is holding the inaugural Paws For A Cause Dog Competition on Sunday, 27 September between 10 am and 1 pm.
🐾 The event will be held indoors, so the dogs and their owners will be protected from the elements.
🐾 Pre-register your dog at: www.ritchies.com.au/paws-for-a-cause, or come along on the day.
🐾 There will be lots of activities for both young and old.

I will be there representing my business and the APDT. I hope to see you at this wonderful event.

P.S. Similar events will be held at Balnarring (3rd) and Dromana (10th) Ritcies IGA in October. I'll be attending those too!

29/08/2026

TOILET TRAINING QUICK TIPS

Toilet training can feel so frustrating when your puppy keeps soiling your carpet, floor, or other areas of your home.

Three Pillars of Toilet Training
Toilet training relies on three pillars
1. consistency
2. patience
3. positive reinforcement

Typically, puppies take 4 to 5 months to become fully house-trained, but some dogs learn very quickly within 3 weeks.

However, others may take a little longer, especially if their routines were upset due to rehoming or other traumatic events. Don’t lose hope if there are setbacks.

Here are five steps to help your dog toilet outside consistently.

1. FIX THEIR FEEDING SCHEDULE
Create a mealtime schedule to keep your dog’s toilet movements regular and predictable. Do not leave food out for your puppy to forage on, as it creates opportunities for them to go to the toilet.

2. TAKE THEM OUTSIDE
Take your puppy outside to toilet first thing in the morning, and then once every 30 minutes to an hour. Always take them outside after every meal, after every play session, and when they wake from sleep.

3. TAKE THEM TO SAME SPOT
Take your dog to the same spot in the garden where you want them to go to the toilet. Dogs tend to toilet in and around the same area due to the smell of their previous toileting.
Use a verbal marker or cue, such as “Hurry Up” or “Toilet”, to associate the action with a word or phrase. This is an invaluable skill for your dog to learn, especially when you are travelling or it is raining outside.

4. STAY OUTSIDE WITH THEM
Do not leave your dog outside alone and expect them to toilet until they are fully house-trained. Pop them on a lead and stay outside with your dog, keep them on their lead to prevent play, and wait until they have toileted.

5. REWARD THEM
Reward your dog each time they go to the toilet outside. This is a vital step to positively reinforce the behaviour you want: going to the toilet outside.

Dos and Don’ts
🚫 Don’t punish your puppy for having an accident. This teaches them to fear toileting in the open, and they will go to other, more secluded parts of the house to toilet.
✅ If you notice your puppy in the act, interrupt your dog by saying “Ah, Ah”, pick them up, bring them outside and follow steps 2 to 5.
‼️ If you find the evidence, but didn’t see the act, don’t react angrily by yelling or rubbing your pup’s nose in it. Puppies aren’t intellectually capable of connecting your anger with their accident. Clean it up and remind yourself you need to be more vigilant.
✅ Take your puppy out as often as you can and stay outside longer. Some puppies may wee once outside, but will wee again when brought inside. To help prevent this, wait a little longer for that second wee.
✅ Clean up accidents with an enzymatic cleanser rather than an ammonia-based one to eliminate odours.

Contact Tom at Heeling Hounds to book a Zoom Consultation to discuss toilet training and how to set your dog up for success.
📍 Mornington Peninsula and Surrounds
🕗 Mon–Fri 0900–1700
📲 0403 869 291
🌐 www.heelinghounds.com.au

28/08/2026

The New Epidemic: Dogs who do not know how to be calm

Your dog isn’t bored. Your dog isn’t “high energy.” Your dog isn’t asking for more. Your dog is overstimulated and cannot relax and settle.

I see more dogs than ever that don’t know how to switch off. Constant toys. Constant interaction. Constant enrichment. Rushed, frantic and frequent walks. Homes that never go quiet. Stressed owners and broken relationships. Chaos!

This type of daily activity is sold to you as good dog ownership. However, your dog’s nervous system doesn’t evolve under constant stress. It learns calmness and control through rest, and more importantly, sleep.

When a dog never truly relaxes and doesn’t get enough sleep, owners start to see the following fallout:
• Hypervigilance
• Inability to settle or sleep deeply
• Reactivity that looks like behaviour problems
• Gut issues and appetite changes
• Bodies that stay tense, even when lying down.

Yes, play is essential and enrichment matters, but so does doing nothing and stillness.
A dog that constantly needs entertainment hasn’t learnt to regulate their emotions; it’s considered dependent on stimulation. Their brain gets stuck chasing the next rush of excitement instead of returning to a calm state.

Being at rest isn’t laziness; it’s maintaining neurological health. A calm dog isn’t “underworked”; they are regulating their emotional well-being.

Teaching a dog how to rest – truly rest – is one of the most essential and overlooked gifts an owner can give their dog for long-term well-being. It is also one of the challenging concepts for many new dog owners to understand.

If your dog struggles to settle, paces the house, or seems “on” all the time, this may not be a training issue. It may be an exhausted and overstressed nervous system.

Have you noticed these struggles in your dog? Does the concept of calmness and giving your dog more rest and sleep challenge what you’ve been told about your dog breed’s needs?

I’m the owner of a healthy 9-year-old Border Collie. Sidney was taught to be calm at an early age and can self-regulate in a busy world that can be very stimulating for a herding breed. Teaching your dog to be calm can take your dog-owning relationship from ZERO to HERO in just a few weeks. You’ll be amazed at how much of a difference you will notice in your dog’s life.

Contact Tom at Heeling Hounds to book a Zoom Consultation to discuss calmness and how this single concept can be a game-changer for you and your dog.

📍 Mornington Peninsula and Surrounds
🕗 Mon–Fri 0900–1700
📲 0403 869 291
🌐 www.heelinghounds.com.au

25/08/2026

🐾 Happy International Dog Day! 🐾
Today we’re celebrating the loyal companions who make ordinary days brighter—with every wagging tail, muddy paw print and happy welcome home.

Make your dog the guest of honour today: explore a new walking route, enjoy extra playtime, practise a fun trick with positive rewards, take a favourite photo, or offer a dog-safe treat. Keep the fun suited to your dog’s age, health and personality, and choose a cooler time of day if the weather is warm.

You can spread the love even further by donating to a local rescue, volunteering, sharing an adoption post or checking a shelter’s wish list.

How are you celebrating your best friend today? Share a photo and tell me what makes your dog one of a kind! 💛

20/08/2026

HOW TO SELECT A DOG TRAINER
Are you looking to employ a dog trainer for your dog? To the uninitiated, the words and phrases dog trainers use will help you determine which dog trainer will keep your dog safe and provide you with a lifelong positive relationship with your dog.

Look for those green flags and avoid anyone who uses red flags. Don’t be afraid to ask explicit questions about their methods and training program. This is your dog you are talking about – what happens during training sessions can have lifelong impacts, both positive and negative, for your dog.

The choice is yours, but think of your dog’s well-being. Do you want a calm and positive relationship with your dog, or do you want a dog that only obeys you through fear of punishment?

If you want to discuss training methods for your dog, contact Heeling Hounds today.
www.heelinghounds.com.au

14/08/2026

Good News: Online Consultations Are Back!

Dear dog guardians,

Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with cancer, had a major surgical procedure, and am now recovering and on chemotherapy until the end of December 2026.

While I cannot meet you and your wonderful doggos, I can still assist you with your dog-owning struggles in practical ways that will get your transformation plans started or direct you to another specialist trainer if the issues you are having warrant a face-to-face appointment.

Book an Online Consultation with Heeling Hounds Today at www.heelinghounds.com.au/bookings

14/08/2026

Bad breath isn’t “just a dog thing” 🪥

Dogs are incredibly good at hiding discomfort – many will keep eating, playing and behaving normally even when dental build-up is already present.

That’s why changes in breath can be an early sign that something’s going on, long before other symptoms appear.

Dental care is one of those small, everyday habits that can make a big difference over time. Alongside regular brushing and vet checks, nutrition can also play a supportive role.

I recommend that my clients feed their pups fresh food (), brush their teeth, and use vet-approved chews as part of a multimodal approach to dental care.

Lyka has helped my dog Sidney keep his teeth cleaner, as there are fewer carbohydrates left in his mouth for tartar to form.

If you’d like to try Lyka, you can get 50% off your 1st box, 30% off your 2nd box, plus 3 free treats across your first 3 deliveries using the Heeling Hounds referral link: https://lyka.com.au/join/HEELINGHOUNDS

09/08/2026

Heeling Hounds is proud to be part of Paws For A Cause.
📆 Sunday, 27 September
⏰ 10 am ‘til 1 pm
📍 Ritchies IGA, Mt Eliza
Come along and join the fun. I’ll be representing the APDT and providing advice to dog owners.

09/07/2026

Did you know that Lyka (the dog) is turning 17 this month, and fresh food has been with her every step of the way? 🎂
At 17, she’s still going strong, and the science behind it is pretty simple: high-quality protein to maintain muscle, omega-3s to support her joints, and a healthy gut microbiome to keep her immune system firing.
Fresh food isn't just delicious; it's one of the best things you can do for your dog's long-term health. That’s why I feed my Border Collie Lyka. 🐾
Try Lyka today with my exclusive code and grab 50% OFF your first meal box.
https://lyka.com.au/join/HEELINGHOUNDS

02/07/2026

For too long, dog behaviour has been viewed through the lens of control, hierarchy and power struggles. Growling was labelled defiance. Avoidance was deemed manipulation. Reactivity was treated as a challenge to authority.

But this way of thinking was built on a misunderstanding.

Early captive-wolf studies placed unrelated wolves in artificial, stressful environments and interpreted conflict as evidence of a rigid social hierarchy. Later research showed that wild wolf packs are usually family units built on cooperation, communication and survival — not constant battles for status.

Even the “alpha wolf” idea was later rejected by researchers, yet dog training continued to rely on outdated ideas of dominance and submission.

Dogs do not enter our homes to outrank us. They are social mammals seeking safety, connection, regulation and belonging. Behaviour is shaped by emotion, genetics, development, attachment and the nervous system — not by a desire to “be alpha.”

When you misread normal canine communication as dominance, you end up labelling your dog – a vigilant dog is labelled controlling; a sensitive dog is labelled stubborn; a dysregulated dog is labelled disobedient. In reality, many dogs display stress, fear, insecurity, developmental conflict or ingrained survival responses that owners misinterpret.

While it may appear that punishment-based training strategies suppress these problematic behaviours, this type of training does not address the underlying emotional state. A dog can appear “calm” while still feeling overwhelmed, shut down or unsafe.

The real shift happens when you stop asking, “How do I control my dog?” and start asking, “What is my dog experiencing?” It moves you from correction to curiosity, from power to relationship, and from obedience alone to emotional safety, trust and understanding.

The real tragedy of dominance theory is that it leads people to view communication as confrontation. Dogs are not trying to win a rank battle; they are trying to communicate, cope and connect.

When you understand the animal beneath the behaviour, you stop fighting your dog and start helping them feel safe enough to learn.

If you want to know more about fear-free, positive dog training methods that achieve lifelong results and grow the relationship with your beloved dog, contact Heeling Hounds at www.heelinghounds.com.au

Heeling Hounds

03/09/2026

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