Hello Pup

30/11/2025

You'd be hard-pressed to identify from this footage that Flynn is historically highly reactive; his ability to respond calmly, move away from the barking dogs and engage with Alli when he needs support is a reflection of Alli's skill and the consistent behaviour modification they've done together as a team.

It's not super clear in the video, but the barking comes from multiple large dogs behind fences that do not block Flynn's visual access to them at all - so there are many sensory stimuli in this video serving as potential triggers for him.

So many folks argue that working dogs need a heavier hand, or that reactivity requires corrections and dogs need to be told when their behaviour is "wrong" in order to change it. Even though fear and emotional dysregulation aren't behaviours, so aren't subject to that kind of learning.

Here's a bit of evidence to the contrary.

21/11/2025

Don't let little Bobby down 🥹

LAST CHANCE for puppy classes with us in 2025 - Starting next weekend - Only ONE spot still available

Thrive Canine’s next intake for puppy preschool classes at The Blackburn Vet commences 2.45 pm next Saturday 29 November. This is our FINAL class for 2025!

We have a number of puppies joining part way through the course as they are not coming home until early to mid December. To supplement this partial course completion, we will be running a Puppy Two class from Saturday 10 January as an opportunity for additional classes for all recent Puppy One attendees.

Our Puppy One classes are for dogs of all breeds aged between 8 and 16 weeks of age.

Why train with us?
- Classes are run by not one, but TWO force free trainers.
- Unlike most trainers, we are qualified, insured and registered, and prioritise our trainers’ ongoing education.
- We provide only the most-up-to-date and ethical dog training advice.
- We focus on mitigating risk of behavioural issues and teach you how to recognise them early.
- We have small class sizes (capped at 6 puppies) so that everyone gets personalised support and puppies aren’t overwhelmed.
- We provide a supportive and inclusive environment.
- We are your training support for the life of your puppy! Have questions in six months, two years or ten years? Reach back out!

In our four week course we cover:
- appropriate socialisation and exposure to people, dogs, other animals, and experiences
- toilet training and resolution of common puppy issues
- cooperative care for enjoyable vet visits and grooming
- how to read your puppy’s body language and communicate positively with your puppy
- mitigating risk of the behaviour problems we work with every day, including aggression, reactivity and resource guarding
- basic cues and skills, including loose leash walking

Enrol via our website thrivecanine.com.au or email [email protected] with queries.

10/11/2025

Despite the classic Melbourne spring weather, it was all smiles at the First Barkday Market on the weekend!

Thanks to those who braved the rain to support fear free, and especially those who came to chat with us about their dog’s behaviour and training and to ask about ethical gear.

Of course and as always, Atlas stole the show and by the end of the day had everyone well trained, giving her passing pats and snacks.

Special thanks to ALL our consultants Hannah, Eugenia and Anna for attending, as well as Anna’s partner Alex who helped us work out how the heck to put up a gazebo 😅

06/10/2025

01/10/2025

We're so excited to be heading to Adelaide today for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Conference! It's imperative that dog behaviour professionals continually update their knowledge and pursue ongoing learning, as animal behaviour is a constantly evolving field of knowledge and we always want to be working with the best available information. We'll be back in Melbourne on Monday 6 October 🛫🐾

25/09/2025

Radiographs often don't reflect the level of pain that a pet is experiencing. Arthritis pain comes from many factors, including inflammation, joint capsule stretching, and soft tissue involvement- not just bone changes seen on imaging. A pet can be in significant discomfort even if the x-rays appear 'mild'. Remember to always assess your pet's behavior and mobility, not just diagnostics.

If you're interested in tailored advice for your pet, reach out to us via www.fusionvetortho.com!

02/08/2025

Beautiful 🙌🏻

16/07/2025

This is a great article about pain in dogs and how it intersects with behaviour.

On many occasions, I've walked a dog or attended a consultation for a behaviour concern and recommended investigating the possibility of pain with a vet. Dogs hide pain SO well, and it contributes to far more behaviour struggles than pet parents realise.

Article by All Dogs Are Good behaviour trainer Harriet Alexander (BA, GDipPsych, KPA-CTP).

How to make sure we’re treating the whole dog, not just the symptomsHave you ever woken up with a blinding headache and found yourself snapping at everyone before breakfast? Most of us have, and afterwards we (hopefully) apologise and look for painkillers or drink that forgotten glass of water. Do...

14/05/2025

So proud to be part of the Thrive Canine team!

We filed against Whitehorse Council in VCAT today and I’m not afraid to talk about it.

We had a contract with Whitehorse to use one of their parks for dog training classes. After we filled our first round of classes, trained staff, bought equipment and developed course programs, Whitehorse tried to cancel our contract without compensating us. There was no valid legal basis for them to do this, and they breached other laws in the process. We’ve suffered $3,500 in loss.

To top it off, when we refused to cancel our classes as the contract had been terminated invalidly, they sent two burly male rangers to the park to harass us and force us to cease operating in front of our clients.

That was the final straw.

Do not pick a fight with a lawyer.

Thrive will not be bullied, and we will not allow either us or our force free colleagues to be treated unfairly. We work so hard to do everything completely by the book, and operate solely to serve the community and improve animal welfare and safety. This conduct was completely unconscionable. See you in court.

Our classes continue to run at an alternative location. Visit our website to enrol and train your dog with a strong, women-owned and operated business which proritises ethics and fairness - across all aspects of our company.

13/05/2025

This should be a no-brainer really! If you're NOT in a designated off-leash area, please don't let your dog roam and approach other dogs on leads. He may be "small & and friendly" but he'll still scare the wits out of a reactive dog.. 😢
𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 | 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿: http://bit.ly/2Nw3o6e thanks to 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 from 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

24/04/2025

18/04/2025

Meet Bert, the baby papillon. He is, as you can see, 90% ears 🐰- and at the moment, it feels like the other 10% of him is entirely tiny teeth!

Bert is going through a bitey teething phase, and because he's full of beans and loves other dogs, he's recently developed some frustration barking on leash.

Thankfully his human has done a wonderful job in immediately seeking help to teach Bert to regulate his emotions and behaviour around dogs he meets. The longer a dog rehearses reactivity, the harder it can be to modify - but little Bert here has had a head start to rival his ears.

We went over some management and enrichment to handle Bert's biting, and best practice and skills to help his frustration reactivity. He demonstrated he's a keen and very clever little learner indeed!