Canine Services International

Canine Services International Professional dog training and canine behavioural consultancy based in Melbourne, VIC Australia

18/08/2026

Let me put you on game with your free shaping:

First thing though: I'm advertising our Train With Me class, and Tight A$$ Tuesdays...read more about that at the end.

Free shaping is all about connecting the dog to a series of criteria that it should execute in a certain order to achieve a certain outcome.

The first thing you need to do is be aware of what those criteria are. This one's tricky if you're not used to breaking behavior down and really 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳.

I visualise building a pyramid with the earliest criteria forming the base for the new criteria.

✅ I build a lot of engagement in my other work, so the first criteria may be for the dog to disengage with me.
✅ The next criteria is going to be that I want the dog to orient towards the object.
✅ From there, I want the dog to approach the object.

Because I break things down carefully and don't rush moving to the next criteria, I spend a bunch of time securing these understandings in the dog's mind - testing, proofing, etc. even at these early stages.

I stack the odds in favour of these outcomes by training a bunch of foundational drills that set in place certain patterns and understandings.

Many more criteria stack up in order to see the picture that Lunchy is showing here. If you're greedy in your criteria and you just want to see the end behaviour, chances are you're going to capture behaviour that isn't useful to your end goal and or Let those foundational criteria slip.

Get all this stuff right and you'll spend longer in the start and go much further, much faster as you progress.

If you're looking to elevate YOUR training skills so that you can level up your skills work with your dog...you're going to need to work with a coach that can actually teach you this stuff!

Train With Me is a small group class with a great vibe, and 1:1 coaching input that can give you access to these kinds of strong foundations and nuanced points. DM or SMS the phrase TWM and we'll shoot you details.

Tight A$$ Tuesdays are 1:1 skills sessions with weapons grade coaching to help you break through plateus or achieve something much better than average...at Melbourne's cheapest rates. DM or SMS us the word Tuesdays and we'll shoot you deets.

0483 983 647

17/08/2026

➡️ Improve Your Skills Work ⬅️

'Learned in a class' skills work doesn't look like this.

If you're ready to upgrade to 'Learned from a pro' we have options for you!

Tight Ass Tuesdays - 1:1 skills-based coaching to help you take your work to the next level...Melbourne's best coaching at Melbourne's cheapest price!

'Train With Me' Classes - a killer small group learning opportunity with a dope vibe. One dog at a time, learn by watching others, improve by training your own dog with personalised coaching.

DM or SMS for details today:

TUESDAYS for Tight Ass Tuesdays info
TWM for Train With Me class info.

15/08/2026

4 of the last 5 dogs I've recommended euthanasia for were trained exclusively on a head collar.

All four developed high level aggression towards their owners. All four had bite histories with escalating patterns of injury. All four owners attended training diligently, over long periods.

Here's what that training looked like.

No food. No play. Little praise. Zero consideration of emotion.

Almost sole reliance on tone of voice to discourage or encourage.

Any behaviour outside the narrow range of responses taught in class? Grip the head collar close and spin the dog in a tight circle.

And here's the part that should stop you cold.

Staff acknowledged the anxiety in all four dogs. Repeatedly. Then instructed the owners to punish the dogs for expressing it.

When the punishment wasn't working these owners were blamed for inconsistently applying it. Standard practice.

Think about that sequence. We can see your dog is anxious. Now correct him for expressing it.

None of these dogs could reliably perform trained behaviours on cue after all that time. With the equipment or without it. The training suppressed expression of the emotion that showed where the real attention should be paid, and compounded the issue by ignoring the vulnerability of the dogs.

Every owner was sold "a safe, happy and responsive dog."

So swerve me with the story about how head collars are innately humane. A tool that works by controlling the head of an anxious animal while its emotional state gets punished is not humane by default. Nothing is.

And to be clear: I've seen this same endpoint reached with pinch collars, check chains, ecollars, slip leads, flat collars, and some of the worst cases I've attended came from poorly considered Purely Positive programs.

The tool was never the variable. The thinking behind it was.

These dogs weren't dangerous when they arrived at training. They were vulnerable. The intervention designed to help them is what tipped them.

If you're trusting someone to educate YOU on YOUR dog, do some research before you take their marketing at face value.

⚠️ Including mine.

14/08/2026

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗠:
Any dog trainer that believes they’re a balanced trainer because they use punishment is destined to do a decent sized group of dogs a great disservice.

Any PP/FF dog trainer that refutes the idea that aversive may have a potential place in the broader training, management and/or development of a dog is also destined to do a decent sized group of dogs a great disservice.
They’re both I D E O L O G U E S - which means both of those positions has a bunch of preconceived notions that influence their decision making, are subject to ‘group think’, and belong to groups which are prone to ostracising those that depart from the accepted narrative.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
Whilst not a total solution, start looking past what they say and examine what they 𝘋𝘖.

Regardless of a trainers politics, their skills speak more loudly than any words ever can…and this is much easier for the average dog owner to assess.

Start by looking at the way they use positive reinforcement in all its forms - food, play, praise.
✅ Can they lure effectively?✅ Can they build effective markers that hold up in the real world?✅ Do they flick one piece of food and that’s that…or do they make that reinforcing event wildly fun and engaging.
✅ Do they consider the dog’s emotion in amongst it all?
✅ Are the able to help the breadth of dogs they work with enjoy the experience, and do you see that reflected in the results?✅ Do they seem to be able to teach their clients to do the same or similar?

This won’t provide you a total picture, but it’s a prominent feature of training that both opposed groups should share, and it’s integral to a trainers ability to work effectively with a variety of dogs and issues.Regardless of their politics, it’s an early indicator of a dog trainer’s depth of skill, understanding and experience...so you can cut away a lot of dead wood on this criteria alone.

Being the dumbest guy at the table means you're sitting at the right table...and this table represents 100+yrs of dog tr...
13/08/2026

Being the dumbest guy at the table means you're sitting at the right table...and this table represents 100+yrs of dog training experience.

On the left are Hans Ebbers, my mentor and bro - and his far better half Dr. Esther Schalke. Kynoscience

On the right is Ben Guerts of Kaizen K9- himself a world class trainer and student of the dog.

Ben was pumping local beers into Hans (purely for scientific reasons) and Hans was pretty happy about it.

Spending time around truly, truly elite level folks like Hans and Esther makes it truly impossible for any training related ego you dare think you have to exist.

Esther is herself an exceptional trainer as well as being a world renowned veterinary behaviourist, but I've spent a lot of time with Hans working dogs. I won't get into her current role, but suffice to say that she operates at an excruciatingly high level.

Hans' catch phrase is 'problems are for solving'...and watching him problem solve in hands-on work with dogs is truly aspirational stuff. His standard of work is beyond reproach, and his ability to develop dogs towards that standard is epic to watch.

When you have an opinion that differs to their they are always willing to discuss it, and offer their reasoning...which is increasingly rare in the dog world in terms of both ability and outlook.

Ben and I have been around a while, and when Hans or Esther have an opinion that conflicts with our own (not that we share the same opinion on everything mind you) we both start listening harder because we know we have to question our own logic first before objecting.

I recall Geurtsy and I both walked away from that dinner thinking 's**t, that was cool'.

11/08/2026

Gripping the Esee Expat Cleaver leaves you feeling a little overwhelmed. You’re filled with the sudden urge to cleave things. There is something about its weight, its grip, and the fact you just know it can slice through most anything. It’s hard to put into words.

Don’t call it tactical. It’s not designed to be a weapon, and it’s not for mall ninjas. It’s primarily designed for food prep in the wild. In a pinch it can be used to do some moderate chopping and campground clearing. However, at the end of the day this is a tool for food prep.

If you look closely you’ll notice the blade isn’t fully square. The edge rounds towards the “tip”, and that provides some belly. This gives the cleaver a little more versatility and makes it more than a chopper. The rounded edge makes it useful for skinning game and detail work. You can also make fine and accurate slashes through meat with the CL1 like a kitchen knife.

10/08/2026

➡️ We're Probably A Good Fit IF... ⬅️

Reasonable expectations are more important than you may understand.

Rapid results are FANTASTIC, but they're not always reasonable.

Long term issues most often don't have a short term solution.

Learning to love the process always produces better quality outcomes at both ends of the leash.

Proper foundations don't cost much more time or effort, but see you go further, faster in the long run.

If you're sick of the same old advice...

If you're on your third trainer and you wanna nail the right choice on your fourth...

You and your dog need to get some wins on the board...

Or swerve all the low IQ dog training noise you've been soaking up on social media...

Holler.

DM, SMS or call 0483 983 647

05/08/2026

➡️ Train With Me - A Class ⬅️

Peep the video for details folks.

DM, SMS or call.
0483 983 647

03/08/2026

➡️ Nobody Else Talks About This ⬅️

Will your dog keep you safer, or get you into trouble?

Ladies, this one is for you - and I’m sure you’ll agree it’s highly relevant.

I’ll walk you through a few scenarios to highlight some things you’ve probably never considered to help you make your own decisions.

Peep the video for more details.

If this topic tickles your fancy then let me know in the comments, as it’s a nuanced topic I could do many more posts on.

02/08/2026

This bloke is Reece, from on IG.

I don't know this lad from Adam, but he consistently pumps out some very creative, informative and entertaining dog training content.

It's the kind of content that makes a lot of folks want to get out there and DO S**T with their dogs - try things, work through problems and challenges, and build so much more than just getting their dog to comply with commands.

If most of your dog training influences are from what you'd call the 'balanced training' world, then do yourself a massive favour and upgrade your social feed with some of Reece's content.

And Reece - if you ever wind up in Australia mate you're welcome to come jam here at CSI.

Address

1/5 Wadhurst Drive
Melbourne, VIC
3155

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 6pm
Saturday 8am - 2pm

Telephone

+61499226463

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Canine Services International posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category