Best Paw Forward Dog Training

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Best Paw Forward Dog Training Dog training and behaviour modification in the Greater Springfield and Ipswich region. We offer one

We disappeared from social media for a while. A couple of months ago, we tragically had to say our last goodbyes to our ...
06/10/2026

We disappeared from social media for a while.

A couple of months ago, we tragically had to say our last goodbyes to our precious baby boy Hexxus.

I will share the full story over the coming weeks because I feel like there are educational takeaways from our experience that can be useful for other loving dog owners.

But in short, we accidentally found out that Hexxus was riddled with cancer. He had no symptoms but was given 1 day to 3 weeks left to live.

We spent 10 days with Hex doing all of his favourite things. He left this world peacefully, surrounded by his favourite people telling him just how much they loved him, and that he was the best boy.

The last couple of months have been really rough. Hex was only 6. We thought he was half way through his life and couldn't comprehend that the dog in front of us who was so full of life, was dying.

I am really sorry for the inquiries that haven't been responded to. I needed to prioritize my own well-being the last couple of months to get through, and my job, despite how much I love it, needed to temporarily go to the way side.

I took the time that I needed, and am back to being a functional human again. I couldn't morally come back to training dogs until I had reached the point of being able to provide the standard of training and support that I hold myself to.

I will be reaching out this week to everyone who has waited patiently to hear from me.

But for now, please give your dogs an extra belly rub. Let them sniff longer on their evening walk. Tell them how much you love them. They don't understand words, but they understand the intention behind them.

I will never stop missing my precious boy Hexxus. But grief is the price we pay for love, and I will carry the lessons that he taught me so that his memory lives on forever.

A friend who is also a dog photographer reached out and so kindly did a photo shoot with us after Hex's diagnosis, and these are some of my faves. The bubbles aren't photo shopped - They were one of Hex's favourite things, so a bubble party was had ❤️

I'll see you on the other side Hexxy. But until then, I am back to helping other people with their dogs so they can also look back and remember all the amazing times they had together.

I love being able to give my dogs the opportunity to do their absolute favourite things.For every dog, that favourite th...
25/07/2026

I love being able to give my dogs the opportunity to do their absolute favourite things.

For every dog, that favourite thing is different. For Hexxus and Havoc, it's protection sports. Training PSA is the thing that satisfies their souls.

This is Havoc after a session with our decoy, wearing the biggest, happiest, most tired smile.

It's probably worth noting that they were specifically bred for this. The boys came from a working dog breeder because intense, high-drive dogs were exactly what I was after. Bite sports aren't the right outlet for every dog, and that's really the point: the magic is in finding the thing YOUR dog was built for and giving them somewhere to do it.

What's your dog's favourite thing in the world?

— Sarah

Meet the feline department, since they almost never make it onto the page: Puff Pastry and TabTab.They're three and a ha...
24/07/2026

Meet the feline department, since they almost never make it onto the page: Puff Pastry and TabTab.

They're three and a half now, and they've grown up in a household of German Shepherds. It shows, in the best way.

Puff Pastry is the chillest cat on the face of the planet. A big cuddler and total love bug who will happily take affection from anyone offering it.

TabTab is happy to intermingle, but if someone she doesn't know well touches her, she pulls a face of pure disgust and then goes and grooms herself about it. She does love the dogs giving her kisses though. Havoc is actually her favourite.

Puff and Tabs are actually littermates - But they look nothing alike. We think their mum probably had at least a couple of boyfriends that are the dads of their litter!

— Sarah

Last Friday I shared how we went back to basics on Lumi's off switch after her crate rest. This is the follow-up: what t...
23/07/2026

Last Friday I shared how we went back to basics on Lumi's off switch after her crate rest. This is the follow-up: what teaching an off switch actually looks like.

An off switch doesn't happen by accident, especially in high-drive dogs. Calm is a skill, and we can teach it like any other.

One thing before the steps: This is hard if a dogs needs haven't been met. Once our dogs have had their needs fulfilled, then it's a lot easier to teach them how to chill.

Hex is my living proof. A working-line shepherd who can switch off completely, no matter what's going on around him.

Can your dog do nothing, or is doing nothing the hardest skill in your house? Tell me in the comments.

- Sarah

Treats are complicated in this house.Hexxus and Havoc have IBD and are allergic to many animal proteins, which rules out...
22/07/2026

Treats are complicated in this house.

Hexxus and Havoc have IBD and are allergic to many animal proteins, which rules out nearly every training treat on the shelf. To make things more complicated, they also have different protein tolerances to each other, so finding overlap can be hard.

Alfie's Kitchen has been our answer. Their treats contain no animal proteins at all, so the crew can all have them safely. They are super high value to my crew as well, and Hex isn't the most food motivated dog on the face of the planet so that is a really big win.

If you've got a dog with allergies or a sensitive gut, they're worth a look. Or even if you have the joy of a dog without food allergies, their training treat range (the banana training treats are my crews fave!) are such a convenient option to have on the counter for easy access if you are actively working on training skills at home at the moment.

The code HHH20 gets you 20% off.

Full transparency, as always: I make no commission from that code. It's just a discount for you. I share them because they solved a real problem for us.

— Sarah

"Socialise your puppy" might be the most misunderstood instruction in dog ownership.You might have heard it means meetin...
21/07/2026

"Socialise your puppy" might be the most misunderstood instruction in dog ownership.

You might have heard it means meeting as many dogs and people as possible. Pats from every stranger, play with every dog, the works.

Meeting people and dogs can be a part of it, BUT the bigger picture of socialisation is helping our dogs become comfortable and confident with all of the things they'll encounter in everyday life. The sounds of the neighbourhood, different surfaces under their paws, bikes rolling past, the waiting room at the vet. Being able to calmly exist around those things matters so much more than a tally of dogs met.

A puppy who watches kids on scooters roll past from a distance, sniffs where another dog walked, and gets a treat for calmly noticing the bin truck is doing better socialisation than one being mobbed in a doggy mosh pit at the park.

It's not just for puppies, either. Even if you have an adult dog with an unknown history, like Lumi is with us, you can still expose them to different areas and different situations and help them get comfortable at their own pace. The process might just look a little different.

For us, it has always been about the quality of those experiences, not just the quantity of them.

If your puppy (or your adult dog with some gaps) seems overwhelmed by the "meet everyone" approach, you're allowed to slow it down. That IS socialisation.

— Sarah

By the time most of us get home from work in winter, it's already dark. And walking your dog through the streets at nigh...
19/07/2026

By the time most of us get home from work in winter, it's already dark. And walking your dog through the streets at night isn't everyone's cup of tea, whether that's visibility, safety, or just not feeling comfortable out there on your own. All completely fair reasons.

The good news is your dog's needs can still be met without the walk, and it doesn't have to eat your whole evening either.

Here are some quick, time-efficient ways to give your dog an outlet after dark →

This isn't either/or. On the evenings a walk works for you, walk. These are for the nights it doesn't.

Most of these take ten minutes or less, and a couple of them do the work while you cook dinner.

What's your dog's favourite no-walk outlet? Tell me in the comments.

— Sarah

This flat-out flop belongs to one of my puppy students (shared with their family's permission, because I couldn't not).P...
18/07/2026

This flat-out flop belongs to one of my puppy students (shared with their family's permission, because I couldn't not).

Puppy lessons are some of my favourite bookings in the calendar. When people think of dog training, they usually picture fixing problems: pulling, barking, habits that have had months of practice. I love helping with those too. But there's something special about starting with a puppy and getting the foundations right from the beginning.

At this age, everything is still up for grabs. Puppies are learning what works, what's safe, and what pays off, whether we're deliberately teaching them or not. A few weeks spent showing them the right track (how to settle, how to be alone, that calm gets attention, that the world is safe to explore) saves months of undoing habits later on.

Being proactive about the foundations is a lot more straightforward than rectifying issues down the track. Not because older dogs can't learn (they absolutely can), but because a puppy hasn't spent a year practising the wrong thing yet.

If you've got a new puppy at home, the best time to start is before anything feels like a problem. And if that window has passed, it's never too late. It just takes a bit more patience.

What's the first thing you taught (or wish you'd taught) your puppy? Tell me in the comments.

— Sarah

Two weeks of strict crate rest is a very long time when you're a young, energetic dog.Lumi recently had two procedures a...
17/07/2026

Two weeks of strict crate rest is a very long time when you're a young, energetic dog.

Lumi recently had two procedures at once: her desexing and a gastropexy (a stomach tack that helps prevent bloat in deep-chested dogs). Recovery meant two weeks of taking it very, very easy.

So when the vet gave her the all-clear to get back to normal life, she had PLANS. All the activity she'd missed out on? She was going to make it up in a weekend.

Which meant the girl who knew how to switch off in the house suddenly couldn't. She struggled to settle inside at all. That energy had to go somewhere, and calm loungeroom time was not where she wanted to spend it.

So for the first week back, we knuckled down on her off switch again. Inside is calm, quiet time. Outside is where the running and playing happens. The same foundations she already knew. We just went back and practised them like they were brand new.

That's really the point of this post. Sometimes life throws in a surgery, a house move, a new baby, or a change in routine, and the polished behaviours wobble. That's not the training failing, and it's not your dog forgetting everything you taught them. It's a dog responding to a big change in their world.

When it happens, take a couple of steps back and re-address the foundations. Make calm easy to get right, reward it well, and keep the energetic stuff for the right time and place. With consistency and patience, it comes back far quicker than it took to build the first time.

Photo evidence: one settled girl, like the whole saga never happened.

— Sarah

The school holidays are over, the house has gone quiet, and somebody is NOT coping.For the past few weeks your dog has h...
16/07/2026

The school holidays are over, the house has gone quiet, and somebody is NOT coping.

For the past few weeks your dog has had company all day: kids on the couch, snacks being dropped, backyard games, constant action. Then Monday came, everyone disappeared, and the house went silent.

Some dogs take that in their stride. Others whinge at the door, pace the house, dig up the garden, or start making their own fun (usually the kind you don't want).

It makes sense from their side. Their energy didn't change. The company and stimulation did.

A few things that help the adjustment:

🐾 Meet their needs before the house empties. A sniffy walk or ten minutes of training in the morning takes the edge off a quiet day.

🐾 Give them a job for the alone hours. A stuffed Kong, a lick mat, a long-lasting chew, or breakfast scattered in the grass all work.

🐾 Keep departures and arrivals low-key. Big dramatic goodbyes make the empty house feel like a bigger event than it needs to be.

🐾 Keep some short alone-time blocks going on weekends too, so "everyone home" and "everyone gone" both stay normal.

Most dogs find the school-term rhythm again within a couple of weeks. If yours is barking all day, destroying things, or panicking when you leave, that's worth addressing properly rather than waiting out.

How's your dog handling the back-to-school quiet?

— Sarah

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Springfield Lakes, QLD
4300

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