Thinkdog with Lewis Nicholls

Thinkdog with Lewis Nicholls Lewis is a dog trainer that practices modern, evidence based methods when working with animals. The dogs featured in his videos are dogs that he has trained.

Lewis practices a progressive, reward based modern approach when training dogs. He aims at spreading as much up to date information as possible to help owners and dogs alike. None of them belong to him personally.

01/06/2026

We live in the middle of nowhere.

We go to town about once a week if that. Unless we have dogs to train out and about we spend most of the time on our property.

Our dogs don’t really need to leave it. It’s one big dog park. 20 acres of hills, some bush and pockets of woodland, two springs, a full enclosed half acres training paddock etc. They have a pretty fulfilling life just being here.

However, we do still need them to be able to cope with busy environments and situations for when they do need to come to town (vets etc).

Every now and then we bring them in and just do a bit of training so they don’t turn into feral farm dogs.

Poodle is a ‘darty’ dog. He notices everything and darts from one thing to another.

Something that has worked well for us is taking them somewhere, parking and just working/training them and then moving on.

Play is a great way with helping dogs that get distracted easily. Being in town isn’t a calming experience for many dogs. So instead of expecting calmness, I work with their excitement instead.

Poodle gets distracted a few times. Instead of reacting to poodles reaction, I just ask him to carry on doing what we’re doing. I want it to be a non event.

I’ve found calmness becomes almost like a by product of a content and full-filled dog (or as content and fulfilled we can make them).

We allow our dogs to move if they need to. In return they can then remain calmer when we expect less crazy and more calm.

And in turns out poodle either doesn’t know middle, or only does it for Hannah..

Www.thinkdog.nz

Don’t buy crap.Buy quality. 👍
29/05/2026

Don’t buy crap.

Buy quality. 👍

Sunny is getting older these days. Obviously dogs age just like us. But you only really realise that when you see age ca...
28/05/2026

Sunny is getting older these days.

Obviously dogs age just like us.

But you only really realise that when you see age catching up with them.

She’s a bit creakier, a bit stiffer, a bit slower in the mornings.

It’s hard to watch.

But that’s the price we have to pay for their time.

She’s our oldest so the rules no longer apply to her.

If she wants to be in the kitchen, she gets to go in the kitchen.

If she wants to come for a drive, she comes for a drive.

If she wants to distract us when we’re doing something, she distracts us.

If she wants to wear her pajamas all day and sleep, she does just that.

Www.thinkdog.nz

2 years ago today, our longest foster Riff Raff, met Mr William Barrow.
25/05/2026

2 years ago today, our longest foster Riff Raff, met Mr William Barrow.

This little pup is still looking for her forever home. If you’re wanting a new pup to join your family consider Rhea. Le...
22/05/2026

This little pup is still looking for her forever home.

If you’re wanting a new pup to join your family consider Rhea.

Let me know if you’d like to meet her.

She is currently being fostered in Auckland.

15/05/2026

Pixi went on her way to her new home today.

She’s going to be missed but our mornings and evenings can go back to a somewhat peaceful time.

She’ll do great and we were so lucky to find such a great home.

You can’t ask for much more when your foster goes off to 2 vets that are keen to train and see how she goes at some sport stuff.

Before she left we went to mitre 10 and practiced her indication one more time.

Being in a new environment didn’t even phase her and she just got on with the task.

Breed and genetics matter and a good old heading dog has jumped to the top of our list for our next potential pup.

Good luck Pix, now Kea.

If you’d like to support more pups like this one head over to Māmā Mini's and like, follow, share and donate if you can.

This little menace has a meet and greet tomorrow. If it goes well she might be off and settling in to her new and perman...
13/05/2026

This little menace has a meet and greet tomorrow.

If it goes well she might be off and settling in to her new and permanent home.

She’ll be our shortest foster and I’m a bit gutted.

But for her, it’s best to find a home as soon as possible.

She’s been one of the first non bully breeds we’ve had.

She’s a lot different.

She doesn’t like conflict. She actively avoids it and when she’s told to stop by one of the other dogs she moves away and doesn’t rise to the occasion or show combativeness back.

She’s confident around both dogs and people.

She likes both but isn’t coco about them.

She loves working with you.

She’s into play and toys.

She’s a well rounded solid pup and she likely just came from a farm.

She shows the traits that make awesome dogs that fit well into our society.

She obviously will thrive with ongoing training but she doesn’t seem like the dog that will NEED training to simply cope and be safe.

Not all pups are created equally and every now and then you come across a little gem like Pix.

She’s the only foster we would have kept if the time was right for another dog to join the gang.

But alas, it was not meant to be.

Good luck Pix!

11/05/2026

As our dogs get older they need that extra bit of helping getting by.

It’s not about the length of their life, it’s about the quality of it.

Pubs are the perfect place for socialisation. And I like beer. So we go to the pub. Thanks to the Herbertville inn for f...
11/05/2026

Pubs are the perfect place for socialisation.

And I like beer.

So we go to the pub.

Thanks to the Herbertville inn for fuelling me.

Nature's Ki - Pet Wellbeing for fuelling the pups.

And Māmā Mini's for the rescue operation.

Lupine Leatherworks for the customer handmade Lead.

10/05/2026

First little luring session with Pix.

The main goal isn’t to focus on what she’s doing.

The main focus is to develop how she feels about interacting with me.

Puppies don’t like being still.

They prefer movement.

So I’ve making the food more fun by creating the chase.

I’m also creating anticipation for the food.

For active pups, the food isn’t necessarily the fun part - it’s how it’s delivered.

You’ll often hear people talk about ‘predation’ in dogs.

However, not that many dogs end up eating what the chase/catch.

So there must be some fun/challenge in the pursuit of getting what they want.

Use it to your advantage when they’re young and build on it overtime.

Feelings first, then the behaviour can come along later.

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Esdaile Road
Dannevirke
4970

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+64279091258

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