Tony the Dog Trainer

Tony the Dog Trainer I help people and their dogs live better lives together.

My focus is on building strong relationships between pet dogs and their owners by offering private training, group classes and urban pack-walking in Hamilton, New Zealand.

31/08/2026

Kylo, Stan, Ru, Jade and Arlo on a wild, stormy Monday, contemplating when the weather is going to improve.

I've been working with Romeo and his owner recently. We're starting to see some great results in reducing his reactivity...
27/08/2026

I've been working with Romeo and his owner recently. We're starting to see some great results in reducing his reactivity towards other dogs. Unfortunately, the big dogs (and he is big!) get a bad rap when they're sounding off, as they look and sound so much worse than the small dogs. But really, it's just the same internal difficulties they are going through.

Big dog day out in Hamilton East with Laura (Canine Cardio) and me; with (from left to right) Leia, Kylo, Stan, Milly, R...
26/08/2026

Big dog day out in Hamilton East with Laura (Canine Cardio) and me; with (from left to right) Leia, Kylo, Stan, Milly, Ru, Jade and Arlo.

17/08/2026

Another unexciting, non-glamorous video of dog training. Sota is starting his off-lead training, learning following behaviour, and seeing his owner as more important than the distractions that once would have had him bolting away. Some key mind-shifts are happening now.

15/08/2026

Yesterday, we saw Sota learning to "out" the toy, and this is his toy release in the following owner-coaching session. More clarity, more understanding of his owner, and a sense of co-operation starting to develop in play. He's still on the lead, as this was early days when he could still be a loose cannon if he saw a dog in the distance. But now both owner and dog are starting to work together in a way that lays a foundation for the tougher challenges in training that are still to come.

14/08/2026

Play can build a dog's relationship with the owner with fun, but also authority, which is a huge part of helping reactive dogs. This is Sota in the first steps of learning to 'out' the toy. It's messy; there are mistakes (by the dog and the owner), but it's all part of the process of learning - and it's fun. If I were any good at social media, I would have done a stitch-together of a before-and-after clip, but I'm not! So, here's the reality of the first session, which is actually what dog training is really about - putting in time with the dog. Tomorrow I'll post a clip showing what was achieved in one week.

The August puppies have started their classes. We have Winnie (French Bulldog), Tilly (Mini-Dachshund), Dexter (German S...
14/08/2026

The August puppies have started their classes. We have Winnie (French Bulldog), Tilly (Mini-Dachshund), Dexter (German Shepherd) and Ruby (Cavoodle) beginning their puppy education. The first night starts with the basics of canine communication and engaging with our pups in a distracting environment through easy games.

13/08/2026

Large dogs that pull hard and act intensely towards other dogs are often quite difficult to handle. I have seen a number of Rottweilers who fit into this category, and Sota was a good example. He's a lovely, human-sociable dog, but a grey mist used to descend over his brain when he saw another dog. This is all in the past tense because, after working with his owner, Sota is now trusted off-lead and can recall away from dogs. I'll put up some clips of the training, but here he is at the initial consultation.

Another Puppy Essentials Class finished up! The keen pups of the last course are: Juno (German Shepherd), Zora (Golden R...
11/08/2026

Another Puppy Essentials Class finished up! The keen pups of the last course are: Juno (German Shepherd), Zora (Golden Retriever), Nancy (Cavoodle), Cooper (Golden Retriever) and Tui (Golden Retriever). The next course starts this Thursday 13 August, and there are limited spaces available. Get in quick to secure your place at www.tonythedogtrainer.co.nz

The Canine Foundations class wrapped up last Sunday. Here are Ralph (Corgi mix), Juno (Rottweiler), Ozzy (Sh*tzu/Poodle)...
11/08/2026

The Canine Foundations class wrapped up last Sunday. Here are Ralph (Corgi mix), Juno (Rottweiler), Ozzy (Sh*tzu/Poodle) and Peppa (mini Schnauzer/toy poodle). Chika and Kai missed getting their photo taken.
The next available Canine Foundations course starts on 27 September. Registration is open now at www.tonythedogtrainer.co.nz

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Hamilton

Telephone

+642102771111

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