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Cooperative Care | Fitness | Enrichment | Massage

Helping you make your dog's day better Are you puzzled by your dog's behaviour?

Cooperative Care | Fitness | Enrichment | Massage

Helping you make your dog's day better

Your Whole Dog is owned and operated by me, Annie Thorne, your Wellington-based canine wellbeing partner. Are you looking to enhance their physical wellbeing? Are you looking to advocate for your dogs' physical and behavioural health? I'm here to help you make your dog’s day better. We'll combine ethical reward-based training, fitness, massage, and enrichment in an integrated approach. This approach, founded on the belief that a happy, healthy dog thrives

- when they are understood,

- when they are confident in their surroundings,

- when they are comfortable in their bodies,

- and when their needs are met. My mission is to strengthen the bond between dogs and their humans. We start by supporting your dog's emotional and physical health. Let's work together to create a harmonious household where both you and your canine companion will thrive! Professional qualifications:
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP),
Family Dog Mediator (FDM)
Certified Canine Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCC),
Certified Professional Canine Fitness Trainer (CPCFT),
Certified canine massage therapist, kinesiology tape practitioner and cold laser therapist. Fear Free Certified Professional (Trainer)
Low-Stress Handling Silver Certified. Professional memberships:
Association of Pet Dog Trainers NZ (full),
Pet Professional Guild (full),
International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (supporting),
International Association of Animal Massage and Bodywork/Association of Canine Water Therapy

12/10/2026

Before the bark, there was communication. Did you spot it?

The bark is rarely where the conversation starts. It’s just the part we finally can’t miss.

Your dog is telling you things long before they get loud. There’s often a pause, a shift in weight. Something small, easy to miss when you’re not looking for it... but it’s all information. It might feel like it came out of nowhere, but that’s rarely the case.

Tigg’s a Huntaway X, so she has opinions about everything. Her happy, ridiculous woofing chaos starts with dance moves. Her opinion about a dog getting too close starts with a pause, a stiffen, and her hackles going up. Same dog, completely different pattern.

When we know what to watch for, we can step in earlier, which is usually simpler for everyone.

This is why my first sessions are all about getting curious and learning dog body language.

So, what does your dog do before they bark?

09/10/2026

Black Friday is coming. Brace yourselves.

The inbox avalanche. The countdown timers. The inflated discounts on something that sounds good but that you probably don’t need.

Wolly and Tigg have seen it all, and they are not impressed.

Shop Black Friday prices every day of the year at Your Whole Dog.

You’ll get fair prices, gear I love that’s tried, tested and true. And, with a real human (me, that’s me) who answers your emails.

Photo: Tigg and Wolly, judging the nonsense.

https://yourwholedog.co.nz/collections/all

05/10/2026

Nails. Not glamorous, I know ... but they matter more than we realise.

When nails get too long, it’s uncomfortable. Your dog shifts their weight, and over time it changes how they stand and move.

The catch is that clipping or grinding is often tricky. Plenty of dogs find it unpleasant (I don't blame them), and then there's the fear of taking off too much and causing bleeding. Ouch. So nails get put off.

This is where I LOVE a scratchboard. Most dogs take to it well, and it is the approach I use first for cooperative handling.

Here are the objections I hear most:

Yeah, but what about the back nails?
We train it! The set-up needs adjusting, sure. It's just as possible as the front. And training the front nails alone drastically cuts the number needing attention.

Okay, but what about the outer nails?
We can change the angle of the board or the angle of approach. A curved board helps too (I cut a PVC pipe in half, no fancy equipment needed).

Ah, but what about dew claws?
Fair point, they'll still need separate attention. If the board has handled the rest, that's most of the nails sorted and the dog is already more comfortable on their feet.

Well, they're not even.
Probably true. Does it matter much? Not really. Dogs will wear their nails down on hard surfaces, and board angle can minimise unevenness anyway.

Oh, my dog won't like it.
Have you tried it?

Hmm, but my dog is too sore/too old.
We adapt the set-up to suit the dog. Wolly is 15 ¾ and still does his own nails. It's a nice bit of range-of-motion work too.

Want help getting started? Get in touch and we'll work out a plan that suits your dog.

Photo: Wolly, scratching for snacks.

Your Whole Dog provides in-home dog training and behaviour consultations across the Wellington and Hutt Valley region.

30/09/2026

Five treats. One kettle.

Summer's coming, the days are getting longer, and suddenly there's a bajillion things to do.

Adding ’train the dog’ to that list isn't helping anyone!

Here’s a better plan: attach it to something you're already doing.

Keep a pot of treats on the bench. It's a visual cue, so you don't have to remember.

Put the kettle on, then grab a few treats and try one of these:

A few recalls from the kitchen to the lounge and back
Hand targets
Chin rest
Settling on a mat
Rewarding when your dog checks in with you

5 reps does more than you think

I'm doing the same thing... squats and a few yoga moves while the kettle boils. Perimenopause has opinions about my hips (and shoulders 🙄). Same trick, different treats.

Save this for the next time you think you haven't got time to train.

05/09/2026

3 things I'd never do as a canine fitness and conditioning coach...

- Hand you a plan I found on Instagram
- Skip the warm up
- Pick the flashy exercise over the effective one

And what I’d do instead...

- Plans written based on how your dog is moving and what they need
- We always start with a proper warm up. Less chance of injuries that way
- Use effective exercises that you and your dog can do. Flashy looks good on camera. Effective is what builds the dog (and holds everything together).

Written by me, Annie, a real-ass human who also uses AI to help me organise my jumbled brain.

08/07/2026

I've been having socialisation feelings ...

I keep hearing the same outdated advice doing the rounds - keep puppies home until they're fully vaccinated - and it's bugged me enough to finally do something about it.

There are two risks to manage in those early weeks, not just one.

Infectious disease gets all the airtime, but under-socialisation is just as serious, and it's the one not enough people talk about.

I've written a blog on it here, with some practical ways to get started safely (no waiting required): https://yourwholedog.co.nz/blogs/news/do-you-really-have-to-wait-for-vaccinations-before-socialising-your-puppy

And if you want to skip straight to the good stuff, I've also put together a free guide with PLENTY of actionable advice, and journal pages to help you stay on track: https://yourwholedogonline.newzenler.com/f/getting-out-there-puppy-socialisation

Wary of downloads because so many are an underwhelming 3 pages of advertising and not much practical use?

Yeah, me too. So, that's not how I roll!

Stay curious 🐾

- written by me, a human, who uses AI to help me organise my jumbled thoughts.

16/02/2026

😱 oh man, the weather ⛈️🌩️💨🌬️⛈️ 😱

Your Whole Dog HQ is currently weathering the storm, and without power.

I’m unable to pack up and send shop orders, and have limited admin capabilities.

Current estimates have things returning to normal for us some time on Wednesday.

I’ll be endeavouring to do some responses to emails and queries before that if I can safely access power and internet away from home.

The shop will remain open, and I'll be packing up and sending orders as soon as I can. Delivery times are likely to be longer than normal due to inevitable transport delays.

Please, stay safe.

thank you for your patience, and your support of my teeny tiny business 🐾

15/02/2026

So… my darling 15-year-old Wolly has accidentally become my latest case study. And, as I exploit his misfortune, I promise he’s being well paid for being blog fodder.

Wolly is currently rehabbing three injuries (yes, three out of four legs … gah … I admire his dedication to keeping me professionally humble - apparently I needed a refresher).

Our household currently runs on a strict schedule of rehab exercises, snacks, and my ongoing negotiation with him about both.

And he’s reminding me, in real time, of something I say to clients regularly: age isn’t a diagnosis.

When I saw increasing lameness, it would have been very easy to throw up my hands and say “well, he’s old.”

Digging into what’s actually going on - and supporting him with rehab and sensible management - means improvement is still absolutely possible.

Writing our senior dogs off as “just getting old” can cost them real quality of life.

I’ve written a blog about what this looks like in real life, and why senior dogs deserve more than a shrug and a stereotype.

I’ll pop the link to it in the comments.

28/01/2026

Facebook just reminded me that it’s two years since Wolly had his stroke.

We marked the anniversary by doing one of his favourite things: standing for snacks 😄 😂

This kind of simple strength and mobility work is one of my barometers for how he’s feeling. And, it’s a great example of basic, real-life, functional exercise that all dogs can benefit from.

It doesn’t need to be complicated or about lots of reps, and fancy exercises. Who has time for that?!

We’re all so busy hustling and trying to keep up… and I’m very much here for slowing down and doing less, which often ends up being more.

What matters is that it’s functional and supports the individual dog in their daily life.

Fancy gear optional!!

Yes, I’m using purpose-made equipment here, but I also routinely use less-fancy DIY props. My only criteria is that it’s safe, fit for purpose, and helps achieve the goal of the exercise.

The real value is in the task, the variation, and how the dog responds. Which is why we did the same exercise on three different sets of props.

Real dogs. Real life.

🐾 💪🧘‍♀️🍪🐾

20/01/2026

Nope, you're not imagining things!

If something feels ‘off’ about your dog - if their behaviour has changed in ways you can't quite explain - trust your instinct.

Maybe they're more reactive than they used to be. Or suddenly reluctant to do things they've always done easily. Or they just seem a bit uncomfortable and not-quite-themselves but you can't pinpoint why.

Dogs can't tell us when something hurts. But they DO communicate through their behaviour - and the subtle signs of pain usually show up long before the limping does.

I've written a comprehensive guide to help you recognise the signs your dog might be trying to show you.

I'll pop the link to the blog in the comments.

Address

Horokiwi Road
Wellington
5016

Website

http://www.yourwholedog.co.nz/, https://bio.site/yourwholedog

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