Animal Aid Pet Training
At Animal Aid, we understand how much you want the best for your pet. Our training programs are designed to build mutual understanding and a deep connection between you and your pet. By teaching you the skills to guide your pet towards their full potential, we aim to create happy pets and happy homes.
We Offer:
Puppy School
Basic Manners
Masterclasses
Animal Behaviour Consults
All services include access to our online learning space and pet behaviour & training community.
Please get in touch with our team to learn more about online consultations.
Behaviour & Training team will be closed from Monday December 23rd 2024 – Sunday January 5th 2025
Our goal is to provide a positive learning experience using modern techniques and proven methods. We focus on minimizing stress and creating an environment where your dog can thrive. Our experienced Behaviour & Training team works closely with you, developing personalised progress plans tailored to your dog’s unique needs.
Education is key to a strong bond, and we empower you to work alongside your dog, setting them up for a lifetime of success.
2025 Classes Dates
Please give us a call us to find out more.
There will be no class the weekend of January 25th Victorian public holiday.
Puppy Classes Commencing:
Saturday January 11th – 9.30am
Thursday January 23rd – 6:00pm
Basic Manners Classes Commencing:
Saturday January 11th – 10.30am
Thursday January 23rd – 7:00pm
Advanced Skills Classes Commencing:
Saturday March 1st – 10.30am
Puppy School
If your puppy is 8 to 16 weeks old, our Puppy School is the perfect place to start their training journey. Early positive experiences are crucial, as a puppy’s brain is like a sponge, rapidly absorbing information and forming associations with the world around them.
Our program ensures these early lessons help your puppy grow into a confident and well-adjusted companion by providing the support and foundation skills you both need.
During the six week course, we cover all the essentials of puppy care and training.
First week orientation session (humans only), followed by five practical lessons
- Toilet training
- Managing chewing and mouthing
- Preventing the development of problem behaviours
- General canine wellbeing
- Engagement with owners and family members
- Settling techniques
- Handling desensitisation
- Socialisation and managing play
- Preparation for vet visits and grooming
Basic Manners
Our Basic Manners course is ideal for further socialising your dog while reinforcing essential foundation skills. It’s especially helpful for families dealing with “teenage” behaviors in their dogs, such as jumping, leash pulling, and impulse control issues. Our instructors focus on helping you understand your dog’s experience, allowing you to manage outcomes and guide your dog towards more desirable behaviors.
If these challenges sound familiar, our six week course covers:
- Loose leash walking
- Teaching your dog to settle and wait
- Building engagement and recall foundation skills
- Polite introductions to new people and dogs
- Managing and teaching impulse control
- Phasing out rewards and reinforcement strategies
- Encouraging good decision-making with practical solutions
- Knowing when and how to increase expectations
Your dog must be fully vaccinated (C5) to attend.
Private Behaviour Consulting
At Animal Aid, our team of experienced and empathetic Animal Behaviourists offers private consulting services tailored to your pet’s unique needs. This one-on-one support is ideal for pets showing signs of stress, anxiety, aggression, or other concerning behaviors like reactivity or fear. Our intervention program takes a holistic approach, assessing your pet’s:
- Environment
- History
- Physiology
- Health
- Personal abilities
Initial visits include: 1.5 hour consultation, scheduled revisit, training plan, 4 – 6 week phone check in, behaviour reports or referrals included.
We provide you with clear, realistic expectations and a training plan that outlines our goals and the steps we’ll take to achieve them.
We help our community with dogs, cats and puppies.
Advanced Skills
After completing our Basic Manners course, elevate your dog’s training with our Advanced Skills program. This course is specifically designed to build on the foundation you’ve already established, helping you and your dog navigate real-life scenarios with greater confidence and reliability.
We’ll focus on applying the techniques you’ve practiced in more challenging and diverse environments, ensuring your dog’s skills are consistent and dependable in any situation.
If this sounds familiar, this six week journey will share with you how to conquer:
- Creating a reliable recall
- On-going and consistent engagement
- Precision heeling and focused walking
- Advanced impulse control and delayed gratification
Keep an eye on our social media or this page for updates!
Please note: participants must have completed Basic Manners prior to joining.
Class Prices 2025
Please note: prices may be subject to change and are current as of December 2024
- 6 week course
- First session – Humans Only (Please leave puppies at home)
- 5 sessions at Animal Aid in Coldstream
Basic Manners: $195
- 6 week course
- 6 sessions at Animal Aid in Coldstream
- 6 week course
- Participants must have completed Basic Manners prior to joining
Saturday Social: $20 per session
- Exclusive offer for Puppy School graduates
- Suitable for puppies roughly 4-6 months
- Casual classes to continue socialisation in puppies too young for Basic Manners
Have just completed an 6-week basic training course with my dog. Our trainer was very encouraging, offered personalised tips and feedback, and provided fantastic support along the way!
Behaviour Consulting
Animal Aid’s behaviour consultation services are designed to address a wide range of behavioural issues in pets, providing tailored solutions that improve the quality of life for both animals and their guardians.
Dog Behaviour Consulting:
- $230 for an initial session
- $130 for a revisit
- On-site or in-home options available
- Includes written training notes and progress plan
- Free 20 minute check in call 4-6 weeks post consultation
- Includes travel, no hidden fees!
Cat Behaviour Consulting:
- $160 for an initial session
- $130 for a revisit
- In-home consultation delivery
- Includes written training notes and progress plan
- Free 20 minute check in call 4-6 weeks post consultation
Includes travel, no hidden fees!
Puppy Private Consulting:
- $160 for an initial
- $130 for a revisit
- Available for puppies 5 months and under
- On-site or in-home consultation delivery
- Includes written training notes and progress plan
- Includes travel, no hidden fees!
Shelby – Senior Behavourist
Industry professional Shelby Thorn has been working as an Animal Behaviourist since 2015, and brings a rich background to Animal Aid.
After years of devoted passion to study and practical experience, she has worked on the ground at multiple shelters Victoria wide remodeling behaviour departments. Her goal was to create procedures that offer stress minimising animal management strategies and modification training techniques using a science based approach. Shelby’s capabilities were often utilised with dogs who used aggression and she would favour working in seized departments engaging in successful training plans without actually entering enclosures! She’s also worked in private practice supporting clients and their animals with complex conditions such as anxiety in homes, working alongside Veterinary Behaviourists for behavioural recovery. Shelby provides seminars for other animal care professionals such as groomers, vet nurses, and attendant staff on how they can use a force free approach in their impactful roles, leaving a positive psychological print and teaching them how to assess and interpret behaviour.
Shelby also has qualifications in human health and has worked as a holistic Mental Health Practitioner. The support Shelby organically offers to the human end of the leash is what makes her service so unique! Shelby lives with her tribe of rescue animals and enjoys camping, books, professional development and all things ocean! Shelby also loves to travel which is great considering she will be spending half of 2023 working in animal shelters internationally to enhance behaviour programs overseas!
Dylan – Animal Behavourist and Trainer
Dylan has been a dedicated Animal Behaviourist Trainer for over a decade, with extensive experience working with both dogs and cats. His career began in the Behaviour Department of one of Melbourne’s largest animal shelters, an experience that provided him with a robust foundation in handling a wide range of animal behaviours before he transitioned into private practice. He is well-qualified, holding a Certificate IV in Animal Companion Services from Delta and a Diploma of Animal Technology.
Animals naturally gravitate towards Dylan; he has a remarkable knack for gaining the trust and building bonds with those that are fearful, lacking in confidence, or display aggression as a mechanism to cope with fear-related stress. Dylan is particularly drawn to complex behavioural cases, including anxiety or frustration-related reactivity in dogs. Additionally, he has developed a niche specialisation in consulting with cats, an area that remains relatively unique within the behaviourist field. Dylan is driven by a strong belief that everyone deserves access to necessary help and information, and he is committed to providing extensive support to his clients.
Currently, Dylan offers his expertise to clients in Melbourne’s South-Eastern suburbs and the neighboring areas of Coldstream, ensuring a broad reach in his efforts to improve animal welfare and client satisfaction.
Debby – Dog Trainer
Debbie’s journey into dog training began in the early 70s in the USA, when her mother took their Lhasa Apso, Lucy, for training. Debbie fondly recalls her mother teaching Lucy in the backyard and showing her the ropes of basic dog training. This early exposure sparked a lifelong passion for dog training that continued to grow over the years.
After acquiring her own dog from a caring breeder who emphasized the importance of positive training methods, Debbie discovered the joy of reward-based training. Inspired by the positive impact it had on her relationship with her dog, she was motivated to help others achieve the same. To this end, she completed a course with the Gentle Dog Trainers Association and continues to actively participate in courses and workshops to further her education in positive training techniques.
Debbie is deeply passionate about teaching pet guardians effective communication techniques for achieving a harmonious living environment with their animals. She has a particular affinity for working with puppies and young dogs, focusing on developing foundational skills that set them up for a lifetime of success. Currently, Debbie’s interests have led her to the world of ‘cooperative care’, where she enjoys partnering with dogs to work at their own pace, fostering a positive and understanding relationship between dogs and their owners.
Nicole – Dog Trainer
Nicole’s journey in the world of animals began with a profound passion for their wellbeing. Since 2019, she has served as a dedicated Vet Nurse, leveraging her skills and compassion to care for countless furry friends.
In 2023, she took the next step in her career by completing her Certificate IV in Dog Training and Behaviour through NDTF.
From a young age, Nicole harbored an unshakeable commitment to nurture and heal animals in need. This drive led her to volunteer at a local shelter, where she discovered her calling. Guided by her unwavering dedication, Nicole knew her purpose lay in making a difference in the lives of animals.
Nicole’s love for training blossomed as she witnessed firsthand the transformative power of positive reinforcement. Seeing dogs thrive and their confidence soar as they mastered new skills filled her with joy. She firmly believes that through these methods, dogs can not only learn desired behaviors but also strengthen the bond with their owners, fostering harmony within families.
With Nicole’s expertise and compassionate approach, she strives to empower both pets and their owners to unlock their full potential, creating a world where every animal can flourish.