About Me

Thank you for visiting my blog. My name is Elayne, I specialise in dog training and dog behaviour modification (unwanted behaviour).

I am based in the Tararua District, in the North Island of New Zealand, I hold dog training in the Ashhurst Domain, Ashhurst, Palmerston North. I will in the future be holding training sessions in other areas.

The old saying “I have been around dogs all my life”, is true in my case, although I never take them for granted they need to be treated with respect and understanding because all are different. And yes, dogs do speak to us, if we as humans, choose to watch, listen and learn. In many cases even in training, what works for one dog may not work for another. Imagination and creativity are needed sometimes, so both dog and owner, can have fun while training. There is more to being a dog trainer/behaviourist than just having a love of dogs, you have to be able to communicate with people from all walks of life. Sometimes you are a shoulder to cry on or a counsellor/psychologist, if need be. 

I keep up to date with new training ideas via the net as well as having a good number of books on the subject. The same can be said for behaviour issues and training, thing change all the time. I studied dog psychology via distance learning from the UK, since then the information and methods have changed.

As for the training methods I use, well not all dogs are the same, I use positive with negative punishment most of the time and for those who don’t know what negative means, here is an example: to stop a dog jumping up, you ignore the dog, meaning, you don’t talk to it, look at it, or touch it, until the dog stops jumping. I personally don’t like the word negative because too many people jump to the wrong conclusions.

This method I find works on about 80% of dogs.  Again there are other methods to try, if the dog won’t stop jumping. I may initially use treats or toys to train but once the dog has learnt what is required, a treat occasionally is ok but treating all the time you can run the risk of having a dog who won’t do anything without food. In other words food needs to be used as a motivator not a bribe and there is a fine line between the two.

A pat and a praise is often a good reward. If you are training for dog sports, food is often used more frequently. Again every dog is different, what works for one may not work for another.

I train in the following: Dog Obedience, Dog Behaviour Modification (unwanted behaviour) Puppy & Obedience Classes, Dog Bite Prevention, Canine Parkour (Urban Dog Agility). Myself and Bruno, also work with aggressive dogs and I teach dog safety education in schools.

I hold dog training classes & private training (one on one) on a Sunday, in the Ashhurst Domain, Ashhurst, Palmerston North.

Dog safety is very important to me and I believe dog owners need to know, how to act and behave when in the company of any dog including their own.So they in turn can become teachers/educators and teach others, even non dog owners. Dog safety education is the key, to keeping safe both dogs and people.The hopeful outcome, less dog bites and dogs facing a one way ticket to the vets.

I discuss with all my clients dog safety and the Dog Control Act and they receive FAQ sheets on both. To that end I have put a dog safety resource page together, with links, graphics and articles titled: Dog Safety Advice for all (not just kids) most dog bites are preventable.

I have dog named Bruno, he is my training dog, he is especially good at reading dog body language and puts every dog he meets at ease. He is very good with dog aggressive dogs, he and I do alot of work with reactive dogs. Bruno is a rotti/hunterway cross, I was luckly enough to find Bruno at our local pound.

Zues is a Dogue Debordeaux and he is my house dog, Zues is also a resue dog. Harley is my bullmastiff boy and he is a NZ champion.

Clients dog training comments, can be found on my website. Also answers to some frequently asked questions can be found here.

Visit my website: http://www.zerobitesdogtraining.com for more information on any of the above.

My other interests include: Dog Showing: I Breed & Show Bullmastiffs along with my friend Kelda, Kelda & I are Ablamor Bullmastiffs. Find us on facebook.  Photography: I am also a Photographer, (Brightchic Photography) I enjoy photographing  Wildlife & Nature, Pets, Events and Real Estate. Travel: I like to go out and about locally as well as overseas.

The Boys

      

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