About us
"WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY..."
“Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?” I have two Sharpei's, one male and one female, and we moved in with my new family, husband and three children which was not just an adjustment for the humans, but a big adjustment for the dogs.....
For two years my male dog has threatened my husband by growling and barking at him out of the blue. One day they would be friends, and the next he would go into attack mode at him, which was very scary. Unfortunately my dogs witnessed and suffered themselves from an abusive relationship, so I always assumed that the reaction from the dog was simply a flashback to a moment when the dog felt threatened and he reacted. The problem was that my husband has never threatened my dog, nor has he treated him badly. After my husband could not enter the house one night because my dog would not allow him too, the options were not looking good - find him another home or have him put down! This is when I made the call to Spot On Dog Training and Neil came to the rescue!
Neil started at the beginning! He explained the structure of our household and that part of the problem was my lack of assertion and my dog's confusion about his purpose in our new family. After three sessions with Neil I have regained control of walking both dogs in a way that I am not either dragged through the walk, or have to stop 20 times in the hour to smell everything along the way. Our feeding time is not a frenzy time and that they actually listen to my commands now. The most important outcome though is that my dog now knows where his position is in our family - no more attacks - and the surprising outcome is that the dog is a much happier dog. I could not be more grateful to Neil for helping us. My dogs have been with me for five years now, and it the options before discovering Spot On Dog Training were unconscionable.
I have been recommending the Spot On training services to all of my friends. I never thought we would be able to achieve the outcomes that we have. Thank you.
Salisbury.
“We had our dog Sadie (Labrador) for about 4-5 months and she was just totally out of control, the wife could not walk her nor could she sit outside without Sadie continuously jumping all over you. Sadie was digging and chewing everything up. We were considering getting rid of the dog because of all the behavioral problems we were experiencing with Sadie.
By chance I was watching TV one night and I spotted a show called the “Dog Whisperer” and I was amazed at the results this man was getting. So I thought why not give it a go, and searched for “Dog Trainers” and by chance found Neil from Spot On Dog Training. Well after just one lesson I had a new dog and when the wife returned from the USA she was amazed at the results from just 2 short lessons.
The problem was not the dog but my understanding of how to handle a dog. With Neil’s advice and help we quickly fixed the problems. We can now take Sadie into public areas confidently knowing that she is going to behave. An additional bonus
we did not expect was the development of Sadie’s protective nature towards the wife. The money and time we spent with Neil was a very valuable investment and I would recommend him to anyone who is considering buying a dog for the first time.”
Meadowbrook.
“Finding the right personal dog trainer has been a task and a half. However, when I first contacted Neil from Spot On Dog Training, I immediately knew that I had found the right person to help me train my two large dogs, Jaz and Cooper. I noticed impressive results even during my first private training session, and was amazed at the complete transformation of my dogs' behaviour after only three training sessions.
Neil has a wonderful way with animals - my dogs love him and my cats do too! Neil's expertise with animals clearly shows as my dogs showed him respect from the very first instance. My dogs were a little naughty at times, and being large dogs (in their late puppy stages), their over-exuberance made it difficult for me to take them both on walks at the same time, as they were the ones taking me for the walks!! Due to Neil's expertise however, I am now able to take my dogs for walks without stress.
Neil has also taught me, though kind but assertive methods, how to regain control and to gain respect from my dogs. I cannot adequately express my thanks for Neil's help, as my home is now a calmer home, and my walks with my dogs are always enjoyable (Neil makes sure of this with his courtesy follow-up calls to ensure that I am still doing what I had learnt during our training sessions). I would recommend Spot On without any hesitation.”
Browns Plains.
“We are a young couple, first time dog owners who fell in love with the breed Weimaraner. We got Maximus Sparticus at twelve weeks old and we entered him into puppy preschool and were taught only very basic commands. By the time Maximus was six months old we realised we had a handful to deal with this large, energetic animal. We already exercised Maximus two hours a day and were at our wits-end. What else could we do to stop our beautiful boy from destroying the backyard with holes, ruining the clothes on the line and pulling my shoulder out every time we walked him?
We found Spot On Dog Training. Neil has shown us the tools of 'pack-leader' and 'assertiveness' that we as the owners were lacking. Max now avoids the clothesline, walks on a loose-lead and our garden is back to normal. We were taught consistence is the key. We have a much better relationship with Max and we are happier when we arrive home from work to find everything still in its place. Thank you Neil. We couldn't have done it without you.”
Algester.
When I found Neil at Spot On, I was at the last straw with my two Pug Puppies. I adore my puppies but they were ruling the house and I was spending all my time running after them. Things had to change and FAST. All I wanted was a calm and peaceful household with happy well behaved puppies. What I didn't realise was that my puppies did not see me as their pack leader, no wonder there was a competition to rule the house! Neil taught me how to be the leader of the pack which was done all through calm and direct commands that my puppies could clearly understand. I would recommend Neil at Spot On Dog Training to any dog owner who is needing direction and assistance in training the correct behaviours to their Pooches. Neil is very experienced at understanding your dogs behaviour and also understands what you are going through and is there to help. He's brilliant!
Heather H.
Wakerley.
I have two dogs & both had behavioral problems that needed immediate attention. I had previously attended 8 weeks of classes at another well known dog training academy without getting the results I wanted. Neils’ Dog Training Techniques started working immediately & the results far exceeded my expectations. In just 2 short weeks all the problems I was having before had disappeared. My dogs are now calmer, happier, & just want to please. A friend of mine recently took them for a walk with her 5 year old son & she commented afterwards about how impressed she was with their “perfect behaviour”.
Spot On Dog Training is by far the best, most professional dog training organization I know of. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to train or retrain their dogs. Thanks again Neil.
Philip J.
Sunnybank Hills.
My husband and I decided when our border collie, Zambia, was 8 months old that we required some serious help. We had tried two other training methods & companies with little effect. Zambia was very dominating, difficult to walk on a normal lead or harness due to his strength and pulling, we could not find a way to make him sit quietly when inside & he had started attention seeking behavior such as barking & jumping, many guests left with tears to shirts and skirts.
I contacted Spot on Training & was advised exactly what the training would involve and we were able to discuss our goals for Zambia.
After the first session, Neil had covered the basics for us to be able to walk Zambia without being hauled behind him down the street. We were so surprised with how with a bit of practice we were able to put the skills we had been taught by Spot on Training into practice with each walk. We could finally enjoy walks with Zambia trotting obediently beside us, without finding ourselves being pulled into strangers yards by an out of control border collie! With the following sessions, all of which were conducted at our house, we covered all the other issues that were making being a dog owner a chore and we couldn't have imagined enjoying Zambia being a part of our family as much as we do now.
Over four months on Zambia knows his place in the house, we never need to address unnecessary barking & now that we know the correct way to walk him he is content & calm, NO MORE flying through the house jumping on couches despite a 45min walk!
The clear & easy to follow program set for us and the ongoing phone support after the training sessions have been worth every cent, we can recommended Spot on Training to anyone who has 'problem dogs' or 'dog problems'! It has made a fantastic change in our lives & Zambia's, he is such a happy obedient dog now. We are always been given compliments about how well behaved he is.
Camp Hill
Neil was confident and positive in his approach from day one. It was a complex problem: on our first introduction to Neil with the dogs they saw each other and literally wanted to kill each other. Our dogs had become so bad because they had no leadership from us, and were trying to be the leaders of the pack which is an unwanted and stressful role for a dog! They couldn’t count on us so were fighting it out amongst themselves.
Neil taught us new methods of walking, feeding, and interacting with our dogs using a variety of training methods. He taught us to be effective and consistent leaders. We are now able to play with our dogs, love them and give them lots of affection, as long as we follow some very simple rules.
It took time and effort, but in a few short weeks our dogs are back together. They are playing hide-and seek and chase again, are happily greeting our visitors and not fighting for attention, and are eating, sleeping and walking together. Our dogs now have no need to fight as they are happy and secure in their position in the household.
The main thing that I found different in working with Neil was that he made us feel empowered. With the previous trainer, I always hung up the phone feeling helpless, like it was my fault my dogs weren’t behaving, and with no solution in sight.
Neil is confident, positive, and has a ‘can-do’ attitude. When one method didn’t work as planned, he tried something else.
Neil worked physically with us and our dogs and showed us exactly what to do. When we did something wrong, he came over and demonstrated the right method. He rung us daily to see how we were going and give further advice.
We are so grateful that we are able to have our beautiful pups back together and see them happy and well. Only a month ago we thought we would have to give one up forever! Thank you so much for your hard work, expertise and support.
(and Sofie and Cleo)
Vic. Point
Our two little dogs, Pip (Poodle) and Mitzi (Bichon * Poodle), are both miniatures. We’ve been having some trouble with them, with regards to toilet training, and general obedience. As you can imagine, being so cute they get away with blue murder, and we didn’t have a clue where to start. We read books, listened to various people say things about how they did it, but none of it rang true, and some seemed just downright cruel.Whenever it rained they used the laundry floor as a toilet.
They demanded food and were very picky about what they got.
They liked to be in charge when walking, pulling, barking and so on.
They didn’t come when they were called.
We decided they needed to be trained, and not having a clue where to start, we rang Neil at Spot On Dog Training. Our experience with him has been fantastic. From the questionnaire we initially filled out, to the interview and beyond, I was given the distinct impression that this was a tailored solution for the training of OUR dogs, not just a generic package with a trainer who read from the book (which we experienced years ago with our Jack Russel).
On the first visit Neil got us started with some easy stuff, and gave us some homework to do. All just sit, stay, and come, as well as learning to walk with ME in front (a novel concept!) We got the toilet training bit started as well, but it was not the main focus.
The second visit a fortnight later saw us building on these steps, focusing more on the toilet, and getting the walking working a lot better.
The third visit really nailed things down. Our two little girls were not demanding to teach, because what Neil showed us just made so much sense. It was easy (everything is, when you know how) and not at all stressful, for us or the dogs. Neil’s explanations were clear and concise – he obviously has many years of experience training dogs (and people) and he does a damn fine job of imparting that knowledge.
We have the odd slip up still (Mitzi is still only a puppy), but we now have the tools we need to be able to correct problems - without stress or anger – and so all we have to do is love our little fluffballs, and have them love us back!
Capalaba
Neil came into our lives at a time when we were just about out of answers. Neil helped us understand our dogs’ behaviour and most importantly he trained us on how to deal with their behaviour. After a few sessions and following through with what Neil had taught us, our dogs are like completely new dogs. They are much more settled, they respond to our training and life for everyone involved is much more enjoyable.
I couldn’t recommend Spot on Dog training more highly! Thanks!
Carina
