Our Philosophy

Our Training Philosophy

The Dream Dogz Positive Training philosophy is aligned with the Five Domains Model for animal welfare originally developed by Professor David Mellor and Dr Cam Reid in 1994. Recently updated in 2020, this model is increasingly used internationally when analysing the living experiences of animals in human care.

The aim of the Five Domains model is that the care of animals helps them thrive rather than merely survive. These are the Five Domains for achieving good animal welfare:

• Nutrition by providing access to fresh water and an appropriate diet
• Environment by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area
• Health by prevention of or rapid diagnosis of injury and disease and providing treatment. Encouraging good health through fostering muscle tone, posture and cardiorespiratory function
• Appropriate behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind
• Positive mental experiences by providing safe, congenial safe and species appropriate opportunities to have pleasurable experiences

It is the cornerstone of our philosophy and it ensures that you and your dog will be having a stress-free, positive experience. We use solely, animal-friendly, non-coercive, scientifically tested and proven techniques.

Our Aims and Methods

For decades, Positive Reinforcement based conditioning & training has repeatedly produced better results than any form of punishment. Our primary goal is to turn you into your own dog's trainer by:

• Properly educating you on how animals learn
• Motivating you and your dog to achieve constant progress
• Reading and understanding your dog's body language
• Preparing you for real life situations by gradually modifying and generalising our exercises
• Teaching and encouraging settling behaviours
• Having fun and building a bond with your dog

Precision is crucial in dog training. Our preferred training tool is the clicker, however, we acknowledge that some owners may prefer using a different type of marker (e.g. a specific word like “Yes” or a dog whistle) or for dogs with physical limitations (e.g. hearing or visually impaired) a tactile bridge like a vibrating collar. The use of a target stick is also encouraged.

Is it a Health, Training and/or Management issue?

We are committed to providing the best possible training services for you and your dog. It is of the uttermost importance to investigate and assess specific and usually problematic behaviours, as they can be linked to health, training, management and/or lack of enrichment reasons. This is why we require you to complete a Profile form for your dog (provided after initial enquiry) prior to any training program commencement.