DOGlife NZ is a canine behaviour consultancy which was born from my desire to enhance the lives of dogs for dogs.
I am a progressive reinforcement trainer, what this means is I teach by reinforcing and training desired behaviors, interrupting and preventing undesirable behaviors without the intentional use of physical or psychological intimidation, and taking into consideration the learner’s physical health and emotional state. I am committed to the goal of employing humane, effective training based on the latest scientific evidence. (Larlham, 2018). The byline is Train ~ Play ~ Love, and without one, the other wouldn’t exist.
Our work together is a collaboration between yourself, your dog and I. We work to empower and support your dog to make positive and successful choices when faced with certain situations.
I have long held a passion for canines, psychology and science, and in 2013, I launched DOGlife NZ. My vision was to enable support and build skill and knowledge within the canine industry as an owner coach, mentor, and dog advocate. I was a key team member in the management and organisation of the largest animal welfare march in New Zealand. I have worked across multiple rescues which resulted in my creation of, and the success of, a long-running charitable trust called Ruakaka Dog Rescue. We worked with officials, communities, and industry to bring about better lives for dogs, a key part of which was building community support structures around offering canine care to struggling and low-income families. Over time I also launched DOGshop NZ, an online store providing tools and toys to enhance life with dogs.
I am proud to belong to a network of like-minded dog professionals. I affiliated my work ethics and methodologies with the Association for Pet Dog Trainers of NZ (APDTNZ) and Companion Animals New Zealand. I am an accredited canine trainer and training instructor with these organisations who drive and support reward-based training models.
In 2020, I accepted a role at Unitec Institute of Technology where I teach Canine Behaviour and Training in the Cert. in Animal Management. This also encompasses teaching across Companion Animal Care and other animal-related industry.
I live on the North Shore of Auckland and enjoy the watersports, fishing, gardening, and anything dog!
It’s fair to say I’m a bonafide crazy dog lady and you’ll hear me say frequently, ‘I’m here for them, it’s all about the dogs’ and the truth is . . . that it is.
