Outback Dog Training

Hi all, sorry for the delay in new material. We had a few things happen. In March 2019, Outback moved across country. With 4 dogs (more on that in a later post) - Akuma, Tenshi, Koji and Mia. In April, our founder and visionary, Troy Wilson, was diagnosed with extremely aggressive cancer at 55. He did not make it to May 😢 As the end loomed, I questioned what to do with Outback - keep it going or close it down? With the unequivocal and unanimous support of the amazing team Troy put together, I decided to keep going. And I have to say, these folks have been incredible. They kept the training advice going, supported myself and the members while grieving themselves. In the past few months, they have taken Outback from strength to strength, growing Troy's dream into something he would be very proud of. And a little astonished by - he never really thought he was anything special. But he truly was - in so many ways. The Outback community also stepped up - supporting each other...

We live in a harsh environment and it can be a deadly one. Today we were alerted by Tenshi that something wasn't right, we headed outside to find him growling at something under the house. A closer inspection brought us to the realisation that Koji was engaged and attempting to hold something in position, we soon realised that 'something' was one of the most dangerous land snakes in the world. As he moved towards it and within striking distance, a hurried, 'leave it' was issued, he immediately halted and stepped back. A 'To Me' (his recall command) was issued and he immediately broke eye contact with the snake, backed away and returned. A bite means death out here - training and commands are essential, they are life savers. This is the second time in 10 months these dogs lives have been saved with this command from snakes. Train your dogs, recall and leave it are lifesavers in many situations, because our dogs were trained and these...

We are still about, just working on a few things - a Medical section with Symptoms and Conditions, Training Your Dog to do Tricks Files, and of course working with our own dogs. Also, these 'Tip Cards'. What do you think? For free advice, videos and information on dog training and behaviour, come see us on Facebook at: Outback Dog Training Group.

If you get a dog, you need to train them. Otherwise, you will end up with a dog you don't enjoy, who has no idea how to behave. Koji was 6 months old when he came to us, and totally untrained. He didn't know his own name, was super skittish and badly behaved. Intense training has seen him become an amazing dog.

I couldn't imagine my kids growing up without a dog, but I was always super aware of bite prevention. My kids were brought up (as I was) to never, ever get in a dog's face....

Difficulty Level - Medium  Learning Curve - 3-8 days  Variations - Three Introduction Imagine how amusing it would be to ask “Who ate the last piece of pie?” Only for everyone to turn around and see your dog acting ashamed. Well now you can, we show you how to teach your dog three variations of ‘Act Ashamed.’ Prerequisites To teach your dog tricks, you need to have completed and bulletproofed basic obedience, manners and expected behaviours such as ' Sit ', ' Down ', ' Sit-Stay ', Down-Stay ’, ' Leave It ', ' Focus ' and Calm training. A fun, entertaining behaviour can be just as beneficial to your dog's health and happiness as these basics; everything your dog learns builds on previous training. This makes it easier for your dog to learn more advanced skills later. While it is easiest and best to start training your dog when they are young, there is no age at which a dog cannot be taught new things. What You Need To b...

I hate seeing those same old posts saying 'You can't train a Husky' or 'You need an E-collar to get a Husky to listen'. These posts, these individuals are one of the reasons why so many of these dogs end up in shelters, why so many end up dead. The fault is not in the breed but at the other end of the lead. One Husky trained with a collar, without even a harsh word. https://youtu.be/vzp1YT7V--M This is what a 'Leave It' command should be like, no matter the breed... Want to learn how? https://www.facebook.com/groups/Outbackdogtraining/

Tenshi, the ‘middle child’ of the Outback family, is a kelpie/dingo cross from a working background; his family are Victorian and are in cattle. Like Akuma, he adores swimming. However, he prefers salt water to fresh, and is very much 'Dad’s boy’. His dingo nature means he can be a challenge to train, but once he takes to something, it is locked in forever (he can be a little OCD). We call him 'The General' because he likes to direct how the other two play their war games, and isn't afraid to step in and firmly direct the action when he deems it necessary. Tenshi has an incredibly high prey drive, but also has exceptional impulse control (check out the Impulse Walking Unleashed video to see him in action). His favourite game is 'Fetch’, particularly with his Kong and he doesn’t mind a game with the flirt pole; in fact, we usually tire before he does.

   Troy Wilson & Rosita Wilson - Outback Dog Training Group   Submissive urination is a normal part of dog communication; they use it as a form of conciliation. A dog who submissively urinates is saying “I'm not a threat”. While not all dogs will utilise this means of communication, some will use it when they are extremely excited, when they are feeling intimidated or that they need to submit. It is common for dogs who submissively urinate to do so when they are playing, getting petted, being corrected for unwanted behaviour, or meeting someone (particularly someone new). It's like they lose control of their bladder. The amount of urine released will vary from dog to dog.   A dog who submissively urinates will use submissive body language when in a situation likely to trigger submissive urination; they may cower, raise their front paws, tuck their tail away, lick their lips, lay their ears back and/or grin submissively. The grin, although often s...

    by Troy Wilson & Rosita Wilson - Outback Dog Training Group   Tug is a wonderful game to play with your dog; they are fully engaged with you while at the same time receiving exercise and engaging in natural dog behaviour such as grabbing and pulling at the tug toy. Adding impulse control commands turns this wonderful game into a really great training tool that boosts your dog's impulse control and helps them listen to you when they are over - stimulated. Unlike 'Fetch' tug is gentle on your dog's joints. Purchase a Good Tug Toy Generally, dogs don't care about the type of tug toy they play tug with but it is important you buy an appropriate tug toy; one that is suitable for your individual dog. We humans prefer a tug toy that is comfortable for us to hold; often we like tug toys with handles but beware; dogs love handles too.   It is important to make sure whatever tug toy you choose is big enough for your needs. I prefer tugs be...

Akuma the 4 year old red & tan kelpie is the oldest of the 3 Outback dogs. A Queenslander of working stock (his family are in sheep), he was the first to join the team. Devoted to Mum, Akuma is a fan of 'Tug’, and doesn’t mind a game of 'Fetch’. Another of his favourite things to do is go swimming, preferably in fresh water, whenever there is the opportunity. He is not as confident as his little brother Tenshi though; he tends to tire far easier, and look for safety in the arms of his people. Akuma is Outback's best 'distance' dog, able to follow commands at up to 1km (just over .5 mile), is a trained personal protection dog, guard dog and boundary rider. He is happiest when there is no-one around except for his people and his brothers; if he had his way, the family would live in the middle of nowhere, and he'd sleep at his people's feet all day.

The superstar of the Outback training videos, Koji the Siberian Husky is the ‘baby’ of the family at 1.5 years of age. Born in South Australia to an Australian mum and a Canadian dad, Koji is of show stock (Dad was a US/Canadian Champion, and Mum is no slouch herself). Totally untrained and horribly skittish when he came into the family at 7 months, Koji has come ahead in leaps and bounds, and has bonded well with Akuma, Tenshi and his people.  These days he not only comes for a cuddle when called, he will wander up and demand a cuddle in no uncertain terms. Unlike his brothers he is not a fan of games, although he is coming around to the joys of a good game of 'Tug'. Unlike Tenshi and Akuma, who love the water, Koji is distinctly unhappy with the idea of a swim, although if the sprinklers are on, he will happily dance in them all day long.  He adores riding in the car; if the ute comes out, he'd better be coming along. Words shall be had otherwise...

by Troy Wilson & Rosita Wilson - Outback Dog Training Group   Being a dog living in the human world isn't always an easy gig. You humans have rules; rules that just don't make that much sense to us dogs. We don't understand that it is not ok to urinate or defecate indoors. We don't understand the need to go outside. We don't have opposable thumbs and we couldn't reach the door handle to open it if we did. We try to tell you, but you are often too busy to notice us.   It can be very difficult for us to know when our pets need to go outside to eliminate. We are often distracted, busy or inattentive. Some dogs may not always show obvious signs that they need to go to the potty, while others may be able to clearly communicate their need. If your dog is in the first category, don't worry, you can train them to let you know when they need the potty. Signs Your Dog Needs the Potty Your dog may already be clearly indicating they need the potty ...