Carol
Ruby has been going to doggie diplomas for over 12 months, she has a ball and has come out of herself and plays with other dogs now, used to hide behind me, she loves it, and has a ball, she can now sit and stay, will be taking her to dogs day out, so confident with her now, there will possibly be hundreds of dogs, (keeping my fingers crossed that she doesn’t let me down!)
Abbey
Charli our little pup is a Pug x Mini Fox Terrier and by far was the smallest in the class. I began the class a little concerned about the bigger dogs around her but the 6 weeks provided the perfect environment for Charli to socialise with all types of dogs. This class was a fantastic way to show Charli how to behave and socialise. Cath provided great advice and her warm personality shows her true passion towards the dogs. I look forward to getting to the Intermediate class later this year. Thanks Cath and Tiarna!
Zaid
We got Dolly as a one year old Labrador just three months ago. Within two weeks of getting her we had started dog training at Doggie Diplomas. Dolly is a lovely dog but like all labs has a lot of enthusiasm for life and was very difficult on the lead. She has earned a reputation for being the most full on dog at training but she has come a long way. Not only has the training been useful for us in learning how to train her but also the tips and advice we receive has been so valuable. Now we use a different harness which was Caths advice and has made a big difference to her walking. She has made friends at dog training and of course she loves going. She is onto her second course and I can’t imagine not taking her to doggie training on Saturday mornings. Dolly has learned to sit, shake (high 5), drop and has just learned to roll. She has learned to stay and we are now brave enough (at dog training) to let her off the lead for free play. I believe that it is very important to take your dog to dog training and had booked Dolly in before we even picked her up. I have found the very reasonable fees and the commitment to Saturday mornings well worth it and would highly recommend.
Sharr
Sam where do I begin. I purchased Sam from paws rescue back in May 2012 and he is a small dog with heaps of personnality.(Schnoodle) His biggest problem was he likes to do what he wants to do, which I can understand as I like to do what I want to do as well but we have rules whether we like it or not. Sam was always barking at the larger dogs as he had small dog syndrome. Now with going to doggie diploma he is polite, happy and understands that if he is good he gets rewarded. We both like going to the training on Saturdays as we both have learnt heaps. Sam’s behavior has improved greatly and that makes me feel proud that he is my dog.He has worked very hard and I know he loves pleasing me. Sam has graduated twice now and we are enrolled in our 3 session of 6 weeks and learning new things all the time and meeting new mates. Megan is such a good little helper to Cath and to all of us. I would like to say a special thank you to her. Cath keep up the good work.See you next week.
Sharon
Our Rhodesian Ridgeback Frankie has been going to Doggie Diplomas for the past 18 weeks and loves it! She is a very excitable dog and being 45kg at just 10 months and with us expecting our first child we thought we could use some help training her. Cath is a wonderful trainer and you can tell that she rally cares about the dogs. She individualizes the training to suit your needs and is happy to address any problems you may be facing. Cath’s advice has been so valuable and we have seen Frankie come such a long way from how well she walks on the lead to simply being able to calm her down. Frankie still has more to learn but she loves going to training on Saturday mornings and meeting up with her friends. I would definitely recommend Cath and Doggie Diplomas to anyone.
Courtney
Our puppy belle loves attending! She is currently attending the beginners class and we will definitely be going through to advanced! Doggie diplomas team is great and always helpful! Their advice is also amazing as it is all positive reinforcement! I would recommend their classes to anybody! Thank you kathy and team! You guys are awesome! Keep up your great work!
Jaimie
I bought my baby Elayna (kelpie cross) from Snowy Mountains Animal Rescue Team Dec 2012 (she was 3 months old). She was a lovely puppy, full of energy but come February/March 2013 she began teething. With this came a lot of naughty behaviours. I tried to train it out of her but failed. I contacted Cath not long after and Elayna commenced training at Minto.
Everyone will agree she was the biggest fruitloop, and I had my doubts. Only 3 classes in Elayna had started to settle and was listening to me like she should.
Elayna graduated Doggie Diplomas in October 2013 and is now an almost perfect dog. She loves her new friends, and she loves Cath, Fiona and Megan.
Words can’t describe how thankful I am for all of the help I received. Elayna is welcome at Cafe’s, I can take her out to the beach and she listens to me. It’s great! I cannot recommend Doggie Diplomas enough.
We will continue to visit Doggie Diplomas for Elayna’s social needs, and just to continue brushing up on her skills and tricks. A massive thanks to Doggie Diplomas! See you in 2014
Rhiannon
I would definitely recommend doggie diplomas for anyone have behavioural and manner problems with their dog. My 7 month old kelpie was uncontrollable and had no manners, after 6 weeks of class with cath and a lot of hard work we now have a pleasant, well mannered dog. We are ecstatic with the changes due to the techniques and tips we were given in class. It was well worth the time and money. We will be back for more classes in the future
Cherie
We rescued our 18 month old male english staffy and he had some manners issues. we are a few months past completing our basic manners course and our boy has made a massive turn around thanks to the information and help from Cath and her team. we are beyond pleased with the progress he has made and would recommend doggie diplomas in a heart beat.
Leilia
When i first got my English staffy at 8 weeks we were so eager to get him to training starting in April until current I have seen a massive improvement with juniors behaviors,and social interaction with people and other dogs, Junior has fallen in love with his class, and perhaps Cath herself.. every Saturday we can see how excited Junior gets and cant imagine how heart breaking it is once he graduates.. but im sure we will always be apart of Doggie Diplomas and Junior can always look forward to more new learning curves in the near future.
Trish
My daughter Kelly and I take Shadow a six month German Shepherd to puppy training. We had so much fun in the beginners class we had to enroll for the next. Cath is an excellent dog trainer and has a very approachable nature no question is too stupid ! I have had German Shepherds since a young age and she has taught us how the dog actually thinks which is half the battle of puppy training. Cath has given me good advice when I have had a few problems with Shadow but in her eyes Shadow is an Angel. Megan, Caths assistant is a great help to all you can see her great love for dogs she will be a top trainer one day. In our class we have had dogs all shapes and sizes and there has been no signs of aggression Cath and Megan just have that calming effect over the dogs. Shadow at an early age has fallen in love with Dolly a white lab which is just as mischievous as he is. I would reccommend Doggie Diplomas to anyone . Keep up the good work.
Fiona
My Labradoodle Jett loves Puppy classes. He gets excited in the car on Saturday morning as we drive to Minto PCYC. Cath is a fabulous, passionate dog trainer and what I have learn’t as a dog owner is extremely valuable. Jett is able to socialise with all dogs. Jett sits, drops, rolls over, stays on command and recently graduated with the Best Bang. I highly recommend these classes and the value of positive re-inforcement. I have a well trained puppy and enjoy every moment of him being a part of our family.
Peter and Tinkerbell
Tinkerbell is a 7 year old Maltese. We started going to classes within the last 6 months. Prior to attending training Tinkerbell would bark at EVERY dog and most people she saw; she would be hyper vigilant, almost distressed. When barking at dogs, most of the time she would be barking viciously. I have realised with Doggie Diplomas help, that Tinkerbell is a very anxious dog. Since attending classes I have learnt as much as she has, she has learnt things like sit, stay, come etc., but has also developed in being able to be in the same space as other dogs, without barking . I have learnt how useful Adaptil collars are in managing anxious dogs, and how better to handle Tinkerbell in many situations particularly how to set her up for success. I believe attending training with Cath has well been worth the time, effort and expense and would recommend anyone considering attending to DO IT!
Carolina with Hachi and Charlie
Hachi (male 9 months) and Charlie (female 8 months) are both Siberian Huskies and anyone who owns a Husky would know that as gorgeous as these dogs are, they are incredibly stubborn.
Many have said the Husky own the owner not the other way round. Well I was determined to not let that happen!
To top it off Hachi suffers from anxiety issues, so that made socialisation a huge problem.
We started with Cath in February this year. Prior to this, we had been to puppy pre-school at our vet, where we first met Cath. I’ll never forget that day. Hachi was carrying on so much it was just overwhelming for me and brought me to tears. Cath reassured me and insisted we continue with classes and boy o boy I’m glad she did!
Its been 3 months since and we have passed Beginners and Intermediate classes. We have started the Advanced classes, and whilst we can’t play with other pups yet, both Hachi and Charlie have learnt to accept being in situations with other dogs nearby and are able to maintain focus on me. They are even able to drop/stay with other dogs around them! Its fantastic to see such a huge improvement when only 3 months prior I felt like this would never happen.
Both dogs can walk loose lead, sit, stay, drop, high-five, leave it, shake, Charlie can roll and most importantly they have learnt to relax.
Hachi still has a long way to go but after using the Adaptil collars and following Cath’s advice, he really has come a long way. We are all so grateful to Doggie Diplomas’ Cath, Fiona and Megan are just wonderful! Highly recommended! Don’t think twice, just do it!
Taryn
Tucker is a 6 month old German Shepherd X husky puppy and was a severe biter from about the second week we had him. We tried everything to stop him from biting and it got to the point where we couldnt spend time with him because he was doing some damage to our skin.
We called Cath and went to an emergency class, from that day onward the biting quickly subsided and Tucker became increasingly smart and very well behaved, he does not bite anymore, nor does he chew things or do things he isnt aloud to.
He was also attacked by another dog while walking (which was never fun with the amount of pulling he did) about 2 months ago and we were so concerned about having him around other dogs and people. I think my nerves were more of a problem than his.
But again Cath told us not to miss a class and after turning up on the first day back, seeing all his puppy friends and being able to socialise and learn that not all dogs will hurt him, his temperament has not changed a bit! And I can now walk him without getting fabric burn from his lead!
He is the class flirt and will do anything to play with his friends. I have also had to learn to trust other dogs again and Doggie Diplomas has helped me do that.
We cannot thank Cath, Megan, Cassie and Fiona enough. Tucker will complete all levels of training with Doggie Diplomas and we will continue to recommend and use them in the future.
Yin
Before completing the Basic Manners course, my german shepherd puppy (Abby) was incredibly timid and anxious about new people, animals and places!
At our first class, it was almost impossible to get Abby’s attention and calm her. However, I followed Cath’s instructions for the following week and there were noticeable improvements in focus and calmness even by the second week!
Which made training Abby so much easier. By the end of the course, Abby was able to sit/lie on her mat with complete focus on me despite often loud and potentially frightening distractions. Training with Cath not only increased Abby’s confidence but also increased my confidence. I highly recommend Doggie Diplomas and plan to continue training with Cath!
Carol
Ruby has been going to doggie diplomas for over 12 months, she has a ball and has come out of herself and plays with other dogs now, used to hide behind me, she loves it, and has a ball, she can now sit and stay, will be taking her to dogs day out, so confident with her now, there will possibly be hundreds of dogs, (keeping my fingers crossed that she doesn’t let me down!)
Abbey
Charli our little pup is a Pug x Mini Fox Terrier and by far was the smallest in the class. I began the class a little concerned about the bigger dogs around her but the 6 weeks provided the perfect environment for Charli to socialise with all types of dogs. This class was a fantastic way to show Charli how to behave and socialise. Cath provided great advice and her warm personality shows her true passion towards the dogs. I look forward to getting to the Intermediate class later this year. Thanks Cath and Tiarna!
Zaid
We got Dolly as a one year old Labrador just three months ago. Within two weeks of getting her we had started dog training at Doggie Diplomas. Dolly is a lovely dog but like all labs has a lot of enthusiasm for life and was very difficult on the lead. She has earned a reputation for being the most full on dog at training but she has come a long way. Not only has the training been useful for us in learning how to train her but also the tips and advice we receive has been so valuable. Now we use a different harness which was Caths advice and has made a big difference to her walking. She has made friends at dog training and of course she loves going. She is onto her second course and I can’t imagine not taking her to doggie training on Saturday mornings. Dolly has learned to sit, shake (high 5), drop and has just learned to roll. She has learned to stay and we are now brave enough (at dog training) to let her off the lead for free play. I believe that it is very important to take your dog to dog training and had booked Dolly in before we even picked her up. I have found the very reasonable fees and the commitment to Saturday mornings well worth it and would highly recommend.
Sharr
Sam where do I begin. I purchased Sam from paws rescue back in May 2012 and he is a small dog with heaps of personnality.(Schnoodle) His biggest problem was he likes to do what he wants to do, which I can understand as I like to do what I want to do as well but we have rules whether we like it or not. Sam was always barking at the larger dogs as he had small dog syndrome. Now with going to doggie diploma he is polite, happy and understands that if he is good he gets rewarded. We both like going to the training on Saturdays as we both have learnt heaps. Sam’s behavior has improved greatly and that makes me feel proud that he is my dog.He has worked very hard and I know he loves pleasing me. Sam has graduated twice now and we are enrolled in our 3 session of 6 weeks and learning new things all the time and meeting new mates. Megan is such a good little helper to Cath and to all of us. I would like to say a special thank you to her. Cath keep up the good work.See you next week.
Sharon
Our Rhodesian Ridgeback Frankie has been going to Doggie Diplomas for the past 18 weeks and loves it! She is a very excitable dog and being 45kg at just 10 months and with us expecting our first child we thought we could use some help training her. Cath is a wonderful trainer and you can tell that she rally cares about the dogs. She individualizes the training to suit your needs and is happy to address any problems you may be facing. Cath’s advice has been so valuable and we have seen Frankie come such a long way from how well she walks on the lead to simply being able to calm her down. Frankie still has more to learn but she loves going to training on Saturday mornings and meeting up with her friends. I would definitely recommend Cath and Doggie Diplomas to anyone.
Courtney
Our puppy belle loves attending! She is currently attending the beginners class and we will definitely be going through to advanced! Doggie diplomas team is great and always helpful! Their advice is also amazing as it is all positive reinforcement! I would recommend their classes to anybody! Thank you kathy and team! You guys are awesome! Keep up your great work!
Jaimie
I bought my baby Elayna (kelpie cross) from Snowy Mountains Animal Rescue Team Dec 2012 (she was 3 months old). She was a lovely puppy, full of energy but come February/March 2013 she began teething. With this came a lot of naughty behaviours. I tried to train it out of her but failed. I contacted Cath not long after and Elayna commenced training at Minto.
Everyone will agree she was the biggest fruitloop, and I had my doubts. Only 3 classes in Elayna had started to settle and was listening to me like she should.
Elayna graduated Doggie Diplomas in October 2013 and is now an almost perfect dog. She loves her new friends, and she loves Cath, Fiona and Megan.
Words can’t describe how thankful I am for all of the help I received. Elayna is welcome at Cafe’s, I can take her out to the beach and she listens to me. It’s great! I cannot recommend Doggie Diplomas enough.
We will continue to visit Doggie Diplomas for Elayna’s social needs, and just to continue brushing up on her skills and tricks. A massive thanks to Doggie Diplomas! See you in 2014
Rhiannon
I would definitely recommend doggie diplomas for anyone have behavioural and manner problems with their dog. My 7 month old kelpie was uncontrollable and had no manners, after 6 weeks of class with cath and a lot of hard work we now have a pleasant, well mannered dog. We are ecstatic with the changes due to the techniques and tips we were given in class. It was well worth the time and money. We will be back for more classes in the future
Cherie
We rescued our 18 month old male english staffy and he had some manners issues. we are a few months past completing our basic manners course and our boy has made a massive turn around thanks to the information and help from Cath and her team. we are beyond pleased with the progress he has made and would recommend doggie diplomas in a heart beat.
Leilia
When i first got my English staffy at 8 weeks we were so eager to get him to training starting in April until current I have seen a massive improvement with juniors behaviors,and social interaction with people and other dogs, Junior has fallen in love with his class, and perhaps Cath herself.. every Saturday we can see how excited Junior gets and cant imagine how heart breaking it is once he graduates.. but im sure we will always be apart of Doggie Diplomas and Junior can always look forward to more new learning curves in the near future.
Trish
My daughter Kelly and I take Shadow a six month German Shepherd to puppy training. We had so much fun in the beginners class we had to enroll for the next. Cath is an excellent dog trainer and has a very approachable nature no question is too stupid ! I have had German Shepherds since a young age and she has taught us how the dog actually thinks which is half the battle of puppy training. Cath has given me good advice when I have had a few problems with Shadow but in her eyes Shadow is an Angel. Megan, Caths assistant is a great help to all you can see her great love for dogs she will be a top trainer one day. In our class we have had dogs all shapes and sizes and there has been no signs of aggression Cath and Megan just have that calming effect over the dogs. Shadow at an early age has fallen in love with Dolly a white lab which is just as mischievous as he is. I would reccommend Doggie Diplomas to anyone . Keep up the good work.
Fiona
My Labradoodle Jett loves Puppy classes. He gets excited in the car on Saturday morning as we drive to Minto PCYC. Cath is a fabulous, passionate dog trainer and what I have learn’t as a dog owner is extremely valuable. Jett is able to socialise with all dogs. Jett sits, drops, rolls over, stays on command and recently graduated with the Best Bang. I highly recommend these classes and the value of positive re-inforcement. I have a well trained puppy and enjoy every moment of him being a part of our family.
Peter and Tinkerbell
Tinkerbell is a 7 year old Maltese. We started going to classes within the last 6 months. Prior to attending training Tinkerbell would bark at EVERY dog and most people she saw; she would be hyper vigilant, almost distressed. When barking at dogs, most of the time she would be barking viciously. I have realised with Doggie Diplomas help, that Tinkerbell is a very anxious dog. Since attending classes I have learnt as much as she has, she has learnt things like sit, stay, come etc., but has also developed in being able to be in the same space as other dogs, without barking . I have learnt how useful Adaptil collars are in managing anxious dogs, and how better to handle Tinkerbell in many situations particularly how to set her up for success. I believe attending training with Cath has well been worth the time, effort and expense and would recommend anyone considering attending to DO IT!
Carolina with Hachi and Charlie
Hachi (male 9 months) and Charlie (female 8 months) are both Siberian Huskies and anyone who owns a Husky would know that as gorgeous as these dogs are, they are incredibly stubborn.
Many have said the Husky own the owner not the other way round. Well I was determined to not let that happen!
To top it off Hachi suffers from anxiety issues, so that made socialisation a huge problem.
We started with Cath in February this year. Prior to this, we had been to puppy pre-school at our vet, where we first met Cath. I’ll never forget that day. Hachi was carrying on so much it was just overwhelming for me and brought me to tears. Cath reassured me and insisted we continue with classes and boy o boy I’m glad she did!
Its been 3 months since and we have passed Beginners and Intermediate classes. We have started the Advanced classes, and whilst we can’t play with other pups yet, both Hachi and Charlie have learnt to accept being in situations with other dogs nearby and are able to maintain focus on me. They are even able to drop/stay with other dogs around them! Its fantastic to see such a huge improvement when only 3 months prior I felt like this would never happen.
Both dogs can walk loose lead, sit, stay, drop, high-five, leave it, shake, Charlie can roll and most importantly they have learnt to relax.
Hachi still has a long way to go but after using the Adaptil collars and following Cath’s advice, he really has come a long way. We are all so grateful to Doggie Diplomas’ Cath, Fiona and Megan are just wonderful! Highly recommended! Don’t think twice, just do it!
Taryn
Tucker is a 6 month old German Shepherd X husky puppy and was a severe biter from about the second week we had him. We tried everything to stop him from biting and it got to the point where we couldnt spend time with him because he was doing some damage to our skin.
We called Cath and went to an emergency class, from that day onward the biting quickly subsided and Tucker became increasingly smart and very well behaved, he does not bite anymore, nor does he chew things or do things he isnt aloud to.
He was also attacked by another dog while walking (which was never fun with the amount of pulling he did) about 2 months ago and we were so concerned about having him around other dogs and people. I think my nerves were more of a problem than his.
But again Cath told us not to miss a class and after turning up on the first day back, seeing all his puppy friends and being able to socialise and learn that not all dogs will hurt him, his temperament has not changed a bit! And I can now walk him without getting fabric burn from his lead!
He is the class flirt and will do anything to play with his friends. I have also had to learn to trust other dogs again and Doggie Diplomas has helped me do that.
We cannot thank Cath, Megan, Cassie and Fiona enough. Tucker will complete all levels of training with Doggie Diplomas and we will continue to recommend and use them in the future.
Yin
Before completing the Basic Manners course, my german shepherd puppy (Abby) was incredibly timid and anxious about new people, animals and places!
At our first class, it was almost impossible to get Abby’s attention and calm her. However, I followed Cath’s instructions for the following week and there were noticeable improvements in focus and calmness even by the second week!
Which made training Abby so much easier. By the end of the course, Abby was able to sit/lie on her mat with complete focus on me despite often loud and potentially frightening distractions. Training with Cath not only increased Abby’s confidence but also increased my confidence. I highly recommend Doggie Diplomas and plan to continue training with Cath!
Carol
Ruby has been going to doggie diplomas for over 12 months, she has a ball and has come out of herself and plays with other dogs now, used to hide behind me, she loves it, and has a ball, she can now sit and stay, will be taking her to dogs day out, so confident with her now, there will possibly be hundreds of dogs, (keeping my fingers crossed that she doesn’t let me down!)
Abbey
Charli our little pup is a Pug x Mini Fox Terrier and by far was the smallest in the class. I began the class a little concerned about the bigger dogs around her but the 6 weeks provided the perfect environment for Charli to socialise with all types of dogs. This class was a fantastic way to show Charli how to behave and socialise. Cath provided great advice and her warm personality shows her true passion towards the dogs. I look forward to getting to the Intermediate class later this year. Thanks Cath and Tiarna!
Zaid
We got Dolly as a one year old Labrador just three months ago. Within two weeks of getting her we had started dog training at Doggie Diplomas. Dolly is a lovely dog but like all labs has a lot of enthusiasm for life and was very difficult on the lead. She has earned a reputation for being the most full on dog at training but she has come a long way. Not only has the training been useful for us in learning how to train her but also the tips and advice we receive has been so valuable. Now we use a different harness which was Caths advice and has made a big difference to her walking. She has made friends at dog training and of course she loves going. She is onto her second course and I can’t imagine not taking her to doggie training on Saturday mornings. Dolly has learned to sit, shake (high 5), drop and has just learned to roll. She has learned to stay and we are now brave enough (at dog training) to let her off the lead for free play. I believe that it is very important to take your dog to dog training and had booked Dolly in before we even picked her up. I have found the very reasonable fees and the commitment to Saturday mornings well worth it and would highly recommend.
Sharr
Sam where do I begin. I purchased Sam from paws rescue back in May 2012 and he is a small dog with heaps of personnality.(Schnoodle) His biggest problem was he likes to do what he wants to do, which I can understand as I like to do what I want to do as well but we have rules whether we like it or not. Sam was always barking at the larger dogs as he had small dog syndrome. Now with going to doggie diploma he is polite, happy and understands that if he is good he gets rewarded. We both like going to the training on Saturdays as we both have learnt heaps. Sam’s behavior has improved greatly and that makes me feel proud that he is my dog.He has worked very hard and I know he loves pleasing me. Sam has graduated twice now and we are enrolled in our 3 session of 6 weeks and learning new things all the time and meeting new mates. Megan is such a good little helper to Cath and to all of us. I would like to say a special thank you to her. Cath keep up the good work.See you next week.
Sharon
Our Rhodesian Ridgeback Frankie has been going to Doggie Diplomas for the past 18 weeks and loves it! She is a very excitable dog and being 45kg at just 10 months and with us expecting our first child we thought we could use some help training her. Cath is a wonderful trainer and you can tell that she rally cares about the dogs. She individualizes the training to suit your needs and is happy to address any problems you may be facing. Cath’s advice has been so valuable and we have seen Frankie come such a long way from how well she walks on the lead to simply being able to calm her down. Frankie still has more to learn but she loves going to training on Saturday mornings and meeting up with her friends. I would definitely recommend Cath and Doggie Diplomas to anyone.
Courtney
Our puppy belle loves attending! She is currently attending the beginners class and we will definitely be going through to advanced! Doggie diplomas team is great and always helpful! Their advice is also amazing as it is all positive reinforcement! I would recommend their classes to anybody! Thank you kathy and team! You guys are awesome! Keep up your great work!
Jaimie
I bought my baby Elayna (kelpie cross) from Snowy Mountains Animal Rescue Team Dec 2012 (she was 3 months old). She was a lovely puppy, full of energy but come February/March 2013 she began teething. With this came a lot of naughty behaviours. I tried to train it out of her but failed. I contacted Cath not long after and Elayna commenced training at Minto.
Everyone will agree she was the biggest fruitloop, and I had my doubts. Only 3 classes in Elayna had started to settle and was listening to me like she should.
Elayna graduated Doggie Diplomas in October 2013 and is now an almost perfect dog. She loves her new friends, and she loves Cath, Fiona and Megan.
Words can’t describe how thankful I am for all of the help I received. Elayna is welcome at Cafe’s, I can take her out to the beach and she listens to me. It’s great! I cannot recommend Doggie Diplomas enough.
We will continue to visit Doggie Diplomas for Elayna’s social needs, and just to continue brushing up on her skills and tricks. A massive thanks to Doggie Diplomas! See you in 2014
Rhiannon
I would definitely recommend doggie diplomas for anyone have behavioural and manner problems with their dog. My 7 month old kelpie was uncontrollable and had no manners, after 6 weeks of class with cath and a lot of hard work we now have a pleasant, well mannered dog. We are ecstatic with the changes due to the techniques and tips we were given in class. It was well worth the time and money. We will be back for more classes in the future
Cherie
We rescued our 18 month old male english staffy and he had some manners issues. we are a few months past completing our basic manners course and our boy has made a massive turn around thanks to the information and help from Cath and her team. we are beyond pleased with the progress he has made and would recommend doggie diplomas in a heart beat.
Leilia
When i first got my English staffy at 8 weeks we were so eager to get him to training starting in April until current I have seen a massive improvement with juniors behaviors,and social interaction with people and other dogs, Junior has fallen in love with his class, and perhaps Cath herself.. every Saturday we can see how excited Junior gets and cant imagine how heart breaking it is once he graduates.. but im sure we will always be apart of Doggie Diplomas and Junior can always look forward to more new learning curves in the near future.
Trish
My daughter Kelly and I take Shadow a six month German Shepherd to puppy training. We had so much fun in the beginners class we had to enroll for the next. Cath is an excellent dog trainer and has a very approachable nature no question is too stupid ! I have had German Shepherds since a young age and she has taught us how the dog actually thinks which is half the battle of puppy training. Cath has given me good advice when I have had a few problems with Shadow but in her eyes Shadow is an Angel. Megan, Caths assistant is a great help to all you can see her great love for dogs she will be a top trainer one day. In our class we have had dogs all shapes and sizes and there has been no signs of aggression Cath and Megan just have that calming effect over the dogs. Shadow at an early age has fallen in love with Dolly a white lab which is just as mischievous as he is. I would reccommend Doggie Diplomas to anyone . Keep up the good work.
Fiona
My Labradoodle Jett loves Puppy classes. He gets excited in the car on Saturday morning as we drive to Minto PCYC. Cath is a fabulous, passionate dog trainer and what I have learn’t as a dog owner is extremely valuable. Jett is able to socialise with all dogs. Jett sits, drops, rolls over, stays on command and recently graduated with the Best Bang. I highly recommend these classes and the value of positive re-inforcement. I have a well trained puppy and enjoy every moment of him being a part of our family.
Peter and Tinkerbell
Tinkerbell is a 7 year old Maltese. We started going to classes within the last 6 months. Prior to attending training Tinkerbell would bark at EVERY dog and most people she saw; she would be hyper vigilant, almost distressed. When barking at dogs, most of the time she would be barking viciously. I have realised with Doggie Diplomas help, that Tinkerbell is a very anxious dog. Since attending classes I have learnt as much as she has, she has learnt things like sit, stay, come etc., but has also developed in being able to be in the same space as other dogs, without barking . I have learnt how useful Adaptil collars are in managing anxious dogs, and how better to handle Tinkerbell in many situations particularly how to set her up for success. I believe attending training with Cath has well been worth the time, effort and expense and would recommend anyone considering attending to DO IT!
Carolina with Hachi and Charlie
Hachi (male 9 months) and Charlie (female 8 months) are both Siberian Huskies and anyone who owns a Husky would know that as gorgeous as these dogs are, they are incredibly stubborn.
Many have said the Husky own the owner not the other way round. Well I was determined to not let that happen!
To top it off Hachi suffers from anxiety issues, so that made socialisation a huge problem.
We started with Cath in February this year. Prior to this, we had been to puppy pre-school at our vet, where we first met Cath. I’ll never forget that day. Hachi was carrying on so much it was just overwhelming for me and brought me to tears. Cath reassured me and insisted we continue with classes and boy o boy I’m glad she did!
Its been 3 months since and we have passed Beginners and Intermediate classes. We have started the Advanced classes, and whilst we can’t play with other pups yet, both Hachi and Charlie have learnt to accept being in situations with other dogs nearby and are able to maintain focus on me. They are even able to drop/stay with other dogs around them! Its fantastic to see such a huge improvement when only 3 months prior I felt like this would never happen.
Both dogs can walk loose lead, sit, stay, drop, high-five, leave it, shake, Charlie can roll and most importantly they have learnt to relax.
Hachi still has a long way to go but after using the Adaptil collars and following Cath’s advice, he really has come a long way. We are all so grateful to Doggie Diplomas’ Cath, Fiona and Megan are just wonderful! Highly recommended! Don’t think twice, just do it!
Taryn
Tucker is a 6 month old German Shepherd X husky puppy and was a severe biter from about the second week we had him. We tried everything to stop him from biting and it got to the point where we couldnt spend time with him because he was doing some damage to our skin.
We called Cath and went to an emergency class, from that day onward the biting quickly subsided and Tucker became increasingly smart and very well behaved, he does not bite anymore, nor does he chew things or do things he isnt aloud to.
He was also attacked by another dog while walking (which was never fun with the amount of pulling he did) about 2 months ago and we were so concerned about having him around other dogs and people. I think my nerves were more of a problem than his.
But again Cath told us not to miss a class and after turning up on the first day back, seeing all his puppy friends and being able to socialise and learn that not all dogs will hurt him, his temperament has not changed a bit! And I can now walk him without getting fabric burn from his lead!
He is the class flirt and will do anything to play with his friends. I have also had to learn to trust other dogs again and Doggie Diplomas has helped me do that.
We cannot thank Cath, Megan, Cassie and Fiona enough. Tucker will complete all levels of training with Doggie Diplomas and we will continue to recommend and use them in the future.
Yin
Before completing the Basic Manners course, my german shepherd puppy (Abby) was incredibly timid and anxious about new people, animals and places!
At our first class, it was almost impossible to get Abby’s attention and calm her. However, I followed Cath’s instructions for the following week and there were noticeable improvements in focus and calmness even by the second week!
Which made training Abby so much easier. By the end of the course, Abby was able to sit/lie on her mat with complete focus on me despite often loud and potentially frightening distractions. Training with Cath not only increased Abby’s confidence but also increased my confidence. I highly recommend Doggie Diplomas and plan to continue training with Cath!
