TEACHING WITH POSITIVE METHODS
TEACHING WITH POSITIVE METHODS
TEACHING WITH POSITIVE METHODS
PUPPY SCHOOL
Attending a professionally run puppy school is critical to having a well behaved dog joining your family. Learn why it is important to attend a puppy school early on, that emphasises socialisation more than obedience. Trust your puppy to a full time behaviour specialist, not a dog walker or vet nurse that only does behaviour on the side.
PRIVATE TRAINING
Mark offers private, personal dog training sessions to help with most behaviour issues. Get personal, customised training in your home. Mark will asses the situation, and explain what is going on in a clear and detailed manner. He will then show you what you can do differently to change your dog’s behaviour.
POSITIVE TRAINING
Mark Ehrman of Canine Counselling is the first Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Trainer (VSPDT) in Australia, and a faculty advisor and mentor for the Victoria Stilwell Dog Training Academy. Learn about Mark’s qualifications, training philosophies and methods by clicking below.
COVID-19 UPDATE: Puppy School classes are currently suspended until government restrictions are relaxed. Private consultations are still being conducted. Private consultations are conducted at your home, while maintaining strict hygiene and distance guidelines. If you are concerned, and still want help with your dog’s behaviour, I also offer remote consultations via video conferencing on your computer or phone. Please contact me for further information on this.
Surry Hills
Every Thursday
7:30pm
Starts May.2020 (TBA)
Suspended
Waverley
Every Tuesday
7:30pm
Starts May.2020 (TBA)
Suspended
Why Hire a Professional?
It is quite normal to try and fix your dog’s behavioral issues by speaking to friends and family, searching Google, reading books, and watching videos on the internet. Often times this advice can contradict itself, and it can be difficult to know which advice applies in which situation.
Dog training has also been compared to a sport, where technique is important. Often it takes a professional to offer advice on where to improve your technique and help you know which action to take in a particular situation.
What Problems Can I Fix?
Mark offers private consultations for a variety of common behaviour problems such as:
- excessive barking
- separation anxiety
- barking / lunging / aggression towards other dogs or people
- pulling on lead
- not coming when called, or “selective hearing”
- puppy behaviours such as jumping up, nipping, toilet training, etc.
- most other undesired behaviours
Read our Reviews
Awesome trainer, my dog Nala was picking things up way quicker than she would have if I trained her myself. I grew up with dogs but this was the first time doing a puppy school. Learnt a lot about dog behaviour as well. Mark is very friendly and gentle with his approach. Definitely value for money!
Durham A.
10:51 18 Mar 20
thanks mark, mango enjoyed his 5 weeks lesson and learned to socialize well! he cant wait to go out to doggy park and make new friends
Susan T.
10:35 17 Mar 20
Great puppy school! Mark was incredibly clear, knowledgeable and patient. Our puppy had tons of fun, and I felt it to be safe and happy. We left the last week feeling competent, confident and extremely pleased. Will def make this the school all my puppies go to!
Thomas D.
04:17 03 Mar 20
Mark is a fantastic dog trainer. We brought our 10 weeks old golden retriever to the class and it was worth every minute.
Tomasz M.
11:47 23 Feb 20
Mark arrived exactly on time, was super friendly to both us and our puppy, addressed all of our queries and tailored his session exactly to our needs. Plus he left great print outs for us to keep and use going forward. Would recommend!
nicole R.
03:54 08 Feb 20
As a new puppy owner, I tried to wing it for a week. Being overwhelmed was the result. Having Mark come over and spend time with the puppy, my partner and I was the best move ever. Mark equipped me with knowledge and guided me to turn that knowledge into action. This has made me more confident... in raising my puppy.It has been 1 week since Mark was here. The puppy hasn't poo'd or pee'd in the house. I can sleep better! Miraculous? No. It was Mark's skills, professionalism and training experience that turned it all around.I highly rate and recommend Mark's services.read more
Lang N.
01:42 05 Feb 20
Fantastic puppy school course by Mark. Good course structure building up the concepts for us as owners and our puppy. Mark does a great job of keeping session entertaining, well paced, and flexible enough to learn key skills as well as ask questions. You also get a lot of handouts so you can... consolidate the learning at home. Great value for money.read more
Ben S.
22:08 04 Feb 20
Mark is super helpful, passionate and knowledgable. His training techniques are practical and realistic, I find them easy to follow. He takes time to work closely with each puppy individually based on their needs while keeping a good pace for everyone else - a lot harder than it sounds! My tiny... puppy was half the size (or smaller) of other puppies and super timid at the start, Mark helped him overcome a lot of fears over the last month - something I couldn’t have done myself. I highly recommend him to anyone who has a new puppy!read more
BaoBao S.
10:54 04 Feb 20
Both Juno (my puppy) and I learnt so much at puppy school. Really appreciated Mark's perspective of ensuring that I, as an owner, should try to understand the world from a dog's point of instinctual view and not my own. It makes the training and my relationship with my dog so much better.
Anna D.
05:32 31 Jan 20
Mark is a great trainer and taught many valuable skills for my puppy! I would definitely recommend.
Abhinav A.
10:38 30 Jan 20
Thanks Mark! Bear loved his 5 weeks learning obedience skills and how to socialise with other dogs.Mum & Dad also picked up plenty of plenty of helpful tricks.
Natalie H.
10:29 30 Jan 20
Mark is a fantastic and extremely patient trainer. We loved our weekly classes and have picked up some very useful skills and techniques for toilet and behaviour training for our puppy. Our puppy Bear has really improved his behaviour and social skills with other dogs over the last 5 weeks of... class. He has gone from a shy and naughty puppy to a very social and (most of the time) obedient puppy. Thank you for all your help Mark! I recommend this training to all new puppy owners!read more
Natalie H.
10:12 30 Jan 20
Mark came into our home to meet our one year old Boxer to help us with some behaviour problems our dog was having with other dogs. Mark was great! he was very thorough when it came to sourcing information from us about ollie and listened carefully to what Ollie does as well as what we do. The... training was for both of us! Mark supplied us with some great tools to help us address a situation before it came a situation. We have followed everything he said to do and we are having slow but steady progress. With Mark's help he has given us as owners more confidence which therefore shows through to Ollie. I would recommend Mark to others who seek a strong sense of direction when dealing with unknown matters. Slow and steady wins the race.Thanks Mark top job!read more
Sophie K.
10:52 27 Jan 20
We approached Mark to assist us in training our 11 week American Staffordshire terrier as we are first time puppy owners. He was professional, diligent and thorough when dealing with us and we would happily employ his services again.
Beth W.
09:27 16 Jan 20
Mark was really helpful when we adopted our new great dane, Dorothy. Dorothy is a 5 year old rescue dog and, while she is generally a well tempered and loving dog, she had a few behavior that challenged us when we first brought her home. Lunging at other dogs, getting upset at being alone, and... generally being poorly behaved on leash being the biggest ones. Mark spent a lot of time helping us understand where these behaviors come from and how to deal with them effectively over time. He also gave us confidence that these were not uncommon behaviors and that they could be resolved without huge issue. It's now been a month since we adopted Dorothy and we're happy to report that all of those issues have been overcome or are making great progress.I fully recommend Mark if you need some help with a new pet.read more
Chris B.
10:56 05 Jan 20
Mark was really knowledgeable and patient. We received all the right tips to properly socialise and train our dog. I highly recommend Mark!
Jared N.
08:02 03 Jan 20
Mark was very knowledgeable and his classes most informative in his puppy school course. I'd not hesitate in recommending him to anyone with a new pup for these really terrific classes. Thanks Mark for a really great 5 weeks! Greatly appreciate you ironing out all the queries I had about Leo and... understanding how to deal with any behavioural issues that arise typically in pups.read more
petrina T.
21:38 17 Dec 19
Mark was amazing we learnt such much about our new puppy and how to stop bad behavior. I highly recommend
Renae B.
09:56 17 Dec 19
Mark is very knowledgeable and a fantastic teacher. We learnt so much and thoroughly enjoyed being able to socialise our puppy in Mark’s classes. Would definitely recommend Mark’s puppy school as essential knowledge and training for a happy puppy!!
Justin T.
03:32 28 Nov 19
This was a great course to learn how to train our pup and getting him to meet other pups and people. Mark was so so patient not with just the pups but also with us parents! We were often throwing random questions or concerns or getting interrupted by hyperactive pups! Mark never once rolled his... eyes or lost his patience and is always eager to answer questions. Recommend this to any pup parent!Cheers,Normread more
Noe S.
02:55 25 Nov 19
We took our Labrador puppy to Mark's puppy class and he did an outstanding job. There are certain people you can tell really enjoy their work and Mark fits squarely in this category with an obvious passion for developing bonds with man's best friend. Mark's positive training methodologies and vast... knowledge and experience allow him to go over all the basic you need for a new pup as well as provide very thoughtful and detailed suggestions which may be specific to your pup. The classes also allow fantastically supervised and crucial socialisation time for your puppy. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, whether you are a first-time or an experienced dog owner.read more
Chris V.
01:00 14 Nov 19
Great class for puppy’s thank you.
Sadie C.
05:06 12 Nov 19
We took our 9 week old Australian Bulldog to see Mark over 5 weeks and were so happy with all the training tips and practical advise we received ! Bronson is now able to ‘sit’ ‘stay’ ‘drop’ and has excellent manners and confidence when interacting with other dogs. Could not recommend Mark enough.
Sally B.
09:59 11 Nov 19
Mark provided sensible advice and some great practicable ideas to treat the dogs.
Uri T.
06:08 09 Nov 19
Mark is an excellent trainer, he is knowledgeable, passionate about his work and full of great advice. We are very thankful for his help with our puppy and highly recommend him.
Damien F.
09:07 30 Oct 19
Mark was fantastic. I cannot recommend his services and puppy training school enough. He is personable, an overall good guy and very clearly knows his stuff. Even before our enrolment at puppy school he accommodated many of my questions as we were in a unique situation and went above and beyond to... help us in our circumstance. We really enjoyed his classes and content and would definitely go back to him again in the future. Thank you Mark!!!! Kiki & Lolaread more
Kirstin B.
08:34 20 Oct 19
It was a great 5 weeks at puppy school. After the first night, we had a much more well behaved puppy which was such a relief.
Jade W.
21:49 13 Oct 19
I definitely recommend puppy school with Mark. Great teaching methods and me and my puppy had a great experience going to class every week.
Natalia Alves F.
10:50 03 Oct 19
Mark came in and did a session with our two dogs and was perceptive, to the point and gave us clear directions. No judgement and lots of encouragement....as of course it's really about training the owners! Thoroughly recommend him.
Damien E.
02:31 22 Sep 19
When i found Mark i was looking for a positive way to train my puppy rather than coercion, domination and overpowering them. Being a first time owner i wanted our new puppy to be a healthy, happy addition to our family. First few weeks was super challenging and i had great difficulty getting help... or finding any dog trainers out west. Most said "leave your dog with them" and pick up your dog later after we fully turn them into an obedient dog. I felt great discomfort not knowing how they would "train" my puppy. I also preferred to have hands-on, one on one training with someone who would come to see me. Essentially i believed in not only training the dog, but also the "dog owner". Let's say Mark travelled 1.5hrs on a Sunday to spend a few hours with us. and went above and beyond what i had expected. He is a special human being who truly knows what he is doing. The session left me feeling empowered, Mark left us feeling so much more equipped and confident in training our puppy through methods that were kind, gentle yet firm and effective. We understood the "psychology" of our puppy and this is where the magic begins. There is NO aggression, no yelling, no dominating means to get your puppy to obey. it is all about working with your puppy and his/her cues. Since that day, things have gone uphill and we have truly adjusted to our new puppy who is now 6 months old! Mark listens, cares and has a wealth of knowledge relating to any dog behavioural issues, big or small. I have felt so inspired by his ability to connect with the dogs he trains that i have commenced a short course with Victoria Stilwell in the area of positive dog training. This beautiful journey is just starting. Thank you Mark and i would highly recommend you to anyone- any part of Sydney.read more
Linda L.
11:56 04 Sep 19
Mark was a great trainer. Very friendly and nurturing with the puppies and made puppy school enjoyable and practical.
Dave S.
04:50 04 Sep 19
Mark's puppy preschool course is great. Each week he shares loads of really useful information for looking after and training your new puppy and facilitates plenty of time for managed play with the pups. Our puppy started out very shy and scared and graduated a really confident little dog. It's all... about positive training with Mark which we loved! Would definitely recommend to new dog owners.read more
Amy P.
00:54 21 Aug 19
Such a great puppy trainer, would wholeheartedly recommend!
Ari W.
12:36 06 Aug 19
His Professionalism won my trust. From the first contact via email I knew he would help me. In person he did not let me down. Went through step by step on how to fix my problem. I know I still have a long way to go, as my dog has big issues, but knowing that I have K9 on my side gives me a big... relief. Thank you.read more
Elizangela L.
05:50 03 Aug 19
I met mark in a pet shop, i asked what he was buying and he gave me lots of helpful dog advice. Also very surprising he can speak fluent Japanese!!(*´∀｀*)I wish his business was in japan, so he can train my dog amazingly.彼はとても親切です。私はペットショップに行きましたが、何を買えばいいのかわかりませんでした。 彼は私に良いpet bowlを教えてくれました。(^... ^)丁寧にありがとうございました。read more
玲玲子
07:55 30 Jul 19
Mark's advice, tuition and enthusiasm was invaluable. Early socialisation and basic skills training has made a significant difference with our puppy. We would highly recommend Mark as a canine counsellor; he is both knowledegable and fun.
John B.
22:30 24 Jul 19
Mark is an excellent trainer, very knowledgeable offering an array of techniques to handle every puppo. Highly recommend.
Paul K.
10:49 24 Jul 19
As a huge believer in positive training we are so happy we found Mark. As recommended by the Victoria Stilwell Positive Dog Training Association we were confident Mark would help us with our 2 year old Beaglier who suffers extreme separation anxiety. Mark was so knowledgeable and from the second... he walked in the door he knew exactly how to act around Koda. He is absolutely a positive dog trainer who gave us so much valuable advice and tailored the session to suit Kodas main issues. It was really eye-opening what he taught us about our dog and why she behaves the way she does. He gave us so many tips and things to manage and fix with our dogs behaviour. We are definitely seeing improvements in Kodas behaviour but it will be a long rode. Mark also encouraged us to continue communicating with him and encouraged us to him questions whenever we want. (Which I have and he had replied extensively every time). Really knowledgeable of dogs and their behaviour. We were very impressed and his follow up has been extraordinary. Thank you Mark! We even accidentally paid him extra without noticing and he was honest and immediately gave it back- icing on the cake!! Thank you for everything Mark!read more
Issy W.
11:38 22 Jul 19
Mark came to our house for a one on one consultation. He was fantastic. He gave us plenty of advice and new tricks to try with our new puppy. It was up to us to make sure that we took on all of Mark’s advice and put it into practice. We have had a lot of progress with our puppy and a lot of it has... to do with Mark’s tricks of the trade. I will definitely be recommending him! Thank you Mark!read more
Renee T.
07:52 02 Jul 19
Mark was fantastic at our at home training. He gave practical & easy to follow instructions and also lots of reading to better understand why we are doing what we are doing. I would highly recommend Mark & Canine Counselling!
Leigh Z.
06:14 26 Jun 19
We took our Border Collie pups to Mark's Waverley training sessions & they were excellent. Mark really knows his stuff. He gave us loads of practical tips & taught us how to manage the issues we were having. We can highly recommend taking this course.
Samantha H.
03:15 30 May 19
Our little American Staffy Duke just graduated from Puppy School with flying colours due to the great guidance and knowledge provided by Mark. Would definitely recommend to all new puppy owners!
Steven S.
00:50 11 Apr 19
Mark’s puppy school is a great mix of exuberance and compassionate listening. Having little experience with dogs, we came away with a better understanding of our dachsie’s behaviour and a step-by-step training plan. We both feel more confident and bonded. Early socialisation is definitely the way... to go as the feedback from many has been Gertie is such a friendly and calm puppy. Thanks Mark!read more
Amanda L.
23:55 10 Apr 19
Mark’s organised and detail-oriented approach allows puppy classes to flow seamlessly. He also offers a wealth of practical and helpful information. I greatly appreciated learning how to better understand dog behaviour and psychology. I found it especially useful learning how to read a dog’s body... language in a number of situations, including during play with other dogs. Mark’s expert advice goes a long way in helping to teach and raise a well-adjusted dog. I would highly recommend Mark’s classes to other pet guardians.read more
Bana A.
02:37 26 Mar 19
Our consultation with Mark was the best decision we made as parents to a new puppy. Mark provided very pragmatic advice and a new perspective to raising an adorable but exuberant puppy. He has also been extremely generous with his time, following-up on progress and offering further help where... needed. Mark is a first-class canine consultant, and we couldn't recommend him more!read more
Shieh-Ling W.
03:56 20 Mar 19
Mark has been been invaluable in helping me handle with my reactive greyhound. He spent a great deal going through behavioural theories and showed me how my actions might help my dog behave in different (better) ways. We also went on a long walk to apply the theory in action. In the park Mark... showed me how to handle my dog for her to be set up for success. Mark is very patient and understanding and provides this calm environment (that I need to learn to display as well) that put my dogs at ease and behave much more appropriate. As a bonus, prior to the session, Mark found out what the best treat was for Olivia. Usually being very picky, she was all over it :)I can highly recommend Mark's training! Thanks again! Jasread more
Jasmin K.
13:11 10 Mar 19
Mark's Puppy Preschool was absolutely brilliant! Our Cooper was very nervous and stressed during his first lesson and wouldn't socialise with the rest of the puppies. By the end of the 5 week program, he was playing with all the puppies and was very well socialised. Mark is not only amazing with... the puppies, but keeps the class entertaining and inclusive, taking the extra time to answer any questions we may have. Mark is well organised during every lesson and also provides handouts which are very helpful and informative. We highly recommend Mark's Puppy Preschool to everyone! 😊read more
Mersina H.
11:29 09 Feb 19
Thanks to Mark my little pug has got to be the most well rounded sociable little thing. The suggestions made for training, the controlled first interactions with the other puppies of different sizes and personalities, the info brochures and handy hints were most welcome. We’re definitely off to a... better start because of it.read more
Tristan R.
09:21 01 Feb 19
We really loved Mark’s puppy school for our Westie puppies. Mark is a very enthusiastic and informative trainer, with lots of handouts and take home messages. He uses the most up to date training methods and each dog receives equal attention during the classes. I would definitely recommend Mark’s... puppy school to any new puppy owner!read more
Brendon W.
12:47 15 Dec 18
We were lucky to find such a knowledgeable enthusiastic and brilliant communicator in Mark. Such an important process to go through with your puppy and mark inspires and gives both confidence to owner and puppy alike. Highly recommend his classes.
Yolande G.
00:30 04 Oct 18
Mark's classes were great! Very informative, well paced and just the right size (perfect for puppy socialisation). He took the time to explain new information and training concepts, catering to all levels of dog experience.Would recommend!
M M.
09:59 31 Jul 18
We recently completed Mark's 5-week puppy school classes. Knowledgeable about modern, force-free methods of training, Mark focuses more on training the owner than the puppy. By the end of his course, you'll be well on your way to being a responsible and confident dog owner.
Claire H.
07:48 29 Jul 18
Mark taught us so many tricks for Oscar our Amstaff. The classes were good fun for him and really a lot of excellent informations for us. Thank Mark for your patience
Ciara N.
11:40 25 Jun 18
Mark is an exceptional trainer (for humans), I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him for your dog or puppy (esp puppy school).
Rebecca W.
03:16 20 Jun 18
Mark's knowledge and enthusiasm made this class really enjoyable and gave us excellent insights into how to raise our puppy in the best way. The classes are kept small and the dogs are allowed to roam supervised in the room off-lead which helps greatly with socialisation, and teaches owners how... to interpret their behaviours in a group setting.Small touches like take home reading material and Mark making sure that all individual questions were addressed were a nice touch. You can tell that Mark really enjoys his work, and this in is reflected in his interactions with not only the dogs, but the owners too. I would easily recommend Mark for anyone looking for a puppy training course in Sydney.read more
Anthony S.
00:25 22 May 18
We recently finished a 5 week puppy school class with Mark and we would absolutely recommend his services. He was very professional and we learnt loads about how to teach behaviour and discipline. He often stayed back after the class had finished to assist us with specific issues we were... experiencing with our puppy. It was a very valuable 5 weeks! Thanks Mark!read more
Ryan W.
06:03 24 Mar 18
We really enjoyed our five week puppy training course. Mark makes the evening lighthearted and fun (shouldn't be hard with a bunch of puppies!!). Over and above the basic training (sit, toileting etc) we really enjoyed seeing insight into behaviour when the puppies played together. Highly... recommended.read more
Alex C.
22:41 21 Mar 18
We really enjoyed our five week puppy training course. Mark makes the evening lighthearted and fun (shouldn't be hard with a bunch of puppies!!). Over and above the basic training (sit, toileting etc) we really enjoyed seeing insight into behaviour when the puppies played together. Highly... recommended.read more
Alex C
22:32 21 Mar 18
Mark is a dynamic, personable and clear trainer who teaches you all the best ways to train and care for your four legged friend! Our puppy Merlin loved him, and Mark always gave us ample time for questions and socialisation outside of the formal curriculum. Could not recommend him more!
Sabrina H.
00:44 12 Mar 18
Highly recommended! Our little Sushi loved every single class. Thank you so much Mark for what you taught us!
Katia V.
11:01 06 Mar 18
We took our labradoodle Archie to Puppy school and it has been an amazing seeing the progress he has made through Canine counselling with Mark. As new dog owners, his expertise, advice and patience with the pups has been tremendously helpful. We very much appreciated his thorough yet tailored... learning program and engaging method of delivery. Thanks so much!read more
Benjamin T.
10:39 15 Jan 18
Mark's puppy school was a really helpful and instructive course for our family with the new addition of our puppy. We learned so much not only about what to do, but about the reasoning behind what to do. It made so much sense and gave us a much better sense of purpose in starting to teach our puppy... to be well adjusted, well socialized and (soon enough) well behaved. We would highly recommend Mark and will certainly use him again if we have any behavioral issues with our dog as she gets older.read more
Katherine K.
07:37 02 Jan 18
Mark led an excellent class and went above and beyond. Highly recommend.
Jonathan M.
04:08 05 Sep 17
Thankyou so much for todays session! Lots of great tips. Very helpful. Would definitely recommend!
Kay P.
06:27 05 Jan 17
Mark is clearly very passionate about what he does and in our class we saw excellent progress. He was also happy if you called him outside hours and asked questions, providing plenty of advice and guidance. My pup loved her time in class and I highly recommend Mark for your special pup!
Michelle R.
06:32 16 Dec 16
Thoroughly recommend puppy school, invaluable for teaching puppies socialisation 🐩🐶 thank you Mark from K9 Counselling for all your tips & wisdom 😀
Craig Y.
11:40 10 Aug 16
We took our two mini poodle pups to puppy classes with Mark and found it very helpful and enjoyable. Mark is clear and very positive in his teaching approach. He explains at length and demonstrates his teaching. The class was small and very personalised and Mark was very available for advice and... discussion in person and by telephone. We would not hesitate to recommend Mark as a trainer for your dog or puppy.read more
David W
01:03 08 May 16
We initially found out about Mark through word of mouth, and decided on Mark for our puppy training as he had fantastic reviews. We loved Mark's puppy classes. He has a wealth of knowledge and his classes are easy to understand and well structured, with loads of additional take home information. I... would recommend Mark to anyone wanting positivity training for their puppy. Thanks Mark 🙂read more
Kieren B.
10:18 03 May 16
Even though I live in the USA, Mark's information and advice have helped us as new pet owners. He is patient and has excellent information.
Steven M.
23:27 15 Jan 16
Mark was very good at both helping us understand the reason behind our puppy's behaviour and help correct our teaching & correcting behaviours/methods - including things you're not even aware you may be doing.After just one session, we were able to achieve a significant change in how we... interacted with our puppy and thus how he responded to us. This made both of us much happier!Last but not least, Mark is also a great guy who is just a pleasure to learn from.read more
Kris G.
01:57 15 Dec 15
Mark was absolutely excellent. It's easy to find useful information on the internet, but you simply cannot beat advice that is personally tailored to you, your home and specifically to your dog. Mark has a great understanding of what is best for your situation. Even if you don't have a dog yet and... are looking at the best approach to setting up your home correctly and beginning training, you should get in touch with Mark.read more
Will S.
01:32 16 Nov 15