Building Better Behaviour
Helps dogs to become model canine citizens and find their forever homes
proudly sponsored by
The Maggie’s team noticed a pressing need for a new education program for dogs.
With social interaction currently being so restricted and a huge increase in surrender requests, as well as heightened behavioural issues, it was time to take action.
In 2021, SavourLife helped us bring this program to life when they awarded us a grant of $10,000 through Missy's Mini Grants program.
This grant is intended for projects that will create long-term change for dogs in need and have a direct and positive impact on helping rescue dogs and reducing the number of adoptable dogs euthanised in Australia to ZERO.
Our Building Better Behaviour program aims to provide a vital educational resource in our community. It enables us to work closely with some highly regarded vet behaviourists and to provide training for our volunteer coordinators and foster carers. In doing so, we’re able to cater for the selected dogs displaying behavioural issues, and give them the support needed to find their forever homes.
The learnings from this program are providing us with skills for life, and will give our dogs the best start in their new lives for years to come! This is only the beginning!
Please find some educational resources on dog behaviour, including tips on how to be successful with caring for your dog.
Set them up for success
It’s very important that your dog feels safe and secure in a given situation for them to feel calm, and choose the behaviour they have previously learned. If your dog is fearful, stressed, or overexcited, then they shouldn’t be expected to “get it right”.
Toilet Training Your Puppy
Toilet training is one of the most frustrating parts of owning a puppy. Many owners are doing the correct thing, but some are using some very outdated methods. Read on to learn the most effective and rewarding ways to toilet train your puppy.
Meeting Your Dog's Behavioural Needs
Dogs require physical, social, and mental stimulation every day to meet their behavioural needs. It's important to meet your dog's needs to ensure they have the best welfare possible. You owe it to your dog to provide the best environment to live in.
Separation Anxiety
Separation Anxiety is a condition in which a dog becomes fearful & nervous when left home alone or are physically separated from a family member. It’s also a huge contributing factor to the surrender of dogs in our society.
Training Problems or Behaviour Problem?
Training problems are socially unacceptable behaviour and are seen as problematic by dog owners and the community. Such behaviours may include: digging up gardens, jumping on people, barking (in some cases), and pulling on leashes.
Sit/Calm/Look
The goal of this exercise is to focus on your dog's emotional state of relaxation to help him/her be in control of feeling calm and relaxed. Over many repetitions, your dog will show relaxed body language. Eventually, lying down by choice.
How to Speak Dog
If only dogs could speak English, and we could speak 'dog'. We are two different species with different methods of communication. It is up to us as dog owners to learn to 'speak dog'.
Dog Senses
Dogs have five main senses - understanding them will help you understand a lot of our recommendations and their purpose. Let's use their senses to our advantage!
Basic Training: Fun for Dogs
Agility is the largest growing dog sport in the world and is suited to all dogs of all ages. You do not have to have any experience in training to give it a go. It is all about having fun!
Mindfulness for Dogs
This four-part handout will cover topics ‘500 Yes’s’ (Rewarding positive interaction), ‘Catching Calm’, ‘Mat Training’ and ‘Blanket Exercise’.
On the 14th of May 2022, Maggie’s Rescue hosted a fabulous Dog Foster Carers workshop presented by the wonderfully knowledgeable Tracey Irons.
This workshop is a vital part of our ‘Building Better Behaviour’ Program, as it provides us with an opportunity to up-skill our dedicated network of volunteers so we can continue helping dogs that need a little extra training before finding their fur-ever families.
