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A personalised Approach
With Support for You & Your Dog
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Client Focused In-Home Training Workshops
We come to you
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Only Positive & Reward Based Methods
Nothing Adverse
At Active Creatures, our purpose is to restore happiness, harmony and calm for you & your dog.
Through our client-focused dog behaviour workshops, we design & implement a carefully targeted and easy to follow treatment plan.
Each treatment plan is developed with you & your dog in mind. We tailor the plan to complement your available time and lifestyle. And we use reward-based methods to create lasting change for your dog.
Your dog's treatment plan starts straight away, with real time, practical exercises. This helps to maximise your dog's learning and speed up positive behavioural change.
Ready to Chat?
Managing a dog with behavioural problems can be stressful and worrying.
Active Creatures can help.
For a no obligation phone consultation:
Let customers speak for us
We’ve been working with Cam the last couple of months for our 4yo whippet Nelson!
Nelson has some significant separation anxiety and also can be a little challenging and hyperactive on the lead and at the park!
Since working with Cam we have seen a real difference with Nelson, as have our friends and family. Nelson no longer jumps up on our guests, he is able to self soothe in his cubby, and he is getting better at the park socialising with other dogs.
We still have a little way to go- but Cam has set us up well!
Thank you again ☺️
We’ve been working with Cam with our dog training issues and I can’t recommend them enough! From our first session, Cam really took the time to listen to our problems of barking and separation anxiety and has understood our dogs to provide a suitable treatment plan!
The training has been slow but we can see the improvement as we continue to follow the guide provided. Cam has been so helpful with check ins via phone calls and answers any questions we have along the way! Our experience with Cam has been really great and hope to achieve our training goals soon with his guidance!
We reached out to Cameron for some help with our Whippet's separation anxiety. Cameron provided us with a much better understanding of what can cause this behaviour, but most importantly how to address it. His treatment plan was clear and he very cautiously explained + showed us how to apply it. Whilst the progress is slow (something we knew would be the case) we can see some improvement, and with Cameron's encouragement, understand that persistence is key. We really enjoyed Cameron's session and actually reached out to him for a follow up to also address some reactivity issues Gertie had toward bigger dogs. We now feel much more confident and better equipped in training Gertie toward a stress free life thanks to Cameron :)
Cameron has been amazing! At the first interaction he spent 3 hours with Hendrix and I and explained in detail how dogs think and behave. It was amazing to watch how Hendrix instantly connected with Cameron with his greeting tactic - I won't spoil it for you! Cameron has provided amazing follow up and Hendrix is improving day by day with his fear of other dogs and other issues. The progress is so gratifying and to see my boy's improvement gives me a lot of peace and confidence for the future. A brilliant man and service!
Cam was a wonderful energy and guide within our training with Ronnie. Ronnie was instantly at ease with him which is very unusual due to his high levels of excitement. But Cams gentle energy was really inviting to him which really allowed for great leadership to Ronnie when it came to training.
Since our session, Ronnie no longer barks at people at the gate and on entrance with new visitors he is becoming more and more responsive to myself and not jumping on guests.
I’m really pleased with this and grateful for Cams gentle guidance through this process.
Highly recommend Cam!
Cameron's help in retraining our labrador to be less reactive towards other dogs has been fabulous and our walks around the neighbourhood are a lot more relaxed and enjoyable. Thanks Cameron!
Binker was adopted from a vet after a life threatening bout with Parvo that saw him isolated for the first months of his life. This caused Binker to have serious separation anxiety and destructive behaviours.
Cam was great at coaching us through what was required for Binker to feel at ease when we can’t be with him. Starting off with some small wins and achievable goals, we are very proud to say Binker is now able to be alone without any vocalisation. Cam is extremely invested and was always contactable and responsive when we needed him. Thank you Cam - we couldn't have done it without you!
- Connor & Amber
Cam was super helpful with tips and guidance with our 11 month old dog who was lunging after cars. Within the space of a couple of weeks she was no longer lunging - meaning we could walk her with peace of mind that she want going to run out onto the road. He had plans for all of her behaviour issues that needed resolving. Would definitely recommend.
I reached out to Cam, rather desperately….Reggie reacting randomly and unexpectedly towards other unfamiliar dogs….resulting in an unfortunate accident..
Cam is an excellent communicator, reliable and more importantly works instinctively. This made all the difference, needless to say, I would highly recommend Cam.
Nutmeg came to Melbourne from the NT when she was only a puppy. Since it is likely that she was not exposed enough to people during her first weeks, she developed a strong fear towards strangers and loud noises. Despite giving her lots of training, exercise and opportunities to trust people, she became reactive towards visitors and strangers at the park. We decided to ask for Cam's help when her fear started to transfer toward dogs too.
Cam's tips and training plan gave us the tools to help Nutmeg become more confident and start correcting her reactive behaviour.
We are very happy with Nutmeg's progress, she is more confident around strangers, and her barking at the park has reduced significantly. She still has a long way to go, but thanks to Cam, we are confident we have the right approach to help her!
We'll keep you posted 😁
A few months after our cocker spaniel puppy joined our family Luna began to display agressive behaviour towards our 11yo Westie boy as well as resource guarding particularly stolen contraband..
We were at a loss so we contacted Cam who listened to our issues and quickly set up a time to visit us at home.
The session with Cam was fantastic and he asked a lot of questions about we worked through the situations where the issues were triggering for Luna.
During this session Cam gave a us clear and practical advice on how to manage the various situations. This included how best to avoid creating these as well as strategies to protect the dogs and de-escalate the altercations in a way shaped around positive reinforcement techniques. This framework was followed up in a comprehensive tailored written program for our dogs that all the family can follow.
After implementing these we saw a dramatic decrease in the situations across a five week period with Luna starting to self regulate her emotions towards Finn. We also leant what to look out for to intervene early. Also where we did have a flare up or had concerns Cam was just a call away to get additional support and to ease any concerns we had and keep us on track.
Cam has given us more confidence in managing the situations and helping Luna reshape her behaviour to be more positive towards Finn.
Highly recommend Cam and we are very grateful of his guidance and knowledge.
We rescued Chillie last year, she was very shy and timid at first, then as she became more comfortable and we started to notice some behaviours particularly when visitors came over. She would lunge and bark, our visitors couldn’t go to the toilet without her chasing them, and she even nipped at ankles.
We had one session with Cam, it was comprehensive and interactive, we learnt the skills we needed to start changing Chillies perception of strangers. Cam gave us tools to use at home and also ways to build her confidence outside.
We have seen a significant improvement in Chillies behaviour around strangers, she is much more settled, calm, she knows what is expected of her, she is confident and we have been able to maintain boundaries (because sometimes she thinks she’s the boss!)
Our guests can go to the toilet without Chillie barking at them!
Having visitors over is a much more relaxed and enjoyable experience for everyone, and especially for Chillie!
Thank you Cam !
Cameron’s training has been a great help! He really took the time to explain behaviours, and provide us with the tools necessary to help our boy Stewie! We definitely recommend Cam!
Cameron at Active Creatures was amazing with our dog Sassy. She was extremely anxious, very dominant with smaller dogs, scared of curtains moving and always cried when she other dogs while we're out walking her. A few hours with Cam and she has changed in such a positive way. She's not completely cured but she has improved so much. No more crying when she sees other dogs, her fear of curtains moving has reduced and most of all the dominant attitude toward smaller dogs has almost completely stopped. I would recommend Cameron to anyone and everyone. He is "The Dog Whisperer"!
Thanks Cam for your step by step guidance with Rosie.
Older dog with health and sleep issues. Not easy.
We have adopted Cams suggestions and have seen improvement with Rosie.
Along with our vet’s assistance.
Cam was respectful and guided us towards our vet’s thoughts and complimented treatment with his expertise on dog behaviour.
Much appreciated and Rosie says thanks
How our approach works
Benefits of working with Active Creatures
Learn why
your dog has been behaving in a particular way, whether that's fearfulness, anxiousness, aggression or excitability.
Identify body language
those signs and signals exhibited by your dog that are directly attributable to a behavioural problem/s.
Implement the right behavioural treatment strategies
and techniques that help to resolve your dog’s behavioural problem/s. This could involve separation related behaviour, fearful or anxious behaviour or some other form of reactivity.
Understand how to positively effect behavioural change in your dog
using specific behavioural approaches and strategies.
Conduct tailored practical exercises with your dog
in real time, that allows your dog to learn and speed up their positive behavioural change.
Learn prevention methods
to stop your dog developing another behavioural problem, or experience a relapse of the current condition.
Develop more confidence and knowledge
to immediately identify a behavioural problem, and take the required action to resolve the issue before it worsens.
Ready to get started?
Active Creatures. What we specalise in
While Active Creatures can help dog owners address nearly all behavioural problems and issues that their dog is experiencing - excitability, resource guarding, attention seeking, excessive jumping and barking, toilet training etc - we typically get approached by owners with dogs who are suffering from either one, or two of the following complex behavioural problem/s.
Namely, these are:
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With Separation Related Behaviour, we commonly find that the condition plays out both inside the home when the dog is alone, and outside in a particular environment when the owner needs to temporarily move away from his/her dog. In both scenarios, the underlying stress and panic being experienced by the dog can be traumatic.
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Fear Based Reactivity can be present in a variety of situations. A dog may show both fear and/or aggression towards other unfamiliar dogs that are nearby, especially when going for a walk, or at a local park.
+ Show moreSome dogs may also show these type of behaviours towards unfamiliar adults or children, either inside or outside of the home. Other dogs may demonstrate reactivity towards moving objects such as bicycles, cars and skateboards. And of course, a dog may simply be hyper-excited when placed in these situations - also very common given the number of owners who approach us to help calm and relax their very hyper-excitable dogs.
Another area that Active Creatures is becoming more involved in, is helping owners who have two dogs residing in the same home, where there are infrequent displays of aggression between both dogs. Increasingly, we are being approached for this specific problem given the amount of stress and anxiety that an owner is subjected to.
Utilising current research
Due to this demand from owners for behavioural treatment in the area’s outlined above, Active Creatures ultimately devotes significant attention into researching the most recent and practical advancements into treatment methods and strategies for these conditions. That’s because these complex behavioural issues demand an up-to date, ‘best practice’ approach to bring about lasting positive behavioural change for an owner’s suffering dog.
If your dog has been experiencing some of the above problems, please reach out to us for help.
as at March 2024
Latest Dog Behaviour Research
Pain & Discomfort can impact the development of Aggressive Dog Behaviour
Key Research: Aggressive dog behaviour is often associated with inadequate socialisation, fear based reactivity, or the dog experiencing a negative emotional state that then contributes towards the way they act. Some aggressive behaviour displayed by dog’s can also be quite normal, including intermale aggression, resource related and maternal aggression. The existence of pain, discomfort and/or disease however, can also influence the development of aggression problems in dogs. Importantly, a sudden change or unexpected change in a dog’s behaviour may indicate that pain is being felt. The emergence of any pain can also enhance or worsen aggression and other behavioural problems that a dog may already be experiencing.
(Marta Amat; Susana LeBrech; and Xavier Manteca. Jan 2024. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal practice. Vol 54, 43- 53.)
Key Takeaway: If your dog has been exhibiting unexplained aggressive behaviour – especially in recent weeks – either towards yourself or other family members, other unfamiliar persons or dogs generally, then a full veterinary physical examination may be warranted. Even subtle forms of pain and discomfort may go initially unnoticed but could be directly contributing to your dog’s aggressive behaviour. Ultimately, if pain has been deemed the cause, then this can then be treated appropriately by your veterinarian. In the absence of pain or disease however, the aggressive behaviour is more likely being caused by one or more of the contributing factors mentioned above whereby your dog would benefit from a tailored behavioural modification plan.
A consistent schedule of positive activities can help reduce the development of Aggressive Dog Behaviour
The importance of relaxation for your dog (Separation Related Behaviour, SRB)
The importance of relaxation for your dog…
Key Research: Dogs who are experiencing separation problems are highly likely to be physically active and to vocalise once their owner/s have departed. In contrast, dogs who are not experiencing separation problems are mostly inactive while alone (lying resting or lying alert) without displaying any type of vocalisation. An inability to relax – or needing a long time to achieve relaxation when alone – appears to be a key determinant here in assessing the presence of separation problems in dogs. Equivalently, dogs who find it difficult to relax even upon owner return, is another key indicator of the existence of separation problems.
(Silbermamm, J & Ganslober, U. 2023. Animals 13, 3735)
Key Takeaway: Your dog’s propensity to be able to reach a state of relaxation is important here. If your dog is prone to separation anxiety, pay careful attention to his or her ability to generally achieve a state of relaxation, even when you are home. Taking deliberate steps to help teach your dog to relax, in different locations of your home and at various times through the day, will go some way towards assisting your dog to learn how to relax when alone. Of course, be cautious to not regularly leave your dog alone until he or she has benefited from other, effective, separation related behavioural treatments.
The sound your dog makes when alone can reflect how they are feeling (SRB)
Key Research: Different types of vocalisations that dogs make when alone, has been investigated in order to gain an understanding of how dogs are feeling when they make a particular sound. It has been reported that dogs who are afraid of being left alone whine much more often than dogs who do not experience separation anxiety. On the other hand, dogs who tend to bark when alone are more likely to be doing this out of frustration and boredom. In essence, the negative emotion of fearfulness is driving the whining behaviour of dogs who exhibit this vocalisation when alone.
(Pongracz, P; Lenkei, R; Marx, A; Farago, T. 2017. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 196, 61-68)
Key Takeaway: Be aware of the type of sound your dog makes when alone. This can help determine what behavioural treatment approach will best assist your dog. If they are simply bored and frustrated and subsequently barking quite a lot, then the treatment approach will be more associated with getting your dog involved with engaging activities before you leave, so as to induce both tiredness and contentment. A well as having some playful activities they can choose to do while alone. Fear based whining behaviour however, is quite complex, and will require a treatment approach that teaches predictability while also developing your dog’s confidence and resilience when left alone.
The location you leave your dog when alone, can have an impact (SRB)
Key Research: Dogs who are (a) confined to an inside kennel/cage with the door closed, or (b) have only one room for access as opposed to several rooms in the home, or (c) more likely to be placed outside when the owner leaves – are much more likely to display separation behavioural problems. Especially with regard to the inside scenario’s, these equate with restricted movement and therefore only add to the dog’s discomfort. Equivalently, if separation from the owner is also combined with a sudden change in the dog’s environment, then this can have a negative impact on how your dog copes with the immediate situation.
(Silbermamm, J & Ganslober, U. 2023. Animals 13, 3735)
Key Takeaway: Allowing your dog to have a free range of movement when inside alone, will help remove any feelings of restriction and discomfort that can contribute to separation panic. In doing this, a kennel or cage can be a great location to become a safe place for your dog, but where access to other rooms are also provided. Teach your dog the ability to relax and enjoy this safe location, both when you are at home or going out. This can help offset the development of separation behavioural problems.
Confining your dog to outside when alone, may remove opportunities for them to withdraw and therefore contribute to them feeling insecure. Equivalently, Sudden or unexpected noises or other outside stimuli which cause them to adversely react, may only interfere with their ability to settle down and relax.
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