Competing with your dog can be fun and creates an incredible bond. There are many competitive dog sports to choose from in Australia. Some of the most recognized sports include: Obedience, Rally-O, Agility, Dancing with Dogs, Tracking, Flyball and Retrieving & Field Trials. These have recently been joined by Trick Dogs and soon will be joined by Scentwork. The foundation sport at the basis of all of these sports is obedience. This does not mean "making your dog do what it's told". Obedience is about forming a bond with your dog so you both share a common language. You can then use cues that you both understand and your dog will enthusiastically follow your cues to perform certain tasks. Obedience, scentwork and retrieving, form the basis of a number of dog sports. Dog training with the goal of competing, can be very rewarding. Nowadays there is also an option of online titling with dogs. Many people find this less intimidating, less expensive and more practical than attending a competition. It is also an excellent option for anxious or reactive dogs.

With the help of a professional dog trainer, any dog and handler can learn all the skills required to participate in competitions or online titling programs. Preparing people and their dogs for starting competition or online titling is an area we specialize in. 

Puppies need the right start in life if they are to mature into the adult dog you want. Effort spent at this critical time, pays off a hundred-fold later in life. The magical window for naturally accepting new experiences lasts from week 3 to about week 12. As the puppy needs to spend the first 8 weeks with its mother and littermates, that only leaves you with a very small window to expose the puppy to lots of new sounds, places, items and people. There are also lots of activities that need to commence during this early time; toilet training, walking on a leash and managing unwanted puppy behaviours are just a few areas that need to be addressed. Although working with puppies at a young age is the most ideal way to establish the type of dog you want, it is never too late. Dogs of all ages can learn new behaviours. Having a dog that can follow instructions makes the dog's life safer and more enjoyable and makes the human-dog bond much stronger. 

Avanti Dog Training does not offer puppy pre-schools or puppy training, but we do recommend you investigate the options available to you.