Underdog Success Stories!

We were very fortunate to be given an Underdog Training business card by our vet when we took her to the vet for her first check up. It was one of the best pieces of advice that our vet has given us and our experience with Underdog Training and Tamara and Stuart in guiding us with the training of our dogs has been fantastic.

Alice (2.5 years) and Lenny (5 months) were both abandoned by their owners. Alice came from Save a Dog and we adopted her in November 2007. Lenny was fostered by Tamara and Stuart and when we saw him we just had to have him join our family in June 2008 and be a companion to Alice. Tamara came to our place shortly after we brought Alice home and was a wealth of useful and practical information regarding having dogs around the house and how to train them. In particular, Tamara has worked with us in relation to Alice's 'escapee' habits and we now have a very effective and reliable retaining system at our house. Alice also has an aggression problem when meeting other dogs on the lead (even though she is fantastic with people).

With the help of Tamara and Stuart through regular training sessions and a 3 week boarding training period (where we sent Alice away for intensive training/behaviour modification with Tamara and Stuart) we are well on the way to managing the issue which now makes walks a far more pleasant experience!!! Alice has gone through level 1 training and was best dog in class thanks to Tamara and Stuarts's excellent instruction...we are now doing level 2 which is a lot of fun. Lenny is just starting level 1 and we are looking forward to taking him through the training process. We would highly recommend Underdog Training and thank Tamara and Stuart for all their help, patience and support!!!

Jane Hodder and Murray Ware - Malvern East

Tamara,

This is a thankyou note that is well and truly overdue. You should know that your assessment and remediation of Alli did it in ONE shot! I sense reprogramming our behaviour made a big difference. I still can't believe the transformation you made in Alli's behaviour by the next day! Alli has been a new girl on her lead. There's no pulling and it's true to say that both family and dog are enjoying the outdoors. There's no more whining as to who takes Alli for a walk these days. The whole family really appreciated your help, and most importantly, your astute insights. Next step will be to take Alli off her lead but as you indicated, let's take one step at a time.

Many thanks Stephen, Terri, Lauren, Ashleigh and of course Alli. Surrey Hills

We just want to thank you both for all your help with training Archie.

Archie is our wonderful sheltie who has brought so much pleasure to us and in general is a very good and clever dog (too clever sometimes!!) but we had one major problem with him, he reacts to cars, he is a very good passenger, but take him out for a walk and he wants to chase every car he sees and is out of control with 'prey drive' this might not sound too much of a problem, but part of the reason for getting a dog was to be able to go out for walks, it had got to the stage of only being able to drive Archie to the park and letting him get his exercise there. We had tried several trainers who made suggestions but didn't follow through when they didn't work.

Enter Tamara, Archie sensed in a moment that Tamara would stand no nonsense and with her he behaved perfectly every time, but back with us he returned to reacting again, but Tamara didn't give up, from hiding in bushes (Archie worked that out very quickly), to sending Stuart as a decoy, (he sussed that too) but eventually with lots of help and copious amounts of patience we got there, and we can now happily take Archie for walks.

I have never seen trainers so dedicated to their work, I can highly recommend both Tamara and Stuart, first impressions count and I only had to look at their own dogs to see what is achievable and they are both willing to help you get there.

Jill & Richard

I would like to thank Tamara from Underdog Training for her expert assistance with my dog Arthur. Arthur is a two year old Maltese X Poodle and we had tried to attend group obedience lessons starting from when he was 10 weeks old however with Arthur's lack of concentration and my shift work it became increasingly difficult to attend much less achieve the desired results.

Attending a group class was good in theory but Arthur was more interested in chewing the leaves off the ground which was embarrassing and made worse when the instructors pointed out to the group that it was my fault that my dog wasn't picking up the skills being taught. So, I was made to feel like a bad dog owner but I definitely felt that the group approach was not getting through to Arthur and it was difficult to get the instructors attention if you needed some additional assistance.

This year I made the decision to seek some assistance for Arthur who had developed some naughty behaviour like jumping all over the furniture and on visitors, hiding under the bed, not coming when called and pulling on the lead when walking. After a search on Google I found Underdog and Tamara. I found Tamara to be friendly, professional and non judgmental. It was great to hear that it was ok to spoil your dog and Arthur seemed to love her. Arthur turned out to be quite intelligent and responded quickly to the training sessions which were tailored to suit his personality and learning abilities, and were conducted in my house, outside the house and down at a local park. Arthur no longer hides under the bed, he sleeps in his new crate (which he loves) and he is able to walk properly on a lead without pulling and it is now a pleasure to take him out in public.

Arthur is still spoiled from time to time and is still a cheeky dog occasionally however now I feel like I have the proper control over him and we could even attend some additional group training sessions, especially since Arthur knows all the basics. I would recommend these training sessions to anyone.

Thanks very much from Emily and Arthur

Hi Tamara,

I wanted to say thank you for the advice and methods you gave us in our training sessions with Beau, Ernie and Gypsie. Our baby Harvey (of the human variety!) has fitted into the family with no problems at all. The dogs are so much happier and we are stress free when it comes to juggling the baby and the dogs as they have adjusted so well.

I am only just beginning to realise how smart Beau is, and we are both enjoying learning tricks and targeting. He picks up on things so quickly - but I never realised his potential before you pointed it out to me! At the moment we are introducing a new trick or command about twice a week! He walks beautify with the pram and is so careful around Harvey it is just lovely. This is a picture of a normal morning in our house now thanks to you.

Jess and Beau Bruns

Tamara has worked with Bonnie and myself for a little while now and although Bonnie will never be your unquestionably obedient dog, we have learnt how to manage her behaviour and we are now able to enjoy our walks together rather than the previous dread of being towed along in hot pursuit of another dog. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend their services to anyone with a doggie behaviour problem.

They are fantastic to talk to and they have a real connection and understanding of dogs - even dogs like our Bon. I've learnt not every dog is suited to group training - one on one with Tamara and Georgie has been so much more helpful. I also highly recommend their agility workshops - Bonnie and I loved it.

Tracey and Bonnie

I would thoroughly recommend underdog training to all puppy owners out there - it was a great opportunity for both my puppy (Boseley) and I to learn the crucial elements of basic training and the classes were fun and a good opportunity to meet other puppy owners. I felt that Boseley improved immensely with Tamara's expert advice and support by the end of 4 weeks of puppy school Boslely can sit and drop on command and is walking on the leash!! I was so impressed that I am enrolling for the second stage of training classes and Boseley and I can't wait! I wanted thank you both so much for such a fantastic result from the group training class that my puppy Boseley and I recently attended.

I was thrilled with Boseley's progress in the group classes and really amazed at how much my little puppy learnt in just 4 weeks !! Tamara and Stuart made the classes fun but also very informative and gave the the right tools to take home and practice. I also felt that my handling skills improved and now we enjoy loose lead walking - he is even starting to heel, he can sit stay and drop stay. For a puppy that is not even 5 months of age as yet - this is impressive and I am looking forward to continuing with further training when he is a little older.

Tamara and Stuart have such lovely personalities and made the training classes simple but effective.they also were on hand to answer any of our questions and often gave time before and after the class to answer specific queries. I would highly recommend Underdog Training to all dog owners you will not be disappointed.

Zoe and Boseley, South Melbourne

Bumblebee, our active and crazy 4 month old Beagle was taking us for walks, dragging us to anywhere she wanted to go. She jumped onto people, especially around feeding times. That was before she went for a 3 week training with Stuart at Underdog Training. Initially, we weren't exactly sure what could be achieved in 3 weeks. After all, Beagles are well known for their stubbornness and active wandering minds triggered by their high sense of smell. At her young age, anything could happen.

It's amazing the transformation which took place in 3 short weeks! Bumblebee's first parade was simply flawless; walking calmly next to Stuart at the training ground. She sat and dropped on command, and remained so when Stuart walked away. She stayed in position even when Stuart kicked things around trying to distract her! She sat for her food and came when called upon. Stuart even managed to teach her to shake our hands, which was our special request!

Bumblebee continued to perform well at home. She walks and runs well with every member of the family. Even though she is still her crazy self, we are now walking her instead. The money spent on her training is the best 'purchase' we had ever made! The follow-up at home a week or so after her initial training helped tremendously and exemplified the love and care Underdog Training puts into their work.

We have no hesitation in recommending Underdog Training to anyone. We simply can't thank Under Training enough for making Bumblebee so much more lovable and enjoyable! Thank you.

Auralia Hua

When I first met Tamara I was amazed at her knowledge of dog psychology. Everything she was saying made so much sense yet had never occurred to me, and all the time I had been doing everything backward! I have done training for both of my dogs with Tamara and Stuart and it has not only made my dogs much better behaved, but I also found it was a great bonding experience and it was so much fun for all of us. I looked forward to Saturday mornings just as much as my dogs did!!!

I would highly recommend Underdog to anyone looking at training their dog. I learnt more in one lesson with Tamara than I thought possible and now everything is so much easier, from simply walking them without them pulling my arms off, them coming back to me reliably so we can have fun times at the park or beach, and also stays which are invaluable for so many situations. Thanks so much guys!

Danielle- Claude and Zora

Our dog Coco at 9 months was the size of a pony and loved to jump on people and bark when the attention was not on her. After an hour session with Tamara, Coco was the best behaved dog. We learnt some very easy but important tips on how to deal with Coco and how to implement them. Best money ever spent... Thanks so much

Carolyn and Coco

We first learned of Underdog Training when we got our second labrador, Daisy. The training school we attended with our first lab, Barclay, had closed down and we were trying to find a puppy school that had similar methods but would mostly allow us to focus on socialisation - we wanted to do the formal training ourselves rather than changing what we had learned with our first dog. After a couple of emails with Underdog we were pleased with how flexible they were and enrolled in puppy school. About halfway through our first class we had completely changed our mind about doing the training ourselves. As we listened to Tamara's explanations of the puppies' behaviour, how they learn and their phases of development, the reasoning behind training methods started to make so much more sense. Rather than going in blind and following rules to train our dogs that didn't always make sense to us and not understanding why, the logic behind the training started to develop.

After puppy school was finished we enrolled both our dogs in Level One training and were once again very impressed - they both made so much progress because we understood how to train them so much better. This was especially helpful in dealing with the temperaments of such different dogs, one being so boisterous, easily distracted and constantly pushing boundaries and the other so soft, gentle and very easily intimidated. They require very different handling and Underdog was able to show us how to train them to each of their temperaments, giving us insight into each dog's behaviour. Level One classes were especially helpful for us with Barclay. Before, we felt that it was unlikely we would ever be able to let him off lead at a park and hurried him outside whenever guests arrived. Because of his high level of distractibility and extreme love of people he would run full pelt at anyone he saw and jump up with excitement. Being a big black dog this was quite frightening for people and we soon learned to keep him under close guard around strangers. Now, he's not perfect (yet), but he's a hundred times better. He's stopped jumping and is much more responsive off lead.

We have now gone through two Level One classes and one Level Two class and still thoroughly enjoy each lesson. We both feel confident we can handle any issues the dogs may throw at us, and know that Underdog are always available after class or via email to give advice about any and all questions or concerns. Daisy and Barclay are happy, mentally stimulated, well mannered dogs that we really enjoy having as a part of our lives. We plan to continue with training and get them both to a higher level but the progress we have all made so far and the fun we have had is astounding and we would (and do) very highly recommend Underdog training to any dog owner.

When we adopted Doza she was a cute, sleepy little bear of a dog. After one day she realized that she would be able to rule her new family in a manner similar to Kublah Khan, and did. She bit everything that moved and everything that didn't move, she terrorized our other dog to the point where it tried to call A Current Affair, (I got the phone off her before she got through).

The vet nurse suggested Tamara or an elephant gun, and the rest as they say is history. We learnt that her bad behaviour was due to us, and therefore, could be fixed using common sense and consistency. Most of the time we love Doza, she needs some more sessions with Tamara, at least we do. If you have a dog with quirks, you have to address it, Tamara gives you the skills and the confidence.

Lee, Jeremy and Doza Ormond

Underdog training has helped us to transform our Spaniel x Labrador Em to the best behaved dog we have ever had. Before we started with Underdog, Em would drag us down the street, moving from one smell to the next while totally ignoring our commands. We were reluctant to take her to areas with other dogs or people as we knew comments such as 'can't you control your dog' were soon to follow.

Today however we have a dog that can move freely without her lead and return promptly to our side with a simple command. She walks down the street on a loose lead and will drop to the ground on our direction. All this was due to the fantastic efforts of Tamara and Stuart from Underdog Training, their approach was enjoyable for Em and involved training us as much as her. We were surprised how little time it took with Underdogs methods to bring about such a transformation.

We can highly recommend their professional approach and methods to anyone looking to train their dog with lasting effect. Thanks for all your efforts Tamara and Stuart

Neville, Angie, Sam, Connor, Jack and Em

Hi Tamara

Just a quick note to say a big thank you for all that you have helped me achieve with Harvey. I couldn't have chosen a better puppy school to take Harvey to. Unlike many puppy schools where you get 4 weeks of someone spruiking the benefits of premium brand pet foods, you honestly have the best, long term interests of our puppy at heart.

I would not hesitate to recommend Underdog to anyone looking for a training service that truly goes above and beyond. Its astounding how intuitive you are and how quickly you worked Harvey out. He responds so well to you, it's like he knows he has to be on his best behaviour when you're around! Harvey & I have really enjoyed participating in the Level 1 Group Classes and we look forward to continuing our training with you.

Terri & Harvey

We started Harvey off at Puppy pre-school with Tamara and have been continuing through to level one obedience. Being complete novices as dog owners, we knew that we needed to learn how to handle and train our puppy to be a well behaved and socialized dog.

We knew straight away that Tamara was going to be able to help us. Her own dogs' behaviour are a testament to her abilities as a trainer. After our first 8 weeks of training, we have seen an amazing improvement in our little Harvey. More importantly, we as a family have learnt how to handle him on a walk, to supervise his play with other dogs, to get him to drop or sit and stay with distractions, to come when called and he is starting to learn how to heel. We feel that each of these are essential skills for all dog owners. Thanks Tamara!

Kind regards

Tania, Jim, Will and Sam

I would like to publicly acknowledge Tamara and Stuart's dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm to their clients both four legged and 2 legged. We have a 9month old Belgian Shepherd puppy who began private lessons with Tamara at 12weeks old. Tamara was able to assess our puppy's temperament and advise us clearly about how to achieve our goals. We have attended group lessons as well. Holly (our dog) is growing up to be a delightful and well behaved family member thanks to the emphasis on practical everyday situations in Underdog's Training. We are constantly complimented on Holly's 'good' behaviour and manners in public.

Most importantly perhaps Tamara and Stuart are able to train me to teach my dog! They are able to establish an excellent rapport with both dogs and humans. We continue to attend group lessons with Underdog and have started training at an Obedience club where we were put into the top class, (with a view to participating in competitive obedience and agility.) People were amazed that Holly was only 9 months old. We have recommended Underdog to family, friends and clients and will continue to do so. Thank you Tamara and Stuart for all the fun!

Anna, Holly and Family

Hugo the pug started at puppy school with Underdog Training as a 10 week old puppy and since then he hasn't looked back. What we thought would be a big handful with a crazy pug has been an absolute joy and pleasure with the help of Tamara and her expert and friendly training techniques. Hugo has graduated from puppy school and basic obedience training and has even learnt some tricks along the way. Hugo is now 9 months old, well socialised and a well behaved puppy.

We can't thank Tamara enough for all her dog training and education of us on how to get the most out of Hugo. She always understood the level he was at and encouraged him to progress steadily. Having such a friendly person like Tamara, help train Hugo always made it such an enjoyable experience for all of us.

Once again, thanks heaps Tamara, and we will always be recommending you to our friends.

Fiona, Nick and Hugo St Kilda

Dear Tamara,

Thank you so much for the four sessions you spent with Jack and Ginger, my dachshund puppies. I'm not exactly sure who learned more, them or me. But I suspect it may have been me. I do know that I am a lot more confident with their training now. It was great that we were able to do the training in the puppies' own home. For you to see them in their home environment, and tailor your instructions during the on-on-one sessions to specifically meet their needs, was a great bonus.

I really appreciated the patience you showed when explaining and demonstrating different techniques - and, at all times your instructions and feedback were logical and very clear. You offer an excellent program and I would have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone wanting to get their puppy on the right track.

Many thanks,

Greg Morris

Hi Tamara,

I just wanted to say how wonderful Christian and I thought you were with the introduction classes for our little pup Jackson. I know Jackson misses the weekly group sessions and so do we, just having him interact with other dogs or all sorts really makes a difference, and for us its great to hear what you and others are doing with the pups, its been extremely helpful. I can already tell he gets more excited each daily walk to see other dogs, which is natural and we cant wait for the follow on classes. He's been a very, very good boy. We love him.

But anyway, hope you have a great time away over Xmas, Many thanks again for your help with us and Jackson, we really enjoyed coming to your classes each week.

Regards

Apprilla Riddell

Tamara & Stuart,

We would like to thank you for showing us how much fun agility classes can be. I was always under the impression that these kind of classes were the domain of the really serious dog handler - but today's workshop has changed my mind. I am really looking forward to bringing Jet and Jaz to classes next month, and I think secretly Ian is looking forward to it too. I know that Jet and Jaz had a ball as they are totally exhausted and have slept peacefully all afternoon, and I must admit that Ian and I have had a dognap as well.

Thanks once again for a fun morning and we look forward to seeing the photos that Stuart took.

Kind regards,

Norelle & Ian, Jet and Jaz

I am extremely happy to have found Tamara and Stuart from Underdog. Firstly, because for the first time since the problem with my two male (desexed) dogs began, I can see some light at the end of the tunnel and secondly because they're very nice people.

The problem started in June 2005 when Jordan who is 10 ½ years old had an operation on both back legs. While he was recovering he started to constantly attack Charlie, who is now 4 years old, even stalking him to fight him. I was frantic and called the vet who suggested putting soft muzzles on them. I tried this for less than 24 hours then sought help from a top animal behaviourist. We tried the behaviourist's strategies for months but they didn't help and the dogs have been separated by baby fences ever since. The two dogs can never be let together, if they do accidentally get together, they are straight into a fight. It is a very difficult situation. Before all this happened, they adored each other, one not wanting to go anywhere without the other.

A few weeks ago I got in touch with Tamara and she and Stuart both came on the first visit to check out the situation. Even on this first visit, they actually had the two dogs walking near each other on leads and sitting in the same room with us. That was a great accomplishment and a relief to see. Since then, Jordan, Charlie and I have been working with Tamara once a week. I am being trained to control the situation and we are starting to make some headway. I am absolutely amazed at how Tamara handles it all and at last I can see light and have lots of hope that the day will come that we will be able to take the fences down.

Iris, Charlie and Jordan- Templestowe

We hired Tamara and Stuart way back in 2007 to work with our dog Leo who we had adopted from a shelter when he was six months old. He was an incredibly beautiful Ridge Back Cross however he had huge social and anxiety issues especially when he was around other dogs.

Tamara and Stuart educated us about how to implement some fantastic techniques and strategies to help us understand and assist Leo in dealing with his issues, and improve his quality of life so dramatically. Tamara and Stuart are both incredibly passionate about dogs and getting the best possible outcome through their training sessions.

Since the passing of our beautiful Leo we have working continuously with Underdog with our three gorgeous Great Danes, Kiewa, Howqua & JimJim from puppy pre-school through to level two obedience and some agility as well! Tamara and Stuart have shown the same dedication and enthusiasm working with our giant babies as with any other dogs they work with, which has been very refreshing for us, and ensured that we have been able to get the best from our dogs and can enjoy them as beautiful companions and beloved members of our family.

Nicole and Anthony van Rompaey

TOn the two occasions that we have needed the help of dog trainers, we have called on the help of Tamara and Stuart.

The first occasion was nearly two years ago, when we brought home a new puppy, Lexie. Unfortunately, Lexie had issues with strangers, and we needed guidance as to how to recify the situation. Tamara helped us so much- her patience and caring nature towards animals ( and people!) certainly shone through. Each week at obedience classes, Tamara would set aside time for Lexie alone. After 12 months of commitment and perseverance, both Tamara and Stuart were both able to gain Lexies trust- something no one else outside the family could achieve. Lexie felt totally comfortable with Tamara and Stuart and was much more tolerant with the rest of the world also! We were thrilled.

Second occasion, we decided to get a puppy playmate for Lex. Tamara and Stuart thought carefully about the perfect playmate- keeping in mind we couldn't distract from Lexie, as she was a big focus in our lives. Tamara and Stuart sourced a dog Astro, introduced him to our family and Lexie and the rest is history! Have to say it has worked out perfectly. You guys certainly have the 'perfect match' system well worked out!

Thanks a million from the Shields Family, and Lexie and Astro too.

Dear Tamara and Stuart,

Thank you so much for the enormous help you have been to our whole family. Your kindness and caring towards Lucy has enabled me to understand so much of her behaviour and how to change undesirable habits. I have realised that you are not actually training Lucy but training me and the knowledge you have imparted has been invaluable.

Although I am a psychologist I did not know that dog behaviour needs to be treated very differently from human behaviour. Lucy is now a very happy, carefree dog who has the ability to interact with other dogs and humans (and pigs). Attached is a picture of Lucy with her best friend Barry.

Warmest regards Colleen.

Hi Tamara and Stuart,

Thanks for your efforts over the last few weeks. Lucy has certainly taken well to her training and is very appreciative of her 'Most Improved' award. We found the training course excellent and very rewarding. The way the course is structured is great, especially with the 1hr 1 on 1 session being very worthwhile and a good way for you to asses the dog's skills and how she would fit into the class and for us in teaching Lucy some basics so she is prepared for the course.

In 4 weeks Lucy has improved dramatically in how she walks and behaves overall. As I mentioned Lucy got out during the week and Andrea noticed her down the road when she was driving home and the amazing thing was that Lucy came when she was called.....for a beagle that is an amazing feat. Stuart you made training look very simple and it works. Over all a great training course guys, well done.

Thank you

Godfrey, Andrea and Lucy Scicluna

Hi Tamara,

I want to express my appreciation for your work with Madeline, our little cross Shi Tzu Maltese. Your manner and techniques are very professional, firm, and yet you obviously have great affection for the dog. I could see that in the way that she accepted you into the house at each visit. She now is very well mannered when visitors come to the front door, no more barking and jumping over people.

She obeys my commands which you taught. Furthermore you explained in a simple yet effective way how to make changes in the way I behave towards her, so that I gain more control over situations. The work which you did in socializing her with your two dogs, Otto and Jess, has made taking her to the shopping strip a pleasure and a source of pride as I walk down the street with my well behaved pet. My walks with her have improved out of sight, so that now I can enjoy the time we spend, without worrying all the way about her running off and being uncontrollable.

I look forward to continuing the training in the near future, so that she remains a perfect little companion pet. I have been mentioning Underdog Training to my friends who have dogs, some of which are in need of your valuable input.

Regards

Dominic and Madeline

Hi Tamara and Stuart

We would just like to thank you both for all your assistance with training Max, our three year old blue heeler. Both Jules and myself have both benefited greatly from the one on one training each week, over the four week period. We gained more knowledge about effective practical training methods with you in this short time than we ever learnt previously at larger dog obedience schools. Life for Max is alot easier now that we can communicate with him in a way that he understands and we feel comfortable and confident that we can take him anywhere with us and that we are in control.

We enjoyed your training methods and your personal touch so much that we look forward to calling on you again for When Freddy Meets Fido training when the time arises. Keep up the good work and thankyou again.

Regards

Simon, Jules and Max- Oakleigh

P.S Just last week we participated in the RSPCA paws walk, which you well know has a huge dog attendance. We were very proud parents being able to walk Max instead of Max walking us and proudly accepted compliments from other dog owners when we could put Max in a 'sit stay' position which he held with all the distractions going on around him to allow us to take his photo.

P.P.S Hello to Cosmo, Otto and Jess

I found Underdog Training when I adopted my first dog Missy two and a half years ago as I had no idea what I was doing with a dog! Stuart came to my house to take me through the basics. This was followed by beginner and intermediate obedience course and with Stuart and Tamara's instructions we were good to go!

Six months later I adopted Coco and I realised how easy I had it with Missy. A five month old Labrador had arrived. She was a home angel and a park devil and the hard work began! With two rounds of the beginners obedience course Coco started to get the hang of what obedience was all about – but very slowly!! Just recently (a year later) I have had more one on one sessions for Coco's particular behavioural and social issues and I am pleased to say with a lot of work both by myself and Stuart during her training walks I have a new dog and hope that sometime soon she can be let off lead without running off across a road!

Most of the training has been all about teaching me how to manage my dogs. My challenge has been that my first dog Missy was so well behaved I just expected it to be as easy with Coco. Both Stuart and Tamara have helped me understand this, the reasons for the different behaviour and how I had to change my thinking between the two dogs to get the most out of them. Both Stuart and Tamara are very good at getting you to be aware of what you need to do to change your own behaviour with your dogs without it being confronting – an amazing skill! They are both passionate about dogs and truly care about the dogs and owners they teach. They really want to ensure you get the best out of your dog both in obedience and enjoyment.

Along the way we have started agility which has been a great way to improve my bond with my dogs as well as my control of their behaviour. It is fun and every time both Missy and Coco surprise me at just how smart they are and how much they will do if I ask them.

Now when I am out and about and I get told by people how well my dogs behave and they wish their dogs did the same I tell them about Stuart and Tamara. I cannot recommend Underdog Training enough!

Tamara & Stuart,

I want you both to know what an amazing effect your training has had on Molly. Since the puppy preschool and then onto 'Grade 1', I think that she has learnt as much as I have. I never realised dog training is more about teaching me how to handle a dog- I work harder at Dog Training than she does! There is still work to be done, but we are both having a lot of fun learning new stuff and our daily training sessions.

I knew she was good, but I took her to a friends house on the weekend for a BBQ, and everyone there had dogs of their own. They were so impressed with how good she was even with food around- very impressive for a Lab puppy! Thankyou so much, I really enjoy the training sessions and I know Molly does too- look forward to the next course. I will continue to recommend your services to others who want their dog to be better behaved, and want to have more fun with their dogs.

Rich, Nat & Molly.

Caulfield North

We have a Deer hound X called Molly who my family and I adopted from AAPS in April Last year. She was 7-8 months old and a huge bouncy girl, who we could not wait to take home. Excitement turned to 'oh my gosh' as we worried how to introduce the new member to our existing cats.

It was then that I contacted Tamara and Stuart of Underdog Training, who were very patient and understanding. After speaking a length with Tamara we decided to do a week of boarding and training before we got Molly home. After a week we were dying to see how Molly went and to finally bring her home. It was a miracle. Tamara and Stuart had worked with her every day and she could sit, drop and walk on a loose lead with no pulling (a BIG difference) and most of all had been socialised with cats. We were thrilled. We then completed the training offered by Underdog at the AAPS, and went on to level one classes with Underdog.

I was devastated when at the end of the first round of classes when my big girl did not pass!!!!! But she did win most improved dog (a proud day for us. really). We went back to level one classes and second time round we graduated. We love going to training and see constant improvement in our dog and our selves, yes training is more about the owner than the dog at times. We have had private training in conjunction and between group training which is invaluable. Other fun stuff is the agility workshops (really funny with a leggy uncoordinated dog) as well as level 2 classes in St Kilda and on the beach.

Training is always fun and Molly just loves going. It's a lot of work but so worthwhile, we have come along in leaps and clumsy bounds. Oh and it's great when family and friends comment on how 'good' your dog is, Thanks a million Tamara and Stuart, you guys are the best and have certainly helped us REALLY enjoy our Miss Molly.

Love Diva, Molly and Family incl Cats.

Hi Tamara and Stuart,

Not sure if you will remember us, you have so many people and dogs to deal with, but thought we would drop you a line to let know how our progress is going with Monty. Just to jog your memory, we adopted Monty for the AAPS in August (Golden Labrador, 12 months). I have attended four classes at the shelter (have not been for a while as my son plays cricket on a sat morning now) and Tamara came out to help with a few problems at home. They were getting in and out of the door and bigger problem of him chasing the cats. Anyway he is going really well. We can now come in and out of the house easily and even leave the sliding door open and he won't come in! When he does come in he doesn't pick everything up in sight now and if he does he gives it when asked.

He really is a lovely dog and my daughter's best friend. He has a great nature and is actually a very funny dog. I know it will be worth all of the effort. Thanks for all your help. We are learning to expect more of him and his behaviour so that has been a learning curve for the family as well.

Thanks again for your help, it hmontas given us good foundations to improve on all the time.

Thank you

Pam Ericksen

We are very happy with the help you provided with the When Freddy meets Fido training and are only too happy to recommend it. I am sure we are not perfect at implementing everything you told us but we are certainly more comfortable, and vigilant, with the interactions between Sean, Monty & Jess.

These crates were a great idea and well worth the investment as they have, as you said they would, provided a safe haven for the dogs and peace of mind for us knowing we can put the dogs in them and be sure Sean is safe. They are quite happy to be in them and now use them as their regular spot to rest, quite often going in them of their own accord. The toy training also worked as they leave Sean's alone and only play with theirs. We have also tried to ensure any interactions with Sean are positive and regularly go for walks with them on lead and Sean in a pusher. We also still walk them regularly on their own and still allow them inside the house at night to be part of the family with the 'no jumping' etc restrictions.

The instruction you gave us has certainly helped reduce our anxiety and gone a long way to ensuring all members of our family enjoy living and playing together.

Thanks

Jen, Stuart and Sean And Monty and Jess

Thank you for so much for the great work you did with Odin. I amazed and the massive turnaround and so quickly in only a couple of sessions. He is an absolute pleasure to walk now and I am proud to show his new manners to the general public.

There is no more jumping around, pulling, chasing anything that moves, especially cats. I can now walk Odin - rather than the other way around! He listens more and whenever he needs a slight correction, albeit rare, he quickly remembers what he needs to do.

Thanks again.

Thanks once again for all your time and effort at puppy school in training Oscar the Boston Terrier. After searching the web and asking around I came across Underdog Training and I must say it was one of my best discoveries.

Oscar graduated puppy school at 12 weeks of age and hasn't looked back ever since. I was amazed once taught some simple techniques how quickly Oscar was able to progress with his training. From constantly pulling on the lead he is now a joy to take walking both on and off the lead. He still has lots of energy and loves chasing the Frisbee, getting it off him well that's still a work in progress but most of all loves the beach and interacting with other dogs. All the dog socialisation gained in puppy classes has made a huge difference and he is definitely a much more balanced puppy and a joy to take outside.

Your approach at encouraging Oscar step by step I can't thank you enough and I'm definitely now reaping the rewards!

When we first picked Pepper up from the Keysborough APPS, she could barely stay still for a split second. She jumped, fell over, jumped, chewed, licked and fell over some more. It was like watching a baby giraffe - she was all legs! She was completely crazy, in a loveable way, with so much energy. We knew we had a challenge and had to call for reinforcements.

We contacted Tamara and Stuart as recommended by Keysborough and Stuart came and visited us for a one-on-one session. It was fantastic - we suddenly understood it was all about training us to understand our beautiful Pepper girl! We attended the Level One Classes, it took us two times through, and just this weekend we passed! Was a very proud moment for all of us, and the difference in Pepper in just 4 short months is incredible. I can't believe she is the same dog - it's definitely worth putting in the effort, and the laughs along the way were just a bonus.

We are looking forward to commencing Level Two Classes, and cannot speak highly enough of Tamara and Stuart, and Underdog Training. We really enjoyed attending, and loved that they are always on hand to give advice, by email or after classes. I don't think we would have understood and enjoyed our little Pepper anywhere near as much without their assistance.

THANKS GUYS - including Jesse, Georgie, Cosmo and cheeky Dexter!

-Sebastian, Julie and Pepper.

Hi Tamara,

Ash and I wanted to say a huge thank you for assisting us in the training of our 13-week old French Bulldog, Ralph.I am sure he will miss his weekly visits to petstock to play with the other puppies. Your knowledge and patience has been much appreciated over the past 4 weeks and we now confident in training our puppy ourselves.

Thanks again,

Kelly, Ash & Ralph

Since Underdog trained Reggie, we have had to become used to the number of people stopping to compliment us on our dog's good behaviour. Reggie was a very excitable, easily distracted, devastatingly handsome two year old bull mastiff cross who was adorable but very willful.

We were beyond the point of despair with his behaviour and were saved by a one-on-one session with Stuart, who showed us that Reggie could be the dog we wanted him to be. That session led to us signing up for level one group training. To our delight, Reggie passed through first time and was awarded most improved dog. Stuart's patience (mostly with us rather than the dog) and experience made a huge difference.

We followed up with level two training where Tamara wrapped Reggie around her little finger. We have all benefited from the training. Now Reggie can be taken along Chapel St for a walk, will stay in a drop outside the shops and will lie quietly at our feet when we stop at a café. Exactly what we hoped we'd be able to do with our pup.

We regularly recommend Stuart, Tamara and Underdog to friends and other dog owners. Make sure you have their business cards with you when you're in the park - you never know when you'll meet someone who could do with the help of Underdog.

Carl, Jo and Reggie

Our German Shepherd, Rex, was brought home from an animal shelter. Rex was about five years old and of unknown temperament. A process of trial and error established that he had been trained but his aggressive behaviour towards other dogs concerned us.

The animal shelter recommended we talk to Stuart about Rex and as a result we embarked on a series of one-on one training sessions. Stuart's casual ease but firm discipline has been adopted by us. His straightforward and knowledgeable approach was combined with his clear understanding of dog psychology. Both Rex and ourselves are responding well to Stuart's training. We now have more relaxed walks and fewer tricky situations with other dogs. When the latter do occur we are now better prepared to handle them. Stuart's skill and talent is truly appreciated by us and we recommend him.

David & Denise Carl

We want to thank you for the all the professional advice and training you have provided Roxy the Chocolate Lab (and ourselves) over the past 15 months.

We have used a range of Underdog services since Roxy was 12 weeks old, including puppy school, private lessons, board and train (very effective), group obedience training (levels 1 and 2), 'When Freddy Meets Fido' (extremely useful) and your most recent service, 'Walk and Train'. We have found all your services to be extremely effective, especially coupled with discipline (ours) and practice (Roxy's). Your teaching style and advice has always been professional and sound.

There is no doubt that you both love what you do and do it well - you certainly have a massive fan in Roxy and advocates in us. We look forward to working with Underdog more in the future as Roxy matures into a well trained, serene Labrador ...

Thanks again

Dan, Yolande and Roxy

For some time our Pomeranian, Sammi, had slowly became more aggressive toward other dogs and some people and was generally badly behaved. A quick call to Underdog and meeting with Stuart at our home (at a time that suited us!) resulted in a much more manageable dog after just one lesson and we no longer have reservations about taking Sammi on a walk with us.

Stuart brought his dogs to our home and worked with Sammi and each member of our family to show us ways that we could better control our pet. We are now much more confident with our dog thanks to Stuart. We cannot recommend the services of Underdog Training highly enough and thank Stuart for his time and professionalism.Thanks again for your great work and all your helpful advice.

Stuart from Underdog made our dog Sammi, 'the WONDERDOG!!!!'

Regards,

Lisa, Mark, Sarsha, Emma and Sammi - the WONDERDOG (woof woof)

East Doncaster.

Scout and I enjoyed our time at puppy school. Learnt that consistency, persistence and a big bag of treats is definitely the way to go! Thanks Tamara for all your great advice and patience with answering my thousands of questions.

Kate and Scout the Border Collie cross.

Soda is a very active and excitable Kelpie Ridgeback, she has very nice nature but also has a very strong will to do what she wants, when she wants. We have had her since she was a pup and one of the first things we did was to take her to puppy training classes with Underdog Training. These classes helped us to understand her behaviour (and ours), the need for her to socialise with other dogs, and also showed us how to introduce some basic commands (sit, drop etc.).

Overall the training really helped with calming her down during the boisterous puppy stage. As Soda responded so well to the puppy training we decided to take her to Level 1 training. This really helped with loose lead walking, dealing with distractions (Soda is very easily distracted), and some higher level commands. Although she didn't pass on her first attempt we intend to persevere as the training has helped with walking in public and her behaviour around other dogs.

As you can see we are very happy with the training provided by Underdog training and would recommend it to anyone with a canine member of the family.

Regards

Michael Elms

Hi Stuart and Tamara,

We wanted to say a big thank you for all you efforts with Stollie. Before Stollie spent three weeks intensive training with you, she was a dog that lacked confidence around people and other dogs, and resorted to aggression as a result. Since she has returned she is a much calmer dog who enjoys her walks and with the commands you have taught her and us, we are able to control her much better around our friends and in public.

She really is a new dog, and whilst she continues to be a work in progress, the time spent with Underdog Training has been money well spent and we regret not doing it earlier.

Adam & Natasha

Tamara took an instant liking to our new Jack Russell pup, Stooky. Her passion and dedication to dogs is to be applauded. She seems to have a sixthsense when it comes to dogs.Well done, keep up the great work.

Rob

Hi Tamara,

First off - THANKS!!!! I really can't thank you and Stuart for everything that you've been able to achieve with Tilly and Jessie so far - and today was amazing, to be able to walk along that part of the beach on the footpath, not on the grass because of not being able to walk jessie passed other dogs was the most incredible thing. I would have done a little dance but thought that may upset the peaceful relaxedness of us all... maybe next time. Could not have done it without you ( and Dexter & Georgie!!!) so thank you so very much from all of us!

Thanks

Megan

The training, skills and knowledge that Tamara has provided us with has been invaluable. Walking on a loose lead, not jumping on strangers to say hello, dropping, walking through busy shopping centres and sitting at cafes are just a few of the skills Tamara has taught Tully & Indie.

Not only have Sean & I enjoyed learning how to teach Tully and Indie and watch them learn and get better, but Tul's and Ind's have certainly enjoyed the challenge and get very excited when Tamara arrives for class. We are very proud of how far they have come in such a short time span, and we owe that to Tamara who certainly knows her stuff!

We look forward to continuing the training with Tamara and group classes later this year.

Thanks again Tamara!

Louise, Sean, Tully & Indie.

We were really having trouble controlling Wally when we went to the park and spent most of our time chasing him around the park because he found other things more interesting than us. Tamara worked with us for eight sessions and the improvement in Wally and us was amazing. Wally is now a pleasure to take to the park and will come to us when we call him. He has now gone from strength to strength because Tamara not only trained Wally but she trained us as well J.

We are so thankful to Tamara and the help you gave us to ensure that Wally understands that we are the boss!

Warmest regards

Belinda and Daniel

We owe a lot to Stuart and Tamara. Our two miniature Schnauzer puppies, Winnie and Gus, were too cute for words when they first arrived at our house but too troublesome to take outside the house! Our walks involved us being pulled at speed toward other dogs or tangled up in the two leads. The sit command was met with blank stares and 'drop'' was plain ignored!

We were told about Underdog by our good friend and it was the best referral ever. Winnie and Gus are two new dogs - and now Level One graduates! Walking to the park is a breeze - even if one of us takes both dogs. We learnt that we needed obedience training as well as the puppies. Tamara also came to our home and showed us how to implement and refine what we learned in classes.

We loved attending the group classes which were informative but always fun! Tamara and Stuart are so passionate about what they do and caring towards every dog. We secretly think that Gus the Schnauzer wants to be adopted by Tamara as he sits up straighter when she walks by and always tries to snuffle a treat from her - but it is the enthusiasm of Tamara and Stuart that makes you (and your dog) enjoy each and every class.

Life with Winnie and Gus is so much easier now we found Underdog - we don't want to leave! See you at Level Two classes!