Dog Training 101

Golden Retriever recall training, 6 foundation commands - The Toe Beans Co

The 6 Foundation Commands for Every Dog

Sit, Down, Stay, Wait, the release word and Recall. The six foundation commands The Toe Beans Co teaches every dog,...
8 min read
commands
Labrador puppy walking in heel position beside their handler on a slack lead in a Sydney park

Teaching a puppy to walk beside you, and why heel is the wrong first goal

Heel is half of a pattern, and the other half is the release word. What heel is actually for, how...
7 min read
dog-training
Calm Cavoodle puppy outdoors, ready for puppy school socialisation - The Toe Beans Co

Is Puppy School Worth It? An Honest Answer From a Sydney Trainer

Most owners book puppy school expecting their puppy to come home knowing sit, drop and stay. That's not what makes...
8 min read
dog-training
Golden Retriever puppy following a food lure into a sit, the moment the position clicks

My Puppy Is Not Food Motivated (Here Is What Is Actually Happening)

Your puppy took treats happily for three weeks. Now they walk past a piece of chicken like it's a pebble...
7 min read
dog-training
Four mixed-breed puppies settling on grass in an outdoor group class, handlers visible only from the knees down

What actually happens in a puppy school class, week by week

What actually happens inside a puppy school class, how many puppies are in the room, and whether you can watch...
7 min read
dog-training
A Border Collie puppy turning away from a dropped item on a Sydney footpath and looking up at the handler

Teaching leave it: the one command that pays for itself at the vet

Leave it is the command that stops the emergency vet trip. Here is how to teach it in stages, and...
8 min read
dog-training
A Cavoodle puppy sitting calmly on grass beside a lead, towel and water bowl, handler's open hand at the edge of frame

What to bring to puppy school, and what to leave at home

What to actually bring to your first puppy school class, what is not worth packing, and the one item most...
7 min read
dog-training
Calm puppy not responding to training, settled and receptive indoors - The Toe Beans Co

Your puppy is not ignoring you: what is actually happening when training stops working

Three weeks ago your puppy sat every single time you asked. Now you say it in the kitchen and they...
7 min read
dog-training
Training Your Own Dog: What You Can Genuinely Do Yourself, and Where It Stops Working

Training Your Own Dog: What You Can Genuinely Do Yourself, and Where It Stops Working

Your dog sits beautifully in the kitchen and ignores you completely at the park. That gap is the real question...
6 min read
dog-training
How to teach a puppy to stay: the three things owners add too fast

How to teach a puppy to stay: the three things owners add too fast

Most stays fall apart because owners raise duration, distance and distraction at the same time. Here is how to build...
6 min read

Front-clip, back-clip or neither: choosing a puppy harness in Australia

A harness takes the pulling force off your puppy's throat. Where the lead clips onto it decides how the walk...
8 min read
equipment
A phone resting on a kitchen bench in warm evening light, with a relaxed dog settled out of focus in the background

Ask Luke, the 24/7 dog training assistant trained only on our own methods

Ask Luke is a 24/7 AI dog training assistant, and it only knows what we have taught it. It is...
7 min read
24-7-support
A plain flat-buckle dog collar and a soft padded harness laid on a neutral surface, the everyday force-free alternatives to prong collars, e-collars and choke chains.

Aversive dog training tools one at a time: prong collars, e-collars and alpha rolls

A prong collar usually arrives in a Sydney home the same way every other piece of training gear does. Someone...
8 min read
aversive-tools
Calm Labrador puppy outdoors, benefits of puppy school - The Toe Beans Co

What Puppy School Actually Does for Your Dog

Puppy school delivers four things: bite inhibition, a settled dog in public, recall foundations, and an owner who knows what...
5 min read
dog-training
How to Crate Train a Puppy Without the Crying

How to Crate Train a Puppy Without the Crying

Puppies cry in the crate for real reasons. Luke Buchanan breaks down distress crying versus protest crying, and exactly what...
9 min read
crate-training

Upcoming Puppy Schools