Balanced Dog Academy
My 5 yo German shepherd, Bella, and I were recommended to Bruno by our local dog wash service. Bella was a rescue at 12 months of age. At the time of our referral to Bruno, Bella was highly reactive to strangers (i.e. anyone we saw out walking, anyone who came to the door) and also to other dogs. Whilst I was overseas, there was an incident where Bella lunged at a stranger when walking with her dog sitter, resulting in the stranger and the sitter being injured. As you can gather the situation was not good. Bella is, however, generally a very sweet natured dog. We had tried “behavior modification” through our vet however the drugs didn’t help Bella’s reactivity.
By our second training session with Bruno, the improvement in Bella (and me) was remarkable. I was so much more confident in my ability to control Bella and she was far less reactive.
Week 1, Bruno brought another dog onto the training field, some 70 meters away from Bella, and she was very reactive and aggressive. By the conclusion of the session, we were within 25 meters of the other dog and Bella was less reactive.
By week 4, Bella was walking with 2 other dogs at training, sitting right by them and totally focused on me rather than the other dogs.
During week 5 training some strangers (tradies) came to the training ground seeking directions – we were doing some off-lead work and Bella completely ignored them. This situation would have previously seen the tradies remaining in their vehicle through fear.
Bruno has an exceptional ability to observe the dog and handler as a team and determine what I call the “roadblocks in communications”, then to work with the team to correct these issues. I have learned to be far more observant of my dog and of my own reactions to situations; this has made walking and interacting with others far more pleasant for Bella and for me. Bruno is a very patient trainer; however he will also keep you moving forward on your training journey.
I highly recommend Bruno and Balanced Dog Academy to anyone considering training, whether your dog has behavioral issues, or you would simply like a well-behaved dog. You and your dog will benefit from Bruno’s knowledge and training!
Anne Morris 0412779740
We used Bruno (Balanced Dog Academy) for our reactive, anxious dog with OCD for a board and train for 3 weeks in April of 2021. Prior to the booking, Bruno asked a lot of questions to ensure he was able to provide the best care for our dog and ensure that he understood all his nuanced behaviour issues. He made me feel incredibly calm about leaving my reactive dog for 3 weeks whilst we travelled interstate for holiday. During the board and train, Bruno provided me with updates on my dog’s progress which help put me at ease. When I picked up my dog, I was so impressed with how much progress he made within 3 weeks. My dog was deferring to me instead of lunging at other dogs, cars and cyclists. I also noticed how much more engaged he was with training. After the B&T we continued to see Bruno for group training classes with our dog from the period of May until around October. Our dog was highly dog reactive prior to the B&T but during the course of the 3 weeks he was now able to be within metres of dogs at training without reacting. By around August, our dog was able to greet other dogs and he even made a dog friend that he played with. Rollo is still dog selective and can react but his ability to defer or be neutral in many situations around dogs. Rollo has also been taken off his medication for his reactive behaviour.
Training with Bruno was the best training we have ever been to- with Bruno training the handler and helping them feel confident to handle their dogs and better them as handlers. Bruno made such a deep connection with my dog in the 3 weeks he was with him, my dog’s eyes and attention would light up when heard Bruno’s voice at training. He was not the only dog to react this way, which is a deep testament to the love, care and dedication Bruno shows dogs he works with.
Sadly, we moved back to Melbourne after living in Canberra for approx. 9 months and seeing Bruno for about 7 of those 9 months. Bruno helped us so much with our dog we felt it was possible to add another dog into our home and brought home a puppy in Feb 2022. Here you can see what progress we have made, thanks to Bruno.
The trust I have in Bruno as a dog trainer and carer is no other, my partner and I are planning a holiday and are dedicated to driving the 7hrs to drop our dogs off at Balanced Dog Academy as we couldn’t trust anyone else with our dogs as much as Bruno for the extended time we will be away for.
8324 Kings Highway
PH: 02-48427107
E: info@balanceddogacademy.com.au