Nationally accredited professional dog trainer, & behaviour specialist

Dog training, behaviour modification & rehabilitation in Adelaide

Hello, and welcome to my website

My name is Mark Singer. I have been working with, and training dogs in a professional capacity for over 31 years. For the past 20 years my focus has been on dog behaviour modification and rehabilitation, and helping dog owners have better and more fulfilling relationships with their dog. I am well known and respected throughout Australia for my knowledge on dog instincts, behaviour, and drives. My natural ability with dogs is well renowned, not only here in Adelaide, but throughout Australia. I am a highly regarded and respected dog trainer and behaviourist in Adelaide, and recommended by many Adelaide Vets, Boarding Kennels, other dog related businesses, and also by my peers throughout Australia.

 My professional career commenced serving 12 years (1980 - 1992) with the RAAF as a specialist dog trainer, training and working with military working dogs, which included police dogs and drug detection dogs. After discharging from the RAAF I worked for a short period with Australian Quarantine, training and working with their Beagle detector dogs. It was during this period I decided to go out on my own and focus on helping companion dog owners, and have been doing so ever since.

Behaviour Modification & Rehabilitation - How I help your dog

My focus now is dog behaviour modification and rehabilitation. I offer in-home consultations in Adelaide and surrounding suburbs. I offer advice and instruction on all behavioural problems we come across with our dogs. My focus is not on fixing behavioural problems with training, but focus more on the owner and dog relationship, and understanding why the unwanted behaviour developed and continues. Once I understand the reason for the unwanted behaviour, and the triggers that are affecting your dog, I offer advice and instruction on how to modify the behaviour, or rehabilitate your dog. When trying to modify a dogs behaviour we can't simply use corrective training, as this only deals with the surface issue of the problem and not the underlying cause. If we just focus on the surface issues, then we can create further problems, as the underlying cause has not be diagnosed and dealt with. My methods first focus on understanding the underlying cause of a problem and then work with the triggers that are creating the behavioural problems.

If you want to learn how to have a more positive and fulfilling relationship with your dog, and you feel that you need to better understand your dog, then do please contact me. My methods are based on your dogs natural instincts and learning behaviour.  I teach dog owners how to be natural leaders for their dogs, and how to gain their dogs respect in a way their dog understands.

Many feel that all they need to do is go to group  obedience training to fix any behavioural problems and to have a well balanced and well behaved dog. This indeed is not the case.  Yes obedience training is very important in helping us control our dogs. However having a well balanced and psychologically sound dog goes further than obedience training alone. I have visited many, many homes over the years where the dog owner attends group dog obedience training classes, yet in the home and local area their dog is either out of control, or has behavioural issues.  We need a holistic approach that focuses on the dogs natural instincts and drives, and its perceived relationship with us. We also need to understand why and how our own beliefs affect our relationship with our dog. Modifying our dogs behaviour or rehabilitating our dog, is more about modifying our own views and relationship with our dog, than simply just correcting behaviour. Our dogs behaviour is a direct manifestation of our relationship with our dog, as most behavioural problems are learnt behaviour that we have unintentionally taught our dog.

Do I use Dog Whispering?

I get asked this a lot. Many use terms such as dog whispering and dog listening, etc. These terms have become popular due to the popularity around the world of the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan.  Yes the methods I use and my philosophies on dog psychology and behaviour may mirror much of those of Cesars', however this is only because we both (and other behaviourists around the world) base our behaviour modification and rehabilitation on a dogs natural instincts, and also understanding the relationship between owner and dog,  and human and dog social dynamics. We tend to focus more on the subtle areas of our relationship, such as body language, how our beliefs dictate our relationship with our dog, and how we confuse for example anxiety with excited behaviour.

Inviting me into your home for a couple hours will change the way you relate to your dog. You will be amazed at how simple it can be to have a well balanced and well behaved dog, that is a joy to own. Once we understand our dogs relationship with us from its point of view, and also understand how our thoughts, emotions, body language and general interaction affects our dog, we can work on these to help ensure a more balanced and happier dog.. Which not only helps our dog, but also helps us have a more rewarding and fulfilling relationship with our beloved dog..

I have written and published many articles on dog behaviour and psychology on this site. I ask anyone visiting this site, or even considering booking a consultation with me, to take some time and read through them. This will not only give you an understanding of my philosophies and methods on dog training and behaviour, but may in fact help you understand your dog better and why your dog is exhibiting the behaviours it does.

Mark Singer