DOG TRAINING DARWIN, DOG OBEDIENCE AND PUPPY CLASS 

 

Originally from Germany, Katja always had a huge passion for dogs. For as long as she can remember, Katja wanted to work in the canine industry. From walking dogs and dog sitting at age 8, to owning her own dog and attending dog training seminars, her interest continued to grow. After shadowing several dog trainers and behaviouralists, Katja started her own part time dog training business at age 16, training dogs at her local parks before moving to her very own training grounds at 17. Katja would conduct puppy classes, pet dog training and fungility sessions, however developed a special interest in behavioural modification for so called problem dogs, driving her desire to study animal psychology (specialising in dogs) in Switzerland.
 
In 2005 after 2 years of study, Katja had completed her diploma of animal psychology and embarked on a working holiday. Travelling to New Zealand she found work on a sheep farm and was first introduced to the world of working dogs. In 2006 Katja came to Australia where she moved to a large cattle station out of Richmond in central Queensland. Here she worked with a large team of cattle dogs moving stock across the vast expanses. Learning from other skilled handlers, Katja gained great experience in using a dog’s drive and natural instincts, which lead to a greater understanding of how a working dog’s life could be enriched in a pet dog environment.

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Katja spent the following two years travelling between Germany and Australia attending numerous training seminars, courses and workshops, hosted by some of the best trainers in their field. These included body language, canine first aid, aggression control, behavioural problems, nose work, detection dog training, frisbee and flyball, all while continuing to train and work with pet dogs and growing her canine knowledge.

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In 2008 Katja settled in Brisbane for a change of scenery and a new experience, taking a job at a large security dog training centre. Over the next four years Katja worked training guard dogs, personal protection dogs and dogs for deployment overseas, while also conducting board and train programs for pet dogs. During this time, Katja developed advanced skills in handling and controlling aggression in highly driven dogs. In addition to training dogs, Katja was also involved in running training seminars for national and international clients, demonstrating better handling practices. Following her time at the security training centre, Katja remained in Brisbane registering her own dog training business. Working in conjunction with a number of local professionals in the working and pet dog fields, Katja conducted private training and group classes whilst refocusing on behavioural issues.

​After leaving Brisbane in 2013, Katja worked on number of properties across Northern Australia. She assisted in the introduction and implementation of working dog methods to stations that were traditionally in favour of using vehicles to muster cattle, in turn reducing running costs and resulting in calm, stress free stock. Whilst spending the majority of her time working dogs on these properties, Katja still found time to train pet dogs in regional areas such as Katherine, Kununurra and as far south as Alice Springs.

Katja has since made the move to Darwin and currently resides in Humpty Doo, training pet dogs in their home environments as well as offering training at her own premises. Katja offers customised training packages based on an initial consultation and assessment of each dog and their owners, and will provide a complete start to finish service including extensive  support for all of her clients. Katja does not believe that there is only one training method and will use the best methods suited to your dog’s requirements. ​​​

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