Dipendra Tamang
Canine Behaviour & Training
FORCE-FREE DOG TRAINING & BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT
IN CANBERRA AND ONLINE
Practical, reward-based support for real life. From puppy foundations and everyday manners to reactivity, recall, rescue dog adjustment, and behaviour concerns, Dipendra helps dogs and their people build calm, confidence, and trust.
About
Hi, I’m Dipendra. I work with dogs and their people using force-free, reward-based methods that focus on trust, communication, and practical change. My perspective on training developed deeply through the ACT Companion Dog Club, where I now train as a course instructor, and through my ongoing study in animal behaviour and training.I’m currently completing a Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour and Training and hold both a National Police Check and a Working With Vulnerable People (WWVP) card, giving you peace of mind that your dog is in safe, professional hands.My work includes puppy foundations, everyday manners, loose lead walking, recall, rescue dog adjustment, and behaviour support for challenges such as reactivity, barking, fear, frustration, over-arousal, and difficulty settling. Each session is tailored to your dog, your household, and the situations you are dealing with in real life.For in-person sessions, I can come directly to your home, where your dog is often most comfortable, or we can work in a nearby public space when that better suits the training goal. Working in real-life environments helps make the training practical, relevant, and easier to apply day to day.I also offer online sessions for clients who want personalised support from home or who are located outside Canberra. Online training can be useful for puppy guidance, behaviour support, troubleshooting specific challenges, and helping owners build a clear, realistic training plan.For me, training is not only about changing behaviour. It is about understanding the dog in front of us, supporting the person at the other end of the lead, and building a relationship based on trust, clarity, and calm.
Our Training Philosophy
My training philosophy is simple: training should support both ends of the lead.I use force-free, reward-based methods grounded in modern behavioural science and respect for each dog’s emotional wellbeing. This means looking beyond the behaviour itself and considering what the dog may be feeling, learning, and needing in that moment.I do not use punishment, corrections, aversive tools, intimidation, or balanced training methods. Instead, I focus on building trust, clear communication, and practical skills that can be used in everyday life.Whether we are working on puppy foundations, loose lead walking, recall, reactivity, fear, frustration, or settling at home, the goal is not only to change behaviour. The goal is to help dogs feel safer, more confident, and better understood while giving their people clear and kind ways to support them.This philosophy guides every session I deliver.
Services
Puppy Foundation –
For puppies who need a calm, clear start to life.
Sessions can include toilet training, puppy biting, jumping up, name response, recall foundations, sit, drop, settle, leash skills, handling, confidence building, and early socialisation guidance. The focus is on helping your puppy grow into a confident, well-adjusted dog.Learn more →
Rescue Dog Adjustment –
For newly adopted or rescue dogs who need time, structure, and support.
Sessions can focus on decompression, confidence building, settling, trust, household routines, safe management, and gradual exposure to the world. The aim is to help your dog feel safer while giving you a clear plan for the early weeks and months.Learn more →
Behaviour Support –
For dogs who need help with reactivity, barking, lunging, fear, frustration, over-arousal, difficulty settling, or other behaviour concerns.Behaviour work begins with understanding what is driving the behaviour. We look at triggers, environment, emotional state, management, and the skills your dog needs in order to cope better.Learn more →
Walk and Train -
For dogs who need help building calmer, more focused walking skills in real-life environments.Walk and Train sessions combine movement, sniffing, engagement, loose lead skills, recall foundations, and calm exposure to everyday distractions. The aim is not just to exercise your dog, but to make walks more structured, enriching, and easier to manage.Learn more →
Loose lead walking and Recall -
For dogs who pull, rush ahead, become distracted, or struggle to come back when called.Loose lead walking and recall are taught through clear communication, reinforcement, and gradual practice around real-life distractions. We work at your dog’s level so walks become calmer and more manageable.Learn more →
Online Consultation -
For clients outside Canberra, or for situations where online support is more practical.Online sessions can help with puppy guidance, behaviour support, household management, training plans, and troubleshooting specific challenges. They are useful when the focus is on understanding behaviour and giving owners clear steps to follow.Learn more →
Puppy Foundation
The perfect beginning for puppies and newly adopted dogs. Over 6 weeks, you and your dog will build trust, confidence, and the core skills that make daily life calmer and more enjoyable.
Name recognition – Your dog learns to reliably respond when called by name, every time.
Focus and attention – Builds the habit of looking to you naturally, not just when asked.
Settle on a mat – Relaxing calmly on a bed or mat with a chew toy to unwind.
Core positions – Sit, drop, stand, and middle, held briefly until released.
Give and take – Swapping toys or objects willingly for something of equal or greater value.
Loose lead walking – Walking politely beside you with gentle guidance and cues like “this way.”
Collar handling – Accepting gentle handling and being guided calmly by the collar.
Recall foundations – Coming promptly when called, even with mild distractions.
Everyday handling – Relaxing into calm, positive handling for routine care.
Hand targeting – Touching your hand from a distance and following it around.
Polite greetings – Meeting friendly strangers without jumping, keeping all four paws on the ground.
This program lays the foundation for lifelong manners and mutual trust. Some skills may take longer to become second nature, but by the end of the course you’ll have the tools and confidence to keep reinforcing them — so your dog continues to grow long after the 6 weeks are over.
Rescue Dog Adjustment
For newly adopted or rescue dogs who need time, structure, and support.Bringing home a rescue dog can be deeply rewarding, but the early weeks can also be uncertain. Some dogs settle quickly, while others need more time to decompress, feel safe, understand routines, and build trust. This program helps you support your dog gently while creating structure that makes daily life calmer and more predictable.
Decompression and settling in: Helping your dog adjust without pressure or overwhelm.
Building trust: Creating positive associations with you, your home, and daily routines.
Safe management: Setting up the home to prevent rehearsing unwanted behaviours while your dog learns.
Confidence building: Supporting your dog through gentle, gradual exposure to new people, places, sounds, and situations.
Handling and touch: Helping your dog feel more comfortable with everyday care, collars, harnesses, grooming, and vet-style handling.
Visitors and household movement: Creating calmer routines around guests, doors, family activity, and common triggers.
Alone-time foundations: Building early comfort with short separations and predictable routines.
Lead walking and outdoor confidence: Helping your dog move through the world with more calm and connection.
Communication and body language: Learning to recognise stress, uncertainty, curiosity, and moments when your dog needs space.
This support is designed to help your rescue dog feel safer, more understood, and more settled. The goal is not to rush them into being “normal,” but to give them the time, structure, and kind guidance they need to grow in confidence.
Behaviour Support
For dogs who need help with reactivity, barking, lunging, fear, frustration, over-arousal, difficulty settling, or other behaviour concerns.Behaviour work begins with understanding what is driving the behaviour. A dog who barks, pulls, lunges, hides, snaps, or struggles to settle is not being difficult for no reason. They may be worried, frustrated, overwhelmed, under-skilled, or unsure how to cope. These sessions help you understand the behaviour and create a practical plan for change.
Behaviour assessment: Looking at your dog’s history, environment, triggers, routines, and current coping skills.
Reactivity support: Helping dogs who bark, lunge, or become overwhelmed by people, dogs, movement, or the environment.
Fear and confidence: Supporting dogs who are nervous around people, handling, new places, sounds, or daily events.
Barking and frustration: Understanding why the barking is happening and teaching calmer alternatives.
Over-arousal and impulse control: Helping dogs who escalate quickly, struggle to think clearly, or find it hard to settle.
Settling and calm routines: Building predictable patterns that help your dog relax at home and in everyday situations.
Management strategies: Reducing stress and preventing repeated rehearsal of problem behaviours while new skills develop.
Counter-conditioning and desensitisation: Changing emotional responses gradually and safely.
Owner coaching: Giving you clear, realistic steps so you know what to do before, during, and after challenging moments.
Behaviour support is not about suppressing behaviour through corrections. It is about helping your dog feel safer, think more clearly, and learn better ways to cope. The work is practical, force-free, and tailored to your dog’s needs.
Loose lead walking and Recall
For dogs who pull, rush ahead, become distracted, or struggle to come back when called.Walking calmly and coming when called are two of the most useful everyday skills a dog can learn. These sessions focus on building connection, clarity, and reliability in real-life environments, without leash corrections, intimidation, or punishment.
Loose lead foundations: Teaching your dog that staying connected to you makes the walk move forward.
Engagement outdoors: Helping your dog check in with you naturally around distractions.
Changing direction: Building response to gentle cues such as “this way” without pulling or forcing.
Reinforcement placement: Using rewards in a way that helps your dog understand where to be and how to move with you.
Sniffing and decompression: Creating walks that meet your dog’s needs while still feeling manageable for you.
Recall foundations: Teaching your dog to turn and come back happily when called.
Long-line safety: Practising recall with more freedom while maintaining safety and control.
Distraction training: Gradually building skills around dogs, people, birds, traffic, smells, and open spaces.
Emergency recall: Developing a stronger cue for situations where coming back matters.
The goal is not a rigid heel position for the whole walk. The goal is a dog who can enjoy the environment, respond to you, and move with you in a calmer, more connected way.
Walk and Train
For dogs who need help building calmer, more focused walking skills in real-life environments.Walk and Train sessions are training sessions that happen during a walk. They are not simply exercise walks. The aim is to help your dog practise useful skills outdoors while also meeting their need to sniff, explore, move, and decompress.
Calm walk structure: Creating a walk that balances movement, sniffing, training, and rest.
Loose lead practice: Helping your dog learn to move with you without constant pulling.
Focus and check-ins: Building the habit of looking back to you naturally during the walk.
Direction changes: Teaching your dog to follow gentle cues and stay connected when the route changes.
Recall foundations: Practising coming back on cue in safe, appropriate environments.
Environmental confidence: Helping your dog cope with people, dogs, traffic, noises, and movement at a manageable distance.
Sniffing and enrichment: Using the walk to meet your dog’s mental and sensory needs, not only physical exercise.
Calm observation: Teaching your dog to notice things in the environment without rushing toward them or reacting strongly.
Owner handover: Showing you what was practised and how to continue the work between sessions.
Walk and Train can be useful for dogs who need more structure on walks, dogs who become easily distracted, or dogs who benefit from guided outdoor practice. The focus is always on force-free training, clear communication, and helping walks become calmer and more enjoyable.
Online Consultation
For dogs who need help with reactivity, barking, lunging, fear, frustration, over-arousal, difficulty settling, or other behaviour concerns.Behaviour work begins with understanding what is driving the behaviour. A dog who barks, pulls, lunges, hides, snaps, or struggles to settle is not being difficult for no reason. They may be worried, frustrated, overwhelmed, under-skilled, or unsure how to cope. These sessions help you understand the behaviour and create a practical plan for change.
Behaviour assessment: Looking at your dog’s history, environment, triggers, routines, and current coping skills.
Reactivity support: Helping dogs who bark, lunge, or become overwhelmed by people, dogs, movement, or the environment.
Fear and confidence: Supporting dogs who are nervous around people, handling, new places, sounds, or daily events.
Barking and frustration: Understanding why the barking is happening and teaching calmer alternatives.
Over-arousal and impulse control: Helping dogs who escalate quickly, struggle to think clearly, or find it hard to settle.
Settling and calm routines: Building predictable patterns that help your dog relax at home and in everyday situations.
Management strategies: Reducing stress and preventing repeated rehearsal of problem behaviours while new skills develop.
Counter-conditioning and desensitisation: Changing emotional responses gradually and safely.
Owner coaching: Giving you clear, realistic steps so you know what to do before, during, and after challenging moments.
Behaviour support is not about suppressing behaviour through corrections. It is about helping your dog feel safer, think more clearly, and learn better ways to cope. The work is practical, force-free, and tailored to your dog’s needs.
pet check-ins
Pet check-ins with WisePaws are 30-minute visits designed to give your dog care and companionship while you’re away. A typical check-in can include feeding, fresh water, toilet breaks, playtime, or cuddles — whatever your dog needs most. For puppies and young dogs, we can also practice short training sessions (sit, drop, recall, or mat settle) to keep them learning. These visits are also ideal for senior dogs or those with special needs, ensuring they get the gentle attention and reassurance they deserve. Flexible scheduling means you can book a single visit or multiple check-ins per day, tailored to your routine.
In-home Sitting
In-home sitting and overnight care with WisePaws keeps your dog happy and comfortable in the place they know best — their own home. During these stays, I provide feeding, fresh water, walks, play, and companionship, while also maintaining your dog’s usual routine to reduce stress. For dogs who need extra support, I can combine overnight care with 2–3 daytime check-ins to ensure they’re never left for too long. This service can also include small household tasks like bringing in the mail, watering plants, or taking bins out, giving you peace of mind while you’re away. It’s the closest thing to you being there — but with the bonus of consistent training reinforcement and calm companionship.
Testimonials
Contact
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