What made me apprehensive was not knowing how far I could push being stern on the field. Johann set me on the right path and pretty quickly, she found her ears again and all ended well.
I have already had another training session with her yesterday morning, just 15 min while hubby was out and she didn’t do too badly at all, I was surprised.
I am trying to apply it in everyday life too and the response for the most part is quite positive.
Thank you for your email. It’s nice to be part of the training again and we enjoyed our first lesson.
I enjoyed Saturday, Keith is very informative and I look forward to the other lessons. Frankie is already behaving much better and knowing how important MY body language is has also helped to improve his obedience. I have noticed that I have Frankie’s FULL attention when I put the moon bag on, he is associating it with “treats”. I will change that, I don’t want it to become “the reason to be obedient” learning all sorts of very interesting stuff!
So all good from my side and looking forward!
I must say, I don’t know who was more nervous- me or my dog :-)But in the end it worked out so nicely, I am happy with how it went, no complaints. See you this Saturday.
Training was great thanks! Really enjoying it. Looking forward to Sunday.
The first lesson was so enjoyable and informative, Biata is an Excellent instructor. We very much enjoyed her positivity and look forward to each class to come.
We had the best time. Thank you. Learning so much once again and having fun at the same time.
To put it into perspective, I had extreme lower back pain that day and felt absolutely nothing for that entire hour because Kreed and I were absolutely loving our class.
We cannot wait for this Saturday.
I have been to dog training with you before and have only good things to say.
I have trained with you before and it was amazing. You guys are a family and all new members are treated as family, although you will never know my name but my dog’s name will never be forgotten.
Hi Romayne,
I surely enjoyed the training.
You have an absolute passion for animals and it’s the place to train!
Enola is to be trained as a service dog to assist with anxiety.
We have heard that dogs receive excellent training at SADTC.
We are excited about learning to get our mischief maker to be a little more obedient, as well as about protection training in the future.
They are very good at training and handling dogs so they won’t fight.
Hello there amazing humans,
Thank you so much for the amazing heartfelt effort you put into assisting us to train our family members. You have been awe-inspiring to myself and Duke and we love coming to training with you!! Your love and care is evident in everything you do – including this amazing newsletter.
From day one we were welcomed and put at ease. I have learned so much about dog and animal behaviour. I could not believe how little I know and how much better the results are with the correct approach. All I can say is thank you, you are a great bunch of people doing a fantastic job. You train people to be better dog owners.
Positive: Professionalism, Reliability, Responsiveness
Really enjoy how professional the trainers are. We have been coming here for months now, and I’ve watched how myself and my amazing fur baby have built this bond. The amount of knowledge that the trainers have is undeniable.
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Reliability, Responsiveness, Value
They showed me how little I knew about my dog and helped me to train my dog to be the best he can be. They are very professional and create a family atmosphere which they welcome us into. All they ask in return is you do your “homework.”
Great environment for those that want to seriously bond with their dogs and gain valuable skills from some of the best in the industry. Owners are very experienced and try their best to transfer that knowledge over to you in a structured and helpful way.
Brilliant brilliant brilliant!!! Had so much fun . Can wait for the next class . Super staff !! Best training in the world!!!!
Huge grounds and very good trainers. All breeds welcome
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Reliability
This is the best place to take your dog for training! Great service and very professional.
Such a caring group of people. Very organised and they definitely know what they are doing. We were in a crisis when we went to them with our boy. And after talking to them once I had such a relief. I would recommend them for anything dog related.
Expert tutoring and real love for dogs
What a great place ~ humans and pups learning to live a better life for each other. They try and make training to your level of understanding and try to evolve your knowledge with every activity. They want you and your pup to succeed. Very happy that we found you guys.
Best in the country.
My home away from home…
The Best in SA for a reason…
SADTC is “real life” dog training, real dogs with different behavioural challenges being patiently modified by changing the way the dog thinks. Excellent protection training, because of the extremely qualified trainers working both dog and its owner.
They are absolutely the best place to have your dogs trained. The staff is very friendly.
Excellent training centre. Learning things that I would have never have noticed by myself. My Ridgeback is improving very quickly.
Thank you SADTC ? you are highly recommended, Milana is doing so well and benefiting from all her training, she is also a very social pup.
Incredible team and family at SADTC
Alexis and I have been training at SADTC for three years now. Saturday for me is a day to spend time with my girl.
We do obedience training then agility and manwork.
I kennel my dog here when I go away. Pricey but worth it and my dog loves it. They call the Kennels cottages as each one has its own little garden and “house” where their beds are placed
Great people doing awesome work assisting owners to get the best out of their dogs. Our lifes has changed drastically since we did the training
Very good facility totaly focused on all the aspects of dog training
Awesome bunch of people making a huge difference to people and their dogs. Family atmosphere.
Friendly, Experienced trainers. An amazing family atmosphere with excellent facilities.
Love this dog training club. Everyone is friendly and really helpful.
loved my Time spend there learning with my dog
Professional training foe any k9
Excellent people
Great facilities, excellent instructors
Great place and awesome people.
Excellent Dog Training Technique
Very professional and friendly staff. Training your dig here is a must
Excellent
Fabulous people
Excellent school
A place of bonding for dogs and owners
Best training facility in the country
Working wonders with dogs
Had such an awesome time again at the training Saturday!. So appreciate it, have a lovely week!!
Hi there
It was great!
I thought it was going to be very difficult to teach and control my Pitbull but was proven wrong.
Thank you sooo much for giving us this opportunity to learn what you already know……and look forward to many Saturdays of this kind of enjoyment to teach and train our 4-legged children.
Have a great day
Afternoon Romayne,
We are very happy with our first lesson. We learnt a lot. A lot made sense to us IE calling of you dog , tone of voice and so much more.
Thank you and looking forward to our next lesson of human training.
Thank you so much for the past few months!! I loved every moment of the class with my Labrador Isabella. She also loved it!
I’d just like to thank you for everything you guys have done. You guys have gone over and beyond for us.
I love spending time at SADTC and you’ve all been so kind to me. I have hearty, huge big thank you for the years I spent with you. I have learned so much.
The first lesson was great and we are happy and confident in everything we saw.
Looking forward to being with SADTC for a very long time to come
Lovely environment, very experienced teachers, well recognized and organized.
The first session was great. Meeko and myself thoroughly enjoyed it. We’re looking forward to the next session
Hi Romayne,
We are very satisfied with our 1st lesson and cannot wait for the next one. Please keep up the brilliant work.
The lesson was informative. Will definitely learn a lot.
Glad to be part of the course.
Die heel beste training skool in SA. Ons het almal by julle geleer.
Trained at SADTC many years ago moved to coast but they are the best you and fur child will not go wrong.
Thank you very much for everything that you taught us. He is doing really well and the time spend at your school was definitely worth every minute. Thanks for everything.
We had a great first lesson.
I enjoyed my lesson and training.
We did attend training on Saturday. Roco done the down stays well again with the help of the carpet. We making some good progress now.
I really enjoyed the lesson so much thank you! It was relaxed and I felt welcome. Looking forward to my journey with Uska.
Loved it. And appreciate Chris taking the time to actually get our pups to do certain things, showcasing what is possible with experience and building confidence.
Looking forward to the journey with you guys all the way thru to some protection work with Storm.
It is still early days but I am satisfied. I am doing the homework the sit and down is going well.
Duke and I had a great time and I am super excited to be back on Saturday again! You are all amazing humans thanks for that!
Hi Christine, just an update of Saturday
I brought the mat to training and let Roco perform the down stays on the mat and he done it perfectly, it really made a big difference. John was really happy and impressed by this .
Please pass on my thanks to Keith for being an amazing instructor as well as having patience and helping Kiara and I.
Hi Romayne,
Our instructor was great. We have learned a lot over the past few months, please tell Tammy that we enjoyed her classes very much.
We had a great time with our dogs the past few months and will definitely see you guys again in the future.
Hi Biata had a great lesson with Keith he managed to fix a few things which I was still getting wrong with his walking, as for the afternoon he was ready for another lesson!
Kind regards thanks for everything will persevere with my “crazy”.
Hi Biata thanks for asking we are getting there. Had my son and his collie and Goldie for a few days so Lindt had some friends. He has no off switch! The two were completely exhausted and my Lindt was still playing ?.
I am persevering we will get there, at least I’ve seen now that he’s also okay with other dogs I was getting worried.
Hope you are well and thanks for following up with us. The weather was freezing on the Friday after we saw you so didn’t go for a walk. Simba was exhausted hehe!
She walked with him yesterday and it went well apparently. He was very disappointed to get such a short walk though chuckle!
Hi Biata,
Only started lessons with him yesterday after Tonia went home. Simba is a quick learner and I just wish I had followed thru with this type of training sooner – I will keep you posted on his progress.
My mom has been working on the black bags. Ruby is now less scared of them. And bites and plays with them. So they are slowly getting better.
From what I understand the things my mom have worked on she is better. My mom can see slight improvements. So think she has learnt a lot from the lesson and is now applying it to the situation.
Hi Romayne
As always I loved the class, Alice also had lots of fun and that is what it is all about to learn and have fun with my little miss.
See you Saturday
Hi,
It was fantastic thank you. Chris is a brilliant trainer. Looking forward to this coming Saturday.
Appreciate it.
Thanks Christine and I have to let you know that Eddie and I really enjoyed your class. See you on Saturday.
I hope Oliver will go through all training that you guys have and that we will be regular clients for many years
He is amazing boy and hopefully he will put his guard down and show everybody what he really is
Good day
I am happy with the first lesson as I learnt how to correct Kobe in walking, getting his attention for listening, as well as that way more treats are needed as bribery and they work!
I look forward to the next one 🙂
Hi Romayne,
It was great (and entertaining) as always.
Hi Biata,
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to Zeeva. We appreciate you.
Hi Christine
We are doing the training with him daily. It is going very well.
I just want to thank you. I feel much better after Saturday’s training, and the fact the we could have him one side and train with him.
Hi Romayne
It was VERY cold!
But it was still amazing! Chris has a wealth of knowledge and it’s great going through it again because I have forgotten so much since Colin was in puppy class.
Charlotte had a ball and loved playing (bullying) the other pups 🙂
Can’t wait for this week!
Hi Christine,
Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
We are all always very excited to come to school and look forward to seeing you next week 🙂
Have a stunning day.
Hi Christine
Just to give some feedback. Playtime is great again. I have purchased a few new toys i.e soccer ball that they share. Tyres on a rope and ball on a rope that I alternate so that they don’t play with the same thing to long.
Thank you so much for your advise
Hello Romayne,
It was very insightful. I am very satisfied with the level of experience from the instructors.
I do realize that I have many challenges ahead with my reactive boy, but I am extremely positive that I and Trigger both will learn more every day as the course goes along. I now realize how much there is to learn and how important it is to train the right way.
And that is all because of the great attitude and positivity from you guys. I am extremely glad I chose SADTC for Trigger’s education.
Hi
I loved every minute of it.
I have no complaints about the training and the methods. Thank you for what you are doing I think it is wonderful.
Have some of the top trainers in the world over and some great feedback on hello pieter.
Please count us in for training in July, would love to resume classes with you guys!
Hi Christine
The first lesson was lovely thank you 🙂 The instructions were simple and easy to remember for practice during the week.
Thank you so much for my 1st lesson. It was most amazing! I suffered from 1st lesson jitters. I’m looking forward to my stay at SADTC. I loved my 1st lesson. I thank God that I’ve found you.
Stay Blessed, With Thanks
Hi Christine,
Belinda and I enjoyed the first lesson. We practiced the “Leave it” and “down” commands a few times this week as requested by the instructor and can already see improvement.
We don’t have the down command nailed yet as we have to shape the movement every time with the treat but we’ll get there.
Hi,
We enjoyed it, we weren’t sure where to be initially but found our way. The instructors know what they are doing.
My journey with SADTC started a little different than most. I had a deep desire to learn how to speak with dogs and looked for a training school that could teach me this. I had a very senior Labrador at the time that was already very well trained when I got him through a rescue and he taught me more about dogs than I could ever have imagined. It was because of him that I wanted to know how to be better for my dog. I didn’t only want to know how to train a dog, I wanted to know why. There were a few instructors courses online, but after reading their profile and the amazing reviews from previous students, there was no other choice than S.A.D.T.C for me.
I booked my leave with my ‘adult job’ and started my level 1 instructors course. It was two whole weeks of dogs, dogs and more dogs! I was in paradise! I remember the first night of the course everyone had these big reasons and dreams what they would do with their instructors course once they are done, but for me it was a little more intimate, it was about my dogs presently and those still to come.
Just before I started the course, my husband and I adopted our Vicky. A senior Staffordshire Bull Terrier with the most loving personality. She was to be a companion to our senior labby. During my instructors course, I had a very sad goodbye with my Labrador. I was lucky to be between a group of people who understood the impact something like this can have and Chris and Christine gave me so much support. And plenty of comforting hugs. I will never forget that. They even allowed me to take Vicky in for an assessment to see if she was coping with all the changes happening around her. I saw there that it’s not about the money for them, they do this for the dogs.
A little while later, our Odin came to us. Also a rescue from Stafford Rescue. He was a little over a year old and had no previous training. Where to take him for training was an obvious choice. We drive 45minutes every Saturday to go to training at S.A.D.T.C and I would not change it for the world. He has grown so much since being there. We had class with Sandra and Keith, who were absolutely phenomenal. (Not surprising because we know where they got there training? ) Even having done the instructors course, I still learn at every lesson we go to. The years of experience that the instructors bring is priceless.
Odin has come into his own and he learns faster than I can keep up… I think he is training me. He is such a smoocher and loves attention, Mr Smooth Operator. He is always close to me and follows me to every room. As much as he loves wrestling with Vicky, he also enjoys her nurturing him. They have bonded very closely in a very short period of time and it is inspiring to see the trust and devotion that they give to each other and to us, even after having gone through hardships. We have only been with the club for 5 months now and the changes are tremendous. Vicky has been with Biata for behaviour shaping which has helped us so much. And Romayne, she has been amazing! Her gentleness and passion is inspiring, always there to assist over phone or email and giving extra love when our babies stayed at the Canine country club.
Being at the club is being part of a family. Always having someone to count on and always having guidance. We are privileged to have found our way to S.A.D.T.C and want to thank them for everything they have done for us so far. Our relationship with Vicky and Odin is growing closer and stronger because of what they teach us.
To Whom It May Concern
Thank you so much for my 1st lesson. It was most amazing! I suffered from 1st lesson jitters. I’m looking fowardr to my stay at SADTC. I loved my 1st lesson. I thank God that I’ve found you. Stay Blessed.
With thanks
Pearl
Morning Christine,
Training was amazing, really enjoyed it and Chris is an awesome trainer!
And the vetkoek were very nice. Looking forward to this Saturday!
I received a referral to you guys from Reynard – And according to him there is no other training facility to even consider, and according to him Christine is an amazing trainer! I was looking forward to the training to have a better bond with my dog and have him obey me.
Thank you
Michelle
In 2013 I became the proud mommy of a beautiful German shepherd boy, Ace, and we started training at another club. I had so many problems at the previous club with the way they trained, the methods they used and poor socialisation of the dogs that I decided I owe it to my boy to get the proper training he needed.
In July 2013 Ace and I started our journey with SADTC. He was so scared and my first lesson all I did was to hang on to his leash for dear life – he just wanted to go back to the car and was not interested in any training. Luckily we ended up with Biata as our instructor and with lots of love and patience (and even more treats), we started seeing progress! Sadly, I lost my boy to bloat but I am forever grateful for him and all our beautiful memories.
May 2017 my life was turned upside down with the most gorgeous little German shepherd girl named Psoli (pronounced Sou-lee). I cannot begin to describe the impact this girl had on my life! She gives me unconditional love, follows me around like a shadow, loves to pose for photos but is also as naughty as sin! She is in love with 2 beautiful Dobermans (Naxos and Knox) and Nyx is her best friend.
Psoli is a busy girl and she gets up very (very!) early in the mornings. She will lick and bully me until I get up just after 4am to play ball outside.
She has two 9 year old Jack Russell sisters at home but they are not interested in playing with her anymore and hence the decision to adopt a friend to play with. So watch this space … we will introduce her new brother soon!
I went through a very tough time in 2017 when my husband passed away and this little girl gave me so much love and comfort during the worst time of my life and helped to heal my soul. I would not have survived without the love and affection of my fur-baby. I love her so much and will forever be grateful because I have her in my life (and I also spoil her rotten!).
When I started training, I was so impress with SADTC that I enrolled for the instructor course and that changed my life! Chris, Christine and Biata are always willing to share knowledge and to help where needed, no matter how big or small the problem is.
Saturday is officially my favourite day of the week and I usually come with a big bag of treats for the dogs. At SADTC you not only train your dog but you become part of the family and I have made friends for life!
Kind regards
Sandra
Rylee joined our family 2 and a half years ago as a 6-week-old puppy. We already had 5 small breed dogs but were ready to have a medium breed dog in the family. Being a family that only knew about puppy socializing classes, we enrolled Rylee in a puppy obedience course. Everything went well and Rylee grew up to be a well socialized, obedient dog who knew basic commands.
All was going well until one day, four armed men walked into the family house. Rylee’s first instinct was to protect but at the threat of shooting her, we had stopped Rylee and contained her.
After the robbery, Rylee’s temperament changed. She started snapping at the smaller dogs and would become very aggressive if we had something in our hands. The simple task of taking a photo with a cellphone became an impossible task as Rylee would try and attack if you lifted the phone. Her aggression towards us and our smaller dogs became worse as the weeks went by. I came across SADTC while driving to work and decided to contact them. They were very understanding of Rylee’s behaviour and assured us that basic obedience training would assist in improving Rylee’s self-confidence.
We joined SADTC in February 2019 with the intention of only completing the 12-week BHO course, but we were so impressed with Rylee’s improvement that we decided to stay on. SADTC has taught us so much about training your dog, observing your dogs body language as well as how important the role of the handler is. I can say that my self-confidence as a handler has improved since joining SADTC and I use the same techniques learnt at classes to teach our small breed dogs at home. To our surprise, many of the commands learnt at training have helped with other behavioural problems we were experiencing with Rylee, like teaching her to ‘stay’ when we open our back gate, as she would frantically run to the back yard, running over our small breed dogs. A simple command such as ‘leave’ as become very important to us as we still experience issues with Rylee encountering other dogs. We are also able to get Rylee to calm down when she gets super excited when playing with her tyre.
We were surprised at the different classes offered by SADTC and so we joined agility and bite work classes. Rylee’s improvement at agility has been slow due to a previous injury sustained as a puppy, but we will continue to attend classes with the hope of strengthening her leg (and improving her handler’s patience).
I am so happy with the techniques learnt at SADTC as well as the variance in techniques. When one way doesn’t work, our friendly instructors always have another trick up their sleeves.
We will continue to be a part of the SADTC family for as long as possible as we still have so much to learn, and I thoroughly enjoy the quality bonding time given to us at classes and during homework sessions.
Thank you SADTC for the difference you have made in our lives, and for not giving up on Rylee.
Lexi came into my life when I was going through a very difficult time. I bonded with her the moment I saw her picture.
When she was about 6 months old, I met my amazing partner and we decided to move in together shortly afterwards, but we were apprehensive because he had 6 cats. We decided to seek out a dog behaviorist and sadly 3 different behaviorists told us that she would never be able to be around the cats without chasing and hurting them.
I wasn’t prepared to give up hope though, so we tried an obedience school in Sandton and although we weren’t very happy we still continued trying.
A few weeks into her training I saw a Facebook post about the instructors course at SADTC and figured that if I went for the course I would be able to learn how to train Lexi myself. So I registered for the course and boy was I amazed!
When I first met Christine, Chris & Biata and started the course, I was in awe of their skills. They used methods that were uniquely special to SADTC and it was clear from day one that their 40+ years of experience aren’t without merit.
Everyone at SADTC was kind and understanding. The instructors and other students all help and care for each other in ways you wont find anywhere else.
SADTC became family from then on.
Lexi is a completely different dog now: She is calm and gets along with our cats so well and that’s all because SADTC never gave up on us. SADTC has become a huge part of our lives and even though we achieved our goal of integrating our animals we keep going back every week because we love training and we learn something new every week.
Christine pushes both Lexi and I to achieve things we never thought were possible and we have become a stronger team & family because of the SADTC family. SADTC is not just a club; it’s a place we can call home.
Straight after, I enrolled him at SADTC as we couldn’t get enough. I couldn’t get over how his personality was changing. He was going up to a few people to get scratches and treats. He was understanding what I wanted from him.
After enrolling him in bite work, he became a new dog. He had this new found confidence. He realises he no longer has to be scared of people, even big scary men. He now defends instead of hiding behind me.
Now he walks up to everyone, demands scratches and if they stop scratching, he nudges for more scratches. It’s been nearly 2 years that Chilli and I have been at SADTC and I am so proud of what we have accomplished and we still have so much more to look forward to.
I will forever be grateful to SADTC! They have changed our lives like I never though possible. I trust Chilli with all of me and I know he feels the same. The bond we share is truly one of a kind. Best dog in town!
It’s been an absolutely phenomenal experience joining S.A.D.T.C and it came when I desperately needed something solid to focus on and keep me going.
I’m hooked for life.
Best Regards
Christopher & Kaiser
“Aw, what a gorgeous boy! What breed is he?”
“Well he’s a …. he’s…….ummm …… he’s my half-a-horse and I love him!”
Woola came into my life 5 years ago as a 3-month old puppy when I was quite happy with my 2 Staffies and not looking for another child. But clearly, he was looking for me. We found him late one night with his head stuck in the electric gate of the home opposite ours. Horrific images flashed through my mind of what could happen if the home-owners came home and opened the gate without looking at it (as we all do most of the time). I rushed back home, grabbed a bottle of cooking oil and poured it over him to lubricate him well and pulled him out of the gate. Without thinking I took him home and only then pondered on what to do with him. When my then-husband asked if we should keep him, my response was, “if Judy will let him stay.”
I joined SADTC 9 years ago when my monster-child Judy, a beautiful Staffie, was just a pup. She was a wild child and needed some rules, something that I had never learnt to apply to my paw kids. So, I scoured the Net, searched local papers and interrogated my friends and acquaintances to find the right School for my Monster. My search brought me to SADTC. And I’ve never looked back. Judy’s first year of training was fantastic and I debunked all the myths about Staffies being untrainable. She won trophies and certificates in Obedience, Agility and Manwork.
Judy unfortunately became extremely dog-aggressive. We persevered for a further year but eventually the emotion of her aggressive behaviour became too much for me and, sadly, I left SADTC. So, when this strange little foundling happened upon us, it was Judy’s decision. And, thankfully, she acquiesced and allowed him to stay. Of course, I immediately knew what I had to do – enrol him at SADTC.
That was 5 years ago.
But why did I go back to SADTC?
Quite simply because they’re family. There is a care and concern that one finds among the handlers and instructors at SADTC that makes going to school each week and back again after the holidays each year a no-brainer. It goes way beyond our children – it’s a soul-fit. Going to school is more than teaching your dog and being with other like-minded people, its being part of a group of people who truly care; if you’re not at school they’re concerned about your well-being; there’s no judgement only support and love. And when things in your life go pear-shaped, here’s a bunch of wonderful nutty people who will just hold your hand through it all and keep you going one “on the move recall” at a time.
SADTC is the type of place that gets under your skin. If any one of us handlers put in just one ounce of the amount of the effort that Chris, Christine and the instructors put in, I think the world would definitely be a better place. I only wish that most of the newer handlers would get more involved and stay longer at school after their class to see what goes on and enjoy the life of the school. Because it’s in between classes and at other events where the enjoyment of being part of the school really starts. This year Christine encouraged me to compete for real. It was at an Open Show at Goldfields and the excitement of seeing how Woola performed “out there” in the real world was amazing. I think the fact that I got a first didn’t hurt either. But seeing how the SADTC entrants into the competition fared – well we took 1st, 2nd and 3rd places – that speaks volumes for the standard of training that we receive at SADTC. Then there’s the Demo that we did at the Jeep Show – Woola learned to jump through fire-hoops. I was really skeptical at first because he’s a real scaredy-cat sometimes but he taught me to trust him and showed me how he would jump through hoops for me.
And speaking about what Woola has taught me, well where do I start? He’s taught me the big and small things in life – that expensive toys are ignored but an old bicycle tyre being thrown and caught is the best part of the day. What’s truly important and what’s not – that, as the passengers in a dirty car, they will be the last to judge me but if we don’t go to school today, well that’s unforgiveable! or like the fact that the bathroom is not mine and mine alone, it’s a communal gathering place. I’ve learnt to appreciate different things – although I miss them all day when I’m at work, at least there I don’t have dog hair in my nose. And just how different my two pawdkids are – like Judy’s cool, soft, satin licky kisses and Woola’s hot, wet sandpaper tongue. Woola is addicted to body cream – the moment I’ve applied it to my legs, it’s crucial that he licks it off immediately. And forget about sleeping where you want to in the bed – I get to sleep in the space where Woola and Judy are not, and I’ve learnt to be happy with that, so much so that I don’t sleep so well anymore if I’m not the in the middle of a canine sandwich.
And Woola has also taught me a lot about himself. Although he looks and acts goofy most of the time, I’ve discovered that he’s highly intelligent (when it suits him) and that we only have to do something once for him to adopt it as the norm. At home his retrieve is gold-standard and he understands an entire conversation of instructions from me and carries them out to the letter. At school, well I know that the way he spits his dumbbell at me is a bit of a joke in our class. And he simply refuses to release his retrieve object. He has an incredible nose that will sniff out things in the most obscure corners of the house; but oh, if I could only put that to work at school – is formal scent-work is non-existent. As I was saying about his intelligence – he knows how to push my buttons and then how to make me fall in love with him.
Woola has taught me patience – I call him my Velcro child because he will not leave me alone. From the fridge, to the counter, to the stove, he will follow me around the kitchen. From my bed to the wardrobe to my dressing table, he follows me in the bedroom. But I’ve learnt that he needs to do that and no amount of trying to get him out the way will help so I take a deep breath and make sure I don’t fall over him and know that I will never be alone in my home.
He may be a goof-ball but there have been some really tough times in the past few years that I know I would not have survived had it not been for my kids. Not only did they give me a reason to get up in the morning but their unconditional love and special brand of salve on the heart-hurt is something that can never be bought and no pharmaceutical company can replicate.
My pawdkids are my life.
To all those who say “they’re just dogs” I say, you haven’t truly lived until you’ve spooned with a Great Dane-cross-Boxer.
He’s my half-a-horse and I love him.
DOG OF THE MONTH: CHARLIE (Breed: Labrador X)
On 10th April 2019 at 9am our family friend, Jackie the Jack Russel, died at the old age of 17 years. At 4pm that afternoon as I was driving home from work a message came through on our street group chat that there was a lost dog in our road and that it had been lying in front of a yard in our street since the morning and had not moved. I drove past the house (2 houses away from our home) and saw a miserable looking brown dog there. I went home and told my mom that the least we could do was to give Jackie’s food to this dog and give him a warm bed for the night and then take him to the pound the next day.
We went across the road with a leash – his tail started wagging, he got up and approached us as if to say “where the hell have you been?”. He did not hesitate and walked home with us where he was fed, given water and a warm blanket to sleep on. He was very shy. Very skinny and tick infested. That was a Wednesday. We could only take him to the pound on the Friday so he got to spend two nights with us. During this time my mom looked after him during the day and started removing ticks from his ears – but it was so much, the more she removed the more they appeared. It was really bad. He was biting the ticks off his body. Yet, as he lay there at night and we sat next to him rubbing his head he would look at us and wag his tail. This is when he crept into my heart and our journey started.
He was taken to the Animal Anti-Cruelty League (AACL) Johannesburg on the Friday (I decided to do the adoption properly and go through the 14 day pound period) – he was so nervous that he even pooped in the bakkie. At the AACL he put on his brake pads at the door and they had to carry him in. We completed the forms making sure that if he was unclaimed, we would have first option for adoption. I couldn’t wait 14 days and that very next morning, the Saturday, I was there to pay him a visit. There he was in the hospital waiting to be medically checked, in a small cage. His eyes were brown and big and I cried for a long time that day – he really did not know what he had done wrong. So, I marked the calendar, 14 days it would be.
In the meantime, we filled out the adoption forms and got the home check done. All good to go. However, during the 14 day period he was moved from the hospital to the kennels and placed with a German Shephard – they had a terrible fight and he was back in the hospital for wounds to his neck, throat and shoulder. The 14 days was extended to ensure that he had recovered from this ordeal. We went to visit him again during this time and he was in good spirits in the hospital with a cat in a cage above him as his friend. All this time I waited.
Finally, the day came that I was told that he had remained unclaimed, he had been vaccinated, sterilised, microchipped and his wounds had healed – I could fetch him. On the 3rd May 2019, on my birthday, I got one of my most treasured birthday presents that I can remember, Charlie.
In the meantime, while I was waiting for all of this to happen, I decided to enquire about dog training schools – I didn’t know Charlie’s history and his obedience and because we love running, walking, fishing and camping I couldn’t see myself leaving the poor guy at home whenever we went away. I was scared that he would take the road as soon as he had an opportunity to do so. Plus, my mom was looking to adopt a Jack Russel again and I needed to know that he would be social with the new addition to the family. Training was not an option, it was a must. I made a few enquiries and one dog training school told me that Charlie was too old, the AACL estimated him to be 4 years old. Another dog training school just never responded. The only one that seemed interested in helping me out with Charlie was SADTC. I got an immediate response from Romayne who took the time to explain to me that they have trained many rescue dogs and furthermore that a Labrador is actually an intelligent breed and that I would have no issues training him.
So, on the 3rd May 2019, on my birthday, I got my birthday present in the form of a living creature AND I signed him up for the 12 week basic home obedience course at SADTC to start in June.
Our first lesson was weird: first we could not get him into the car. He put on his brake pads again and we had to carry him into the car. He got car sick. But once at the school he was quite excited – seeing dogs around him and all that sniffing and so many friendly faces.
Biata gave him his first treat and he fell in love with her immediately. It was all new to both me and Charlie – sit, down – I learnt that a dog can count to 4 – “Charlie sit…sit…sit…SIT!”. I also realised that I needed to learn my left from my right again as Mark took us on left turns and right turns. Poor Charlie didn’t know what he had to do as we turned in the opposite direction to all his class mates.
We are now going into our last few weeks of training and my best friend’s personality is just shining right through. He no longer worries about the car: as soon as that door is open and the car seat cover is on – he is in there waiting for us. He no longer bounces around on the back seat like a nervous wreck, he sits calmly watching out the window. He is so excited to go road tripping whether it be to the school or to our weekend walks. We are now at that point where he will ‘sit’ at the number one count and no longer at number 4 count and he can actually stay ‘down’ and he is learning to walk so nicely at heel when we go to the park. The best is when we go to our favourite pub, he goes with us, and he is so good. He bothers nobody and is such a pleasure to take with and we get so many compliments!
Yolande taught us a sniffing game with boxes – where we hide the Magic Mouse and a piece of liver under a box and he finds it. This is his favourite game. He just loves playing and being kept busy. My Saturdays are now Charlie’s Saturdays and I see us doing this for a while still to come. There is still a lot of work and a lot of practice and a huge amount of patience.
Where do I want to be with Charlie one day? I want to be able to go camping with him and walk to the ablution blocks with him by my side with no leash, then telling him to wait for me at the door and when I come out, he is there waiting for me. We want to go fishing with him and spend the day in front of the river with him close by and not running away. That is what I want to do with Charlie and the only way to do it is to continue training and to continue practicing – the biggest part of this course is the homework.
You cannot expect to get the results you want if you don’t practice and you don’t have patience. The bond that is developing between me and Charlie (because of the training) is unbreakable and the more we learn from each other, through the training, the more we become closer and closer. At SADTC it is not just about getting your dog to be a “good dog”, it is also about getting to know your dog, to understand your dog and above all, to know why are you teaching your dog the way you do. There is always an explanation with every command.
My story of Charlie is similar to that of a Dog’s Purpose – Jackie died and she sent a skinny, brown, long legged dog to our home. He had a bit of the coordinates wrong and ended up two houses away, but he waited, just as she had told him to. After that, everything just fell into place. I am happy to say that this journey has no ending.
We rescued Sam from the Booysens SPCA about 4 months ago. My wife had gone there to enquire about some medication and decided to have a look around the kennels. As soon as she saw Sam, she wanted him! Knowing I didn’t want any more dogs, (we already have one chocolate Lab at home), she asked Charmaine (who works at the SPCA and also trains here at SADTC) to put him in the run so she could take a photo of him. My wife thought then that he may be deaf as he didn’t respond to any calls. She talked me into looking at him and despite her telling me that I would have to walk him (she was going for a knee replacement) and also train him, I decided to take him as he looked like a good dog. The vet at the SPCA checked him out and confirmed he was deaf.
We decided that a bit of training would be of benefit, even though he was a gentle and calm dog, so we joined the beginner class at SADTC. The training was pretty much the same for him as for the hearing dogs – the hardest part was attracting his attention if he is not looking in my direction. But being a Labrador, F O O D came to the rescue, and as he loves food (especially Woolworths meat pies stolen whilst being defrosted outside), as long as I had food in my hand he would do anything I asked of him! So after three months of training with the help of Sandra our instructor at SADTC, he had learned all the basic commands and walks on the lead quite nicely. He is doing very well at home and has adjusted to his new routine, and loves going for his morning walks around Jackson Street dam.
We don’t know much about his previous history, only that he was rescued from a property where he and other dogs had been abandoned. He was a bit thin when we got him but was in good condition otherwise.
I must say that having a deaf dog is no more difficult than having a hearing dog. You just have to be careful when maneuvering the cars, and making sure he doesn’t get a chance to run out of the gate, but he gets up to the same mischief as any other dog. Sam is a wonderful addition to our family. My wife kisses him more than she kisses me!
Regards
John Woolway
Our first lesson went very well, I was quite nervous as Penny can be quite anxious around other dogs but Keith was quick to show me how to better handle her and correct undesired behaviours. I really appreciated the individual attention he gave us, and his gentle but firm manner. We are really looking forward to lesson number 2!
I really enjoyed the training ❤ Chris is very knowledgeable about the subject of training pups and he was very helpful with correcting errors that we didn’t even know we were making. He was very practical and showed us examples of what he meant when he gave instructions.
I was definitely satisfied and enjoyed the class immensely.
Hi Romayne
My husband and daughter really enjoyed the first session. Thor also really enjoyed the outing and was really well behaved. Keith was very informative and gave them a good understanding of what is required.
All in all, a very enjoyable experience.
Hi Romayne,
I was totally stressed out before class as Tyson was not familiar with other big dogs. He was a bit unruly but Keith quickly showed us how to calm him and take his attention away from the “danger” he most likely thought he was in.
Keith is a wonderful trainer and so good with Tyson. Can’t wait for our 2nd class.
Good day
I can’t tell who loved the first lesson more, me or my doggies! It was great refresher from when I did level 1 and it was great to have the dogs there with me to understand even more. I also realised my dogs have a lot more confidence than I do, however I feel the longer I stick to this I will be able to get my own confidence out.
The dogs had a blast and now every time I go to the car or grab the leads they get super excited!! Can’t want to be there on Saturday once again!
Regards
Marcella
My journey with my incredible companion Nyx
Nyx joined my family almost six years ago as a very cute and naughty puppy. Nyx is a German Shepherd/husky mix who will be 6 years old on 18 September. She was always busy and very destructive but this also taught me the value of stuff. Most of the stuff she destroyed I never replaced as I didn’t need it. I always worried about her eating everything as it can be very dangerous. Her favourite is long strips of fabric or socks. I even had to find a laundry basket with tiny holes in that she couldn’t pull stuff out of. My lesson patience and a thick skin to some of the stuff she did. I am a paranoid dog mom and panic when they get up to mischief. I learned to panic a bit less and ensure the stiff was packed away. Little did I know that this incredible girl would take me places and have me doing things I never dreamed of.
Nyx loves to work and is very intelligent. Our bond is very strong and she is very in tune with my state of mind and emotional state. As she grew she taught me more and more about myself. She always pushes me out of my comfort zone and challenges me to become better at everything. I am so very grateful that this girl is in my life. She has brought me through some really tough times and loved me when I know I wasn’t the nicest person. A constant in my world with her quiet calm presence.
Her obedience eventually became good enough and was better than I had ever achieved so we started competing. I May add that oom Johan pushed me very hard and was very picky about my obedience. My nerves are terrible and we battled but we pushed on. Oom Johan and I took each competition results and worked on the things that weren’t great. I learnt to accept that each time we went into the ring it was just another day and we started doing a lot better. We are now at Novice level. In an effort to become a better owner and handler I have done several seminars with her and I have also done an Animal Behaviour course.
I tried out all sorts of different things with her like scent detection, tracking, tricks, etc. the ones she enjoys I continue to do as a form of reward. The protection work she is only now doing well in but I used it to build her confidence and give her some independence from me.
This amazing girl has taken me to places and I have experienced many things I would never have thought I would do. She continually challenges me to do better and try new things. I am however the most proud of the therapy work she does. We get to give back with her absolute natural talent and I get to share her with others. She is so calm and unaffected by the environment. She has brought smiles to people’s faces, stopped tears and lifted some out of a slump, me included. She is an absolute gift. I have said she is a once in a life time dog. Her natural ability leaves me astounded so frequently and she is a loved member of the SADTC family. So much so that my future goal is to work more with therapy and service dogs. I absolutely love being able to give back. I am a very proud dog mom.
She loves people and her calm, stable demeanour makes her the ideal therapy dog. Even people who don’t know her land up falling for her charm. She is a strong willed young lady and when she makes up her mind it can be difficult to change it. As everyone knows treats are a sure way to get her attention. We have used her skills, stability and calmness to help people and other dogs become more comfortable in their environments. Nyx is very independent at home and is no lap dog and she definitely isn’t a licker like my other dog children. However you know when she is concerned about you as you can’t doubt her presence. She usually quietly puts her head on your lap and waits patiently for your attention. She also nudges away any cell phones or brings a toy and drops it into my lap. There is no rest until she has broken the focus or changed your mood.
Thankfully she isn’t the destructive lady she was when she was a puppy. However she is still a busy girl and I have to often figure out games to keep her busy. I work full day and they are left on their own for most of the day. I always feel loved when I get home and the whole neighbourhood knows when I get home. She makes the most awful noise and has to sniff my face before she will start settling down. I look forward to our journey ahead and can’t wait to see what new things she will teach me and the new adventures we will tackle together.
This girl has changed my life for the better. I adore and spoil her.
Kind Regards
Tammy
Hi!
Lynn enjoyed it a lot and could not tell me enough how awesome it was. I would say you guys are doing a great job.
Regards
Lida
Hi Romayne
First puppy class went very well.
Bullet was very excited I struggle to get him to calm down but that uncle took him for a while and Bullet started to calm down.
The lesson was good and it showed us a lot on how to just handle the pup. I look forward to the rest of the lessons cause I’m sure Bullet will do well.
Thanks
Adam
Hi There!
I am so happy that I decided to come back to SADTC for Moya’s puppy socialization. The knowledge Chris share in the class is unbelievable and it opened my eyes once again.
Thank You
Lizette
Hi SADTC
Chris first lesson was solid and informative as always!
The Club is very lucky to have him as the first communication between puppy and owner relationship building at puppy class.
Kind regards
Shawn
What an inspiration!
This lady was injured in an accident and sustained quite a few injuries including burns and damage to her left arm.
Her and her husband joined us with Vega as a puppy. This is an extremely intense Malinois with a lot of drive and is A LOT of dog for first time Malinois owners who absolutely adore this little girl.
We had to adjust a few ways of doing things to accommodate. Every week this lady is back trying again and again to get it right. She is so driven to succeed and is very passionate about her handling.
It is awesome to watch their progress week on week. It isn’t always smiles, last week she left in tears (not the happy kind) and today she left in tears of joy. Because it looks like we’ve finally got the combination right for her heelwork.
SADTC’s job is to teach the method and then guide the handler and dog to make it work for them
We adopted Chilli Dogg one day unexpectedly from the SPCA. When we first saw him, he was covered in mange, he could hardly stand, let alone walk as he had no muscles in his back legs. We made up our minds there and then that we couldn’t leave without him.
We brought him up as best we could (with the limited knowledge that we had) but his previous traumatic experiences affected him in a huge way.
He was extremely nervous of men. He avoided every uneasy situation. He used to eat stones to give the illusion that his “stomach was full”.
I did the Level 1 Instructors Course. WOW. I learnt so much. My mind was blown by how all of a sudden I started understanding Chilli so much more.
On Level 2 and 3 we were allowed to bring our dogs. Chilli was so nervous. New smells, new people, new dogs. It was all so overwhelming that he threw up everywhere.
We struggled for the first few days to get him to approach anyone but we persevered and we made it to the end of Level 3 (with a little help from me crawling through the mattress to give Chilli the confidence to do it).
Straight after, I enrolled him at SADTC as we couldn’t get enough. I couldn’t get over how his personality was changing. He was going up to a few people to get scratches and treats. He was understanding what I wanted from him.
After enrolling him in bite work, he became a new dog. He had this new found confidence. He realises he no longer has to be scared of people, even big scary men. He now defends instead of hiding behind me.
Now he walks up to everyone, demands scratches and if they stop scratching, he nudges for more scratches.
It’s been nearly 2 years that Chilli and I have been at SADTC and I am so proud of what we have accomplished and we still have so much more to still look forward to.
I will forever be grateful to SADTC! They have changed our lives like I never thought possible. I trust Chilli with all of me and I know he feels the same.
The bond we share is truly one of a kind. BEST dog in town!
Jerry (SARAC) completed our Level 1 (SADTC sponsored) & level 2 (member sponsored) instructor courses and has done so much good for the animals. We are proud to be associated with him and SARAC and congratulate him on all the awards he has achieved, the latest one winning the Premier Awards ie SADC 2019, CEO GLOBAL, Pan African Awards.
From Jerry:
Good Morning Christine
Hope all is well with you
Yes we are overwhelmed on winning the Premier Awards ie SADC 2019, CEO GLOBAL, Pan African Awards.
It is because people like you that we are where we are today, I am forever grateful that our path has crossed.
Kind Regards
Jerry
SARAC
Hi Biata
We took them and the walk was much better but not as good as at training. Had to do a lot of corrections. Hopefully today will be even better.
Regards
Janet
Hi.
First lesson was Fabulous. Fabulous. Fabulously informative.
Kind Regards
Wendy
Hi Romayne
Thank you everything went well.
Chris is very experienced and we and our puppy are in good hands.
Thank you.
Christos
Dear Romanye
I have absolutely loved the lessons and have learnt a lot and I was very satisfied with the instructors.
Kind regards
Shelley
Hello Biata
Matilda is doing really well, we’ve been taking short slow walks and I’m more relaxed as well. As soon as she sees the collar and new lead she sits down and waits for me to put it on her.
Today she met while out on a walk with the husky’s and all went smoothly. As I type the huskies are roaming her garden and Matilda is relaxed.
I’m very relieved. Thank you Biata, that collar has made a big difference. And me being a little more confident helps for sure.
You have a lovely and blessed day with your family and animal family.
I’ll keep in touch.
Kind Regards
Sandra
Hi! We really enjoyed the first three lessons! You are by far the best school that we have attended. The effort, knowledge and passion are beyond compare!.
We really enjoy our Saturdays now and it’s definitely a family outing! You guys are amazing!
Romayne
I was well impressed with the knowledge and dedication of everybody!! Since Crowley was out of his element and just kept on barking at Christine and the other trainers, (something he has never done before), Christine took me and Crowley one side and got him settled.
I will be working him hard this week to catch up with the training we lost.
Best Regards
Reynard & Crowley
We are really happy thus far, it has been a pleasure coming for training and also watching all the other dogs.
We are already learning so much.
Regards
Shanene
Good Morning Romayne
Our arrival was nerve-racking, I wasn’t too sure how ZACK would react he went mad just sniffing, running and growling at everything that moved. Biata came to our rescue and assisted us.
The actual training went well, Zack was calmer and I was too.
Our trainer, Sandra is an awesome lady, explaining everything so well and just overall a very kind lady. Zack follow the commands learnt Saturday except to lie down. When his nose touched the ground he lifts his bum so we are training very hard to have it all right by Saturday.
Kind Regards
Lizelle
Hi Biata,
Thank you so much for the time you spent with us, I thoroughly enjoyed it and we both look forward to growing in SADTC.
Best regards
Christopher
Hi Biata,
All is well with Cassy Thanks. We still try to teach the girls Dog manners as they tend to forget its actually them that need the lessons and not so much the Dogs. Thank you so much for the lesson and the girls were very excited about it.
Greetings
Gregory