Hi, my name is Darren, a qualified Animal Behaviourist & Trainer based in Johannesburg, I offer behaviour consultations and training for dogs both in person or online.
I hold a DogWise Certification in Dog Training, a Diploma in Animal Behaviour both from Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) International and Living and Learning with Animals (LLA) Professional via Susan Friedman’s BehaviourWorks. I am member of the following professional organisations CABTi, ICAN & the UK Dog Training & Behaviour Charter.
With a lifelong passion of animals I graduated with my Diploma in Animal Behaviour from COAPE in 2024, and subsequently retired from corporate life to focus on GrangePaws and animal behaviour.
In addition to offering private behaviour consultations and training, I am an animal behaviourist and Committee Member at Randburg SPCA where I focus on the rehabilitation of stray and surrendered dogs, consult on animal welfare and provide strategic leadership and governance. I am also an Instructor at St Marks Park All Breeds Dog Club running classes for dogs and owners with no previous training experience.
I offer behaviour consultations and training (in person & online)
Behaviour Consultations
Identifying the role emotions play in behavioiur problems and enabling change through behaviour modification for (but not limited to):
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Resource guarding
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Fear, Anxiety & Phobias
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Reactivity
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Socialisation
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Undesirable behaviours (i.e. excessive barking, jumping, house training, destructive & chewing)
Training
Teaching life skills and good manners to dogs of all ages covering (but not limited to)
- Good manners and life skills
- Engagement & relationship building
- Recalls
- Loose-lead walking
- General obedience & putting behaviours on cue (verbal or visual)
Behaviour
Behaviour can be approached from different levels of analysis (physiological, ethologically, unique learning history) representing different models for understanding, predicting and changing behaviour. In Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Behaviour is defined as what an animal does under certain conditions that can be observed.
Consultations - Identifying Emotions and Behaviour Analysis
The focus of ABA is overt behaviour and environmental conditions, representing a fundamental scientific practice - measurability. This doesnt discount the importance of the animals cognitive or emotional behaviour; inferring what our animals are thinking and feeling and the role emotions play in behaviour is very much part of the behaviour modification process.
What Behaviour Isn't - "Labels"
A label (i.e. "aggressive", "stubborn", "clingy") can not cause a behaviour because it has no tangible form. They lack specific information for behaviour analysis and give a false sense of understanding the problem.
Behaviour is classed as either innate (respondent) or learned (operant). Respondent behaviour depends on particular events (antecedent triggers) that occur immediately before the behaviour. Operant behaviour depends on consequnces, particular events that immediately follow the behaviour. Operant behaviours either increase or decrease depending on the outcome they produce.
Behaviour never occurs in a vacuum. There are always environmental conditions on which behaviour depends. Therefore changing conditions changes behaviour.
Learning is defined as a change in behaviour due to certains type of experience (interactions with the environment). It is the nature of all animals to learn.
Behaviour Consultations * | 60 - 90 mins | R950 |
Behaviour Consultations Follow Ups | 60 mins | R400 |
Training | 60 mins | R400 |
* Includes in-home consultation, personalised Behaviour Modification Plan & support via whatsapp / phone / email. Multi-dog households subject to additional fees. Pricing excludes travel [travel charged at R4.95/km over a 10km radius, 20km round trip]. | ||
Contact me
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