Private Dog Training in Wollongong, NSW

One-on-one dog training in Wollongong, delivered in your home or at our Unanderra academy, by accredited trainers who specialise in the behaviour problems group classes can't solve.

When private training is the right call

Group classes work brilliantly for the standard skills: sit, drop, basic leash, friendly recall. They struggle with the kind of specific, persistent behaviour problems most Wollongong families call us about: reactive dogs that lose composure on the foreshore, dogs that can't be left alone in a unit while the owners are at work, multi-dog households where one is bullying the other, recent rescues whose history is partly a mystery.

These problems need the focused attention only one-on-one training provides. Our Private Dog Training service is built for exactly that.

How private training works in Wollongong

You have two options for delivery: we come to your home (anywhere in central Wollongong, Figtree, Mt Pleasant, Mangerton, Coniston, Fairy Meadow, Corrimal, Bulli, Thirroul, Helensburgh, or anywhere in between), or you bring your dog to our Unanderra academy.

What home sessions are best for:

• Dogs who behave differently in their own environment than they do in public.
• Problems that show up around the household specifically: door manners, jumping on guests, settling on the lounge, multi-dog dynamics.
• Owners who want help installing routines and structure in the actual home where they'll happen.

What academy sessions are best for:

• Dogs who need controlled exposure to other dogs and people.
• Owners who want hands-on coaching in our purpose-built facility.
• Focused obedience and leash work in a low-distraction starting environment.

What we work on in private sessions

Most private clients come to us with one of a few problem clusters:

Reactivity. Lunging, barking, fixating on triggers (other dogs, bikes, joggers, cars). We rebuild the underlying state, not just the response.

Recall failure. The dog who's great in the yard but won't come back at the beach. Almost always a foundation problem, not a recall problem.

Anxiety and over-arousal. The dog who can't be left alone, can't settle, can't switch off. The off-switch work that runs through everything we do.

Reset for a rescue or rehomed dog. A new dog with an unknown history needs a clear, calm, predictable first three months. We build that with you.

Pre-public-access work for assistance dogs. If you're on the NDIS assistance dog pathway, private training is where the foundation skills get built.

How we approach private training

Every private session uses The Walkys Method: clarity first, calm always, fulfilment as the foundation. We use rewards because they work. We use structure because it works. We use the tools and techniques that fit the dog in front of us, not the ideology we grew up with.

What you'll get from a session: a clear, written plan for the week. Specific drills with timelines. Honest feedback about what's working and what isn't. And a trainer who tells you the truth, including when private training isn't the right format and you'd be better off in a group class, a workshop, or our 4-Week Calm Kickstart.

What it costs

Private Dog Training is priced per session with package options for multi-session work. For dogs whose situation warrants a complete reset, we'll usually recommend the 4-Week Calm Kickstart instead. We'll make that recommendation honestly on the first call, even though it's the more expensive option, because in those cases it's also the one that actually works.

See Private Dog Training options →

Or book a free 30-minute call and we'll figure out the right starting point together.

Looking elsewhere in the Illawarra?

If you're south of the lake, see Private Dog Training in Shellharbour. For reactivity specifically, see Reactive Dog Training in Wollongong. New puppy? Puppy School in Wollongong.