Dave has always been a dog lover and has had dogs as pets throughout his childhood. Over the past 20 years he has grown up with dogs and have trained them to high standards with amazing results.

Dave’s passion stirred after going through the heartbreaking process of having to euthanise his best friend, Bones in 2009.  Dave grew up the youngest out of three boys along with his family pets; Bones (American Pitbull), Paris (Rescue Kelpie X) and Bones Junior (BJ Labrador).Bones and Paris were 1 year apart and rescued as pups, their training in obedience was a breeze until a third member (BJ) was introduced to the family. Within the first two years, the older dogs were de-sexed, during that time Bones formed some anxiety related aggression. This aggression manifests in the form of resource guarding (the dog protecting things of high value such as food, toys and space). With the lack of knowledge and support at the time, unfortunately his family decided to euthanize Bones due to his aggression towards BJ.

This was truly the turning point for Dave. Not being able to tap in to the actual cause of aggression and lack of knowledge towards aggressive behavior brought sadness to the family but hope and motivation to Dave to become qualified as a dog trainer/consultant. Dave then decided to do some intensive hands on training with some reputable trainers, local dog clubs, rescue groups and dog training associations. Now, Dave works on a weekly basis rehabilitating behavioral and aggression problems that other pet owners and families struggle with.

From day one, Dave wanted people to feel there was something very different about his approach to dog training and that their time spent with him could be both fun, interactive, and productive. This ideal is now stronger than ever!

Dave’s passion was once stirred again in 2013 after working with a “reputable” dog training/boarding facility located in Sutherland. His dog Paris visited his workplace several times to assist with dog obedience demonstrations and socializing sessions. Shortly after, Paris contracted kennel cough due to the high capacity of the kennel environment and the lack of hygiene and regulation within the industry. Kennel cough is not a common cold and flu for dogs but can also be a highly infectious disease that your dog may never recover from.

At the age of 9 this was detrimental to Paris’ health. Now Paris’ vet bills exceeded $10,000 and her quality of life has deteriorated.

Dave now runs Dog Crew home boarding service to decrease the chances of illness and your pooch reaps the rewards by having an individualized and healthy trustworthy place to stay whilst you’re away. “Why do people feel inclined to lock up their friends in cages while they’re away?” There are so many options out there.