Pictured with Melanie are Slipstream the whippet and Koko the greyhound, photographed by Project Hound’s Christopher Pearce in 2016. This image went on to be runner-up in the People’s Choice Award of the 2017 National Photographic Portrait Prize. You can find Project Hound on Instagram.
testimonials
I love what I do, and one of my greatest joys is helping any creature become more at ease and adept in the world, so feedback from happy clients and valued colleagues is deeply satisfying.
Magpie & Fox / sarah & chris
"We first met the delightful Melanie of BachingDog via a referral from a rescue organisation that she was involved with. Since that time we have seen her perform in many capacities: private consultant for dog training, as a facilitator of a foster carers workshop and author of an accompanying manual, and we also used her DogMatch service to source our second dog (a rescue whippet as a companion for our first whippet).
When we met Mel, we had just acquired a whippet puppy and, as first time dog owners, were nervously looking for advice to optimise our training and overall puppy-rearing approach. Melanie went above and beyond simple training sessions: she first made the effort to visit our home so she could observe Magpie in her own context. During this session we were very impressed with her gentle and encouraging manner, which is suitable for a sensitive sighthound. Following the consult at home she gave us exercises to practice, prescribed a more nutritious natural diet for Magpie, sent comprehensive follow up notes and was even available for a follow up phone call to track progress between appointments.
Unfortunately, Magpie was a highly anxious puppy and experienced severe separation anxiety. A vet prescribed anti-anxiety medication but Melanie was able to help us avoid this last resort by using training techniques and tips to optimise our home environment to help Magpie feel calmer and demonstrate normal behaviour over time. This was very successful and we no longer have an issue.
Secondly, and to our great joy, Melanie invested significant time of her own and sourced Magpie a companion whippet. She carefully assessed a range of potential candidates and when she did eventually decide she had found a dog that sounded compatible enough to introduce to Magpie I can absolutely say that it was love at first sight. Fox and Magpie hit it off immediately and are currently living happily ever after!"
**Sarah and Chris are the talent behind Project Hound, a photographic series celebrating the lives of adopted ex-racing greyhounds and their people. The Project Hound photo featured at the top of this page was taken by Christopher Pearce, and was chosen as one of only 50 finalists from over a thousand entries in the 2017 National Photographic Portrait Prize. It went on to be runner up in the People's Choice Award - congratulations Chris!**
You can follow Project Hound here on Instagram.
Mushu the French bulldog, front and centre, with The Fantastic Four and Cobber the poodle (another boarder), collectively supervising my wood gathering endeavours.
Mushu the Frenchie goes off-road
Mushu usually lives in the city and is the only dog in his family unit. Staying with The Clan and getting off-road expanded his horizons - he even learned to co-habit with cats, despite his initial disinclination for them! Mushu's guardian writes:
"Mushu, our 3 year old male French bulldog, recently went to stay with Melanie for a couple of weeks. Melanie came highly recommended and after meeting her for the first time I could understand why!
She clearly has a passion and love for dogs that is reflected in her infectious and sparkly personality. Apart from the daily outings and new adventures that Mushu experienced with her and “the Clan” (that he is now part of) she also payed special attention to his specific “Frenchie” needs… he even has better listening ears now!
Thank you ever so much Melanie for your care, attention to detail, expertise and delivery of Mushu back in an ‘enhanced’ state!
All the best till next time!
Cheers, Juanita"
Sadie, a DogMatch success, is the tan-coloured dog sitting at the back. She remains a friend of the BachingDog clan to this day, and visits with us regularly.
SAdie - a Dogmatch success
Sadie is her family's very first dog and so there were many things to discuss with them in the process of finding a good DogMatch. During the DogMatch process I ask many questions that help me consider whether a direct-from-the-pound adoption is likely to work well for a particular client, or whether choosing a dog that has been in foster care with a rescue organisation is a better option, or whether perhaps a puppy or dog from a reputable breeder is the way to go. On this occasion, the right match happened to be a dog at their local pound. Here is Joanna's feedback on her DogMatch experience:
“I have known Melanie Sweeney since 2008, and have been aware of and witness to her extraordinary knowledge and understanding of dog behaviour since that time. She has been a Pet Educator in NSW since 2011 and I have known her to be actively involved in rescuing, fostering and matching dogs for many years. She is an excellent and patient teacher, to young and old alike!
In 2012 we decided that our family was ready to have a canine member and we immediately sought out Mel to give us advice and assistance in finding an appropriate dog for us. Mel met with us to discuss what sort of dog we were after, and also what we would be able to offer a potential match. Not only was she keen to have an appropriate dog for our lifestyle, she emphasised the importance of providing the right environment for our new pet. Mel is passionate about the welfare of the dogs she helps home or rehome and understands that a family that is matched with the right companion will keep the dog happy and healthy too!
Mel knew that we wished to give a home to a homeless dog so she accompanied us to the animal shelter at least three times, discovering more about the dogs that were available for adoption. We initially walked past Sadie because we did not like the look of her (of course we now think she is the most beautiful dog in the world!) but Mel spent some time getting to know Sadie and gently suggested that she was a potentially good candidate. My children and I then spent time in the exercise enclosure with Sadie and Mel, and began to get to know more of Sadie’s nature. Not only that, but because we had never owned a dog before, Mel used this time to teach us about dog behaviour and how to be non-threatening around a new dog.
After a couple more visits to the pound with Mel, specifically to see Sadie, we decided that she would be a good dog for us. On the day we brought Sadie home, Mel came around to help settle Sadie in. She provided dietary advice and plenty of information on how to help Sadie adjust, ranging from toilet training and grooming to interaction with the other pets in the household (a cat and many chickens!). Sadie has been with us now for 3 years and is everything we ever wanted in a dog. She has blossomed in nature and is so happy in her new home, and we are equally thrilled to have her.
Mel was available on the end of the phone for follow-up and questions. She has been an invaluable source of sound advice and reassurance. She is amazing with dogs, and equally lovely with people. I highly recommend her as a wise and friendly guide when planning your next canine relationship!”
- Joanna, Picton NSW, 2015
Roo / Kate
Roo is a rescue dog who truly landed on her feet when she was adopted by her new guardian, Kate.
When Roo first joined Kate's household she had a few challenges in dealing with visitors to the house, and also needed help to transform her opinion of, and behaviour toward, other dogs. Initially we had an in-home consultation, followed by an additional consult to further consolidate some skills, and then when Kate headed overseas for a Grand Adventure holiday, Roo (AKA Roozle, Roo-roo, Miss Roozle Snoozle, etc.) came to stay for some remedial socialisation. My Fantastic Four (plus my cats and sheep and galah) all contributed to expanding Roo's horizons, helping her become more socially adept and at ease.
"Mel has been such an amazing help for me as I introduced and trained my rescue dog Roo. She called to our home to help integrate Roo into our space and was clear and supportive in her delivery of leash and door training. She also prescribed Bach remedies to suit Roo and has given me invaluable guidance in nutrition and canine care.
Roo stayed with Mel and her awesome team of pooches as well when I was away. This experience of controlled socialisation and rehab for Roo was priceless. I was at ease and so happy to leave Roo in such capable and loving hands while away and returned to a lean, shiny, happy dog.
Thank you Mel with all my heart, you have done so much for us.
Kate and Roo xxxx"
Pictured is Smokey, a young dog whom Barbara and I collaborated to help.
alaskan malamute rehoming aid australia, Inc.
"AMRAA Inc and I [Barbara Trytko] have been involved with Melanie and her business BachingDog for over 5 years. As a rescue that deals with a number of dogs with issues, we have utilised Melanie’s services on many occasions and she has always been very professional, caring and easily followed in her approach, as well as holistic in her assessment and recommendations. She is also timely in her responses and very easily contacted for further explanation and follow-up. I cannot recommend her highly enough and we will certainly continue to utilise her services in the future."
greyhound adoption program (GAP), Victoria
“In November 2017 we had Melanie and her dogs run a one-day workshop for our greyhound foster carers. Attending were carers of all experiences and households, from those that had been fostering with us for 20 plus years as well as those first timers who hadn’t taken a dog home yet.
We had such positive feedback from all involved, with all who attended taking something they’d learnt home with them that day. Melanie had fantastic notes, tips and strategies for the carers to take home with them, and also had hands-on activities to keep everyone entertained during the day. Not to forget about the doggies who were very good helpers!
The day provided invaluable support to our carers, who often deal with many challenges when taking a new dog into their home environment. We would certainly recommend Melanie for any foster care group.”
Rose Streatfield, GAP Volunteer and Foster Coordinator Animal Welfare Department, Greyhound Racing Victoria
"I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop. It was the best dog/human info session I've ever been to - and I've been to a few! The information was easy to understand and interesting for all, whatever part of the dog journey you're on. I was very impressed as I'm sure everyone attending was.
The manual is "gold", it’s great reading and very helpful."
- Jenny, attendee at the Greyhound Adoption Program Vic foster carer workshop, Melbourne, Nov 2017
Pictured is Cobber the standard poodle on some of his adventures with BachingDog, and with his foster carer, Kerstin. Cobber also appears in the 'Mushu Goes Off-Road' photo on this page.
cobber / Kerstin
I love helping any creature become more at ease in the world, so am absolutely thrilled with this feedback from Kerstin...
"I couldn’t speak any higher of Mel. We had our foster dog Cobber boarding with Mel for a month in July 2018. Because of his history, Cobber is a dog that needs some extra care. He is nervous, edgy, under-socialised and used to suffer from anxiety. I am a dog trainer myself and finding a person I can trust with my animals is not an easy thing for me. But with Mel I know I can trust her 110%. Cobber had a fantastic time with her. She looked after him like she looks after her own pets.
Since staying with Mel and her doggy gang, Cobber seems calmer and more confident in his own decisions. He even put on some much-needed weight, which we were struggling with for a while. They went on daily adventures to help Cobber and we received regular updates from Mel and felt anytime that we could totally trust Mel. We couldn’t have felt any more at ease knowing that Cobber was so well looked after, worked with and cared for by Mel. Thank you a million!"
Mel Isaacs pictured with The Fantastic Four and foster pup Aslan the Saluki.
Mel Isaacs, co-Founding Director, Team Dog INc.
"I have known Melanie Sweeney since mid-2011, and during that time I have observed her in various professional capacities and collaborated with her on a number of projects.
As an Event Manager Melanie’s organisational skills are exceptional. She is proactive and thoughtful and her attention to detail has ensured the success of not only an animal welfare-related rally we co-organised in late 2011 but also workshops and a conference she has either contributed to or been solely responsible for since then.
As a Presenter Melanie has the ability to impart information in an accessible, engaging and entertaining way, sharing her knowledge and insight with her audience through well-crafted presentations and resources. Her foster carer workshops and manuals are standout examples of this, improving the lives of foster dogs by developing the awareness and skills of their carers.
As an Animal Advocate Melanie has worked tirelessly to increase the live release rate of impounded companion animals.
Melanie is a warm, giving and generous person, with a strong sense of fairness and justice for both people and animals. She has invested significant time and skill in the training and socialising of her dogs, which are a joy to be around.
I highly recommend Melanie's professional services. Her attention to detail and commitment to the wellbeing of animals and their people is outstanding, second to none."
Title page of the manual that accompanies this one-day workshop which was developed to enable foster carers to feel better equipped in their role. The workshop covers a variety of topics, including: foster carer do-s and don't-s, gearing up for foster care (equipment and toys), canine body language, interacting with dogs, dogs and children, managing dog-dog interactions, managing dog-cat interactions, and more.
workshop feedback...
"Thoroughly worthwhile, great information that was conveyed in a professional manner with a humorous slant!"
"I loved this workshop! Perfect for me in my role as both a foster carer and a pet parent. I liked studying dog behaviour, interaction and body language in more details and with expert guidance. I would recommend all foster carers do this workshop!"
"Really high quality content and delivery. Love the manual. Will refer to others to attend this course and will be back for future courses."
"This workshop helped immensely. Thank-you so much - I really enjoyed it!!"
"Thanks Mel, had a ball – very informative and enjoyable."
"It was a wonderful and very informative session. It has made me feel more confident and better prepared to bring foster animals into my home. I would highly recommend to other carers. I liked the examples and understanding ‘dog language’. I think the session was very well balanced and informative. Mel is amazing."
Wollondilly Shire council
Letter of Appreciation from WSC re my presentation The Bark Stops Here: Happier Dogs = Happier Neighbourhoods…
Click anywhere on the letter to enlarge it for easier reading.
When Clancy and Banjo (in the centre, flanked by Squeak and Iota) arrived to stay with BachingDog they sent our IUC rating SKYROCKETING! For anyone not in the know, the IUC system measures how many International Units of Cute are currently residing in any one place, and while The Fantastic Four do a great job keeping our numbers high week to week (Squeak really pulls her weight in this department) this delightful pair sent our rating through the roof!
CLANCY & BANJO COME TO STAY
Tess writes: “I know how hard it can be to find someone you trust to look after your beloved dogs when you go away. When I dropped Clancy and Banjo off to Melanie I was a little nervous as they had never stayed with anyone else except my mum, but by the time I returned I was so at ease. During the time I was away I had regular video and photo updates and I honestly was able to relax knowing they were being cared for so well. They went for bush walks, played with the other dogs and had so much fun. So if you are in need I couldn’t recommend Melanie more, I think Clancy and Banjo have found their ‘Holiday Mum and Clan’. Thank-you Melanie… so very much!”