Specialised Dog Walking Support
Helping Dogs Feel More Settled and Understood
Some dogs need more than just a walk around the block.
At See Spot Learn, we offer dog walking with a difference. Our Specialised Dog Walking and Training Support is for dogs who are still developing their everyday skills, need more mental engagement, or find outings overwhelming or overstimulating.
Whether your dog struggles with focus, becomes unsettled on walks, or needs extra help practising training in real-life settings, we tailor each session to suit them.
Each session includes trust-building, skill development, and support for emotional regulation and adaptive behaviours. These are built into the walk in a practical way to help your dog cope more effectively with everyday situations.
This isn’t a standard dog walking service. It’s for dogs who benefit from professional support as they navigate the world—especially those experiencing leash frustration, over-arousal, fear-based behaviours, or difficulty settling at home. We work with dogs who need extra help staying calm around other dogs, people, or distractions, and who are still developing social and leash-handling skills.
Walks are provided by a small, trusted team using positive reinforcement and current behaviour science. All team members are trained in environmental management and reward-based methods and are supervised by a qualified canine behaviourist. Sessions are one-on-one and tailored to your dog’s individual needs. We focus on building practical skills that support daily life, such as staying calm, responding to cues, learning patience (impulse control), and adapting to busy environments. These aren’t ‘obedience’ drills. They’re real-life behaviours that support safety, comfort, and communication.
We also support dogs who become bored or unsettled at home despite regular walks. Research shows that mental stimulation — such as scent work, problem-solving, and short learning tasks—can reduce behaviours linked to boredom and frustration (Overall, 2013). That’s why every session includes structured enrichment and opportunities to learn in a way that keeps your dog mentally engaged and emotionally regulated.
Our approach is evidence-based and force-free. We use positive reinforcement to build desirable behaviours and help dogs feel safe, calm, and capable. For dogs working through behaviour challenges, these walks can complement a wider behaviour modification plan — or simply provide consistent, informed support between consultations or training sessions.
Who This Service Is For
This service suits a wide range of dogs and households, including:
- Dogs who find everyday walks challenging or overstimulating
- Dogs who need walks that exercise their brain as well as their body
- Guardians looking for consistent, reward-based training support
- Families who want a professional who understands behaviour and how dogs learn
- Dogs who aren’t suited to group walks, busy public settings, or daycare environments
We understand how hard it can be to find someone who truly understands dogs with individual behavioural needs. Our focus is on your dog’s overall well-being —how they feel, how they learn, and how they manage everyday challenges.
What Makes These Walks Different
These one-on-one walks are more than just a break in the day. They’re structured to meet your dog’s individual learning and behavioural needs while still giving them time to move, sniff, and explore.
Real-life training – We help your dog practise useful skills in everyday situations—like walking past dogs, pausing at kerbs, or responding to cues around distractions.
Behaviour support – For dogs who struggle with focus, frustration, or confidence, we offer consistent, low-pressure exposure with support from a behaviour-informed trainer.
Mental enrichment – Sessions include scent-based activities, foraging, and short learning tasks that keep your dog engaged and satisfied.
Walks are one-on-one, always force-free, and tailored to your dog. We focus on what helps them feel safe, calm, and capable—both during the walk and at home afterwards.
Service Details
This service is suitable for all dogs, not just those with behavioural challenges. Whether your dog benefits from extra mental stimulation, is still learning key life skills, or simply enjoys a more structured walk, these sessions offer personalised support tailored to your dog’s needs.
We focus on helping dogs feel more confident in different environments, stay calmer around other dogs and people, and handle everyday outings with more ease. Sessions are designed to give your dog opportunities to learn in situations where they’re most likely to need support.
What our sessions look like
Each 60-minute session supports your dog’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being through a balanced mix of enrichment, training, and play:
30 minutes of outdoor walking with scent-based activities and confidence-building exercises
15 minutes of focused training based on your dog’s behaviour or learning plan
15 minutes of gentle agility-style play to support body awareness, coordination, and focus
Price: $65 per session (ex GST)
Includes home pick-up and return
FAQ
Dogs who need more mental stimulation, help staying focused, support with leash reactivity or overexcitement, a boost in confidence, or more structure and training in their daily routine.
Our specialised dog walking support also works well alongside behaviour consultations or training sessions with our behaviourist, helping your dog generalise and maintain skills in everyday settings.
No. This service is delivered by a qualified professional and includes targeted training, enrichment, and behaviour support—tailored to dogs who benefit from more than just physical exercise.
Yes. All training is empathy-based and positive reinforcement, consistent with current scientific understanding of animal learning and behaviour.
Yes, within scope. These walks can support behaviour modification plans. For complex or ongoing issues, we may recommend a behaviour consultation first.
We focus on skills that support your dog’s and your family’s needs—always at your dog’s pace. This may include loose lead walking, recall, settling in new environments, greeting people calmly, building confidence, and focusing around distractions.
Yes. You’ll get a short summary after each walk with notes on what we practised and how your dog responded.
Some dogs benefit from one or two walks a week for consistent support. Others use the service short-term while working on specific behaviours or life skills.
Yes. We work with puppies, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Sessions are tailored to suit your dog’s stage of development and physical ability.
For puppies who aren’t fully vaccinated yet, sessions are held at home until their vaccinations are complete. During this time, we also support you with positive exposure sessions to help build their confidence in a safe and gradual way.
No, we don’t offer pack walks. We know the term pack walk is often used, but it usually refers to large group walks where individual needs can be harder to support. For some dogs, this can be overstimulating or even unsafe – especially without proper supervision.
All of our walks are one-on-one or with one carefully matched dog. This allows us to focus on your dog’s comfort, behaviour, and learning without added stress. Social time is only included if we know it’s appropriate for your dog.
Our team is trained in canine behaviour and force-free handling, so every walk is designed to support your dog’s well-being – not just exercise.
We’re based near central Auckland and offer services across the city and nearby suburbs. These include:
Central & Inner-West:
Grey Lynn, Ponsonby, Herne Bay, Westmere, Freemans Bay, St Marys Bay
City Fringe & Inner-South:
Mt Albert, Kingsland, Morningside, Eden Terrace, Mt Eden, Sandringham, Balmoral
Inner-East:
Parnell, Grafton, Newmarket, Epsom, Greenlane
Inner-North & West City Edge:
Pt Chevalier, Waterview, Western Springs
If you’re just outside these areas, feel free to get in touch. We’ll let you know if we can help or happily refer you to someone local.
Each session includes trust-building, skill development, and support for emotional regulation and adaptive behaviours. These are built into the walk in a practical way to help your dog cope better with everyday situations.
We follow strict safety procedures and keep communication open. If we notice any struggles or behavioural concerns, we’ll let you know promptly and respectfully.
