Heart of the Pack
Regional South Australian Dog Behaviourist & Trainer
Calm, confident dogs start with a calm, confident you. Psychology-based dog behaviour and training across the Upper Spencer Gulf, Iron Triangle, Eyre Peninsula, Mid North, Clare Valley and Yorke Peninsula — and online with owners anywhere in Australia.
See it in action
Before and after — one consultation.
Real footage from a recent in-home consultation. Wallaroo household — Pip and a 4-month-old puppy.
Sound familiar?
If you’re reading this at 11pm because today was hard — you’re in the right place. The issues below are the ones I work on every single week, across every regional SA town.
- Lunging, barking or pulling on lead at other dogs, bikes or people
- Aggression or resource guarding that’s escalating fast
- Separation anxiety, destruction or non-stop barking when alone
- A puppy that’s already running the household
- A rescue with an unknown history you don’t fully trust
- Tried other trainers, treats or tools — and it isn’t holding
The method
The Heart of the Pack difference
Three principles, applied consistently. Every breed, every age, every history.
Psychology over tricks
Dogs respond to who you are, not what you say. We rebuild the relationship first — the behaviour follows.
Leadership over correction
No food bribes. No shock collars. No fear, no force. Just calm, clear, consistent communication.
Days, not weeks
Most owners feel the shift inside the first session. The slow part is consistency — and that is where Pauline coaches you.
What I help with
Eight dog behaviour and training services, one method.
Aggression, reactivity, puppies, anxiety, obedience, barking — handled the same way underneath: calm leadership, ethical methods, real-world results.
Puppy Training
Puppy training that begins with the relationship, not the trick — so the calm carries into adulthood.
Learn moreObedience Training
Obedience that holds in the paddock, the beach, the cafe and the chaos — because it comes from relationship, not bribery.
Learn moreAggressive Dog Training
Aggressive behaviour rarely starts as aggression — it is almost always fear or arousal wearing a louder coat. The work is calming the underlying state, not punishing the symptom.
Learn moreReactive Dog Training
Reactivity is over-arousal wearing a leash. Calm the arousal, the reactivity collapses.
Learn moreSeparation Anxiety
A dog that panics when you leave is not being naughty. It is genuinely afraid — and forcing through it makes it worse, every time.
Learn moreBarking Dog Training
Barking is a symptom. Find the cause, the noise stops on its own.
Learn moreIn-Home Training
Your dog's behaviour lives in your environment. So the training does too.
Learn moreOnline Coaching
Because for most behaviour work, you are the variable — and that's what we coach.
Learn moreCrystal Brook Studio
A dedicated training room at my Crystal Brook home — for the cases where bringing the dog to a neutral space is the better starting point.
Learn moreWhere I work
Built for regional South Australia.
Regular in-person consultation days across the Upper Spencer Gulf, Iron Triangle, Mid North, Clare Valley, Yorke Peninsula and the Eyre Peninsula — and online coaching for owners further afield.
Upper Spencer Gulf
Spanning Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla, the Upper Spencer Gulf is home to working families, working dogs, and the long open spaces that both help and hurt dog behaviour. I run regular in-person consultation days across the whole USG from my Crystal Brook base — with bookings grouped together for the longer Whyalla and Port Augusta trips so the drive carries multiple cases.
Dog training the Upper Spencer Gulf
Eyre Peninsula
The Eyre Peninsula is vast — Port Lincoln is roughly 5 hours from Crystal Brook, Ceduna closer to 8. I work in-home across the peninsula on blocked consultation days, grouping bookings together to make the drive worthwhile — and online coaching is equally available for owners who prefer it or whose case is time-sensitive.
Dog training in Eyre Peninsula
Iron Triangle
The Iron Triangle — Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla — is one of the densest regional dog populations in South Australia. Heart of the Pack is based 25 minutes south of Port Pirie at Crystal Brook and runs regular in-person consultation days across all three towns, with bookings grouped together for the longer Whyalla trips so the drive carries multiple cases.
Dog training in Iron Triangle
Mid North
The Mid North is home base. Crystal Brook sits squarely in the middle of it, and my standard rotation covers most Mid North towns within an hour's drive — Jamestown, Peterborough, Burra, Gladstone, Snowtown, Laura, Wirrabara, Quorn — with regular in-person consultation days through the week.
Dog training in Mid North
Clare Valley
Clare Valley wine-country dog life is its own thing. Tourists, dog-friendly cellar doors, dog-dense events, and a population mix of long-time locals and tree-changers from Adelaide. I run regular in-person consultation days across the Clare Valley from my Crystal Brook base — about 50 minutes south — with bookings grouped together so each Clare day carries multiple consults.
Dog training in Clare Valley
Yorke Peninsula
The Yorke Peninsula is beach country — fishing trips, tourist holidays, working sheep properties, and family dogs that range from spoilt town dogs to long-line drivers on the harvest. I run regular in-person consultation days across the peninsula from my Crystal Brook base, with bookings grouped together so the drive (90 minutes to the Copper Coast, around 2 hours to Yorketown) carries multiple consults in the same trip.
Dog training in Yorke Peninsula
Meet Pauline
Decades of dog behaviour practice. One quiet philosophy.
Pauline Cowey is an accredited Dog Communicator, Behaviourist, Owner Educator and Trainer — based at Crystal Brook and working across regional South Australia. Her method is built on calm, clear leadership: not bribery, not force.
Most owners feel the shift in their dog inside the first session. The slow part is consistency — and that’s where Pauline coaches you.
Read Pauline’s storyReal owners. Real change.
What clients say
“A lot of information provided, most of the time is hands on with dog, which was very helpful. Not going to lie training is mostly for the owners not dog, they are smart enough to have already worked out who's the boss. Not going to be a quick fix if that's what you are looking for, lots of practice and repetition required to succeed. Pauline is very easy to work with, friendly and approachable. Session was flexible with working on issues and asking questions. Tilly's behaviour is improving - the small wins make it worthwhile. We still have a long way to go but now have the tools and information to get there and being able to contact Pauline any time is fantastic. Located in Port Augusta, fur-baby Tilly (American Bulldog, Rottweiler, Staffy cross).”
“Hi I'm Annie and my little dog is Tilly - a Jack Russell Cross. I took Tilly to Pauline when Tilly was an anxious, reactive, barking little dog and very much in control. But it didn't take long for me to see a difference in Tilly once Pauline started working with us. You have to be very consistent with this method and follow the process. It's made for a much happier life for me and my little dog Tilly. Thanks Pauline 😊”
“Pauline did a wonderful job of helping us to understand the power dynamics going on with our dogs. She gave us practical advice to follow that actually worked. She really understands the psyche of animals.”
“We are already seeing positive behaviour changes from Emma. Less jumping up and she is in her own bed. Lol not mine. We have listened and put into practice some of what Pauline showed us today. Surprisingly I'm not feeling guilty. I'm looking forward to Emma being the girl we want her to be by following the guidance from Pauline.”
“Pauline is absolutely amazing. Went beyond our expectations. She has given us so many strategies to help with our dogs. They have all been very settled after only one week. The issue was John and myself — and Pauline used very gentle correction. We are extremely grateful as we have changed our ways and the dogs are so much settled. I highly recommend Pauline.”
“Our six-month-old black Lab had us exasperated with her impulsive, exuberant and strong-willed behaviour. Pauline outlined a set of rules to ensure that we are the pack leader. In just over an hour Clover went from jumping all over Pauline to standing quietly by her side awaiting commands. The transformation was astounding.”
Community partnership
Proud Gold Supporter of M1R Alliance
Heart of the Pack is a Gold supporter of the M1R Alliance — a member-owned business community that returns 10% of its earnings to the Aussie Frontline Foundation, helping fund sponsored counselling through Frontline Mental Health for current and former police, fire, ambulance, defence and frontline workers across Australia.
M1R Alliance
Aussie Frontline Foundation
Frontline Mental Health
Insights
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Start here
Find out what is really going on with your dog — in 2 minutes.
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