About Kirsty
I built THDM for the dogs most people find too much, because I was that dog's owner first.
Why I started
Growing up, injured wildlife came home in woollen beanies. My father would bring in orphaned joeys, birds with broken wings, half wild things that needed steady hands and quiet patience. I was the kid who sat on the floor with them. Dogs were never just pets to me. They were company, teachers, and probably the ones I spoke to more than most people.
The old school ways of training never sat right with me. I couldn't make sense of force for the sake of obedience. Even as a kid I could see when a dog shut down, and that mattered more to me than whether it sat on command.
Then I watched McLeod's Daughters and fell hard for kelpies. That's how Pepsi came into my life, my first real lesson in praise, patience, and partnership. She showed me that a dog who feels safe and understood will give you everything.
The dogs that shaped everything
Jock
2009-2011
A gentle soul who taught me the depth of a dog’s attachment — and the cost of loving deeply.
Jock chose me as his saviour from the big scary world. He and his sister were my first real experience of dogs with a true hunt drive. Which, unfortunately, resulted in Jock's early death from a snake bite.
Pepsi
2011-2023
From fear and uncertainty to steady confidence through patience and consistency.
Pepsi taught me the most about training a dog through a relationship and bond, rather than fear (or food).
She also taught me so much about working livestock, with her natural abilities.
Noisy
2013-2022
My heart dog and the catalyst for me being a dog trainer, and THDM.
Noisy taught me how much dogs communicate when we learn how to listen. As well as how much we can influence them.
One of Pepsi's 10 puppies, she chose us at just 3 weeks old. It was clear then that she had issues with people (hence the name). As she grew her reactivity became more apparent with all new people and dogs. But she eventually became the best dog trainers dog, until her untimely death due to cancer.
Karmala Bimber
2023-Present
Taught me the power of subtlety, softness, and quiet intelligence.
Found at a time when I was finally ready to acknowledge that I was in need of another dog. As a retired registered Working Kelpie Bimber has some quirks but she has become the perfect addition to our little pack. And she has taught me much more about working.
Turbo
2024-Present
An enthusiasm machine who continues to teach me humour, patience, and energy management.
I definitely wasn't looking for another dog when Turbo charged into my life at just 2 weeks old. But his independence, spark for life and apparent liking for me was very hard to ignore. He challenges me every day but I wouldn't have him any other way.
The shelter years
I volunteered, then worked, at our local shelter, and kept seeing the same thing. Too many herding breeds surrendered, smart dogs with nowhere to put their drive. I decided I didn't just want to pick up the pieces, I wanted to prevent them from ending up there in the first place.
That decision became Whispering Peaks Dog Training, which later grew into The Holistic Dog Method. The name changed. The mission didn't.
What I understand better than most
Since my teenage years I've read the books, watched the handlers, studied the bloodlines, and learned plenty through trial and error with my own dogs. I understand how working breeds differ from each other, how they think, what they need, and what happens when those needs go unmet.
I think I understand these dogs partly because I see myself in them. Easily distracted, intuitive, sensitive to the smallest of things, always doing and thinking, and often solving a problem sideways rather than head on. I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD at 33, and I suspect I sit somewhere on the spectrum too. It's given me a particular respect for a mind that works differently to most, in a dog or in a person.
Who I built this for
I built THDM for owners of working breeds and high drive dogs who feel completely out of their depth, but who will do whatever it takes to understand their dog better. Owners who want a real relationship with their dog, not just an obedient one. Owners who want to give their dog something worth doing.
That's the whole method, really. Helping owners of working breeds and high drive dogs build a life their dog can thrive in.
Credentials
Certified balanced dog trainer, ten years of experience, specialising in herding breeds, high drive dogs, and behaviour cases including reactivity, aggression, and anxiety. Based in Gippsland, working with clients locally and online across Australia.
A Few Things About Me
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I grew up in Gippsland and feel most at home where there are paddocks, dogs, and a bit of dust on my boots.
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I share my life with Bim, a retired working Kelpie, and Turbo, a very enthusiastic Heeler cross who keeps me honest about my own training advice (and frequently questioning my life choices).
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I am a volunteer with the CFA and spend time supporting local community work when I can.
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I also work a few days a week at the Heyfield Post Office, delivering mail around the district. If you ever see a postie bike being closely supervised by a dog in the distance, that might be me.
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Because of those postie rounds, my training availability sits around them. Occasionally appointments may need to shift if postal runs or rural conditions change.
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I have always had a soft spot for working breeds and rescue dogs, especially the ones people describe as “a bit much”.
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When I am not training dogs, you will usually find me behind a camera taking photos of landscapes, dogs, or horses.
All of this has shaped the way I work with dogs and their owners today. The aim is simple: help people build steady, capable dogs and a partnership that holds up in the real world.
Join Us
We believe in building a supportive community of dog owners. By joining The Holistic Dog Method, you’ll connect with like-minded individuals dedicated to improving their dogs' lives through shared experiences and ongoing education.
Noisy
Then came Noisy.
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Noisy widened the picture. Fear reactivity, big feelings in a small body. She taught me that calm isn't a technique, it's a responsibility. The more unsettled I was, the more unsettled she became. When I steadied myself, she steadied too. She became my heart dog, and the reason I chose to do this work properly.
"Calm isn't a technique, it's a responsibility"
Noisy stood beside me while I completed my qualifications. At nine years old she was diagnosed with cancer, and losing her forced me to look beyond behaviour alone. Diet, environment, stress, the whole picture. Health and training were never separate, I just hadn't understood that yet.