Meet Your Trainer
Frances Ullrich
Hi, I’m Frances
Lover of new-born lambs, good music, mangoes, the gorgeous sea views of Albany, WA and of course dogs! Ever since I was tiny, I have loved being around dogs – learning to understand them, talking their language, and now working to help you be able to enjoy them to the fullest. All my training methods are force free and focus on getting long lasting results because your dog is happy and eager to do what you want!
As a personal dog trainer, I aim to help my clients see real changes in their dogs in the most enjoyable and effective ways through positive reinforcement training. Although I certainly believe that dog training classes are important, some of us are just too busy to get the most out of them. It can often be difficult to transfer results in class to results at home in real life – where it matters!
That’s why I work one-on-one with a select number of clients at a time. I can customise the training programs to meet your specific goals for your dog in your home so that we can see results faster. I come to you so that you don’t have to break into your busy schedule with travelling, and your dog will learn so much more quickly at home where the training is relevant.
The way I train is different to other trainers, because I don’t just give you the basics. I help you right until you achieve your dream goal with your dog!
My Speciality
I am passionate about making real life results achievable for families struggling with their dog’s behaviour.
RSPCA statistics taken from 2020 and 2021, show that 2,502 dogs were euthanised across Australia – 1,665 of which were euthanised due to behavioural issues! So many of these issues could have been prevented by appropriate training as puppies, or resolved with guided, personalised training support for adult dogs.
There are so many things which are invaluable to help you raise the friendly, polite dog you and your household deserves. If you are a puppy owner, now is the essential stage that will determine whether or not you and your dog will be able to live together in harmony for the next fifteen or so years.
Even if you have an adult dog who you had hoped would become the perfect dog for your household, but who has turned out to be otherwise, there is hope! I can help you get back to where you wanted to be.
Every dog and human team wants to live an easy fun life together, but often you find the advice and training methods you try are ineffectual. Your dog still doesn’t listen to you, you get frustrated, they get frustrated, and no one has a nice time anymore!
My training approach gets you back to that fun, easy, relaxing lifestyle again. You have more freedom with your dog because you can trust them more!
All the families I help can testify to the ‘enjoyableness’ of the training process… So are you ready for your dog to learn to follow your lead?
Training and Work
Over the years, I have learned from some of the world’s most respected dog behaviour specialists and trainers, including Dr. Tom Mitchell, Lauren Langman, Victoria Stillwell and Dr. Ian Dunbar. I hold three Pro Dog Trainer certificates with Absolute Dogs, UK.
I have worked with all kinds of dogs – young and old, big, small and everything in between, happy dogs, anxious dogs, excitable dogs, lazy dogs – you name it! I regularly seek further education to broaden and refine my expertise and keep up-to-date with the best training methods and newest research in the field.
In the past I have been a member and volunteer class instructor with the Albany All Breeds Dog Club, which is a not for profit club, dedicated to educating the community on how to train their dogs in basic life skills and manners as well as Obedience, Rally and Agility using positive reinforcement training methods.
I also spent two years partnering with RSPCA WA to bring dog training classes to the region. These classes focused on getting real life results for dog owners, growing and improving their dog’s ability to listen to them.
Meet the Team
Pixie – The one who started it all
Pixie (2011-2026) was the first to teach Frances to think from the perspective of a dog, the first to make Frances a better trainer, the first to challenge Frances to overcome behaviour struggles she had no idea how to resolve, and the first to inspire her to do what has now become her job and passion.
Pixie came from a Safe rescue centre in Broom, WA. She was Yorkshire Terrier mixed with who knows what! When Pixie first became a part of the family, Frances had no idea about dog training.
Pixie used to be reactive (hackles up, lunging, barking…) when she saw another dog, and had no idea about how to greet dogs politely. She was very anxious in the car and she was very nervous around new things and got very overwhelmed going outside of her yard.
Pixie was the one who inspired Frances to begin learning how to transform dog behaviour. And through careful training, Pixie changed so much! She became pure spunk, loved exploring and was always up for a training challenge. She could greet dogs and walk away from interactions she was uncomfortable with.
She also learned many tricks which kept her confident and close to Frances when out and about, so that she was safe and happy. This was obviously very important since she was only 5.5 kgs.
Until she retired, Pixie was always enthusiastic to learn something new, go on adventures and be a part of demonstrating for training videos.
Pixie’s favourite thing to do was ‘help’ in the garden. Digging was her forte. 😉
Bonnie – Teacher’s helper dog
Bonnie is currently three years old. She is a pure breed Border Collie from a wonderful breeder in Queensland.
When previous helper dog, Josey stepped back from helping Frances, Bonnie stepped into his shoes and is excelling herself.
A helper dog is a dog who assists Frances when working with owners who have a reactive or nervous dog. A helper dog helps people and their dogs practise newly learned skills around a calm, soothing dog, so that both owner and dog can build confidence as the dog’s behaviour transforms from a nightmare to a dream!
Being a very enthusiastic, bouncy Border Collie, Bonnie has had to learn many skills to make her suitable for this role. She walks politely, listens to instructions, isn’t interested in other dogs unless she is told she may be – and yet she still has so much fun!
Bonnie loves a challenge and knows over sixty tricks and counting. Her favourite activity is dog dancing with Frances. She lives to learn!
But above all else, Bonnie looooves people and will happily take snuggles from anyone willing to give them. Her big blue eyes are irresistible.