Margo Mitchell
The Dog Magician
A healthy balance between love, trust and respect is essential for a happy dog. Our vision is to help you achieve that balance. If you are a new owner of a puppy and want to learn where to start, or you have a dog obviously out of balance,
we are here to help.
ABOUT ME
Gold Coast based Margo Mitchell The Dog Magician is a highly-skilled and intuitive behaviourist. She’d love to help you and your dog reach a balanced and harmonious place.
Margo began her working life as a broadcast journalist in the 1980s. She worked as a roving reporter, newsreader, editor and producer for both commercial radio, the ABC and SBS.
Margo was working for the ABC on the International News and Current Affairs Desk in Sydney when the terrorist attacks in New York on the World Trade Center towers occurred on 9/11 2001. From that moment, international news became a horror story. In 2006, Margo was totally burnt out.
After a long rest, Margo decided on a complete career change and in 2012 she began online training with Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) as a dog behaviourist. In June 2014, Margo travelled to Los Angeles to train in person with Cesar. She came back inspired by this master with a burning desire to change the world, one dog at a time. She has been working successfully with difficult dogs ever since.
HOW IT WORKS
Margo offers an in-home consultation usually lasting 2 to 3 hours. Ideally, the whole family is present, because, as you know, dogs consider their family their pack. Life is busy, and it’s not always possible to have the family together, but it’s great if we can.
The session begins with a detailed discussion of the issues you’re having. Margo then considers with you dog psychology and human psychology. She fully explains why when we use human psychology on a dog, it doesn’t work. Then we get into the hands-on work.
Although the average session is around three hours, Margo prefers to stay with it until there is a measurable result. Her longest (and toughest) session was five hours—everyone, including the dog, was pretty tired at the end!
Because dogs don’t work to a schedule, Margo doesn’t charge by the hour. Her fees are on a sliding scale depending on your needs and the depth of the issue(s). Margo is so confident in the method she uses that, providing you follow her advice 100% for one month and nothing has changed, she offers a full refund.
Margo also offers a lifetime warranty. If you have any questions for the life of your dog, you can contact Margo for help at no further charge.
SERVICES
FEES
Margo has a sliding scale of fees depending on the type of help you need.
The standard (approximately 3 hour) in home consultation is $395.
Puppies under 16 weeks $295.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
NEW SERVICES
OKAY!! Announcing a new service from Margo The Dog Magician —on the Gold Coast,
Australia, down to the NSW border.
Way too many lovely, goodhearted people adopt a dog from a shelter or the pound and it’s the wrong dog for those people or that family.
Eg. You have knee/hip/shoulder problems and/or can’t run? You don’t rescue a husky. No matter how gorgeous.
For a modest fee of $50, I will come with you to the shelter/ pound and help you choose the right dog for your personality, your family, and your general circumstance.
I’d be really grateful if you’d share this information around local Gold Coast community FB pages—it’s so important people don’t give up on a rescue because they’ve simply adopted the wrong dog.
- I offer in-your-home consultations. (To understand your issues, I need to feel your dog’s environment and their relationship to you and your family.)
- If you are looking for a new family member, I help you select the right puppy. (Not every puppy is perfect for every family, no matter how adorable they are.) I show you how to introduce your puppy to the new home and family. Once you have the basics right, everything else falls into place.
- I offer outdoor dog/puppy walking classes—maximum of five participants, because of coronavirus. I teach you how to walk your dog calmly in a pack, even if your dog is highly reactive or even dog aggressive.
*Please note I do NOT offer puppy school. Puppies need to be around responsible adults and older dogs. Puppy schools tend to make puppies over-excited and more difficult to train.
*Puppy schools usually recommend “positive-only force-free” training, which in the real world does not work. It can even make your dog less manageable.
What is Balanced
Training?
Balanced training is wholistic. I teach you how to develop a strong, loving, pack leader relationship with your dog. Love, praise and treats have their place, but love is not enough. Balanced training means you correct the behaviour you don’t agree with and praise the behaviour you do agree with. Correction is as important as praise.
IN HOME PUPPY TRAINING
Margo will come to your home and teach you everything about how to bring your puppy up as a balanced, happy and contented dog. While she’s there, she’ll teach your puppy the following:
Margo will come to your home and teach you everything about how to bring your puppy up as a balanced, happy and contented dog. While she’s there, she’ll teach your puppy the following:
TESTIMONIALS
BLOGS
Little Dog Syndrome
I recently experienced a highly educational moment thanks to Mother Nature—a lesson in how dangerous a dog-aggressive “little dog” can be. I was walking my small dog and stopped to chat to an older man with a Jack Russell called Jaffa. She’s the sweetest little thing...
Recommended links
Cesarsway.com
The official site of Cesar Millan, the world’s most famous TV dog whisperer.
Dogman Downunder
Australia’s most experienced and talented dog whisperer. He works with pet dogs in their homes in the Brisbane/Toowoomba/Gold Coast areas Andy is my partner in crime in our new podcast Lady and the Tramp. Look for it wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.
Fear No More
Stuart Camps participates humanly with all non-humans – animals, plants, trees, living places. He is based in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, Australia. Watch out for his forthcoming book!
Von Hound & Friends
Ethical and affordable accessories and toys with a special focus on dachshunds.
Animal Spirit
The official site of Anna Breitenbach, the most famous animal communicator in the world. Anna is based in Cape Town in South Africa and communicate with beings all over the globe. She is most famous for her work with Spirit the black panther.
Dog-E-Fit
Canberra based dog sitting and exercise, a unique business, worth checking out!
Ruth Hatten
Sunshine Coast based animal healer and naturopath.
Perfect Pets
A fully ethical space to buy a pet from strongly vetted breeders and rescue organisations. Don’t risk a backyard breeder, go to Perfect Pets.
CONTACT ME
Margo Mitchell “The Dog Magician”
A healthy balance between love, trust and respect is essential for a happy dog. Our vision is to help you achieve that balance. If you are a new owner of a puppy and want to learn where to start, or you have a dog obviously out of balance, we are here to help.
Phone
0414 311 939
Opening Hours
Available 7 days a week
7am-2pm
Address
Covering Gold Coast and Brisbane