Delightful Dogs

Let’s Walk. Let’s Learn. Let’s Play.
Turning Khaos into Calm.

Welcome to Delightful Dogs Motueka where the journey is as rewarding as the destination.

At Delightful Dog, we are committed to providing high-quality pet care services in Motueka Township at an affordable price.

With a genuine passion for animals and a focus on creating a fun, engaging, and nurturing environment, we treat every pet as if it were our own.

Whether you have questions, want to book a walk, or schedule a training session, feel free to reach out to us on our dedicated phone line: 0274 443 309.

In partnership with you we can turn khaos into calm.

The Connection

Delightful Dogs, together with our team, we’re TURNING KHAOS INTO CALM through skills-based adventure walks, comprehensive training courses and foundation training.

You can feel confident knowing your much-loved pets are in experienced and caring hands.

Fern’s qualifications and professional support include:

Animal First Aid Certified
Member of Professional Dog Walker Association
Professional Support by Animal Training Academy
Certificate in Canine Psychology and Training

Whether your dog needs adventure, training, confidence building or a strong foundation, we’re here to help you and your dog along the way.

Phone or text Fern 0274 443 309.

Usual re-contact time is one day or less. If longer please feel free to connect again.

Our Services

Dog Skills-based Adventure Walks

Social group walks in natural environments – beach, river, bush.

Maximum of four large dogs per group.
Pick-up and drop-off included.
Emphasis on positive social interaction, movement, and calm behaviour.

Let your dog discover, learn and thrive – one twist and turn at a time.

We believe dogs thrive when they explore environments in the natural world. That’s why we have adventure walks that rotate through bush, beach and river walks. It encourages dogs to engage all of their senses – sight, smell and hearing while navigating different challenges in different environments.

Physical awareness and confidence
Navigating the natural environment requires dogs to:

Climb, crawl, or squeeze through narrow gaps.
Balance on bridges or explore new surfaces.
Approach water (puddles streams, or deeper pools) and judge whether to step in.

These experiences help dogs become more aware of their bodies, their size, and their abilities – building physical confidence step by step.

Decision making and learning
The natural environments that we walk in is full of choices: which way to turn, whether to go through a new gap, or when to follow to another dog. These small decisions strengthen a dog’s ability to make choices independently. With guidance from an experienced dog walker, dogs are encouraged to pause, think and try new challenges – always celebrated for their effort. This translates into their wider world with showing maturity and learning how to make good choices.

Social growth and trust
Because we walk in small established and trusted groups, they build real relationships with each other while developing resilience and adaptability. Seeing other dogs succeed encourages them to follow, reducing fear and booting confidence. It has also shown that dogs are less likely to have unhappy interactions with other dogs as they learn to ‘speak dog’ They are also not so interested in approaching strange dogs as they have their own friendships.

Regular bush beach river group walk 1 hour $35.

If you would like your dog to come out 2 or more sessions per week we can offer a great rate.

Individual Walks – Training Walks one-on-one $40.

Dogs are walked in carefully placed groups so for safety reasons we do not generally take casual ‘drop in’ dogs.

If you choose for your dog not to attend a session we expect full payment as we need to cover the cost of a reserved space.

Delightful Dogs walk in all weather except thunder and lightning storms. On hot days we carry water with us. When its wet your dog will get towel dried before drop off.

Go to our Facebook page – Delightful Dogs Motueka to see videos of our dog walks.

Little Wolf Club
Big Adventures for Little Dogs

At Delightful Dog, Little Wolf Club is a boutique enrichment programme created exclusively for toy and small-breed dogs. Designed to build confidence through play, socialisation, and adventure, every session provides a safe and enjoyable environment where little dogs can learn, explore, and make lasting friendships.

Our small groups encourage positive social skills, helping dogs learn to greet others politely, walk calmly together, practise recall, and develop good everyday manners.

Every session includes a variety of enriching activities designed to stimulate both mind and body, including:

Interactive puzzles and games
Mazes and obstacle courses
Group walks and new adventures
Basic manners and confidence-building exercises
Supervised play and plenty of positive human interaction

By exploring new environments, travelling safely with other dogs, and working through fun challenges, dogs become more confident, adaptable, and resilient.

Learn Through Play.

To provide the highest level of care, we limit each session to 12 small dogs, supervised by three experienced carers. Our carefully balanced programme includes structured play, enrichment, group walks, free play, and rest, ensuring every dog remains happy, engaged, and comfortable.

Regular attendance helps dogs build confidence, develop lasting friendships, and enjoy the security of a familiar routine.

Whether your dog is a young puppy learning to socialise or an older dog who loves adventure, Little Wolf Club offers a fun, supportive environment where little dogs can thrive.

Why Choose Little Wolf Club?
Little Wolf Club is more than dog daycare – it’s a place where small dogs can grow socially, mentally, and emotionally through positive experiences tailored specifically for them.

With structured learning, enriching adventures, and genuine friendships, every session helps your little dog build confidence, develop important life skills, and enjoy being part of a caring community.

Because little dogs deserve adventures made just for them.

$25 per session.

Interactive Dog – Parent Training Course
Train the relationship, not just the dog.

Learn to communicate, understand, and build a lifelong partnership with your canine companion.

Our Interactive Dog Parent Training Course helps dog parents develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to build a strong, trusting relationship with their dog through effective communication and understanding.

Our personalised In-Home Dog Training Programme provides practical coaching in the environment where your dog lives every day. Training in the home makes it easier to address real-life behaviours and apply new skills where they matter most.

The programme consists of four one-hour sessions delivered over four consecutive weeks, allowing time to practise between sessions while progressively building confidence and success.

Understand what unwanted behaviour is, why it happens, and how to discourage it using calm, humane, non–fear-based training methods.
Learn interactive games that make training fun while teaching essential commands such as sit, stay, come, and leave it.

Build confidence and consistency with effective leash walking techniques for enjoyable daily walks.

Develop the skills to walk calmly and confidently with your dog in public spaces, even around common distractions.

Rather than focusing only on training the dog, this course teaches both dog and owner to learn together. Through practical, hands-on coaching, you’ll learn to communicate clearly using verbal cues, body language, voice modulation, timing, and consistency, helping your dog understand what is expected while reducing confusion and unwanted behaviours.

You’ll learn to read and interpret canine body language so you can recognise what your dog is communicating, respond appropriately, strengthen trust, and prevent behavioural issues before they develop.

The course also explores dogs’ natural instincts and reflexive behaviours, helping you understand why dogs react the way they do and how to work with those instincts to achieve better training outcomes.

Strong daily routines are another key focus. You’ll learn how structured training, regular meal times, appropriate exercise and enrichment, and dedicated relationship-building time all contribute to your dog’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

Because every dog and every owner learns differently, training is tailored to suit individual learning styles, creating a positive, engaging, and effective experience for both.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Communicate effectively using voice, body language, timing, and clear cues.
Understand and interpret your dog’s body language.
Build trust and strengthen the human–dog relationship.
Establish routines that promote lifelong good behaviour through consistent training, feeding, exercise, enrichment, and quality time.
Work with your dog’s natural instincts rather than against them.
Develop practical skills to create a calmer, happier, and more confident companion.

The 4 Session course $280, follow up sessions $70.

Foundation Therapy

Helping Dogs Rebuild Trust, Confidence, and Emotional Resilience

Some dogs live in a constant state of fear. They may be trapped in a cycle of fight, flight, or freeze responses, making everyday life stressful for both the dog and their family.

Foundation Therapy is designed for dogs experiencing deep-seated fear, anxiety, or trauma. These behaviours often stem from early puppy deprivation, negative experiences during critical developmental periods, or traumatic events later in life. Our focus is not simply on changing behaviour – we work to rebuild the dog’s confidence from the ground up.

Is Foundation Therapy Right for Your Dog?
Your dog may benefit from Foundation Therapy if they:

Shut down, freeze, or avoid human interaction.

Refuse eye contact or struggle to engage with people.

Display fear-based aggression that makes visitors or handling difficult.

Panic around everyday sights, sounds, or environments.

Have developed intense fears or phobias of objects, places, or situations.

Find it difficult to relax, learn, or recover after stressful events.

Sometimes a fear can begin with what appears to be a minor incident – a bark from another dog, a stepped-on tail, or a frightening noise during puppyhood. Over time, those experiences can grow into deeply ingrained emotional responses. Once these patterns are established, they require patience, understanding, and carefully structured rehabilitation to change.

More Than Behaviour Modification

Foundation Therapy isn’t about simply making friends with your dog. It is about creating new learning experiences that help develop healthier neurological pathways, allowing your dog to respond with confidence rather than fear.

We recognise that fearful behaviours are genuine survival strategies. Our role is to help your dog discover safer, more flexible ways to interpret and respond to the world.

Our Foundation Therapy Programme Focuses On:

Environmental Neutrality

Helping dogs remain calm, observe their surroundings, and make thoughtful decisions instead of reacting automatically.

Impulse Control

Developing reliable responses and self-control through clear guidance, consistency, and leadership.

Learning to Speak Dog

Teaching appropriate canine communication and helping dogs build healthy social skills with other dogs.

Self-Soothing Skills

Helping dogs learn to relax, process stressful experiences, and recover appropriately rather than reacting through panic, frustration, or destructive behaviour.

How We Build Trust

Every rehabilitation programme is tailored to the individual dog, but commonly includes:

Consistent routine visits and predictable interactions

Understanding each dog’s emotional and behavioural needs

Clear communication through body language and timing

Positive, engaging activities that encourage confidence

Gradual desensitisation to fears and triggers

Creating safe spaces where dogs can feel secure

Coaching owners in calm, effective leadership

Turning mistakes into learning opportunities rather than punishment

Our Helper Dogs

An important part of our programme is our two experienced Helper Dogs.

They understand when they are working and play a valuable role in building confidence, teaching social skills, and providing calm leadership to dogs who need extra support. They naturally demonstrate appropriate boundaries, communication, and emotional stability while remaining patient and forgiving as nervous or over-excited dogs learn new behaviours.

Building Strong Foundations for Life

Some dogs recover quickly, while others – particularly those who have experienced abuse, neglect, or significant puppy deprivation – require months of careful, consistent work. There are no shortcuts, but with patience, structure, and compassionate guidance, remarkable progress is possible.

Our goal is to help every dog develop the confidence, resilience, and emotional stability needed to enjoy life and navigate the world with trust instead of fear.

Every confident dog begins with a strong foundation.

Enquire directly for pricing.

Assessments

For safety and happiness of our clients (dog), parents (of dog) will need to be assessed for placement into Lets Walk.

If you dog is not regulated enough (eg recall, lead trained) you may be offered training sessions leading to inclusion into a walk group.

From 20 Minutes $20 – $50.

Support Services

At Delightful Dogs, we understand that sometimes pet owners need a little extra support.

We’re here to help with:

Accompaniment and support at vet visits.
Emotional support and practical guidance for pet owners.
A friendly, understanding person to help you and your furry family when you need it.

To have a chat about how we can support you, please call or text Fern on 0274 443 309.

Pet Stay
No Longer Available

We are no longer available for boarding.

However, we can suggest some other providers:

The Woof 021 0812 7839
Fetch and Frolick 027 205 2599
Google Pet Sitters for more options

If you are a current client please contact me.

Terms and Conditions

Please read the following carefully.

Dogs must wear a properly fitted collar displaying their current TDC registration tag while attending walks.
Dogs will travel safely restrained in our vehicle using an appropriate harness or restraint.
Delightful Dogs NZ operates with a safety-first philosophy. We carefully select walking locations to minimise encounters with other dogs and members of the public. While every reasonable precaution is taken, not all environmental risks can be eliminated.
We will contact you promptly if any incident or concern arises during a walk or training session.
Owners remain responsible for veterinary costs arising from accidents or unforeseen incidents during walks.
Owners are responsible for the cost of any damage their dog causes to property belonging to others.
After each walk, we will ensure your dog has access to fresh drinking water before leaving.
Photographs may be taken during walks and will be shared on Delightful Dogs NZ social media pages and promotional material. Facebook Delightful Dogs Motukea
If your dog is unable to attend a scheduled walk, please notify us as soon as possible. In most circumstances, the scheduled walk fee will still apply, as reserved spaces cannot be casually filled.
During walks, we use consistent training cues and commands to promote safe group walking. If you would like information on these commands, please ask.
Should behavioural concerns become evident, we may recommend our Leadership Course to help address these issues.
Payment for dog walking services is due on the day of service unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed in advance.

Payment for Services
Payment is expected before or on day of service.

Cancelations may incur a 50% charge. I am a small business and cannot carry credit.

For internet banking please ask for account number however cash is welcome and has no fee.

Internet banking incurs a fee of 10% for administration. Eg: $30 = $33 or $50 = $55

Reviews from our Dog Families

★★★★★
We are very grateful for all the walking, training, and care you’ve given Arnie over the years, in rain, wind, and sunshine. You’ve played a big part in his life, and we know he has always loved his time with you. Thank you for everything you’ve done for him!
Bee and Arnie

★★★★★
Wonderful Trainer!! We were a little “lost” with some habits our Benny was developing. WE, not Benny, needed help!! We contacted Fern and gosh!, what an amazing lady. What a massive difference she has made to us understanding “Dog Lingo” The time, effort and patience Fern has shown to both us and Benny has been a game changer for all of us. I totally recommend Fern and her knowledge of dog behaviour and how we treat them. Thank you so much. We know this little man of ours is going to be a Delightful Dog as he matures and we couldn’t have progressed the way we have without Fern helping us. 👍🏿🐾🙏
Tui and Benny

★★★★★
Thank you so much. He always comes home on cloud 9 after his walk with his mates. Thanks for all your hard work.
Ned

★★★★★
We loved the session and very informative.
Shaun, Poppy and Lola

★★★★★
Our dog training sessions with Fern gave us confidence, and tools to use with our new pup. Our family has learned how to work with and modify challenging behaviours, as well as creating routine and building a positive relationship with our furry friend. We have really appreciated Fern’s willingness to answer questions and address concerns, when they come up. Highly recommend!
Robinson Family

★★★★★
Truly appreciate all you’ve done/are doing for our dogs and all the info you’ve given me! 🙏🏻❤️
Emma, Todd, Max and Scout 

★★★★★
Delightful dogs looked after our little boy Bear while we were away. 🐾 They did a fantastic job, would certainly recommend them and use them again. He came home a very happy and well looked after 🐕 doggy, tail wagging 😊
Carress and Bear

★★★★★
Delightful dogs looked after our little boy Bear while we were away. 🐾 They did a fantastic job, would certainly recommend them and use them again. He came home a very happy and well looked after 🐕 doggy, tail wagging 😊
Carress and Bear

★★★★★
Thank you very much Fern. Coco just loves her walks with you she gets very excited when I mention your name.  And it’s so lovely for me knowing that when we go away she’s in your amazing care.
Melonie and Coco