Helping dogs and their people find confidence, connection and freedom in everyday life.
At Bark and Hike, our starting point is simple: let dogs be dogs. Dogs need opportunities to sniff, explore, move, play and make choices. These natural behaviours help us understand who they are and what they need.
When a dog barks, pulls, lunges or struggles to settle, we look beyond the behaviour itself. We consider their history, emotions, environment and past experiences, then build a practical plan for both dog and owner.
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A quiet beach, bush track or open space gives many dogs room to move and helps us observe them without the pressure of a busy street or close encounters. We can see how they explore, respond to their person, recover from excitement and make decisions when they have space.
It also gives us a calmer place to teach skills such as check-ins, recall, loose lead walking, moving away from something concerning, and settling after play. We choose the setting to suit the individual dog and the behaviour we are working on.
As those skills develop, we gradually practise them in the places where you need them most. We introduce distractions and triggers at a distance and intensity your dog can manage, then build towards more challenging situations. The aim is for new skills to work in everyday life, while respecting your dog’s pace.
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Meet your trainer
Based in Mornington, Alycia is a passionate dog trainer and animal lover who brings a warm, energetic and practical approach to the Bark & Hike team.
Her journey began volunteering with the RSPCA, where she discovered her passion for working with animals. In 2024, Alycia moved into professional dog training and behaviour modification, including 2 years working with Calming Canines, where she gained hands-on experience with dogs of different breeds, temperaments and behavioural needs.
Alycia shares Bark & Hike’s “Let Dogs Be Dogs” philosophy - creating opportunities for dogs to explore, play and fulfil their natural needs while developing confidence, engagement, boundaries and real-world skills.
At home, Alycia shares life with her two dogs - Bandit, a 3-year-old Australian Shepherd, and Loui, a 5-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer - as well as her son, Wolfe, and the animals on her little hobby farm. Living with two intelligent, energetic working breeds also gives Alycia a genuine appreciation for the importance of appropriate physical exercise, mental stimulation, engagement and breed fulfilment.
When she’s not training dogs, you’ll usually find Alycia outdoors, playing netball, sewing or spending time with her family.
Kind, caring and energetic, Alycia is passionate about helping dogs and their people build happier, more confident lives together.
Book a Free Meet & GreetWe begin with a free, 30 minute meet and greet. We’ll learn about your dog’s history and daily routine, listen to your concerns, and discuss what you would like to change. We’ll then recommend the most useful next step.
For behaviour concerns, we assess your dog in a setting relevant to the issue. That may be at home, in a quiet natural space or on a walk. We look at what happens before and after the behaviour, what helps your dog feel comfortable, and the skills we can build on.
You’ll receive a written report outlining our observations, initial priorities and practical recommendations. This becomes the starting point for an individual training plan. The behaviour assessment and written report is $150.
Your trainer works with your dog on the agreed goals, beginning at a level your dog can manage. We may start in a calm setting and move to places with more distractions as their skills and confidence grow.
One-to-one behaviour modification and training sessions are $135 for 60 minutes or $65 for 30 minutes. We’ll discuss what frequency may be helpful and review the plan as your dog progresses.
Your involvement is an essential part of the process. In a session together, the trainer will show you how to practise each skill with your dog, explain what they are watching for, and coach you as you try it yourself. You can ask questions, share what has been happening at home and on walks, and receive live feedback while working with your dog.
These sessions help transfer the skills your dog has learned with the trainer into the relationship and routines you share every day.
You’ll receive manageable homework tailored to your dog and your routine. This might be a short focus game, a calmer walking exercise, a new household routine or practice at a comfortable distance from a distraction. We’ll explain how to do it and what progress to look for.
Where practical, we’ll also share photos and short videos from your dog’s sessions. They can help you see the skills we are building, recognise small changes and revisit exercises when practising at home.
We won’t lock you into a package of multiple sessions. We can recommend a next step and explain why we think it may help, but you see your dog’s day-to-day life in a way we cannot. We want you to judge the progress, tell us what is and isn’t working, and decide whether further sessions are right for your dog and your family.
Your feedback guides the work. Together, we can adjust the plan, pause or continue as your dog’s needs change.
Behaviour change takes time. A dog who checks in with you, recovers more quickly, chooses to move away or stays engaged near a distraction is making meaningful progress. We celebrate those changes and build on them with clear, consistent practice.
Our goal is a dog who can navigate the world with greater confidence, and an owner who understands how to support them - while still giving that dog the freedom to sniff, explore, play and be a dog.
