Ahh, the dreaded introduction. Something I’ve written more times than I care to admit, and yet it still makes me pause every time.

Hi, I’m Lauren, and yes, I really, really like dogs. Enough to build my entire life around them.

I share my life with my husband, four dogs of extremely different sizes, two cats who are surprisingly dog-like, and a few farm animals for good measure.

I’ve been working with dogs for over 14 years, starting in Animal Control and progressing through boarding kennels, doggy daycare, and into professional dog training. I hold a Bachelor of Animal Behaviour, Ecology & Biodiversity from Waikato University and an Animal Care Certificate, with my experience grounded in years of hands-on work with real dogs in real-world settings.

These days, I split my time between training, pack walks, and being President of the Mount Maunganui Dog Training Club, which mostly means I talk about dogs even more than I already did.

At Arrows Canine, my focus is simple:
Train. Socialise. Explore.

That means building practical skills through training, developing healthy social behaviour through group work and pack walks, and giving dogs the opportunity to explore the world calmly and confidently alongside their people.

Who is Arrow?

Arrow came into my life during my time at Animal Control. He was a scrawny, but still handsome, one-year-old German Shepherd with a huge zest for life and absolutely no basic training. It was love at first sight.

As my first dog, Arrow threw me straight in the deep end. He was big, loud, opinionated, and far more dog than I was prepared for. He taught me patience, consistency, and the importance of meeting dogs where they are, not where we wish they were.

Arrow shaped the trainer I am today. Arrows Canine exists because of him, and everything I continue to learn is driven by the same goal: helping owners build calm, trusting, long-term relationships with their dogs, and creating households that feel balanced rather than exhausting.