The real challenges

What Mini Aussie owners actually deal with.

Nipping — Not puppy biting. Herding. Your Mini Aussie is nipping ankles, hands, and children because they're trying to move them. It's instinct, not aggression — but it has to stop.
Overstimulation — Everything is too exciting. Guests arriving, dogs on walks, kids running. They go from calm to frantic in 2 seconds and don't have a self-regulation tool.
Recall evaporation — They'll come in the living room. In the backyard, maybe. At the park? They're gone. Their herding brain sees movement and your recall cue becomes background noise.

Why this breed needs a coach who knows them

Herding dog in a compact package — the size fools you.

Herding nipping typically emerges between 4–6 months. If it's treated as "puppy biting" — which it's not — owners miss the critical redirect window. Herding nipping gets worse because it's self-reinforcing: nip → person moves → mission accomplished. The fix isn't punishment (which escalates arousal) — it's teaching an incompatible behavior.

Because Mini Aussies are 20–40 pounds, owners assume their needs match their size. They don't. This breed needs 60–90 minutes of exercise plus mental stimulation daily. A Mini Aussie in an apartment with two 15-minute walks and no training is a mini tornado.

Mini Aussies go over threshold faster than standard Aussies because their arousal is compressed into a smaller body. Teaching the off-switch is the single most important skill for this breed. Without it, every situation that involves excitement becomes a management problem.

Why FetchCoach exists

Built from one dog's first year.

I'm Jason. I built FetchCoach because when I got Baelor — my Golden Bernese, now 3 months old — every training app I tried had no memory of where we left off and no concept of breed-specific challenges.

Your dog is sharp, they learn fast, and they have specific behavioral challenges that generic apps completely ignore. No generic app is going to help you with herding nipping. No generic app adjusts for your dog's arousal level. FetchCoach does — every session picks up where the last one left off, with exercises calibrated to what your Mini Aussie actually needs.

Follow Baelor's real progress at fetchcoach.app/baelor.

Your 3-week foundation plan

Week by week — no generic curriculum.

Week 1: Off-Switch & Nipping Redirect

Nipping redirect protocol — When teeth touch skin or clothing, all interaction stops. Freeze. Turn away. Wait 3 seconds. Resume with a toy redirect. Consistent, every single time. → Mouthing Guide
Settle on mat — Your off-switch training. Lure onto mat → mark → reward. Build duration: 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds. → Settle on Mat
Leave-it for movement — Start with a toy slowly sliding across the floor. Mark and reward for looking away. Directly counters the herding fixation. → Learn Leave-It
Crate decompression — After play or excitement, crate with a frozen Kong. Teaches the post-arousal wind-down. → Crate Training Guide

Week 2: Impulse Control & Engagement

Arousal up/arousal down game — 30 seconds of play → cue "settle" → reward calm → 30 seconds of play → settle. Train the ability to shift gears. The most valuable exercise for this breed.
Recall with low distractions — Indoors first. Hallway. Yard. High-value treat. Make coming to you a celebration — but a controlled one. → Recall Training
Loose-leash basics — Direction changes work: leash goes tight, you turn the other way. They learn that pulling moves them away from what they want. → Loose-Leash Walking
Sit before access — Sit before the door opens. Before the food bowl goes down. Before the leash clips on. Impulse control becomes the default.

Week 3: Real-World Proofing

Recall past movement — Long line at the park. Another dog walks by. A kid runs past. Call before fixation sets in. → Recall Training
Settle in public — Mat at a café, park bench, or busy sidewalk. Reward for choosing to lie down and observe instead of react. → Learn Place
Nipping under excitement — Have a friend visit. When the Mini Aussie starts nipping during the greeting, calmly redirect. The real test. → Jumping Solutions
Novel stimulation exposure — Construction noise, skateboard, umbrella opening. At distance first. Reward calm observation. → Barking Solutions

What FetchCoach is — and isn't

Honest about the limits.

FetchCoach is voice coaching: 15-minute sessions, 60 minutes per month. It's not a herding class. If your Mini Aussie has developed severe compulsive behaviors, please consult a veterinary behaviorist.

Session length

15 minutes

Each voice coaching session is capped at 15 minutes — enough to work a skill, not overwhelm your dog.

Monthly coaching time

60 min/mo

Founding members get 60 minutes of AI coaching sessions per month.

Founding member price

$15/mo

200 spots total. 198 remaining. Locked in forever.

What it can't do

Compulsive behaviors

Obsessive spinning, light/shadow fixation — consult a veterinary behaviorist. FetchCoach builds the off-switch and impulse control this breed needs.

Small Dog. Full-Sized Herding Brain. Zero Off-Switch.