Zoomies to Zen

Years of experience, bundled into 5 epic courses: Coming January 2027

The online course for dog owners who want calmer walks, a more connected dog, and a little more peace for themselves too. Because a calm dog starts with a calm human.

Sound familiar?

You love your dog to bits. But some days it feels like you're being walked, not the other way round.

Your arm aches from leash pulling before you've reached the end of the street
Your dog locks onto birds, rabbits or cats and suddenly you don't exist
You've tried the tips, the treats and the YouTube videos, and nothing sticks
You feel tense before every walk, and you're pretty sure your dog feels it too

You're not doing it wrong. You just haven't been shown the whole picture yet. Zoomies to Zen looks at your dog's body, brain and emotions together, then helps you build the kind of trust that makes training actually work. No harsh corrections, no dominance stuff. Just real understanding.

Book a Consult

What's inside

Zoomies to Zen is a bundle of five online courses you can work through at your own pace, from your couch, with your dog beside you.

Mindset. Training starts with you. Learn how your energy, expectations and stress show up on the other end of the leash.

Training foundations. The building blocks every dog needs, taught with kindness and clear communication your dog actually understands.

Behaviour modification. Practical, science-backed ways to work through the tricky stuff, like pulling and high prey drive, without punishment.

Wholelistic wellness. Nutrition, gut health, rest and enrichment. Because a dog who feels good in their body finds it much easier to learn.

Every lesson is built from real dogs, real walks and real setbacks, so you'll recognise yourself in it.

Course 1: Zen Starts With You

The human foundation. About 45 to 55 minutes.

Stop asking "what's wrong with my dog?" and start asking "what am I bringing into this relationship?"

What Is Dog Training?
The Mirror Effect
Expectations, Clarity and Consistency
Emotional Awareness and Self-Regulation
Letting Go of Ego in Training
Coming Back to Zen

Course 2: The Canine Compass

Understanding your whole dog. About 2.5 to 3 hours.

See your dog's behaviour through their body, brain and emotions, and learn exactly what they need to feel good.

Understanding your whole dog

Dog Life Stages
The Balanced Three

Body and brain

Sleep
Routine
Food and Nutrition
Why Raw Food
The Gut-Brain Axis and Vagus Nerve
Environmental Toxins
Mental Stimulation
Hire Your Dog for a Job
Exercise
Socialisation
Genetics and Breed Purpose

Expectations and connection

Requirements vs Expectations
Lowering Your Expectations (Without Lowering Your Standards)
Nothing in Life Is Free
Conversations vs Scolding

Course 3: Build a Language

Communication your dog understands. About 3.5 to 4.5 hours. Go from talking at your dog to talking with them, with a shared vocabulary and the everyday cues that make life easier.

Before the cues

You Are Always Training
How Your Dog Learns

It's not naughty, it's normal

Rehearsal and Neural Pathways
Engagement and Disengagement

Creating a partnership

Learning State and Readiness
Markers and What They Mean
Cue Consistency, Nothing in Life Is Free and Conversations

The mechanics

Rewards, Treat Strategy and Ditch the Bowl
Treat Delivery and the Power of Doing Nothing
Luring vs Capturing vs Cueing

Teach the basics

Eye Contact
Sit
Stay and Wait
Down
Touch
Leave
Crate, Place and Mat

Impulse control and regulation

Rewarding Calm
Leave It to Win It
The Cup Game
Crate While You Do Life

Puppy foundations (puppy track)

Developmental Stages and What to Expect
Puppy Sleep and Rest Needs
Mouthing and Bite Inhibition
Early Socialisation Without Overwhelm
Puppy Daily Routine and Troubleshooting

Course 4: Training for Real Life

Taking it outside. About 70 to 90 minutes. Stop dreading the walk, the door and the café, and start moving through daily life together like you belong there.

Training for Your Life Together
Loose Leash Walking
Recall
Door Manners and Greetings
On-Leash Greetings
Out in the World: Cafés, Streets and Public Spaces

Course 5: Big Feelings, Big Shifts

Behaviour modification and emotional regulation. About 1.75 to 2 hours. Go from shame and avoidance to understanding and confidence. Learn to read your dog's nervous system in real time and run your own behaviour sessions.

Understanding

Big Feelings Are Big Messages
The Hype Spiral: Overstimulation and Threshold

Preparing

Management: The Non-Negotiable Foundation
Marker Mechanics and Treat Strategy
The Calming Toolkit and Co-Regulation

The protocol

Setting Up for Success
The Behaviour Modification Protocol
When Things Go Wrong
Life After Behaviour Work

Every lesson is built from real dogs, real walks and real setbacks, so you'll recognise yourself in it.

Questions

Who is this for? Any dog owner who wants a calmer, more connected relationship with their dog, whether you've got a bouncy puppy, a puller, or a rescue still finding their feet.

Do I need to live in Central Otago? Nope. It's fully online, so you can do it from anywhere in New Zealand or the world.

What if my dog has serious behaviour issues? The course is a great foundation, but some dogs need hands-on help. If you're local, book a session with me and we'll work through it together.

Meet Lisa & Roo

Kia ora, I'm Lisa, founder and head trainer at Zoomies Dog Training & Adventures in Cromwell, Central Otago. I'm also a certified canine nutritionist and podcast host.

My best teacher has four legs. When my rescue dog Roo first came home, he'd sit in the corner and just watch us. He didn't trust us yet.

We got there together, slowly, by learning to read each other. Everything in Zoomies to Zen comes from that journey, and from the hundreds dogs and owners I've worked with since.

Our Mission

After working with hundreds of dogs across the world, our founder Lisa Telle discovered one thing was always true: Dogs thrive when their training, adventure and nutrition needs are met in a way that feels natural, respectful and fun. Zoomies was born from that belief. Since then Lisa has built a team of empathetic, intuitive trainers who share her commitment to improving the well-being, behaviour and happiness of every dog we meet. Our mission is to help dogs and their humans build a life they genuinely love together: one that strengthens the bond, nurtures trust and honours the unique relationship you share. We’re here to walk alongside you, educate and empower you and celebrate the joy of living in sync with your dog.