Dogs Best Friend

What Dogs Best Friend does

Dogs Best Friend is a New Zealand-based dog behavioural consultancy established in 2004 by Selina McIntyre, a holder of a Bachelor of Applied Science in Animal Behaviour and Welfare. The firm operates in the Hamilton-Waikato, Tauranga-Western Bay of Plenty, and Rotorua regions, providing in-home dog behavioural modification consultations that diagnose problematic behaviours (aggression, separation anxiety, territoriality, reactivity) from a canine-behavioural-science perspective and produce bespoke modification plans demonstrated to owners. The product set also includes specialized life-stage sessions (Puppy Introduction, Teenage Dog, Baby on the Way), group seminars and talks, downloadable seminar content and online training via podia.com, a Dog Behaviour Expert Witness Consultancy service, and a published book 'Big Dog, Small Dog' released with HarperCollins in June 2021.

The business has no proprietary software platform; the 'technology' is the founder's scientifically grounded positive-reinforcement methodology and the supporting content corpus (an extensive blog with 25+ topical categories, social media presence, media features in The AM Show, RNZ, More FM Manawatu, and several national magazines). Distribution is direct-to-consumer through phone and contact-form bookings, supplemented by a Southern Cross Health Society content partnership. Revenue is generated across professional services fees (consultations, training, seminars), licensing/royalties (book), and digital product sales, with pricing not publicly disclosed and engagements handled on a quote basis. The firm is privately held, founder-owned, and operates without external investment; firmographics indicate 6 employees while the headcount source characterizes the operation as a solo practitioner, signaling acute key-person concentration.

Name

Dogs Best Friend

Legal name

Dogs Best Friend Limited

Website

https://dogsbestfriend.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dogs Best Friend is a New Zealand dog behavioural consultancy founded in 2004, providing in-home behavioural modification, training, and seminars for dog owners across the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Rotorua regions. Operated by founder Selina McIntyre using a positive-reinforcement, animal-behaviour-science methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton / Waikato

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Behavioural Consultations: In-home dog behavioural modification consultations where Selina assesses dogs, explains behaviour from canine perspective, and creates bespoke behavioural modification plans demonstrated to owners.
2. Seminars and Training Sessions: Dog Behaviour and Behavioural Modification Seminar Downloads, Group Training/Instruction, and Seminars/Talks for individuals or groups.
3. Book Sales: Author royalties from published book 'Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood' released June 2021 with HarperCollins Publishers.
4. Online Training Content: Online dog behaviour training content available through podia.com platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dogs Best Friend is a New Zealand-based dog behavioural consultancy that delivers in-home, one-to-one behavioural consultations and training programmes for dog owners. The practice specialises in resolving problem behaviours such as aggression, reactivity, anxiety, and fear, and offers additional group seminars, talks, and a published book on canine behaviour. Services are quote-based and tailored to each individual dog and household.

Product overview

Dogs Best Friend is a dog behaviourist and dog training consultancy operated by Selina McIntyre. The business offers a single unified service model centered on in-home dog behavioural consultations, supplemented by specialized training sessions (Puppy Introduction, Teenage Dog, Baby on the Way), group seminars, expert witness services, and downloadable educational content. The company also published a book through HarperCollins. Services focus on behavioural modification using positive reinforcement methods, with particular expertise in aggression, separation anxiety, and territorial behaviour cases. The business operates in the Hamilton, Waikato, Tauranga, Western Bay, and Rotorua areas of New Zealand since 2004.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dog Behavioural Consultancy One-to-one, in-home behavioural consultations assessing and modifying problem dog behaviours such as aggression, reactivity, anxiety, fear, and unwanted habits. Targeted at individual dog owners in New Zealand seeking specialist, personalised help.
• Dog Training Sessions One-to-one in-home training sessions tailored to the individual dog, focused on teaching and reinforcing desired behaviours. For dog owners wanting personalised instruction outside group class settings.
• 'Puppy Introduction' Session A dedicated in-home session for owners of new puppies, covering early foundation work to set up good behaviour from the start. Targeted at first-time or new puppy-owning households.
• 'Your Teenage Dog' Session A focused in-home session for owners of adolescent/teenage dogs, addressing typical teenage-dog behavioural challenges and continuing training foundations.
• 'Baby on the Way' Session An in-home session for households expecting a baby, focused on preparing the existing dog for the arrival of a new child and establishing safe routines.
• Seminars, Talks & Group Training Group-format seminars, talks, and training sessions on dog behaviour topics delivered to dog owners and interested groups. Complementary to the one-to-one services.
• Seminar Downloads Digital download versions of the seminar content, allowing dog owners to access the material remotely instead of attending in person.
• Expert Witness Consultancy Specialist expert witness consultancy on canine behaviour for court cases, insurance claims, disputes, and animal-related proceedings. Targeted at legal professionals, insurers, and other parties needing qualified expert opinion.
• Big Dog, Small Dog (book) A published book on dog behaviour authored by the founder and released through HarperCollins in 2021, extending the consultancy's educational reach to a broader consumer audience.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HarperCollins PublisherscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished author partnership for Selina McIntyre's book 'Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood' released June 2021. HarperCollins is a major global publishing house providing credibility and broad distribution for the author's dog training methodology.
• Southern Cross Health SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for pet training content creation. Selina created training articles with associated videos for Southern Cross Pet Hub on topics such as keeping dogs road safe, providing educational content to Southern Cross Health Society's pet insurance customers.
• Assistance Dogs InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented at the Assistance Dogs International Trainers Workshop in Melbourne, indicating professional recognition and involvement in the broader assistance dog and professional dog training community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Zak George: NYT-bestselling author and dog trainer with a digital-first brand built around YouTube training content, books, and online courses. Comparable model of monetizing dog training expertise through books and online content rather than purely in-person delivery.
• Victoria Stilwell: Internationally recognized dog behaviorist, host of 'It's Me or the Dog', best-selling author, and founder of Positively.com. Comparable methodology (positive reinforcement), similar media-driven brand-building, and analogous productized offerings including online content and certification.
• Steve Mann: UK-based dog behaviourist and trainer with a near-identical business model: solo practitioner offering in-home behavioural consultations, books, seminars, and significant media presence. Closest structural match to Dogs Best Friend's in-home, science-grounded, media-driven approach.
• Patricia McConnell: PhD animal behaviorist, multiple-time author, and sought-after seminar speaker specializing in companion animal behaviour. Comparable academic credentials, author-led brand, and seminar-based revenue model alongside applied consulting.
• Karen Pryor: Pioneer of clicker training, founder of Karen Pryor Clicker Training, and author of 'Don't Shoot the Dog!'. Comparable in establishing an authoritative personal brand around positive reinforcement methodology, with parallel book publishing and training-content lines.
• Dr. Ian Dunbar: Veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and founder of Dunbar Academy. Comparable scientific authority in dog behaviour and similar approach of leveraging books, seminars, and digital platforms (the Dunbar Academy) to scale expertise beyond one-to-one consulting.
• Susan Garrett: Canadian dog trainer specializing in agility and behaviour, founder of 'Dogs That' online course platform, and author. Comparable expert-led model that monetizes dog training knowledge through online courses and books rather than only in-person services.

Emerging players

• Emily Larlham (Kikopup): International force-free dog trainer with one of the largest YouTube presences in dog training and online course offerings. Comparable digital-first approach to disseminating training expertise and reaching paying audiences outside a single geography.
• Dunbar Academy: Online dog training platform founded by Dr. Ian Dunbar, offering video-based subscription courses for puppy and dog owners. Comparable digital product strategy for scaling dog training content into a recurring-revenue business alongside a personal-brand founder.

Regional players

• Mark Vette: New Zealand-based dog trainer known as the 'NZ Dog Whisperer' with extensive TV exposure. Regional peer operating in the same NZ market, with comparable in-person training services and a media-driven profile, though using a different training methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dogs-best-friend

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dogs Best Friend