The Waggy Team
Where Rescue Meets Purpose
Amanda
Qualified dog trainer, life-long adventurer, and founder of Waggy Travels
I’m Amanda — qualified dog trainer, lifelong adventurer, and founder of Waggy Travels.
My journey didn’t start in a classroom — it began with one unforgettable dog named Marvin. He spent the first two years of his life tethered to a back deck, shut down and terrified of the world. At the same time, I was recovering from a life-changing snowboarding injury. We met during a storm of uncertainty and healed together — one forest walk and river swim at a time.
Visiting Marvin daily for eight months taught me patience, resilience, and the power of genuine connection. From those quiet steps outside to full-blown trail adventures, I discovered my purpose: helping dogs feel safe, understood, and truly seen.
Since then, I’ve gained industry certifications and over six years of hands-on experience — volunteering, fostering, managing kennels, and working in both private training facilities and council-run impounds. I’ve worked with dogs who were overlooked, misunderstood, or simply let down by the system. I saw the heartbreaking pattern of rehoming and returns — often within days — and knew things had to change.
That’s where Waggy Travels was born: a dog training and adventure-based aftercare service designed to break the cycle and support both dogs and their humans. We specialise in post-adoption support, large breeds, and reactive behaviours, and we’re deeply committed to helping owners build stronger bonds and better communication with their dogs. Our training is balanced and instinct-led, always grounded in real-world, practical outcomes. We’re purpose-driven, not profit-driven, and everything we do is supported by our own trained pack of former rescue dogs — including our ambassador, Snowman.
Whether you’ve just adopted or you’re navigating long-standing challenges, we’re here to help you and your dog build trust, confidence, and a life of shared adventures. Like Marvin taught me: it’s never too late to start again.
Snowman
Waggy’s ambassador, top dog and behaviour barometer
Snowman entered Amanda’s life four years ago as a shut-down, reactive dog in a NSW pound, scheduled for euthanasia. At the time, Amanda was fostering with Rescue Hub, who placed an urgent save on him—marking the start of a life-changing partnership.
In the beginning, Snowman would "play dead" when approached. He had no food or play drive, no confidence, and no spark—every trainer’s toughest challenge.
Just three weeks later, he had his first grand mal seizure. A month after that, aggression toward people and dogs surfaced.
It took nearly a year of holistic medical care and positive-only training to bring him to a stable place.
Snowman (once just “Snow”) got a name upgrade and a new role: Waggy Travels Ambassador. He’s gone from muzzled and reactive to calm, trusted, and social. From human-aggressive to beloved “foster grandpa,” he’s helped dozens of dogs just by being near them. He even completed service dog training—but is most often seen chilling with Amanda, radiating calm.
Snowman plays a vital role in assessing and supporting reactive dogs. His steady presence offers fearful dogs their first taste of peace. What makes him special isn’t just what he overcame—but what he instinctively gives to others.
He’s taught us more about patience, trust, and connection than any book ever could. We’re so lucky to have him leading the Waggy Travels pack.
Osirus (Ozzy)
Peacemaker and Financial advisor of Waggy Travels.
Amanda first met Osirus when he was just six months old. She was close with his original owner — a dear friend who tragically passed away two years ago. When Amanda heard the heartbreaking news, and that both Osirus and his sister Iris had ended up in a rural pound as a result, she dropped everything to bring them to safety. Snowman was temporarily placed in care to make space for the grieving siblings, who had never been on lead and were unsocialised.
At a combined weight of almost 90kg, with intense separation anxiety from each other and reactivity toward both people and other dogs, their early days were full-on. But Amanda met the chaos with calm, patience, and compassion. Through months of slow, structured training and careful desensitisation, she helped the pair build independence — no small feat for bonded littermates who had never been apart.
Eventually, Iris found her forever home with close friends of Waggy Travels and now explores Australia with her new brindle sisters.
Ozzy stayed — not just because Amanda couldn’t imagine life without him, but because he chose her too. Adopting him was, in her words, “the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Today, Ozzy is the peacemaker of the pack and follows in Snowman’s pawprints as a calm, steady control dog. He’s always first in line for adventure walks and snacks as a result he absolutely thrives on trick training. He also proudly holds the title of world’s best cuddler — We’re certain his former dad would be so proud of the dog he’s become.
Ozzy may have lost his family but he helped build ours here at Waggy Travels.