Eastern Bay dog lovers are quickly discovering a new way to keep their four-legged companions fit, build confidence and fulfilment at a recently launched dog exercise and training business that is attracting a loyal following.

Just three weeks after opening, Performance K9 – run by Kelsey Waghorn – already has a solid number of canine clients using its specialised dog exercise sessions based around handler engagement, behavioural issues, and a slat mill – a non-powered treadmill designed specifically for dogs.

Located in a shed off Valley Road and running alongside well-established Freedom & Harmony, which offers behavioural rehabilitation through dog psychology, Performance K9 is growing through word of mouth and social media.

Waghorn said the idea originally centred on giving high-energy dogs a safe outlet for exercise.

“It’s basically a non-powered treadmill where the dog controls the pace,” she said.

“It’s great for dogs that need to burn off energy or need a little off the top, dogs still learning recall, or dogs needing gradual weight loss and extra exercise.”

In the few weeks it has been open, Performance K9 has quickly evolved into something more.

“It’s also about helping with behavioural issues, confidence building, leash manners and reactivity,” Waghorn said.

“Some dogs have been attacked by off-leash dogs before, so they’re nervous around other dogs. Here they can feel safe and still get the outlet they desperately need while we work on building up their confidence again.”

Sessions run for about an hour, including cool-down time, and are tailored to each dog’s individual needs and confidence levels.

While slat mills are new to the Eastern Bay, Waghorn said they were widely used overseas, particularly for working breeds and high-energy dogs.

“It is a good way to work the brain and the body simultaneously.

“And owners can drop their dog off while they do groceries, pick up the kids or head to Pilates. The dog gets their workout at the same time.”

Waghorn also offers advice around nutrition and behaviour, enjoying the one-on-one interaction with both owners and dogs.

Not every dog takes to the slat mill immediately, she said, and building confidence is often the first step.

“The usual reaction at first is to lie flat and want to get off,” she laughed.

“You gently introduce them and coax them through it. Teaching them to trust you and work through things that scare them.”

The progress can be remarkable. One dog that initially froze with nerves returned the following week confidently “chugging along” on the mill.

Waghorn finds the feedback from dog owners rewarding, especially when she hears how they have gone home and gone straight to sleep – showing the exercise is mentally stimulating, too.

Working with dogs has been a dream years in the making for Waghorn.

Formerly a guide for tours to Whakaari / White Island, she survived the devastating 2019 eruption – an experience detailed in her recently released book Surviving White Island – and Everything That Came After.

During her recovery, she struggled to manage her energetic young collie cross, River, and sought help through Freedom & Harmony.

“He came back a totally different dog,” she said.

“He was still his quirky self, but I could manage him. And I got taught how to manage him and how to progress him.”

She later spent more than two years working at Canine & Co daycare, gaining experience with a wide variety of breeds before deciding she wanted to focus on more personalised one-on-one work.

After a hectic 2025 filled with travel, work and writing her book, Waghorn decided she needed a break.

“About three days later, Tammie [Wharton from Freedom & Harmony] called and said, ‘I’ve got the slat mill – do you want to run it for me?’ And I said yes!”

Just weeks later, Performance K9 is already proving a hit with dog owners.

See Instagram or Facebook – performance.K9.nz – for more information.