About
About Me
My name's Dersim (or Dee). I’ve always been drawn to dogs. Before I had one of my own, I found ways to be around them however I could. That pull led me into shelter work, where I began as an Animal Attendant and spent two years learning the foundations of canine care, handling, and behaviour.
Over time, I progressed into a senior role and eventually became a Behaviour and Rehabilitation Trainer, working with dogs that required far more than basic obedience. Many of these dogs were fearful, reactive, or misunderstood. Rehabilitation required patience, structure, and a deep understanding of how dogs learn and adapt.
I spent over eight years working in Sydney's busiest shelters, gaining hands-on experience across hundreds of dogs, each with their own history and challenges. For the last four of those years, I worked as a Behaviour and Rehabilitation Trainer. That work shaped my understanding of behaviour far beyond obedience; it taught me how early experiences shape the dog a puppy grows to become.
While shelter work was deeply meaningful, it also made one thing clear: many of the behavioural issues I was working to rehabilitate could have been prevented through proper guidance during puppyhood.
Archer’s Puppy Academy exists to provide that guidance.
Today, I work with puppies through small group classes and private in-home training, helping owners build strong foundations from the very beginning. Basic obedience is taught clearly and thoroughly, but the focus extends beyond commands. The goal is to help puppies develop confidence, emotional stability, and clarity in their relationship with their owner.
Because when the foundation is right, everything that follows becomes easier.
About Archer
Archer was a Rottweiler who came into my life unexpectedly, and he became the dog that defined everything I believe about training.
From the beginning, I was intentional in how I raised him. I understood what he was capable of; both the strength of his breed and the responsibility that came with it.
My goal was never just obedience.
It was to raise a dog who was calm, stable, and capable of navigating the world with clarity and confidence.
Archer defied every stereotype people associated with Rottweilers.
Weighing in at 52kg; he was gentle with children, respectful with smaller animals, and deeply intuitive to the people around him. He didn’t behave that way by accident.
He behaved that way because he was guided, understood, and given the structure he needed from the very beginning. He taught me that dogs rise or fall to the level of guidance they receive. Not just by attaining a certain level of obedience.
He passed away on February 4th, 2026, at ten and a half years old. His absence is something that will always be felt, but his impact lives on in everything this academy stands for.
Archer represents what is possible when a dog is given the right start.
This academy carries his name so that his legacy continues; not just in memory, but in the lives of the dogs and owners guided here.
About Archer’s Puppy Academy
Archer’s Puppy Academy was built on a simple belief: the right guidance early in life can change everything.
After years working in shelters and rehabilitation, it became clear how many behavioural issues develop not from bad dogs, but from a lack of clarity, structure, and understanding during puppyhood.
This academy exists to change that.
Through small group classes and private in-home training, puppies are guided through the most important developmental stage of their lives. Basic obedience is taught properly; sit, down, recall, loose lead walking. However, equal importance is placed on helping puppies learn how to regulate themselves, engage with their owner, and exist calmly in the human world.
Owners are guided alongside their puppies, learning how to communicate clearly and build a relationship based on trust and understanding.
The key to this program, unlike most puppy classes, is taking advantage of the Critical Socialisation Period (3-16 weeks old). By doing so, we can create exponentially better:
Behavioural development
Puppies are guided to develop calmness, confidence, and emotional stability.
Communication between dog and owner
With an emphasis on educating the human end of the leash, owners will learns how to understand and communicate clearly with their puppy
Structured socialisation and environmental development
Puppies are safely introduced to different surfaces, sounds, objects and scenarios to build confidence and stability
What this all means without the fancy speak
A head start for you puppy growing to become the kind of dog who is calm, confident, responsive and well-mannered no matter what the setting.
Nothing is rushed. Nothing is forced. Each puppy is given the space and guidance they need to develop into a stable, confident companion.
This is not about quick results.
It is about building foundations that last a lifetime.
This is Archer's legacy; helping puppies and their people start right.
