I had to advocate for Riker.. and it felt icky
I had to advocate for Riker.. and it felt icky Riker’s monthly visits to the vet are hard for him. After each visit, his fear of car rides comes back for a few days, and his tolerance for the other dogs at home...
It’s So Easy To Create Sneaky Dogs
Ever known a dog who would NEVER steal food from the counter ... until the moment your back is turned? What about a puppy who sneaks off...
Effective Training?
What kind of trainer am I? What is “effective” training? Trainers I admire consider the needs of the dog, the people, and the community. Everyone matters, and everyone’s safety, perceived safety, and quality of life is important. I worry that the extremely positive...
Building Resiliency
Building ResiliencyIf your dog needs help with resiliency, we need to consider many areas of their life. Are they getting enough quality sleep? Are they getting the correct types of exercise and mental stimulation? Are their emotional needs being met? The Resilience...
Bus Stop Manners
What are 'Bus Stop Manners'? Dogs are not people, and people are not dogs, but sometimes it is handy to use analogies to help understand behaviour. This is where 'Bus Stop Manners' comes in. Imagine you are sitting at a bus stop, or at a park bench or sitting at the...
Virtual Training
Virtual Lessons When COVID hit and we started using Zoom to help people virtually, I figured it was a good option considering we couldn't meet in person. But guess what? People had amazing results! It turns out, that for many dogs and people, learning...
Nosework Classes
Nosework Classes!Nosework is a great activity for any dog of any age. It stimulates their brain and body and tires them without any wear and tear on their joints and muscles, so puppies and seniors can play safely. Nosework is particularly great for dogs who struggle...
What People Don’t Know
What People Don't Know...Socializing a dog is an act of love by a person who wants their dog to be comfortable and confident around people, other animals, and in daily life. Sometimes, these well-intentioned attempts backfire and do more harm than good. What people...
Reactivity: Is it Fear? Frustration? Something Else?
Reactivity: Is it Fear? Frustration? Something Else?Dogs are reactive for many reasons. We can't truly get inside their heads, but by watching body language and getting to know the dog, we can take some good guesses. By understanding WHY our dog is reacting, we can...
Reactivity Workshop Series
Reactivity Workshop SeriesThis is a repeat of our popular workshop series to explore reactivity and the training choices we make to help our dogs. Sign up for one or all three. When? Jan 19, Jan 26, & Feb 2, 6:30-8:30 PM Where? Beban Park, Room 1 Cost?...
Decompression Isn’t Just Sniffing
Decompression Isn't Just SniffingI hike my dogs so that they can go for an extended time using their bodies however feels good to them. They run and jump and crash through the bush, carry sticks, collect pine cones, walk beside me, chase each other, and swim in...
Relaxation Protocol
Relaxation ProtocolRelaxation protocols will help your dog navigate many aspects of life, especially when what we want goes against their instincts. These protocols will teach your dog to relax and in place when you move about the house, when a visitor arrives, and...
Talk To Your Dog
Have you had a trainer tell you not to talk to your dog so much? Or maybe you have seen a meme floating around recently telling people not to talk to their dogs? Sometimes I agree. If you are training focus or verbal cues, you likely don't want to clutter things...
That Dog Isn’t Actually Friendly
That Dog Isn't Actually FriendlyI'm walking two of my dogs up a trail, on leash as we are nearing a road. A 200+lb man is literally being dragged my way, against his will, by his two "friendly" 100lb dogs. The owner is laughing and telling me how much trouble he is...
Stress Bucket
How Full Is Your Dog's Bucket?When a dog's Stress Bucket overflows, they can have big reactions to seemingly little things. As the saying goes, this is a case of 'the straw that broke the camels back'. If the bucket is full, even a drop can cause it to spill. When...
Benefits Of Stationing
Benefits Of StationingNervous dog? Excitable Dog? Reactive Dog? Stationing is when we ask our dog to get onto a thing and stay there for a period of time. Typically we ask for four paws up, but this can be done with two paws up, a down, a sit, or whatever is most...
‘Choice’ Moments and ‘No Choice’ Moments
'Choice' Moments and 'No Choice' MomentsDogs do, or should, have 'Choice' moments and 'No Choice' moments. Both are important. 'Choice' moments are when we ask our dog to do something, and they can say 'No'. An example is when working with a reactive or...
What Are Your Dog’s L.E.G.S?
What Are Your Dog's L.E.G.S? It's actually not all about how you raise them. Dogs come with a set of built in characteristics based on their genetic history. Breed or type tendencies will of course vary from dog to dog, but due to the long history of breeding...
Pattern Games
A fun new course for excited, distractible, and reactive dogs!
Good Training Practices
When training, it is important to always consider confidence. If our dog is confident, we can build drive, speed, and enthusiasm. If our dog looses confidence, our performance will slow down and become less reliable. Begin and end each session with easy...
Potty Training Your Puppy
Potty Training Your PuppyTraining your puppy to eliminate outdoors can be a very quick process, or can take weeks and even months. Each puppy develops and learns at their own pace. Be patient while they learn. When your puppy eliminates, it feels good. If your puppy...
Safety Gear for Large Reactive Dogs
Gear for Powerful DogsIf you have a dog who is prone to reactivity or aggression, you must be able to hold your dog back and pull them away if things go sideways adn you have a big reaction. The gear we choose can make all the difference. Moderate Pullers can use a...
Grieving The Dog You Wanted
Grieving The Dog You WantedMost people adopt or purchase a dog with a lifestyle in mind, maybe a hiking buddy, a family pet for current or future children, an agility superstar, or maybe even as a therapy dog. Sometimes we get a dog who can't participate in those...
Look-At-That Game
Look At That Game The Look-At-That game was popularized by Leslie McDevitt in her Control Unleashed program. The basics of the game: Mark (say 'yes' or click) when your dog looks at a stimulus such as a dog, person, car, skateboard, or whatever gets your dog...
Where to Buy Toys!
Where to Buy Toys?I have a lot of fun toys for the dogs and students ask where to find them. Of course check your local pet supply stores, and of course there is Amazon, here are my favourite Canadian websites. Cutesy, fluffy, tuggy ones that last: ...
Dogs Who Bite – Rehoming and Behavioural Euthanasia
Rehoming or Euthanizing Dogs with Serious Bite Historiesehavioural Euthanasia is a difficult topic. The topic evokes strong emotional responses in many of us, and rightly so. Choosing to end an animal’s life when they are ‘perfectly healthy’ is never an easy decision,...
Muzzle Up!
Muzzle Up!Muzzles can be used for many reasons. Certainly, if your dog is a bite risk to yourself, other people, or animals, consider a muzzle. I love to muzzle train my dogs in case of emergency. If your dog has a serious injury requiring veterinary care, the vet...
Requirements for a Mentally Balanced Dog
I am often called to a home to see a dog with behaviour problems of one sort or another: Anxiety, reactivity, aggression, destructive or annoying behaviours. Often, even though their owner is trying, the dog's basic needs are not being met. When a dog's needs...
Covid-19 Protocols
Lisa and I are doing our best to keep up with the latest government regulations and best practice regulations. Our COVID-19 class and lesson protocol document is attached. Please let us know if you have any questions. Masks are required at all indoor and outdoor group...
Let’s Talk About Resource Guarding
I attempted to make a video showing you how to handle a dog who growls, lip curls or otherwise threatens you when you try to take their bone or toy. I’ve worked hard on Riker’s resource guarding and he was such a good boy! He was tense and a little anxious, but did...
Obedience or Counter Conditioning – What Does Your Dog Need?
If you have a dog classified as 'reactive' or 'aggressive', you probably are either working on better obedience or on a counter conditioning program. Obedience training programs This program helps you keep your dog's attention as you pass other dogs, as children run...
High Value Treats?
We use food in training for many reasons: Reinforcement drives behaviour & most dogs love eating so food is an easy reinforcer. Food allows us to reward quickly and many times in a minute. The more reps we can get in, the faster we and our dogs will learn. But Can...
Problem Behaviour: Jumping on People
"Off! OFF! OFF! For God's sake Fido, OFF!" Sound familiar? It is embarrassing when our dog jumps on a visitor or on a person walking the trail. When you first brought Fido home, you probably weren't envisioning explaining muddy paw prints on a neighbour's jeans or...
Food Toys and Recipies
Food Toys and Puzzles Food toys and puzzles come in many varieties and have different purposes. There are: Snufflers Bat 'Em Arounders Puzzlers Chewers and Lickers Snufflers Snufflers are food toys such as snuffle mats/balls and are typically used with kibble or...
Changing Bad Habits – A Case Study
What does your pup/dog do that you wish they didn't do? Much of dog or puppy training is helping them set good habits. To a dog, squirrel chasing is a fun activity, but in the human world this can be an annoying and dangerous habit. Barking at the mail delivery...
Your End of the Leash – Anxiety and Owning a Reactive Dog
When you have an anxious or reactive dog you might have people tell you that your nervousness or [random personal quality] is the problem or a part of the reason your dog misbehaves. These often unsolicited opinions are usually well meaning. After all, that person is...
Set You and Your Dog Up For Success
Wouldn't it be nice to have a dog who can sit or lie quietly while another dog passes. Do you wish your dog could at least walk by another dog without more than passing interest. Why do so many of us struggle with this skill? Puppy Socialization (Please contact me...
Rules For Fast & Reliable RECALL
Training a dog to come when called, no matter what the distraction takes time but can be super fun for you both. Recall is one of my favourite things to train. Grab some awesome treats and toys, a long line and your dog, and lets train! If your dog is taking off,...
Reactive Dogs – Punishment won’t Fix It
The key to fixing reactivity is to keep your dog under threshold most of the time. 'Under threshold' means that the dog is not so upset that they are barking/lunging/panicking/attacking. When a dog does go over threshold we need to get then out of that situation,...
Dogs and Exercise – Part 1: Fetch
We all know dogs need walks and exercise. Certain breeds need more than others, younger dogs need more than seniors, and we need to be careful about how we exercise puppies. Fetch - the Good, the Bad, and the Way I Play Many dogs love a good game of fetch. I love...
Separation Anxiety… when your dog loves you too much
Separation Anxiety is a tough problem and many people and dogs face it every day. Some dogs shiver and quake at the sight of their person getting ready for work. Some dogs will bloody themselves and do thousands of dollars of damage in a short time if left alone. On...
On Leash Greetings
Regularly, and again in the last few weeks, social media has been swamped with posts about why you should not allow your dog to meet other dogs while on leash. They usually show a powerful info-graphic and use compelling language. I'm here to say that if you like...
Overexcited or Distracted Dog?
Do you ever take your dog on a walk or to the park and find that he seems to have suddenly gone deaf? Not only is he ignoring you, but he has forgotten that you exist? ' Is he lunging and barking at other dogs/people/skateboards/bunnies, desperately ether wanting to...
Teach Your Dog to Offer Attention
Do you have a distracted dog? It takes some time and patience, but it's not so hard to train them to want to pay attention. People often tell me that when there are distractions, their dog doesn't pay attention to them, won't come when called, won't sit when told to,...
Counter Conditioning Game
The key is keeping your dog under threshold while you work. Imagine a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means your dog is calm, cool, and collected, and 10 means your dog is lunging and crazy to go eat/sniff/play with/kill the thing that has him all wound up. Ideally, we...
Tug Basics
Should You Tug With Your Dog? Absolutely! You may have heard some reasons not play tug: It makes your dog aggressive He will learn to bite you Don’t let him win – you need to be the dominant one You’ll teach him it is okay to growl at you Firstly, all of the above is...