FAQ’s

What collar or leash do I need?

No special collars or leashes required (although flexi/retractable leashes are prohibited) Other than that, we use what you have. If it’s not working for you, we will offer our advice and options on what might work for your dog and why.

We want your dog to listen to your regardless of what he/she wears, but sometimes a temporary tool is a must to regain lost control especially over large dogs.

Our Favorite is the Premiere “Easy Walk” harness that truly lives up to its name! It’s both gentle and effective with instant results.

“Tucker was a puller on leash and he was very strong, it was hard for us to walk him and impossible for our daughter to help. We tried the Easy Walk Harness and it was like night and day! He didn’t pull and we were able to enjoy a nice walk….our daughter enjoyed being able to walk him without being dragged behind! I would recommend this harness. Kristina (client)”

What style/methods of training do you use?

I consider myself a relationship based trainer focusing on positive reinforcement and education of canine behaviour and psychology. Its all about communication, and building trust, respect and understanding. There is never any choking, hitting, yelling, or pinning.

Classroom obedience work should be fun & I do use treats. You don’t have to, provided you can reward your dog significantly is some other way, but you may find it a little extra challenging. Although once most people see my method of treating, they relax and go with it. You are NOT in jeopardy of having your dog become dependent on the treats IF you follow my instructions. This can be a reality however, if you go about it the wrong way. Treating is temporary and is faded out and is used to reward a command or corrected behaviour during initial learning for motivation. We want your dog to think obeying is AWESOME!

Behavioural rehabilitation uses some additional skill sets as we are now dealing with psychological issues, not simple commands. A dog can know 20 commands and still be aggressive, possessive, obsessive, etc. Obedience and behaviour are not the same thing. We do NOT use any ‘abusive’ methods. I strongly believe in educating the owners about why their dog acts the way he/she does, how to read body language signs and signals, and how to manage/prevent the behaviour through step by step instructions, homework tasks, reading materials and followup visits.

What makes your training different?

I’ll help you become more aware of the dog training mistakes we all make. Commands are great, but its not just about “sit, stay, come”. I’ll help you understand your dog, and dogs in general. If you don’t know why your dog behaves a certain way, how do you expect to fix it?

Its about much more than excessive praise and lots of treats, and its definitely not about jerking your dog around by his leash. (It would be nice to trust him off leash, wouldnt it?) Its about communicating and forming an appropriate relationship with your dog. Each technique is done in small steps, slowly increasing the challenge so its never frustrating for either you or your dog.