Is your dog displaying a problem behaviour?
                      - We can help!

We specialize in dogs that are
- Anxious
- Fearful
- Aggressive
- Reactive,

but we also work with

- barking
- chewing things
- come when called
- "dominance"
- eating inappropriate objects
- growling and/or biting
- guarding food, toys, people
- house training
- jumping up on people
- play biting
- pulling on leash
- running away
- separation anxiety
- shrinking away from petting or handling
- and many, many other issues...

Contact us right now to discuss solutions:

Call us on 250-929-1400 or use our  Office Contact Form
or contact our Canine Behaviour Consultant, Lisbeth Plant, directly via email:
[email protected]

Or, read on, and then contact us:

About "Problem Behaviours"

Nobody wants to have a “problem dog”. It’s embarrassing to have a dog that reacts in public with barking, lunging and other behaviours that people are uncomfortable with, or who barks and jumps all over your guests.

It can take a not insignificant emotional toll on the humans involved with such a dog. There is social pressure that our dogs “just get along” with everyone. There is little or no public understanding for a dog that reacts fearfully, and very little understanding and support for people that are trying to work with these dogs in public. The pressure is to “keep your dog under control”.

There is also an emotional toll on the dog herself, especially if she is fearful. She is the one who is living with her fears, and trying to deal with them in a world where the individuals who decide her fate do not speak her language.

The dog is not choosing to misbehave, or to be anxious – she simply does not have the ability to cope with a given situation in the manner that we expect, or she does not understand what our expectations are. Next, she may panic, and she may then act out her panic (in the form of barking, lunging, biting, etc), unable to reason logically about what she does, or process the information from her environment. At that stage, it is quite useless to try to tell her to ‘be quiet’ or to ‘behave’. She is unlikely to hear us, and she will certainly not be able to process what we are telling her. It would be like telling a person that is afraid of spiders to just "calm down and don't worry about it" as the spider is crawling up her leg!

Dog training in general, and behaviour modification in particular, requires understanding, patience and consistency on the parts of the owners and on the part of the trainer. We need to be aware of our own feelings of embarrassment, as well as the possibility of increasing frustration. It is not easy to separate our personal feelings from the dog’s issues!

Training Solutions

1. Private Behaviour Consultations

The first consultation will be spent on taking a history, making sure that we have as full a picture as possible of the situation. Then we will show you how to best prevent, manage and train your dog in order to start to modify his behaviour. We will give you a number of exercises to work on with your dog, most likely on a daily basis. You will likely also be given a number of reading assignments, to support the instructions and the exercises that you have been given.

Click here for "WHAT IS A BEHAVIOUR CONSULTATION".

How much does it cost?

For new clients, we offer a NON-REFUNDABLE introductory discount package:

New Client Package (NCP)

We usually begin with a 1 1/2 hour introductorly lesson via Zoom, and then decide from there whether to proceed with further Zoom lessons or with in-person lessons at our training centre.

 

For a complete list of our current fees, CLICK HERE.

More about the NCP

Our discounted New Client Package is available once only, to new clients. The first session is the introductory session and takes 1 1/2 - 2 hours, as it includes a full history taking and owner education. The remaining lessons can vary from 30 to 90 minutes, depending on what we need to achieve, and include follow-up of your homework and progression on the exercises that you were given in the previous session.

 

After each lesson, you will receive written instructions and, if applicable, educational materials. At the conclusion and if appropriate, your veterinarian may receive a letter of information, outlining what we have been working on. As we continue to work together, written material will continue to be supplied as appropriate.

 

It is a rare behaviour problem that can be solved in only three training sessions, but the report that you will receive after the completion of the New Client Package will give you an idea of what may be involved and associated costs.

 

What Happens After the NCP sessions?

After the NCP has been completed, standard rates apply.

 

You and your dog may or may not be able to join our classes, e.g. Foundation, Reactive Dog Programme or General Classes.

 

To Register for NCP

1. Complete and Submit the Behaviour Information Form

This is an online form, that you can access by clicking THIS LINK.

Please complete one Behaviour Information Form for each dog in your household, as the behaviour of one dog will invariably affect the behaviours of the other dog(s) in the household, and vice versa, and this can give us important clues on how to resolve the situation.

2. Submit Your Dog's Vaccination Record

Please email proof of vaccination (or titer test no older than 12 months) for parvo and distemper (DAPPV). We need this before you can bring your dog to our facility.

3. Submit Payment

To pay, you can use either:

- PayPal,

- Credit Card via tel, or

- E-transfer to [email protected] ($522.20 inc. tax for the New Client Package, not including mileage for inhome lessons).

2. We Train Your Dog For You! = “Day Training”

“Day Training” means that we do the training, but it is not a pet sitting service. The dog will only be with us during the time of the training.

This solution is quicker and easier for the owner, in that the trainer, who has extensive training and experience will do the training for you. This solution is suitable for busy owner, or owners that are unable, or do not particularly desire, to be involved in the specifics of the training process.

The Day Training process begins with a Behaviour Evaluation.

For more details on this solution, please CLICK HERE.

 

3. Reactive Dog Programme of classes

Depending on the type and level of your dog's reactivity, he/she may be able to join our Reactive Dog Programme. This programme consists of two levels of 1-on-1 lessons for owners with dogs that are struggling with social "issues" around other dogs.

For more details on this solution, please CLICK HERE.

 

Call us today

Call or email us to discuss the problem in an open and friendly atmosphere, where you can ask any questions that you may have. Without any commitment from your side, but also on the understanding that it is not possible to give an assessment without an in-person consultation, we can give you an idea of the scope of the training solutions that may be best for you and your dog.

If you are unsure whether to proceed with private lessons or behaviour consultations, or opt for our Reactive Dog Programme, we can perform a brief Behaviour Evaluation at the training centre.

Contact us now and take the first step to have your problem solved for you.

Call us on 250-929-1400 or use our  Office Contact Form     
or contact our Canine Behaviour Consultant, Lisbeth Plant, directly via email:
[email protected]