The Doggie Dame

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Canada
Barrie, ON
The Doggie Dame

Certified Professional Dog Trainer providing obedience and behaviour modification.
(4)

10/31/2023

🧡🐾🖤

09/02/2023

Many dog owners believe a dog should stay beside them at all times on a leash, as it promotes deference. Truth be told, leash reactivity or leash frustration can be significantly alleviated by putting them on a longer lead and allowing them to sniff.

My dogs get walked on a 15 foot lead. When I need to reel them in for safety or to pass another dog, I accordion their leash in and do a “structured” walk until we’re in the clear!

There are many benefits to letting your dog sniff while they’re on their walks! Did you know that 15 minutes of sniffing can equate to a 45 minute walk? Now you know!

08/30/2023

He is not the first, and won’t be the last. A modern day Cesar Milan in the industry, using social media to gain popularity. My fight here is a good fight, to help change this industry forever and educate people on techniques that work and do not sacrifice the wellbeing of our canine companions.

I come from a place of love. A judgement free zone if you have used, or currently use any type of aversive or balanced style of training. As someone who’s made my own mistakes in training because of the amount of opinions out there, I SEE YOU!

Anyone can become a trainer! Please do your research and find a certified trainer, or a trainer that follows the code of ethics and standards set out by the .

08/18/2023

Let’s Talk Shock!

I recently attended a webinar with Behavior Vets that spoke of the operant and Pavlovian effects of aversive control. While I had a general understanding of the effects of aversive training tools, it was great to see the evidence and data to support the statement that aversive tools cause fallout behaviours and concerns for the mental and physical well-being of our canine partners.

Full disclosure! In the past I have used these tools as they “work” and they “work quickly”. Little did I know about the dangers of fallout behaviours and what it actually does to the well-being of our dogs. When you feel at your wits end, you will do anything.

If you use these tools, on any level, I encourage you to do proper research on why these tools can be dangerous. As a canine behaviour consultant, it is my job to educate my clients on the use of these tools and other aversive training styles, along with the now debunked “Alpha Theory” and attempt to write my wrongs from my past training methods.

07/04/2023

It’s hot 🥵

Be VERY aware of how much time your dog is spending outside the next few days! Here are some helpful tips to keep your dog cool ❄️

1. Provide plenty of water
2. Always keep your dog in the shade and allow frequent breaks while outside
3. Check the temperature of the pavement if you’re walking your dog
4. Use an elevated or cooling bed
5. Go swimming!
6. Provide them their exercise at cooler times
7. Provide frozen kongs, ice treats, or other refreshing treats for enrichment
8. If your dog is demonstrating any of the behaviours listed in the photo, bring them to an emergency vet IMMEDIATELY. Organ failure can happen VERY quickly.
8. NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A CAR FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME

06/30/2023

HAPPY CANADA DAY WEEKEND!

Here are some helpful tips if your dog isn’t fond of fireworks ♥️

1) Take your dog for a long walk before firework displays.
2) Play music such as spa, reggae, or classical to help drown out the noise. These types of music are scientifically proven to help calm dogs. Avoid high strings!
3) Ensure your pet is in their safe place.
4) Provide treats, frozen stuffed kongs, etc to help distract them.
5) Stay with your pet if they’re scared.
6) Provide calming signals such as stretching, slow blinks, yawning and lip licks when you’re with your dog.
7. Avoid reinforcing your dog during times of negative emotions.

🐾♥️🇨🇦

06/10/2023

Maya has made beautiful progress on her “with me” cue. Good girl, Maya!

05/19/2023

As a behaviour consultant that uses positive reinforcement, I always go to my WHY first. Why is this behaviour happening? Breed, genetics, epigenetics, learned behaviours etc. all play a role.

Many dog owners, and some trainers, focus immediately on how to fix the behaviour first. I always educate my clients on the WHY first and foremost, and if the dog is in an environment where it can learn, I then focus on the how. 🐾

05/05/2023

Maya did the best she could with Dr. Rogers at Mill Street Animal Clinic today for her annual vaccines! Dr. Rogers is not only a friendly and an incredibly knowledgeable and helpful veterinarian, but she is SO GREAT with doggies that come with anxiety. As a behavioural consultant, I know the importance of allowing your dog to make choices to approach the “scary” thing themselves, (or in Mayas case, to come out from hiding behind me) and when to allow the dog space based on their body language and facial expressions. Dr. Rogers and her RVT spent so much time allowing Maya to decide to close distance to her and come out of hiding, rewarding her with ALL the treats when she did! Dr. Rogers and her team went above and beyond today for Maya and did not rush the process. We thank them so much and appreciate the extra time for our anxious doggies ♥️🐾

03/13/2023

Meet Phoenix! Phoenix is an adorable little 5 year old Canaan mix whom unfortunately has been through a world of trauma. A rescue from Israel, he came from a very abusive home where based on his behaviours and fears we can assume he was physically and mentally abused for most of his short life.

Phoenix, while in his home, completely shuts down and doesn’t move from his bed. He really dislikes slippery flooring! He is very sound and motion sensitive but loves to be hugged! He also LOVES treats! When Phoenix is outside he is a different dog! He loves to bounce and dig and play in the snow! Phoenix tries very very hard to overcome his fears but needs a little bit of help.

Phoenix’ program to start is all based on making him feel comfortable and safe by providing him freedom of choice, a regimented schedule to reduce anxiety, sound therapy, and lots and lots of treats! It also includes teaching his humans all about canine body language so that they understand how he’s feeling and can communicate with him, which in turn will help him gain trust in them and enhance their bonds together.

Phoenix certainly suffers from PTSD and has a long road of recovery ahead of him, however, he has fallen into the hands of the most loving family that will do anything for him. I am so grateful to be a part of Phoenix’ recovery ❤️‍🩹

02/22/2023

To My Dearest Clients!

I thank you for your patience as you await email responses, documents, appointment recaps, etc. I was very sick with the flu that took me out for over a week. I am now battling strep throat and am down and out again.

I appreciate your patience and understanding, and I look forward to being back on my feet and getting caught up soon!

Sincerely,

Shannon

01/20/2023

Maya has been working on her “with me” cue. I use a 15ft lead to give her the space to sniff and explore her environment, when I want her to re-engage I give her the “with me” cue and she’s to keep eye contact with me. Eye contact was previously trained with a “look” cue.

When she’s welcome to go back and explore, I give her the “let’s go” cue. I started this exercise when there were little to no distractions, and now use it when other dogs walk by, when cars drive by, or to control her from seeing any wildlife that may trigger her prey drive. Good girl, Maya!

12/29/2022

Puppy Perfection! This is Bentley, and he just enrolled in my Welcome to the World Puppy Foundations course! Bentley is an ADORABLE Australian Shepherd! I am SO looking forward to working with this little guy and his humans to help them all attain their training goals and help Bentley be the best puppy he can be ♥️🐾

12/17/2022

BAT! Or better known as “Behaviour Adjustment Training”…a natural method of training that creates an emotionally safe interaction with minimal intrusion.

Angus is my 7 month old client that gets 10/10 excited and comes in hot when meeting other dogs. This isn’t always ideal, especially when the other dog is not interested in social contact or needs a more calm, cool, and relaxed introduction until they feel confident enough to maintain the relationship and open up to play!

I used Maya as a stimulus dog who is able to remain focussed to her handler even when there are multiple stimulus around and offers cutoff signals and beautiful corrections when needed.

We worked within Angus’ threshold to start, ensuring that we only closed distance in small increments when he was able to remain calm and was able to respond to simple directions.

We were finally able to reward Angus for his excellent work with a beautiful little play session with Maya! Maya offered wonderful corrections when Angus would not respond to her cutoff signals of no longer wanting social contact. Angus was able to demonstrate basic cues with Maya beside him ♥️

11/02/2022

November is month.

If you have a cat or dog at home, consider scheduling them a vet appointment for a checkup, and keep your eyes open for some warning signs that your pet could have cancer. Some of these warning signs are:

🐾 Loss of appetite or difficulty eating
🐾 Rapid weight loss
🐾 Diarrhea and/or vomiting
🐾 Loss of interest in playing or exercising
🐾 Difficulty with stool or urination, or changes in stool frequency
🐾 Abnormal stiffness
🐾 Severe lethargy
🐾 Unusually strong/foul odors
🐾 Increased thirst and urination
🐾 Respiratory changes
🐾 Abnormally firm swelling

10/18/2022

Bliss is a young Golden retriever mix that was rescued from a terrible situation in Egypt. Bliss’s handler‘s contacted me as she has been displaying some assertive, aggressive, and negative attention seeking behaviours. When I am building these programs it can be especially difficult as one thing I always consider is epigenetic‘s. What your dogs eat, where they live, who they interact with, when they sleep, how they exercise, are all factors that cause chemical modifications that have the ability to turn genes on or off. Environment and behaviours can influence epigenetic changes, affecting how a dog's genes work. When we don’t know the history of a dog’s upbringing and what they’ve learned during the crucial developmental period of puppyhood, we never know what trauma or learned behaviours they could be dealing with.

For Bliss, I brought in many exercises that promote calm behaviours and that teach her how to gain resources from her handlers in a more positive way. Encouraging deference is very important for our more assertive dogs. These exercises also allow Bliss to realize that she has autonomy and can make her own decisions and receive rewards for the decisions she makes, which is very rewarding for our more intrinsically motivated dogs.

Bliss and her handlers are on an amazing program tailored to not only Bliss, but her handlers as well.

“Thank you VERY much for joining us.
It was such a pleasure meeting you today.
You taught us so much in a short period of time and we look forward to continuing on Bliss’ learning journey with you!” - Bliss’s Handlers

10/13/2022

Cue relays!

In this video, you will see me using a Cue Relay of some of Maya’s known cues to keep them sharp! This is also a good way to bring in some discrimination and generalization training as well as enrichment!

Seen here, Maya is eager to work! I use a few cues in a row, using only verbal praise in between the cues until the relay is done and she receives her high value treat!

When Maya gave me the “wrong answer” I used a no reward marker of “try again”. She has learned with consistency that this means she gave me the wrong answer and to give a different answer. When she needed help to refocus, I used the cue “are you ready?”. This regained her focus and she demonstrated a tail wag which indicated she was ready!

On the second relay, I noted that her frustration was increasing as she demonstrated vocalization, increased panting, and started giving the wrong answers to cues I know she knows very well. At this point, I ended the cue relay exercise to ensure training stays fun and to keep her frustration down. Always end on a good note!

Cue Relays are an excellent way to provide your puppy their meals and also sharpen their skills all while providing enrichment. After the relay, provide a generous amount of kibble as a “jackpot” to a job well done! I use cue relays with all my dogs! All dogs can benefit from this simple yet fun exercise!

10/08/2022

We would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving Weekend! May your turkeys and belly’s be stuffed! 🦃🍁🍂🥧🍷

Remember! Although your dog would really like gravy, it is not good for them! The high amounts of sodium and fat are less than ideal for them, and can also contain ingredients like garlic and onion that are toxic to dogs!

The Doggie Dame 🧡

10/06/2022

Hold the phone! Everyone…this is Angus. Angus is a Mastiff/Cane Corso/Bulldog/Dog de Bordeaux mix. He’s 16 weeks and 50 pounds! Angus has joined my Welcome to the World Puppy Foundations program. Although starting a little later in life, I have tailored his program to suit his breed, his style of learning, his motivators, and his personality ☺️ Angus is a very sweet boy ♥️

10/05/2022

Cute client alert! Look at this adorable little girl! Alaska is a basenji/pug/chihuahua mix that came to me because she likes to bark…at absolutely everything. She also thinks she owns the entire world and probably more. All that aside, she is a super sweet and loveable little girl and I fell in love with her the moment she barked my ear off when I walked in the door then used ALL the appeasement to melt my heart ♥️ I’m so excited to be working with this little gem and building a program suited to her big dog personality 🐾

08/27/2022

Let’s talk Enrichment!

Enrichment improves and enhances your dog's mental state using a range of activities designed to challenge and exercise their brains. These activities encourage your dog to problem solve, learn new skills, and become more confident. Most importantly, they love it!

Here you see Maya enjoying part of her dinner in her snuffle mat! Not only is this activity stimulating her brain, but it’s also encouraging natural foraging behaviours!

I recommend to all my clients to allow their dogs to partake in at least 3 enrichment activities per day. These can include:
🐾Walks
🐾Snuffle Mats
🐾Tricky Treat Balls, Frozen Stuffed Kongs, or the Kong Wobbler
🐾Dog Puzzles
🐾Fetch, Tug Tether, Hide and Seek

There are many other things you can do with your dog! A fantastic book I recommend is Canine Enrichment for the Real World by Allie Bender and Emily Strong!

08/27/2022

It’s international dog day 🐾 This year was a little different, because Koda is celebrating it across the bridge. If I could guess, they’re giving her an ice cream cone, maximum snuggles, and a fresh stuffy that she can carry around and present to the angels when she wants to sleep in their beds. I miss you every day Koda, I will never stop thinking about you 🥹 Maya, thanks for being the hilarious little goof that you are and keeping me on my toes and providing me the kind of love only a dog can give. Happy to all the doggies out there ♥️

08/23/2022

Meet Your Trainer!

It all started when I hired a company to help me with my two Alaskan Malamutes as they were having some pretty serious fights. Over the two years that I worked with a Behaviour Consultant, I grew a passion for learning about these beautiful creatures. I worked hard with my dogs and I started researching dog behaviour on my own. When COVID hit, I used it as an opportunity to further my education and take a course that prepares individuals to write their Certified Professional Dog Training License Exam. Graduating at the top of my class in that program, I was hired by the company who provided the training to be an obedience consultant with them. Shortly after joining, I lost my heart dog, Koda, to cancer. This hit me hard, but I knew I would not be where I was if it weren't for her and I had to push on. I decided to branch off on my own and start The Doggie Dame in memoriam of my beloved Koda. The day I opened my business, albeit scary, I knew I had made the right decision for myself and I knew Koda was so incredibly proud of me. I will continue Koda's legacy through every client I take on. ~Shannon

Address

Barrie, ON

Telephone

+17057184662

Website

http://www.doggiedame.com/

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Videos

Cue relays! In this video, you will see me using a Cue Relay of some of Maya’s known cues to keep them sharp! This is also a good way to bring in some discrimination and generalization training as well as enrichment! Seen here, Maya is eager to work! I use a few cues in a row, using only verbal praise in between the cues until the relay is done and she receives her high value treat! When Maya gave me the “wrong answer” I used a no reward marker of “try again”. She has learned with consistency that this means she gave me the wrong answer and to give a different answer. When she needed help to refocus, I used the cue “are you ready?”. This regained her focus and she demonstrated a tail wag which indicated she was ready! On the second relay, I noted that her frustration was increasing as she demonstrated vocalization, increased panting, and started giving the wrong answers to cues I know she knows very well. At this point, I ended the cue relay exercise to ensure training stays fun and to keep her frustration down. Always end on a good note! Cue Relays are an excellent way to provide your puppy their meals and also sharpen their skills all while providing enrichment. After the relay, provide a generous amount of kibble as a “jackpot” to a job well done! I use cue relays with all my dogs! All dogs can benefit from this simple yet fun exercise! #canineenrichment #dogtrainer #canineobediencetrainer #caninebehaviourconsultant #positivereinforcementtraining #cuerelay #alaskanmalamute