Auntie Jessie's Dog Training, Behaviour Services & Pet Care

11/10/2025

Someone's adorable puppy has just experienced his first sniffari with Auntie Jessie and he LOVED it! Oakley scampered, hopped, raced and snuffled through the snow & leaves. All the while he was paid for good choices and behaviours I want to see more of..

During the hour session we worked on:
🐾The Name Game- this helps get Oakley's attention.

🐾 The Magic Circle Game- This exercise allows Oakley to associate walking near me to predict good things. It helps encourage loose leash walking without expecting it.

🐾 Generalizing Oakley's sit on a verbal cue in a new environment. Dogs are terrible at generalizing cues. What they learn and perform reliably in one location may not be so reliable in another.

🐾 Greetings - keeping all four paws on the floor when making new friends.

🐾 Nice Trail Manners- when on public trails training dogs, I am slower and always give way to those who want to pass. Oakley is learning recall to me and sit beside me and wait for people to pass.

11/09/2025

Happy Snow day from George!

This is our first snow fall together and I am not sure who was more excited. Luck was on our side today as George and Astro enjoyed an empty dog park. The boys zoomed around and wrestled for almost 20 minutes.

We are building George's recall and working on appropriate play. He is not a candidate for interacting with dogs I do not know. We only use public parks when they are empty and always leave when others arrive.

After the bark park trip, we enjoyed a snowy sniffari at Limehouse Conservation Area! The humans enjoyed the beauty and the sound of silence a fresh snowfall offers. The dogs enjoyed their trail mail. George showed excellent manners when another trail user passed us.

George sat patiently beside me while I chatted with our new acquaintance. I learned about the man's bully mix who lived to be 17! How amazing is that!

Until next time,
🐾Auntie Jessie & George

11/05/2025

Cooperative care is about teaching pets to feel safe and have a choice to participate. It is not limited to dogs. If a tiger can be taught to cooperate in their care. So can your pets!

Leo and I met in April earlier this year. The presenting concerns were stranger danger, reactivity on leash and sensitive about body handling. His guardians have a special protocol they go through when introducing him to strangers. They wanted Leo to feel safe with Auntie Jessie and understood he needed time.

Leo's behaviour set the pace of our behaviour modification plan. His comfort and autonomy was respected throughout this process. Auntie Jessie earned his trust with patience, consistency, respect and classical conditioning exercises.

Leo has reached two huge milestone in his cooperative care plan. He allowed his harness to be put on which allowed us expand his training on walks. A few days ago, Leo allowed his sweater to be put on! We celebrated with a happy dances, tasty snacks and a nice sidewalk sniffari.

Miss Dixie has reached milestones of her own in terms of energy. She thoroughly enjoys her 30 minute sidewalk sniffari walks. Her guardians say she has more pep in her step and has started to run more since they hired Auntie Jessie. 💗🎊

Wishing everyone a happy wednesday.
🐾Auntie Jessie

10/31/2025

Happy Howl-O-Ween from the cutest sunflower I have ever seen. 😍

Please note, dogs are individuals and have varying levels of comfort with costumes. Many do not like costumes at all. George and I have taken several weeks to introduce him to this costume. Prioritizing his feelings of safety, comfort and autonomy. With a shake of his head, this sunflower will come right off.

10/26/2025

Happy Birthday to my favourite pumpkin, Pluto. It's hard to believe this is the same pumpkin I brought home to foster just before Christmas in 2023. Now he's two and doing a great job helping those who need him most.

10/26/2025

Happy Sunday from gorgeous George.
He's definitely enjoying these fall sniffari adventures. So far he's been through Hungry Hollow, Limehouse & Mount Nemo Conservation Area.

Today we enjoyed nature's confetti on the Bruce Trail from Scotsdale Farm to Silver Creek Conservation Area and back. We met friendly people, respectful dog guardians and a few cyclists. George did not react to anyone.

The most impressive moment, George held his sit while a group people with off leash dogs passed us. A huge accomplishment because they showed interest in George before they recalled to their guardians and George really wanted to play with them. There was no shrieking or crying. 🎉

We hope you have had a lovely weekend. I am excited to spend time with your pets this week.

Until next time,
🐾Auntie Jessie and George.

10/25/2025

Wishing everyone a happy weekend from Queen Paris & Princess Bella. If you haven't been following Auntie Jessie's stories, you may not have learned Bella and I gave worked through her harness aversion.

Miss Bella is not just comfortable, she is eager to put on her harness and excited for her neighborhood sniffari. Big sister Paris joins us on our training exercises because she helps Bella feel safe and gives Bella the security to enjoy her walk.

Over the last few weeks Miss Bella and I have worked a lot on loose leash walking, engagement with handler and feeling safe without big sister Paris joining us. I am thrilled with the progress Bella has made and looking forward to her confidence grow.

🐾Auntie Jessie

10/23/2025

Auntie Jessie's alumni Team Rory & Team KC are hard at work helping students at school. The job of a Therapy dog team is an important one. They spread love, inspire joy and instill peace.

The journey from pet dog to therapy dog team takes time, practice and consistency. Auntie Jessie's Therapy Dog Prep course is designed to teach both humans and their dogs skills they can rely on. Humans learn how to be handlers while their dogs learn new behaviours essential for Therapy dog work.

Dog guardians learn

10/20/2025

Happy Monday from puppy Oakley! Someone has graduated to neighborhood walk & trains. I am not sure who had more fun, Oakley or myself.

Oakley is fortunate to have dog guardians who want to set him up for success. They hired Auntie Jessie for puppy visits, private training and to add some enrichment to Oakley's day. By the end of our visit, he was ready for a nap.

10/18/2025

George experienced his first sniffari at 's Mount Nemo!

I picked Mount Nemo because it has equal portions of sniffari trails & escarpment views. George and I did the whole loop in ~ 3.5 hours. We made sure he got lots of breaks for sniffing and water.

Mindfulness and respect are two main tools I use when working with dogs. I am mindful some people are afraid of dogs and other dogs can be reactive. George and I "pull over" and give way to everyone who came close.

George got LOTS of compliments on his good looks, goofy smile and nice manners. A number of people wanted to pet him and respected when I said no. They were comfortable helping George feel safe and made friends from a distance.

We had a beautiful weather & stunning colours. George impressed me with his good boy manners. In a narrow section of the trail, we bumped in to another dog who was reactive. Space could not be made, so I picked George up and carried him passed the dog who was lunging at us.

I understand a dog who is reacting is not a bad dog. They are having a hard time and need space. The kindest thing I can do is create space wherever possible. Thankfully, other dog guardians showed us the same respect and I am grateful for it.

Thank you Conservation Halton for keeping this trail so well maintained.
🐾Auntie Jessie & George

09/30/2025

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Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters

Today, we wear orange to honor the children who were taken from their families and placed in residential schools, many of whom never returned home. We remember the survivors, their stories, and the intergenerational trauma that continues to affect Indigenous communities.

Orange Shirt Day is not just about remembrance, it’s about truth, healing, and reconciliation. It’s a time to reflect on the injustices of the past and commit to building a future rooted in respect, understanding, and equity.

Let’s listen to Indigenous voices, support their leadership, and educate ourselves and others. Change begins with awareness and awareness begins with us.

Every Child Matters.