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

02/14/2025

Noses are wet
Auntie Jessie's leashes are blue
Tony is sweet
And so are you!

How fortunate we are to have animals who love us unconditionally every single day. Thank you for sharing yours with Auntie Jessue.

Happy Valentines Day 💝

02/08/2025

Meet Rory! The newest and youngest addition to Auntie Jessie's extended family. It was a pleasure and privledge to care for this cutie while her family enjoyed an afternoon together at a play. Rory had a busy afternoon of napping, bathroom breaks, snack time and adorable puppy zoomies in the snow. As any Auntie would, I fell in love at first sight💗.

Did you know a puppy between the ages of 10-12 weeks of age need 18-20 hours of sleep per day? Growing bodies take a lot of energy. Puppies process lots of information while they learn about the world around them and make new friends. Naps are an important part of a puppy's development.

02/03/2025

A warm Auntie Jessie welcome to handsome Bo! His guardians have signed Bo up for Auntie Jessie's walking & sniffari club. Today, our focus was establishing our relationship, The Name Game and enjoying our walk together. Over the next few week, we will be building our relationship and working on generalizing his recall in different environments with various distractions.

01/05/2025

Rest in Peace Karen Pryor. My heartfelt condolences to Karen's loving family and friends.

Karen Pryor is considered the "Mother" of modern day dog training. Her work in behavioral sciences with positive reinforcement was revolutionary in the animal training industry. Her philosophy emphasized animals and people can enjoy learning together. Her book "Don't Shoot The Dog" improves the lives of humans and animals on a global scale.

Today, we honor the incredible life and legacy of Karen Pryor, a pioneer who transformed the world of animal training and left an indelible mark on our industry.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Karen Pryor’s groundbreaking work paved the way for trainers like myself, and countless others, to advocate for humane, effective training methods. While the fight for positive change would still continue, her visionary efforts undoubtedly accelerated the progress, bringing us to this better place much sooner than we might have otherwise achieved.

Karen Pryor was one of the first to show the world that animals don’t need to be trained with violence or fear. Her work with marine mammals in the 1960s, grounded in science and compassion, paved the way for positive reinforcement techniques that continue to shape the industry.

She didn’t just teach us how to train better; she taught us to see animals as sentient beings, deserving of respect, patience, and understanding.

Her book Don’t Shoot the Dog! remains a cornerstone in the field of behavioral psychology and animal training, introducing the world to the principles of operant conditioning and the power of positive reinforcement. The Karen Pryor Academy, founded in 2007, has trained thousands of professionals, ensuring her legacy endures in the hands of those committed to ethical training practices.

She laid the foundation for a movement that prioritizes trust, connection, and kindness. The positive changes we see in the industry today, our collective rejection of outdated, punitive methods, are a direct result of her fearless advocacy and unwavering belief in a better way.

Her work changed our field, but more importantly, it changed the way we connect with the animals who share our lives.

Thank you, Karen, for showing us what’s possible when science and compassion come together.

Your legacy will continue to inspire us, and we’ll strive to honor your memory by carrying your vision of compassion for animals forward. Rest in peace, and thank you for everything.

Zak George

12/23/2024

Welcome to Auntie Jessie's extended family Harvard!Harvard and his guardians have signed up for Auntie Jessie's behaviour consultations to help Harvard with his reactivity.

One look at this cutie pup, you'll feel the love he has to share. Just moments after meeting, he was happy to snuggle beside me while his guardians and I spoke. I've been told he's equally attentive during zoom meetings.

Please join me in wishing Harvard and his new family a happy christmas. It's the first one they get to share together ❤️.

11/28/2024

Join our Day School Program and become part of an amazing journey! 💙

As a Day School volunteer, you’ll:
✨ Provide a loving home for Dog Guides in training on weekends (and some holidays).
✨ Drop off and pick up the dog at our training facility Monday to Friday.

Kennel life isn’t for every Dog Guide in training. Your home could be the perfect place to help them thrive and succeed in their training!

💬 Here’s what Linda, a Day School volunteer, has to say:

"Day School is a great way to have dogs in our lives without the full-time commitment of owning one. It’s so rewarding to see them succeed and know we played a role in their journey. People ask, ‘How do you give them up?’ It’s bittersweet, but when we meet the client whose life the dog changes, we feel so proud—and we get another dog right away! Our house is rarely dog-free 😊.”

Ready to open your heart and home? 🐶 Learn more and join us today: https://www.dogguides.com/how-to-help/day-school-program/

11/15/2024

Welcome Team Rory to Auntie Jessie's extended family. The love Rory has to share can be felt through the photo. His soul radiates love and joy. Rory and his guardian share a special bond and make a great team. Auntie Jessie is thrilled to coach them on their journey to be a therapy dog team.

Team Rory has enrolled in Auntie Jessie's Therapy Dog Prep program. The program focuses on handler and canine skills ideal for a Therapy dog team. This includes handler mechanics, knowledge about canine body language, team building exercises, refining known behaviours and teaching new ones.

Therapy dog teams have a special role to play by spreading love, inspiring joy and brightening the lives of those they meet. Auntie Jessie is thrilled to be part of this process. Helping people and working with dogs has always been Auntie Jessie's passion.

11/13/2024

Sniffari walks are for the dogs.
On occasion, I'll ask everyone to sit or wait while I attempt a photo. I do not force them and if they opt out to do their own thing. Thay is completely okay. Quite often, the pups don't have time for the puparazzi.

Here's the results of today's attempt. Tony got so excited, his kangaroo mode activated as he tried to get the treat first. 🤣

11/11/2024

Today as we remember, with respect, those who fought for our freedom. Those brave humans and animals who offered unfailing loyalty while they served their country.

During WW1, dogs were in service for their countries on a large scale. They performed a variety of jobs that their human counterparts could not. They were employed as Medics, Messengers, Pest Control, Mascots, Watchdogs and more.

A Medic/Red Cross dog had the most dangerous job. Equipped with back packs containing medical equipment they would search no man's land looking for wounded soldiers and when they found them, would either stay with the soldier until help arrived or lead help to them. They provided emotional support and comfort to mortally wounded soldiers.

A Messenger Dog was strong, swift and resilient. They were a vital method of communication between the lines, carrying messages in tins fastened to their collars. Their low stature and sleek build made them a smaller target for enemies. When all communication was lost these dogs were able to deliver life saving information that saved thousands of human lives.

A Watchdog was used in many ways. Their keen senses and quiet demeanour made them ideal for sentry, scout and guarding duties, They were trained to give subtle clues to their handlers if an enemy was approaching or harmful chemicals near.

A Sentry dog patrolled with their handler and helped keep the resting soldiers safe at night time.

A Scout dog would enable soldiers to find a safe passage way by patrolling ahead and alerting their handler to possible threats.

Pest Control dogs were used to keep the population of vermin under control. Trench life created a huge rat problem, some have been compared to the size of cats. Dogs used for ratting had to be tough, intelligent and courageous.

A Mascot offered emotional support, boosted morale and comfort to the soldiers. A well-known and decorated military dog in history was Sergeant Stubby. A soldier smuggled him to France, having no idea how many lives Stubby would save.

11/01/2024

Chief got the taste of Auntie Jessie's sniffari adventures and he loves it. Sniffari adventures are about providing a safe space to engage in natural behaviours like sniffing, running, marking and socializing with other dogs.

Auntie Jessie incorporates training during our sniffari walks. Having a dog respond to their name and verbal cues on trails is incredibly useful. In addition to saftey, it allows us to be respectful to other trail users. We take up a lot of space and often slower due to the sniffing, we give way to other trail users.

10/25/2024

Please join Auntie Jessie in congratulating Team KC on being accepted into St.John’s Therapy Dog Program! When KC's guardian asked Auntie Jessie to help with KC's St.John's Therapy Dog evaluation. Auntie Jessie was thrilled and enthusiastically accepted. Therapy Dog training has a special place in this Auntie's heart.

Auntie Jessie's Therapy Dog Prep Program is now available. We focus on life skills, handler mechanics, obedience behaviours and settling. Message Auntie Jessie to book your consultation today.

10/06/2024

Pumpkin spice & everything nice. That's what this good boy is made of.

10/01/2024

For those who don't know, this gorgeous cat is called Boo Kitty. Over the last three years Auntie Jessie has visited Boo Kitty's home for monthly Cooperative Nail Care appointments.

Boo Kitty laid in my lap and allowed me to trim all four paws in a matter of moments. For the very first time, Boo Kitty opted for a cuddle after her trim. Immediately, my heart melted and I soaked up the beautiful moment. It is a special feeling to be accepted into Boo Kitty's "circle of trust."

Cooperative Care is about teaching animals to feel safe and willingly participate in their care. It's the type of training both your pet and your vet will thank you for. Cooperative Care is not just reserved for nail trims. It can be used for husbandry and veterinary related care.

For pet guardians interested in trying it for themselves, please reach out. Auntie Jessie would love to help.

09/27/2024

Meadow's expression says it all. Auntie Jessie takes the responsibility of pet sitting seriously. Next to Meadow's saftey and well-being, providing pet guardians with peace of mind is Auntie Jessie's main priority.

While Meadow's guardians were exploring a different part of the world, Meadow enjoyed the comforts of home and an enrichment itinerary Auntie Jessie created for her. We had fun exploring trails around Georgetown, a new one each day. Auntie Jessie sent daily pupdate to Meadow's guardians to ensure they felt included. Pet guardians get homesick too and photo pupdates are required.

09/09/2024

A few months ago Auntie Jessie had the pleasure of looking after Indie. Indie is selective of who she allows in her " circle of trust." Using classical conditioning, Auntie Jessie spent a lot of time on the floor tossing snacks and spoon feeding wet food to Indie. It took time, food, love, patience and consistency to help Indie learn Auntie Jessie meant good things.

Auntie Jessie is thrilled to say our hard work paid off! We reunited this past weekend and what a change! It was nice to see her sweet and playful side. She felt so comfortable we started the name game. As with anything new, we started at a level she could accomplish. Which was me beside her, saying her name and giving her a treat.

Gradually, I increased the difficulty by moving farther away and eventually in to another room to call her. By the end of our time together, Indie was consistently coming I called. I tried from outside while she was inside and she ran right for me. This Auntie's heart is full💗.