Canine Compassion GP

11/25/2024

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸!!!

I got to see Milo yesterday for the first time since I brought him to the Edmonton airport over a year and a half ago ✈️

He moved to St Stephen, New Brunswick, so being commissioned to transport Dave and Dolly to Nova Scotia gave me the perfect opportunity to see Milo while I was in the area.

I couldn't contain my tears and bawled the more that I got hit with the reality that the reunion was really happening.

Milo is so special to me, as he was one of the very first CCGP dogs and I cared for him one hour every day, Monday to Friday, for almost 2 years (starting when he was 6 months old).

We learned together, played together, experienced trauma together, and grew together. He will always have a piece of my heart and I think about him every single day 🩷

All the CCGP dogs that came after Milo have him to thank for the amazing experiences they have because it was Milo that pushed me to be a better caregiver, trainer, and overall handler.

I love you, Milo, and we will meet again- I promise ❤️

11/21/2024

About 4000km and 4 days later, we are over halfway to our destination! ⚓

Thus far, we've traveled through 2 provinces and 7 states. Wisconsin has been my favourite, as it's had the most captivating landscape to look at during the drive (and we tried a variety of really delicious cheeses 🧀!).

Amongst the state's green grass and tall trees, there are many intriguing Sniffspots to be found. I booked some private time at one of them near McFarland, Wisconsin yesterday so that they could sprint and explore before we continued on our journey.

Having had their jaunt early on in the day, they were more cool and collected when we walked around in Chicago, IL a few hours later. We ventured to Cloud Gate ('The Bean'), Millenium Park! 🫘

Dave and Dolly sure got a lot of, "Awe, SO CUTE" comments from passersby and Asuma was also on his best behaviour. I never could've imagined I'd be sightseeing in the heart of a foreign major city with my reactive dog when I first met him, but he made me so proud from start to finish.

It feels like we've been on the road for an eternity, but the memories made have been worth every kilometer. Only about 2000 more to go! 🗺️🚙

11/18/2024

Nova Scotia, here we come! 🗺️🚙

Today, I am embarking on one of the most incredible journeys of my career- both as a professional driver and as a canine professional; I am personally transporting two dogs to their newly purchased home on the East Coast! ⚓

I could not be more ecstatic to be hired for this level of care and handling, as it requires an immense amount of dedication and trustworthiness.

Beginning in Calgary, AB, I am driving Dave and Dolly the Boston Terriers across the country to their destination in Nova Scotia. Their owner is relocating there via air travel and will have the home prepared for her pups' arrival right before we get there!

Because Dave and Dolly are brachycephalic breeds, flying on a plane poses a much higher risk for them than it does for dogs with long snouts. Even though young, healthy dogs can be cleared for air travel, their owner would prefer that they remain at a normal elevation level during their transportation journey (for her peace of mind).

With my mom and Asuma to help keep me company round-trip, the most grande service that CCGP has 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍 offered is now commencing! 🧳

11/18/2024

Hella aced her very first Shed Hunt runs yesterday! 🏅

Being a bit blind, it wasn't easy for her eyes to spot the white antler in the snowy bushes, so she really put her nose to work to locate it.

Hella had never tried Shed Hunt in a North American Sport Dog Association trial until yesterday, but with only two runs, she already has 60/100 points needed for her Level 1 title!

Because there was another Belgian Malinois in the same SD-I runs, Hella was eligible for Best Of Breed points, which she earned in her second run (being faster by about a full minute).

The rest of her day went pretty well, earning her first Q in Urban Locate Level 2, which she was brand new to, also (she earned her UL-I title at the last trial).

Her second UL-II run did not end with any qualifying points, but she tried really hard and learned that the gerbils can now be located in places that are hard to reach- they're not always out in the open.

We probably won't have any trials until Spring 2025, so we'll have a bit of a break until we can compete again. I can't wait for all of the trial adventures yet to come with this happy lil girl 🩷

(Host club: GP Working K9's)

11/09/2024

Christmas is around the corner and I'M AVAILABLE! 🤯

I'm probably just as shocked as you are, but we are just shy of a month away from Christmas and I STILL have overnight care availability left!

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟮𝗻𝗱-𝟯𝟭𝘀𝘁, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻-𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲. To determine which package suits your needs the best, you can visit my website where all package details are listed: www.caninecompassiongp.com/services

If you're still searching for care over the Christmas holidays, this is your lucky break! 🎄🩷

11/06/2024

Winter is at the door in northern Alberta! ❄️

Nothing about having cold hands is fun for me, but it doesn't stop me from trying to still take cute photos of the CCGP dogs in the snow 😊

Global warming definitely has given us more time to ease into the winter season nowadays, so get your winter tires put on and your dog's paw wax restocked BEFORE you find yourself needing them.

(Pro tip: is the BEST out there. I've tried a lot of different kinds and nothing beats the ease of application, durability, and affordability of this Peace Region-made paw wax!)

10/04/2024

You know her as Rolo, but she is now formally known as...

🏆 WILD ROSE ROLO TL-I UL-I 🏆

Rolo's registered name is Wild Rose Rolo and this past weekend, she achieved her Trail & Locate Level 1 and Urban Locate Level 1 titles at her first ever North American Sport Dog Association trial in Strathmore, AB. 🎉

Not only did Rolo qualify all 8 of her entered runs, earning her the required amount of points for her two titles, she also came in FIRST place for half of them!

The very first runs that Rolo ever did for both UL-I and TL-I, she was the fastest dog to find the gerbils 👏 Also, she came in first place for 3/4 of her TL-I runs!

It was pretty cool, actually, that not only did Rolo get first place in her first TL-I run, but Hella's time wasn't far off and 𝘴𝘩𝘦 got second place! To have the girls take both of the top spots in that run felt very rewarding.

I very much believed that Rolo was going to do well at these NASDA trials, but she definitely blew my expectations right out of the water. At home during our practices, she struggled with focusing on her task of finding the gerbils (she often just ran around the search area until she caught a whiff of them and figured out what she was supposed to be doing).

All weekend, whether she was searching indoors or outdoors, Rolo WORKED from the second she crossed the start line. She put aside the fact that there were other dogs around and didn't even p*e on the course during her Urban runs!

Practicing scent sports has given Rolo a healthy outlet to exert her energy 𝘢𝘯𝘥 improve her behaviour. I am so grateful to have been able to give her such beneficial opportunities like this 🩷

📹: Emily Wharton (Woofton Dog Training)

10/03/2024

You know her as Hella, but she is now formally known as...

🏆 MORAVIAN'S NELA UL-I 🏆

Hella's registered name is Moravian's Nela and this past weekend, she achieved her Urban Locate Level 1 title at her first ever North American Sport Dog Association trial! 🎉

We travelled 8 hours to Strathmore, AB to participate in a trial hosted by TLC Training and Consulting.

It was a long drive, but I knew that this would be a perfect place for Hella to try competing for the first time because one of the judges (Sarah-Jane Brenner-Petti) who was there- and also the one responsible for hosting the event- was the same judge who Asuma trialled underneath 𝘏𝘐𝘚 very first time, too!

Asuma was a lot more dog reactive when we first started but we were never rushed or forced to begin our run when he wasn't ready. Knowing how kind the people are who would be at this Strathmore trial, I was confident that Hella would be as comfortable as possible.

Even though Hella is only 5 years old, she's 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 near-sighted (she's basically partially blind) and it makes it a lot scarier for her to explore new areas- especially inside buildings where there are plenty of objects to bump into.

Hella had moments of fear she had to work through in order to do some of her runs that were inside of the Ag building on Sunday and because the judges were so patient, she was able to adequately manage her stress. She completed those runs and got the points she needed to be awarded with her Urban Locate Level 1 title! 👏

We had a lot more fun opportunities during our trip, including swimming and joining our Edmonton dog training friends at their weekly club night. I'll have much more to post about our amazing weekend!

📹: Emily Wharton (Woofton Dog Training)

09/26/2024

Handsome Hank 🫶🩵

The most challenging part about walks with Hank is finishing them on time because I just can't help but take SO many photos of him while we're out 😂

With the gorgeous autumn colours around, I definitely took a LOT of photos on our walk today. Hank is always such a good boy and poses patiently for me ❤️

09/19/2024

Did you know that CCGP sells novelty dog treats? 🐊🦘🦈

I have been working really hard to be able to legally import special snacks from Australia's Rover Pet Products for doggos here in Canada!

There are still some things I am working out to be able to seamlessly ship these products to dog owners across the country, but the first little shipment is HERE 📬

Why should you get Aussie treats for your dog from CCGP?
🇦🇺 They're high value and not easy to find at regular pet stores.
🇦🇺 They have single/minimal ingredients and are ethically sourced.
🇦🇺 They consist of "novelty" proteins, which are great for dogs who have allergies/intolerances to common proteins (ie. chicken, beef, turkey, etc).
🇦🇺 They are jam packed with nutrients and super healthy!

Currently, I have snacks that are made from shark, kangaroo, crocodile, emu, boar, and more!

Treat your dog to something new and buy them a specialty goody 🐗

You can access my website's shop here: www.caninecompassiongp.com

(I have yet to update stock on my website, but even the products that say "pre-order" can be added to online orders! Anything you want, you can get!)

09/15/2024

Have you ever seen a pretty girl as 💖𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂💖 as this?

Maybe I take a million photos of Hella radiating in the sunlight when we're out, maybe I don't 👀 Who's to say? 😉

We've been practicing and preparing for Hella's first ever scentwork competition in a couple weeks, so she's been all smiles when we're out searching for gerbils. She's really getting the hang of the games and loving every minute of it!

09/12/2024

A Shiba, a Corgi, a Malinois, and a bull breed walk into a barn...

Just kidding (but not really 😂). We actually 𝘥𝘪𝘥 have fun at the Valleyview Ag barn last night, playing the game of Barn Hunt!

Asuma hadn't been in the ring since our last BH trial weekend in October '23, but he enthusiastically worked the course without missing a beat. I was very proud of him for giving an obvious indicator on the correct gerbil tubes during each of his runs ❤️

Bragi was the polar opposite of Asuma, having 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 seen a gerbil before last night! Being a Shiba- independent, stand-offish, etc- I really wasn't sure how he'd take to the rodents. Even though he didn't swat or scream at the tubes with excitement, he carefully inspected them and participated in searching for them around the ring 👏 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 in itself made my heart feel so full and proud of him.

Rolo has been practicing gerbil-searching games for about a month or so, but the Barn Hunt setting was new for her! I prepared to have her run in panties since she p*es 𝘴𝘰 much (and without warning), but she proved quickly to me that she was focused on the game and would not mark the bales. She hardly needed any guidance and worked her floofy butt off to achieve full qualifying runs (one tunnel, one bale climb, and find the gerbil tube in under 2 minutes)!

Hella was by 𝘧𝘢𝘳 the "most improved" of the evening because she didn't even want to enter the building when we first got there. She can be a little weird about entering new indoor spaces sometimes and she tried to pull me away from the barn door like her life depended on it. I gave her some more time, practicing with the other dogs before trying to bring her in again. The proof is in the pudding because she clearly had an absolute blast once she opened up!

Nothing feels as rewarding as watching dogs' confidence flourish as they learn new skills. I have the most extraordinary clients for trusting me to take their dogs to a distant venue to bestow them with enriching opportunities like this.

Thank you Valleyview SNFF Club for having us! 🐹

🌟 MORE BARN HUNT PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES TO COME! 🌟

Send a message to learn more

09/09/2024

💥 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗖𝗚𝗣'𝘀 B̳I̳G̳G̳E̳S̳T̳ 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁! 💥

📤 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘! 📤

It's been a crazy month for CCGP, which has included a lot of dog sports and even some broken down vehicles.

I am grateful to have my new Outback from Subaru City in Edmonton, but the RV has also had its troubles and there is no replacing it with something newer for a very long time.

I was able to use my AMA membership to tow the RV twice this past week, but unfortunately, it's going to take cash to cover its journey home from Edmonton. Tow truck bills are VERY expensive, which doesn't even include the cost of all the parts I'll need to buy to have the RV fixed.

(MASSIVE shoutout to PRIME TOWING & RECOVERY for getting the home from Edmonton!)

The RV has been invaluable to Canine Compassion GP, providing a secure, climate controlled space for dogs when we are on our adventures far from home. It has travelled to Calgary for dock diving and often to Lacombe for scent sports.

To help pay these bills so that I can continue to provide access to canine activities that aren't available in our area, I will be discounting some services for at 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 the month of September.

🌟 30 minute walks will be only $30 and drop-ins will only be $20 🌟

There is zero commitment to remain a client or even book more than one walk!

I am also taking this time to announce a new service that CCGP will be offering and I am SUPER stoked about it!

🆕✨ 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘒9 𝘋𝘢𝘺 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘴 will be offered to those who are willing to commit to their dog going on the ultimate outing to Edmonton at least a couple times a month. Your dog will get to experience private pool time at Elite Dog Centre and even some freestyle fun at Dynamo Dogsports (agility, obedience, Barn Hunt, etc)!

Because these facilities are both indoors, this service will be offered year-round, winter months included!

This service is available to all dogs no matter their breed, age, or size. Dog reactivity can be accommodated, as all dogs will be crated in the vehicle and not have to make any contact with other CCGP dogs, nor ones at the facilities in Edmonton.

More information will be added to my website about Premium K9 Day Trips as I heal and can view my screen properly for extended periods of time 😂

📣➡️ 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝑷𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑺𝑬 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕! 𝑹𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉! 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒆! 🥰

09/04/2024

Rolo has had the adventure of a lifetime these past 6 days!

The initial plan was to drive to Edmonton on Thursday and do an introductory pool session at Elite Dog Centre that night, some more pool time Friday morning, spend Fri-Mon at Prairie Dog Sports Inc. for Asuma to run in their North American Sport Dog Association (NASDA) trial, and then do one more pool session at Elite this morning (Tues) before heading back home to GP.

Well, if anyone has been following my stories lately, you'll know that that's not what happened 𝘼𝙏 𝘼𝙇𝙇.

The broke down as we were trying to exit onto Highway 16 on Thursday, heading towards the big city. After only 2.5 hours of waiting on the side of the highway, AMA had Brad from Oil Country Towing come to our rescue!

A quick fuel pump swap from the help of my dad on Friday morning was sufficient enough to have us think that we solved the problem. It 𝘸𝘢𝘴 solved enough for me to make it to Lacombe and we had a fantastic weekend playing and training there.

On our way back to Edmonton after the trials finished yesterday, the RV 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 decided to call it quits and left us stranded yet again.

Thanks to the unbelievable generosity of new and previous dog sport friends, we did not have to wait with the RV for the next 6-7 hours until it got towed. Instead, we got to hang out at a hobby farm and cuddle kittens and chickens 🥰

Since the RV isn't moving regardless, I had it sent to Elite so that we'd still be ready for pool time the next morning! We had such a great time there and it was nice to just forget about all the RV issues for a bit.

We are safely on the way home from Edmonton at the moment, thanks to my awesome mom who drove all the way down to get us.

There will be more posts about the weekend spamming everyone's feeds once I finally get a chance to sleep and recoup.