Leaps & Hounds Canine Training & Fitness Ltd.

10/04/2024

This article, written by Dr. David Lane, is an excellent overview of the current science on gonadectomy (spay & neuter) decision making. If you are bringing a new pup into your life, please consider the long term implications this information may have on your dog's health. 🐾

Twenty-odd years ago when I first started practicing veterinary medicine, if a client asked when they should spay or neuter their dog, my response was “6 or 7 months of age,” and then we would move on to the next question. Today, when a client asks when they should spay or neuter their dog, my r...

08/27/2024

06/18/2024

A last minute spot has opened up in our Beginners Hoopers class, starting June 19th @ 6pm - six weeks. Text 778-835-2272 for details. 🐾

06/09/2024

Available this morning KLO & West Kelowna. Frozen watermelon chunks make a nutritious and cooling summer treat for your dogs.🐾

11/19/2023

Leaps’ Peeps: If you’re looking for Enrichment feeding toys, their West Paw Toppls are currently on sale for 25% off and free shipping over $79.00. It’s a great deal.🐾

Rocky Mountain Dog is a lifestyle brand selling adventure gear for dogs and their owners. If you love mountains and your pooch, you'll love Rocky Mountain Dog.

11/18/2023

I’m so sad to update my post of yesterday - one of the two client’s I referenced, a marvelous 9 year old Goldie, had to be euthanized this morning - his Librela reaction progressed to total paralysis (also happening with other dogs.)
Run free dear boy.😢

11/17/2023

The Article below contains important information about a drug now available in Canada for the treatment of canine Osteoarthritis. I am sharing because as a Professional Trainer with specialized education and a deep commitment to canine fitness & conditioning I see many dogs at my Training Centre who have received a definitive or differential diagnosis of Osteoarthritis (OA) from their Veterinarian.

10/28/2023

What a great concept - feeding animals instead of frightening them.🐾

10/09/2023

This was written by a UK Veterinarian but the message is sadly, as relevant here in North America as it is in England. Good training is quiet, calm and most importantly, humane. 🐾

TV TRAINERS
Why are TV executives still so wedded to aversive dog trainers? My theory... the public loves the circus act of dangerous and wild behaviour tamed as if by magic.
Dog Academy tried very hard to make positive, reward based training good TV, and they showcased some of the very best trainers and behaviourists working in the UK. But to the masses, sitting on the floor tossing chunks of chicken at a dog doesn't seem to hold the same appeal as dodging the growls and bites of a confused and terrified dog. A scared dog slowly realising a new person is no threat, and watching their body and face soften is not as dramatic as the 'fierce beast calmed' lying in a state of miserable learned helplessness.
How can we get the Ring Masters and Lion Tamers off TV? Stop watching.
Instead of watching a dog with mobility issues and pain labelled as a 'diva', find Canine Arthritis Management and read an article on home adaptations for elderly dogs. Instead of watching a dog with a fear of his feet being handled walked to exhaustion, then wrestled to the floor, let Chirag Patel show you the bucket game on YouTube.

09/25/2023

For millions of North Americans, Halloween is a holiday of parties, costumes and endless buckets of candy, but for those with dogs it can be a time of distress and tragically for some, the loss of a treasured companion who escapes into the night.
Before heading to your favourite 2nd hand store for this year’s costume, consider spending a bit of time preparing for and safeguarding your Pup for what’s to come.. 👻

09/13/2023

I don’t want to steal Meghan and Cindy’s thunder, but with their kind permission I am letting my students know ahead of time that there is a great new canine service coming soon to Kelowna.

By reservation, Meghan (Jazzed Up Agility), will be accepting a small number of dogs into her new Day Board and Train program. The Program is ideal for busy Dog Folks who want to ensure their pups receive quality physical and mental stimulation (as well as timely down-time), especially on those days when there are not enough hours to do it all yourself.

Whether you choose one day a week or more, under Meghan’s skilled leadership your dog will receive a perfect balance of sniff time, relaxation and the opportunity to practice skills and behaviours learned here at Leaps & Hounds.

Meghan shares my commitment to using only positive reinforcement methods and techniques and I am absolutely confident in recommending this new service to my Clients.

A couple of people have asked whether I worry I may lose business by recommending and supporting another Trainer. My answer is absolutely not. Our areas of specialization are complimentary not competitive, and Meghan and I share a deep commitment to Training with Kindness, Competence and Respect for both ends of the leash.

In my experience, mutually supportive and collaborative relationships with other professional, force-free Trainers is an absolute win-win for ourselves and our Clients, and will only serve to strengthen the dog training industry here in the Okanagan.

So, watch this space and the FB pages for Jazzed Up Agility and Okanagan Dog Training for updates on their grand opening - this is a wonderful new opportunity for all Kelowna dogs. 🐾

09/05/2023

When we moved to Kelowna a number of years ago, I updated my canine evacuation checklist to reflect local realities (in the Lower Mainland the focus had been on earthquakes, here in the Okanagan, our primary threat is now wildfires).

Whether you find yourself under immediate evacuation orders, are on stand-by alert for days or weeks at a time, or like us, live semi-rurally in a heavily treed area of Kelowna, the need to be able to leave our homes quickly during periods of high risk has never been more front of mind than it is this year.

I’m sharing my canine evacuation checklist for our two dogs in the hope that you may find it helpful as a basis for preparing one for your own canines and other family pets.
Our recent evacuees brought everything needed for their 2 dogs AND their giant lizard - now that was a customized checklist!

Stay tuned for Program information on preparing our dogs for emergencies. It’s incumbent on us as their Guardians to ensure they are trained and able to cope with stressful events when they occur.

06/06/2023

Text: (778) 835-2272 or Email: [email protected] to enroll! 🐾

01/30/2023

Photo one illustrates what the knee of my lovely Hovawart currently looks like as we await the surgical expertise of Dr. David Lane @ Points East West. A week from now we will begin the journey of veterinary rehabilitation and eventual return to function that so many of my Clients have already undertaken. Today I am thankful for amazing Veterinarians such as David, and the fact that I have the facility, training and expertise to support Nuala in her return to full function (photo 3).🐾

01/19/2023

For those of you who use Ruffwear harnesses, please note and make the suggested adjustments. Let’s keep it safe out there.🐾

01/09/2023

https://dogtrainingkelowna.ca

12/29/2022

5.0 ★ · Dog trainer

12/29/2022

This is not a topic I expected to write about late in December, however if it helps even one dog, it is worth the telling.

A short while ago, my Hovawart began rubbing the left side of her face in the snow & on indoor rugs more regularly than her casual, daily face scrubs. A recent dental check-up had been all clear, her ears, checked daily, appeared normal, yet something was ‘off’.

At her medical appointment yesterday the Vet found multiple, broken pieces of spear grass lodged deep in the canal, tight against her ear drum. They were successfully removed under sedation and thankfully, there is no long term damage.

Like most Okanagan dog folks, ours receive daily head to tail spear grass checks from Spring through 1st snowfall, but it’s not something I tend to think about in the last week of December.

In November, a Client’s dog experienced similar symptoms - a bit of random head scratching and shaking, but no odour, redness or sign of infection or obvious distress. A thorough exam revealed nothing. The Owner requested a recheck 2 weeks ago & the Vet spotted spear grass next to his ear drum.

Our Vet Tech confirmed this has been a particularly bad year and that they have had to perform more off-season spear grass extractions than ever before.

It was a close call for both these dogs, so please, if you note unusual head scratching/rubbing have it checked; it could save your dogs’ hearing, not to mention pain. 🐾