BC Westcoast K9 Services

04/11/2024

BC WESTCOAST K9’S 2-WEEK DOG TRAINING BOOTCAMP 2024

I am looking for 2 dog owners who need help with their dog’s obedience training this April 2024!

Here are the details:

*This is a 2 week program
*Sign up by April 21st
*Training 6 days a week
*Train 45-60 minutes a day one-on-one with our trainer/owner Melissa (me!)

Program includes:

*Learn how to teach your dog obedience / provide mental stimulation
*Learn how to stop bad behaviours (pulling, mouthing, biting, jumping up, etc.)
*Build drive for treats and toys
*Learn proper nutrition
*Learn how to provide enough physical exercise (and also not too much!)
*Build good daily habits
*Learn how to train inside and outside of the house
*Learn how to train without and with distractions

Why this Program:

*You will have a better trained dog at the end of the 2 weeks
*You will strengthen your bond
*You will build confidence in you and your dog
*Establish a good routine
*Your dog will have more freedom
*Your dog will be happier & healthier
*You will have the tools to MAINTAIN your dogs training, continue your dogs training and stop bad behaviours.

TRANSFORM your relationship with your dog by taking this program. Dogs training lasts an entire lifetime, that could be anywhere from 8-17 years! This course will offer you the coaching so that you can provide the training and routine that your dog needs to be successful in life.

01/04/2024

New 2024 Podcast Season has begun! Our new episode will be live this coming Monday, January 8th! ⭐️

Riley’s amazing journey validating her Service Dog. Don’t miss this amazing and informative story!

Please follow us on our IG:

~ Housewolves Podcast ~ available on Spotify and Apple!

12/11/2023

Thank you to all of the new followers on our Page!

Quick introduction for those of you who are new. I’m Melissa and I’m the owner and head trainer at BC Westcoast K9 Services. My business turned the big 7 this year!

My mission is to help pet dog clients have a well-mannered, confident dog with a strong bond to their human. I love seeing dogs and their owners succeed! When people come to me they are usually struggling. Some have spent lots of time and money trying to correct bad behaviours and they have made little to no progress. I sometimes deal with dogs with serious behavioural issues such as, aggression towards humans and animals. After handling hundreds of client dogs, raising a lot of puppies and working and competing with my own, I have a style that puts as much emphasis on playing and bonding with your dog as it does teaching your dog obedience and correcting bad behaviours. To be truly successful you need to focus on all 3 things.

A few quick facts about me:

What’s my favourite breed? German Shepherd (followed by yellow labrador retrievers)

What’s my bucket list breed? a Toy Manchester Terrier and maybe a blue heeler

What do I feed my dogs? Longevity Raw Dog Food ()

My heart dog(s): Jax (Chance & Farley) - you can’t have just one!

Dog I’m most excited about: My 2 year old girl Sky

What hobbies do I currently partake in with my dogs: IGP Sport and Sport Detection (thanks to and )

Did I always have dogs? No, I had 7 cats! I love cats, but with working shepherds I’ve taken a break from owning any felines.

My favourite vet: Dr. Kaler at North Bluff Animal Hospital

Best part of training pet clients: seeing people and dogs succeed! 🏆

Happy holidays to everyone and here’s to a great year ahead!

11/26/2023

I’m so proud of my fur babies 🥰
Zulu, Sky & Jax (& Farley, not pictured below)

Collectively my pack has earned:

• JIBC Security Validation
• Pre-Novice, CKC Obedience
• CD, CKC Obedience
• Canine Good Neighbour, CKC
• Started Title, Sporting Detection Dogs Association
• BH, IGP (formerly Schutzhund)

10/03/2022

Happy 11th Birthday to the boy who started everything. Without you my life would be nothing. I love you Jax ❤️

09/11/2022

Sunday Fun Day ☀️

07/08/2022

This is why I do what I do. This client has a German Shepherd Service Dog . She had already done a lot of training before coming to BC Westcoast K9. However, her shepherd started to show social aggression, and she also had a lack of control specifically when the service vest was off. We worked together to fix these issues, and on July 5th my client passed her JIBC service dog validation! I couldn’t be happier for the pair. They put in so much work, it is very well deserved. And I’m super proud to hear what comments they received at their validation.

This is the result of balanced training.
Why be good when you can be great! Raise the bar!

07/04/2022

Obedience and training is very important, but so is getting out and having fun with your dog!!
Puller sport combines fun, physical exercise, retrieving, obedience, bite work. I’m obsessed! Hunter and Sky had a blast!

Thanks for the intro workshop on July 2nd

03/28/2022

We are not currently monitoring this page on a regular basis. If you wish to reach us, you can do so through the following:

Email: [email protected]
Text: 604-308-3363
Website: www.westcoastk9.com
IG:

12/08/2021

12/05/2021

UPDATE: Thank you everyone. A very good home has been found.

Available: 8 month old, male Golden Retriever puppy looking for an active and dog experienced home. Good with dogs, very friendly, lots of energy! He has solid obedience foundation, commands include heel, sit, down, place and recall. He would be best in a home with a large fenced yard or someone with a very active lifestyle who can take him out on lots of runs, walks or hikes. As he is young, you will need to continue his training. He is raw fed. (Feel free to share.)

11/03/2021

Available 1 year old, spayed female Dutchie.
Family raised. Basic obedience. Fearful.
Needs quiet, active home and someone committed to continue her training.
Please contact me for more info. We are helping the family to find a suitable placement.
Please feel free to share.

07/14/2021

Zena is a rescue that has been with me for 3 weeks. She is a beautiful Belgian Malinois, approx. 5 years old. I have been terrible about posting our progress, which has been fantastic! Zena took quickly to kennel training after the third day. The anxiety she was showing at the animal shelter is gone. We are working hard on sit and recall because she was too quick to dash out doors and over fences. I'll try to post some videos soon. ❤️

06/20/2021

Not all dogs are created equally, which means the reactions they offer due to how you interact with them will not be equal either.

With many mild dogs, you can get away with quite a bit. They might develop some begging, some whining, some mild separation anxiety, some annoying but mild pulling on leash.

With a more serious dog, the stakes are raised considerably. They may bark at you demandingly, be rambunctious and non-listening messes, guard locations or objects, develop more serious separation anxiety, possibly nip strangers, and of course the pulling on leash will usually be accompanied by some considerable reactivity towards dogs/people as well.

With a severe dog, everything gets tuned up to 10. Incessant barking/whining/patrolling the windows or doors, resource guarding spaces/objects/owners has become dangerous, serious bites to the owners or guest or strangers may arise, separation anxiety will be the sort where crates are broken along with walls/carpet/doors being destroyed, the pulling and reactivity will be off the charts and many owners will either not be able to walk their dogs or it will be a terrible tightrope walk of stress and anxiety.

Which means, we have to become crystal clear about what kind of dog or dogs we have. And the kind of dogs we have should dictate how we live with them, how strict we are, what rules are in place, what tools we might need to leverage, what kinds of effort we have to put in, and what kind of self-serving affection and doting we have to take out.

Of course, the above description is by no means airtight. You can find dogs in any of the camps who are great with certain things and terrible with others. But it’s a basic concept, and if you understand it, can help you to adjust how you interact and live with your dog before things become out of control. That all said, in a perfect world, every dog would be trained, have solid rules, structure, guidance and smart, selfless owners prioritizing the very best for their dogs and their specific needs. I’ve had all three of these categories, and some in-betweens, and all had different rules and I had different latitude with each.

So the upshot is, the degree of rules, structure, and guidance can be different, as can be the degree of affection and freedom. But you have to know what you’ve got, so you can share accordingly.

06/06/2021

A little video on loose leash vs tight leash. Different motivations for dogs to learn heeling. Demonstration of dogs heeling in a serpentine pattern.
https://youtu.be/VClb8pMh_Bk

Demonstration of heeling with a loose vs tight leash. Shows how to use food, ball, or verbal praise as motivation for the dog. Demonstration show advanced ad...

06/06/2021

BC Westcoast K9’s newest addition! This Malinois is being sprung from a local rescue to come and live with us and receive training. Then we will find a good Malinois home for her 😊 We are asking for assistance to cover her much needed dental work. If you’re able to donate, thank you kindly! ❤️

I was contacted by a local shelter regarding a female Belgian Malinois, Zena, who was surrendered… Tamara Whittaker needs your support for Zena’s Dental Work

05/20/2021

ATTENTION ALL PUPPIES - TRAINING OPPORTUNITY:

We are looking for 6 puppies that will be between the ages of 8-12 weeks as of June 1, 2021.

For the first time, we are offering a special Foundation & Socialization course for young pups and their owners. This phase of their life is so important! The foundation and socialization they receive will shape their behaviour in their adult years. This will be a small semi-private group setting, so that we can give each student lots of attention!

*must be available Tuesday evenings for 6 weeks
*must have a puppy turning 8-12 weeks as of June 1, 2021
*we will have two groups - one group must consent to being videotaped. In exchange we will be offering a discount on the training. The second group will not be videotaped.
*contact me for more details and pricing 604-308-3363

Please feel free to share.

Balanced dog training. Private lessons, board and train and small group.

05/19/2021

I am a balanced dog trainer.

I am the last resort.

I am the call after the dog killed or badly injured another animal, after a child or adult was bitten, after the eviction notice was served.

I am the final hope.

I am the final hope for the rescue dog that is terrified to exist. The fear aggressive dog that barks, lunges and bites. The dog that cannot go out in society and keeps its owners in isolation. The dog that nearly gets its owners evicted.

I am the final hope for the dog that bit its owner sending them to the hospital for stitches. The dog that most trainers would not work with. The dog that the local “humane” organization refused to provide an assessment of and sight unseen told the owners to euthanize the dog.

I am the final hope for the dog that killed another dog. The dog that everyone else said should die. The dog that was acting out of nothing other than instinct because it is a dog that was breed to fight, to hunt to kill. A dog that requires safeguards and a high level of training and control by the handler.

Sadly, these are true stories. Based on real clients. I hear these stories all of the time.

I am a balanced dog trainer.

The first time working with these dogs it is hard. They have no understanding of what they are or are not supposed to be doing. I must show them that. I must show them in a way that is safe for me and safe for them. It is confusing, it is stressful, it is complete anguish. I must remain calm, patient and follow through with their rehabilitation.

Soon the dog starts to understand what I am asking of it. Over time this creates confidence and trust. The bad behaviours begin to be replaced with good behaviours.

I dream of a day when I am not the last resort.

I dream of a day that I am not the final call before a dog gets euthanized.

I want to be the first call. I want to help people teach their dog a foundation that will make them successful from the beginning. I want dogs to be confident, happy, and good members of our community.

Balanced training sets a dog up for success. Success equals freedom for the dog and its owners.

I am proud to be a balanced trainer.



Photo cred. Muddy Love Pet Photography

05/07/2021

2018 prepping for CKC Obedience Trials with Jax. I really miss these days. This was such a great experience and challenge for us at the time. Come along way since then.

05/04/2021

I am very excited to announce that Kate is joining BC Westcoast K9 Services as a trainer. Kate will be working with young dogs and puppies to help people build a solid foundation and bond. Kate has been working alongside me and my mentor for the past many months to build her skills as a trainer. She is also proud mom to her collie mix Jen, who she raised from a fearful puppy to a very confident and happy adult.

04/26/2021

Episode 2 just dropped! The Host, Melissa Major shares her journey from positive only to balanced training. Her failures and success!
Subscribe, download & share!
Check out Housewolves on IG:

Melissa Major is the host of Housewolves and the owner of BC Westcoast K9 Services. She is a balanced trainer specializing in pet dogs with behavioural issues. Melissa has been working with animals for over 20 years and is based in Langley, Britis...

12/17/2020

There’s nothing better than the love received from a senior dog ❤️
📸: Anya Marie Photography

11/18/2020

With you at my side I can accomplish anything ❤️ GSD Hunter
📸

11/04/2020

We are hiring! We are looking for a part-time delivery driver. Must be available Tuesday/Wednesdays, daytime. Must have valid BC Driver's Licence and be able to provide a driver's abstract. Training provided. Please contact me for more info.

10/05/2020

“It’s better to know how to learn than to know.” ~ Dr. Seuss
Jax and I in 2014 ❤️🐕
📸

10/01/2020

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” ~ Dr. Seuss

artwork: Anya Nightengale

09/11/2020

We remember all of those who lost their lives and all of the hero’s and first responders, human and animals, who rushed in to save lives, even at the cost of their own. 🖤💙🖤

08/13/2020

Yes!! I love how Sean O’Shea puts it. Lead your dog and create a healthy, happy relationship ❤️

‪It’s a strategy leveraging fear in the hopes you will buy into an ideology of allowance & permissiveness. That you will believe that behavior will change without negative consequences, & that equality between dogs & humans should be the ultimate goal.

It’s a strategy which doesn’t concern itself with your wellbeing or your dog’s. The ideology is the only priority. Who suffers in the process is of zero consequence.‬

‪Funnily enough, all we do at TGD, with the multitude of dogs which arrive in various states of distress and struggle, is to implement precisely the opposite of what the Pure Positive/Force-Free supporters profess is the only way. And all these dogs strangely seem to get better. ‬

‪So if you need permission, do the work, search out balanced trainers showing the work. Understand it won’t always look pretty & perfect—changing life patterns & coping mechanisms rarely appears that way initially. Be prepared to embrace reality, rather than a well told fairytale.‬

‪And if you use common sense, seek out evidence, view the results, and work to figure out why reality might be a better approach than an easily sold fantasy, I bet you’ll find all the permission you need. :)‬

08/12/2020

Yes to this article!!!!
It’s funny I just had someone ask me about this yesterday. This is very well written. Please read. So many people approach dogs in a very inappropriate way. Let’s educate our community!

🛇 Use your Manners! 🛇
The Sniff test - Stop doing that!
The sniff test - a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they're actually doing.

🚩When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure AT them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe & whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. You are forcing an interaction of a relationship that hasn't had time to develop. To some dogs, this is quite rude & the reason a lot of dogs snap at or bite people. This can cause alot of behavioral issues because of layered stress due to forced interactions.

🚩If they are on lead, they have no where to go if they are sensitive to spacial pressure, so can end up shutting down, shying away or snapping at your hand so you back off. This is an example of how a dog is now using pressure to turn off pressure & make you back off so they aren't so stressed.

🚩People think by offering your hand it can give the dog time to sniff to know you're friendly... they can sniff without being forced to sniff your hand.Their noses are far more superior than ours & they don't need close contact forced upon them to smell you.

🚩Some dogs might not want to know you. You have no relationship with them and that's perfectly fine. They aren't your dog so you don't need to touch them or steal pats for your own satisfaction.

🤔 If you are meeting a dog, what should you do?
⚠Ask the owner if you can interact with their dog. Not all people want strangers touching their dogs. Especially strangers who you are unlikely to see again.
⚠Stand up straight & relaxed, with your hands at your side.
⚠Ignore the dog & talk to the owner.
⚠Don't stare at the dog & don't try to force an interaction by going in for a pat. If the dog wants to know you, it will come up to you & sniff around. Usually they will move away & then come back for a second sniffathon. Some dogs will bunt your hands & wag their tails, which are good signs that you're likely an accepted new friend. Give them a few slow pats down their back (NOT THEIR HEAD) & then stop. Is the dog happy? Has it accepted your interaction? This will determine whether you can give it more pats.

🐶This is a more stress free option for dogs & a reason why in consultations we can develop a good level of trust, especially with fearful dogs & aggressive dogs, without a bunch of negative side effects from forced interactions.