Sherbert Service Dogs

01/06/2025

Hudson learning lots this week! Thanks to tatertot.ca on instagram for this awesome training tool!

01/04/2025

When is a service dog ready for busy stores? 🦮
The answer varies from dog to dog but generally is when:
• The dog is potty trained
• Has had consistent obedience training
• Task foundation work at home

In BC service dogs in training do not have access rights the same as fully trained dogs do. So when you see service dogs out, they have had extensive training to be there!
We are fortunate that many stores are pet friendly, so are suitable places for new pups in the program can get exposure and training!

You've seen our newest program pups Charlie, Vesta, Athena and Amara out, but they are all only in pet friendly shops until they're ready for non-pet friendly spaces, and let me explain why.

1) It sets the in training pups up for success

2) Builds a positive association with public spaces + is more lenient for learning dogs & mistakes

3) Shows positive representation for service dogs to the public.

If we're training in a non-pet friendly location, it is generally one we have an established relationship with and have permission to train there. And if any of the pups are done or get excited that's our cue to leave.

| Owner Training | Service Dogs | Dog Trainer | R+ dog Trainer |

01/04/2025

"small dogs don't need lots of exercise!" ~ something I've heard before. So let me introduce to you; Gracie! ✨
Gracie is my smallest client, a wonderful Yorkie. And don't let her size fool you, she walks farther than most of my larger dogs, generally clocking 4-6km in an hour 🤯

We want to be careful about not creating a canine athlete who can run for hours that we can't keep up with, but ensuring our dogs physical needs is a huge part of seeing desirable behaviours occur regularly!
So how much is the "right" amount of exercise? Well, it's complicated and varies between breed, age and individuals!
Generally though, we're looking at:

For puppies 3-12 months:
10-25 minutes of exercise & 5-10 minutes of mental exercise in multiple sessions

Adolescent dogs 12-18 months:
25-60 minutes of exercise & 10-15 minutes of mental exercise in multiple sessions

Adult dogs 18-24+ months:
60+ minutes of exercise & 15+ minutes of mental exercise in multiple sessions

All of these will differ from breed to breed and individual dogs needs, but are a good guideline. So what about you? What does your pup's workout routine look like?

| Owner Training | Service Dogs | Dog Trainer | R+ dog Trainer |

12/31/2024

Hudson update from his puppy raiser 🥰

Sweet Mr Hudson did amazing at Starbucks this morning!! I unfortunately injured my shoulder two days ago, so I wasn't able to handle him during my session with Annika from Sherbert Service Dogs, but Annika was extremely understanding of that fact & was more than happy to do the handling/training with Hudson again today.
We got coffee at our favourite Starbucks (where we have permission to train) & then went to Home Alive Pets to get some equipment to further Hudson's training, along with some wet food so I can make some high value treats for Hudson at home.

Hudson will be staying with Annika over New Year's as I'm celebrating at my grandparents today & tomorrow & am unable to take Hudson along with me.
He'll be coming back home to me tomorrow afternoon & we'll likely start implementing some new training goals to continue getting him ready for his placement in February.
**fypuppy **f

12/31/2024

We've been force free at SSD since March, but let me share how we got there.. Like many, I was frustrated and confused why my dog Albert's reactivity wasn't improving. He could pass dogs at a distance sometimes, but if the dog reacted, was too close or rounded a corner we were done for. I wanted him to have a sustainable job as my service animal, but how?

I had been looking at 's website for schools and came across . I compared them to many other programs, talked with graduates of Dogma, and decided one night to just try it out. Throughout my time in the program, I have learned countless skills, had support on cases, and a place to discuss and ask questions without judgement.
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Like the first two slides say, force free doesn't mean without stress. We want to lessen the stress our dogs experience, but small manageable stress creates resiliency in dogs. Something that is vital to service dog training!

If you're looking for coaching and guidance on training your service dog, reach out as we have rolling acceptance!

| Owner Training | Service Dogs | Dog Trainer | R+ dog Trainer |

12/24/2024

Happy holidays however you choose to celebrate the season! 🎇🐾

Today was spent training Hudson and his raiser on cafe etiquette in our fave .starbucks and then delivering client goodies with my pups 🎁

We'll be back to regular work on Monday January 6th 🥰

| Owner Training | Service Dogs | Dog Trainer | R+ dog Trainer |

12/18/2024

Very thankful for Hudson's amazing puppy raiser who stepped in for the remaining 8 weeks of his journey here at SSD before he goes to his forever family to continue his service dog journey 💜 highly recommend following them for regular/daily updates on Hudson's shenanigans!

12/17/2024

Hudson and his puppy raiser hit up Home Depot for some training! 🦮

We did general leash walking, focus / leave it training, and some sit-stay. The first few days transitioning to living with a raiser are low-key so both the humans and the pup can adjust and be comfortable. They've both done great, and I'm excited for how this will help Hudson's training before placement this spring!

Are you interested in puppy raising life changing service dogs? Email us to get details on how to get involved when we launch this volunteer program 🥰

Our program vests are from the wonderful .doodle

| Owner Training | Service Dogs | Dog Trainer | R+ dog Trainer |

12/07/2024

Did you know we do public access practice assessments for those who are preparing for their certification test!

Today Kujo and Lauren did their mock assessment with me to prepare for their official cert down the line. Safe to say; they rocked it! 🥳

My mock tests are run similarly to the official test overseen by Obedience Unleashed (previously done with the JIBC), with a few additions, such as task demonstration and some additional SSD special challenges 😉

| Owner Training | Service Dogs | Dog Trainer | R+ dog Trainer |

12/03/2024

Give the gift of training this holiday season, or for future birthdays! 🎁💝

Currently we have;
Walk and Train packages of 4 sessions, valued at $180 and priced at $110
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Private Training packages of 4 sessions, valued at $240 and priced at $170

Areas we serve:
Langley, Surrey, Aldergrove, Abbotsford & Vancouver! (Driving tax does apply)

Find the gift certificates today at https://SherbertServiceDogsScheduling.as.me/
(on instagram screenshot to get link)

| Pet Dog Training | Service Dogs | Dog Trainer | R+ dog Trainer |

11/29/2024

Join Sherbert Service Dogs DECEMBER 14TH @ 1pm for some holiday fun! 🎇

I have loved volunteering with SARC, and know a lot of the dogs, cats, and other critters are unlikely to find homes before Christmas, so decided to host a group obedience session where ALL THE MONEY goes back to help out 🥹

Pictured are some of the adorable adoptable pups 💜

Sign up link (screenshot on instagram and copy+paste into your browser) ⤵️
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=33311683&appointmentType=71403446

Like our previous Bark After Dark classes, we'll be hitting the trails, do some trick training, neutrality drills with other dogs and I'll have some props for cute holiday photos taken by yours truly!

| Fundraiser | Rescue Dogs | Dog Trainer | R+ dog Trainer |

11/22/2024

Poodle party! 🐩

Started service dog Hudson & Addie regularly train together, as Hudson is quite social and confident, whereas Addie is more fearful, they tend to help each other out.

Today they worked on:
✨: Calmly passing dogs (for Hudson not saying hi, for Addie not reacting)

✨: loose leash walking on both sides of me and on the same side as each other

✨: leave it with dropped kibbles (thanks Hudson 🙄😂)

And they're both testing out new to us gear 🥳 using the EasyWalk harnesses (Addie's is padded), and then Addie has an adapter for her. When she gets nervous if she pulls back, she could slip her harness. So we use this adapter attached to the harness and collar for her safety!

| Pet Dog Training | Service Dogs | Dog Trainer | R+ dog Trainer |

11/16/2024

We are still accepting applications for Hudson until Dec. 1st!
Read on to learn more about him 🐩

Hudson is currently 4 months old, and while living with us he is learning skills for his future as a service dog! He will spend 6 months here to prepare for placement.
He is anticipated to grow to 60-70lbs

Over the next few months, he will be learning:

-All his basic obedience, including heel, sit, down, stand, stay, and recall

- Public access skills, such as tucking out of the way, settling for long periods, polite greetings, and not sniffing shelves or approaching dogs/strangers

-Crate training

-Nose touch, and paw target (can be used for mobility tasks)

-Task foundations, including deep pressure therapy

- Socialization, so he is comfortable and confident for car rides, around other animals and kids, grooming, being handled, and continuing training in public with his future handler!

Once his training is finished and we have found the right placement, he will be delivered to his new handler and I will spend 2 full days conducting one-on-one placement training with them to make sure all those skills transfer smoothly.

Hudson is being trained with reward based methods, as is standard for our program. We ask his handler follow the program they will be provided all the knowledge for this!

This is a collaboration with (Hudson's breeder) on this project and his future home will also receive their support and information! Everyone involved is super excited for this project and to watch this little boy succeed.

| Started Service Dog | Service Dogs | Dog Trainer | R+ dog Trainer |

10/21/2024

It's a bird! It's a plane! No; it's Vesta! 🐕‍🦺 Welcome to SSD 🤩

Vesta has a love for life, is super outgoing, and loves being outdoors with her humans! She's going to be working on excitement around bikes and joining our service program. This girl is so smart and fun to work with, so stay tuned to see her progress! 🥳

DM me or email [email protected] to schedule walks and training! The best of both worlds 🍄🐾

| Malinois Mix | Dog Training | Dog Trainer | R+ dog trainer |

10/19/2024

These are a few of my favourite things 😝
Choosing the correct equipment for our dogs is vital to successful outings and safety for them! This list covers some equipment I use on my client dogs and why.

🍪 balance harness: I use this with my own dogs, and as a tester for client dogs. It's by far my favorite front and back clip harness. Provides full range of movement, and is stylish. Solid 9/10

🍪 Martingale collars: ( is my fave). I primarily use these on fearful dogs who are flight risks, and then dogs who may be choking themselves on a flat collar, or disproportionate breeds who need special collars (sighthounds). Please note I do not use corrections with these collars.

🍪 Buckle collars: these are my most used collar with my own dogs. We especially love biothaine ones because of the weather here in the PNW! My lanky poodle Albert uses a 1.5 inch one and it's great 😃

🍪 Easy Walk® harness: while it provides less range of motion, is a good harness for older dogs, and those who don't pull strongly.

Equipment I will evaluate use of from time to time:
🍪 Head Collars + Gentle Leaders: similar to horse halters but for dogs. These I use sparingly if at all, because of the potential for whiplash, and sensitive nerves in a dogs snout. I don't utilize these for dogs who pull, specific situations such as ingestion of dangerous items while a leave it training protocol is being implemented.

DM me or email [email protected] to schedule walks and training! The best of both worlds 🍄🐾

| Dog gear | dog training | Dog Trainer | R+ dog trainer |