Loving Leader Dog Training

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Another way people sometimes find a dog is through rehoming posts online such as Facebook groups, Kijiji, or Craigslist....
10/12/2025

Another way people sometimes find a dog is through rehoming posts online such as Facebook groups, Kijiji, or Craigslist.

These are usually individual owners looking to rehome their dog directly, without going through a breeder, rescue, or shelter. Sometimes it’s due to life changes, housing issues, or simply not being able to care for the dog anymore.

Some pros:

✅ You may be able to meet the dog in their current home and learn directly from the owner about their personality, routine, and quirks.

✅ It can sometimes be quicker and less expensive than adoption fees or breeder costs.

✅ You might help keep a dog out of a shelter if the rehoming is handled responsibly

But there are important cons to keep in mind:

⚠️ There are no health testing or vetting guarantees and you may not know the dog’s full medical history.

⚠️ Screening is often minimal, which means people sometimes rehome dogs without making sure it’s a good fit.

⚠️ Scams do exist in online postings, so caution is needed.

⚠️ Behaviour history may not always be shared fully or honestly. If somebody is desparate to rehome a dog, the situation may be sugarcoated without any legal remifications on the seller

Rehoming posts can be a way to connect with dogs who genuinely need new homes, but it’s important to ask the right questions, request vet records, and ensure it’s a safe, responsible transfer for everyone involved.



10/10/2025

Following up the last post about adopting from a rescue… featuring the cutest video of adoptable Gaia 😊

Some more pros:

✅ Adoption usually includes vetting, spay/neuter, vaccines, and sometimes even training support.

✅ You’re giving a dog a second chance, while also freeing space for the rescue to help another.

And one more con:
⚠️ Popular dogs are in high demand and can go quickly (although there are always more coming into rescues all over Ontario!)

Through a rescue you’re not just finding a dog, you’re joining a network of people dedicated to giving animals another shot at life.



Another way to find a dog is through an animal shelter.Shelters are usually brick-and-mortar facilities, often city- or ...
10/10/2025

Another way to find a dog is through an animal shelter.

Shelters are usually brick-and-mortar facilities, often city- or region-run, that take in strays, seized dogs, or owner surrenders. They provide housing, medical care, and adoption services, and many work closely with rescues to place dogs.

Tinpa was a rescue pull from a shelter in Quebec (through a rescue).

Some pros:

✅ Adoption fees are often lower, and dogs usually come spayed/neutered and vaccinated.

✅ There’s often a wide variety of different breeds, ages, and sizes.

✅ Shelters give you the chance to walk through and meet multiple dogs in person.

✅ By adopting, you free up space for another animal in need.

Continued in comments 👇



Sometimes people get a dog is through a puppy mill, whether they realize it or not.A puppy mill is a high-volume breedin...
10/08/2025

Sometimes people get a dog is through a puppy mill, whether they realize it or not.

A puppy mill is a high-volume breeding operation where the main focus is producing as many litters as possible, for profit as the goal. The dogs are usually kept in kennels or cages, with very little attention to health testing, temperament, or early socialization. It is possible to get purebreds from a puppy mill, but this is often where you will get crosses such as whoodle, spollie, chiweenie, schoodle, chug, jackapoo, and shorkie.

There are some perceived pros:

✅ Puppies are often readily available, with no waitlist.

✅ The initial cost may be lower than a reputable breeder.

✅ It can feel simple and convenient to get a puppy quickly.

✅ People may realize that this is a puppy mill operation, and want to save the dogs.

But the cons are serious and important to understand:

⚠️ Health testing is not a priority, so many puppies end up with genetic health problems later in life.

⚠️ The puppies often miss out on critical socialization, making them more prone to fear, anxiety or behavioural challenges.

⚠️ The parents are usually bred repeatedly, without proper care or rest.

⚠️ When people buy from mills - even unintentionally - it supports a system that puts profit before welfare.

It’s not uncommon for people to fall in love with a puppy in a pet store or online listing, only to discover later that it came from a mill. And while the puppy deserves love and care no matter what, supporting mills as a system continues a cycle of neglect.

This is why education matters. If someone chooses to get a puppy, asking questions about where that dog came from, meeting the parents, and learning about the breeder’s practices can help ensure you’re not unintentionally fueling puppy mills.

A lot of rescues do work with puppy mills so that if we do stop supporting and purchasing our animals from these operations, they will surrender their dogs to rescues. These dogs still have the opportunity to end up in a home without further supporting these systems.

10/02/2025

Another common way people get a dog is through a backyard breeder.

What does that mean? It’s people who either intentionally or by accident breed their pet dog. Sometime is it due to lack of spay/ neuter. Other times it is for fun or for-profit.

Backyard breeder doesn’t always mean bad intentions. Often, it’s someone who loves their dog and decides to have a litter. They may be well-meaning, but they usually don’t have the same depth of knowledge, resources, or purpose-driven breeding practices as a reputable breeder.

There are some pros:

✅ The cost is usually lower than a reputable breeder.

✅ Sometimes you’ll find people with breeds that are otherwise hard to come by in rescues.

✅ It can feel more personal and accessible, especially if it’s local.

But there are also cons to consider:
(Continued in comments)



Bath desensitization:✅ Start small - reward for being calm near the washroom, and then in the washroom ✅ Add in dry tub ...
09/28/2025

Bath desensitization:

✅ Start small - reward for being calm near the washroom, and then in the washroom

✅ Add in dry tub - ask them to step in and out with treats (no water yet!)

✅ Introduce bath sounds - turn on water briefly (without wetting your dog) and pair running water with rewards

✅ Add damp touches - wet hand or cloth and gently touch the dog - pairing with rewards

✅ Build up slowly - one body part at a time during short sessions

This should be done slowly if needed, and only increased as you have had multiple successful repetitions with each level.

There are core principles we follow in dog training, but every dog is unique. Sometimes the basics need to be adapted to fit their individual needs, personality, and experience. DM me if you’d like guidance on desensitizing your dog and making the process work for them!



09/28/2025

Whistler the Samoyed, from a reputable breeder but it was only after a lot of time, research, and patience. Finding a good breeder isn’t easy. They’re few and far between, and the process is much more involved than simply picking a puppy and bringing them home.

The pros of working with a reputable breeder are huge:

✅ They do full health testing to reduce the risk of genetic conditions.

✅ They raise puppies with purpose socializing them early, exposing them to everyday life, and building strong foundations for the genetic disposition of the dog

✅ They temperament test their litters, so the right puppy is paired with the right family. Not every Samoyed pup is suited for the same lifestyle and a good breeder knew how to guide that match.

✅ They’re a lifelong resource, offering advice, support, and a safety net if things ever go wrong.

Of course, there are cons too:

⚠️ These breeders can be very difficult to find. You may have to travel, wait months or even years on a list, and put in the effort to verify their practices.

⚠️ The cost is higher but that reflects the health testing, careful pairing, and the breeder’s commitment to raising dogs responsibly.

⚠️ You might not get a puppy on your timeline, or in the exact colour, s*x, or season you had in mind.

The experience of being paired with Whistler through a breeder who truly understood the breed made all the difference. He wasn’t just any puppy he was the right puppy

That’s the awareness piece a reputable breeder brings: knowledge of their lines, purpose-driven breeding, and a focus on setting both the dog and the family up for success. It’s not the easiest path, but when you find the right match, it’s one of the most supportive starts you can give a dog



Meet Sam! Sam manages my social media, drafts emails, and generally pitches in wherever things get busy! She will stand ...
09/26/2025

Meet Sam!

Sam manages my social media, drafts emails, and generally pitches in wherever things get busy! She will stand behind the camera and tell me to stop being so awkward when I’m trying to film something, she will help me wrangle a puppies at adoption events, and heck she has even come over to help me mop and clean when I’m having a nervous breakdown (always bringing chocolate).

We first met when she came to me with her dog (Milo), who was struggling with barrier reactivity. In one session, they were able to make progress that completely changed their day-to-day routine. The issue was made more complicated by her dog’s medical needs (being unable to use treats in the training), but with the right approach, things started to click.

Sam later reached out and asked to come with me to learn more about training. After going to a few sessions together she started writing and creating my social media posts (picking up what she learned in sessions and from emails) and drafting my emails, and here we are!




Stay tuned for an update on how awesome Milo is doing in his yard!

What are the options (each with pros and cons) if you’re thinking of adding a dog to your family? There are a few main p...
09/25/2025

What are the options (each with pros and cons) if you’re thinking of adding a dog to your family?

There are a few main paths that people take - each with very different realities behind them:
- Reputable breeder
- Backyard breeder
- Puppy mill (without realizing)
- Rescues
- Shelters
- Rehoming posts (FB, Kijiji, etc.)

Each of these options have their positives and negatives, some come with risks, others a larger financial commitment. Over the next few posts I’ll break each one down with the pros and cons so you can make the most informed choice possible!



Do you know what to do when your dog get’s skunked? In Canada, rates of skunk spray increase significantly in the fall a...
09/25/2025

Do you know what to do when your dog get’s skunked?

In Canada, rates of skunk spray increase significantly in the fall as skunks look for food and shelter for the winter.

Let’s start with what NOT to do:

⚠️ Don’t use tomato juice - it’s one of those old myths that refuse to die. It doesn’t actually neutralize oils, it just masks the smell with the scent of tomatoes. Talk about skunk salad.

⚠️ Don’t give a regular bath - regular dog shampoo is ineffective against skunk odor

⚠️ Don’t wet the dog immediately - water intensifies skunk smell by spreading the oily spray throughout the coat

What TO do:

✅ Mix up 1 quart of hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 baking soda, and a teaspoon of (Dawn) dish soap. Work this into your dogs coat (while wearing gloves if possible) and let it sit for a few minutes. Rinse thoroughly and repeat as needed!

Here is where training comes in: having a dog that’s comfortable with baths makes all the difference. If you have a dog that runs from you at bath time, doing parkour on your furniture, suddenly the dog is not you biggest skunky problem. If your dog is not comfortable with baths, stay tuned for the third part of this skunky series.



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