The Naughty Dogge

The Naughty Dogge This is Monique Anstee's business page. None of the ideas shared belong to me. They have all been passed down from my mentors, who gave them to me.

Monique Anstee is the owner and trainer of The Naughty Dogge, but was first a competitor. Monique has many accomplishments to her name - including Representing Canada at Crufts in England, with her dog Basil, and having top ten placements in Canada on ALL of her dogs. She is currently the most accomplished Dog Training School on Vancouver Island. Her clients love her for her honesty. She has been

called a drill-sergeant by some because she will not allow people to be disrespectful or unfair to their dogs. She always gets results in the kindest way possible. And all training is premised on the belief that we teach rules in orer to give freedom. No dog should behave like a robot, or have his temperament squashed. She teaches clients to train their dogs fulltime, Monday to Thursday. There are evening classes, private lessons for any reason that you can imagine, phone consults and video lessons available, as well as apprenticeships for people who want to learn how to train dogs (though realize this is a life goal and will not be accomplished in the six month apprenticeship - thought it is a good start!)

07/04/2025

Wednesday had her weekly meet with her people today. For the second half of it they went on their own to hang with her in normal life situations that previously had been difficult. She was super for them. Once back at my place she panick crawled into a friend's car and had bad thoughts when I insisted she come out.
She had a big event, probably was disappointed to be back here, and it showed. Or, the meet with her people triggered old memories. My thoughts on this, if the latter is true, is the more they can take her for an hour and hang and just get familiar with each other again in a healthy way outside of their home, the more those habits will go to sleep.
If those habits are triggered by just seeing her people, the multitude of visits before she goes back to her old home will make the transition so much easier.. Her old spots will already be a trigger. I need to think on this. Would her family benefit from working her through the issue, or do we try and avoid it? I don't yet know. I'm certain Wednesday will tell us this answer soon enough.

Monique Anstee
Author of As a Dog Thinketh, and Lift Your Leg - the podcast

07/03/2025

Sorry for the lack of podcasts. Jill is swamped at the campground, and I am swamped here. We promise to soon. I have so much to talk about.

07/03/2025

Bit by bit, Wednesday is transforming herself. She is getting more and more 'open', She's starting to enjoy things normal dogs like, such as walks. On the days that she says she doesn't want to join me, I let her stay home and be bored. She is an adult and is entitled to certain choices. She's engaging in the house now.

I walk to her with intent multiple times every day. Today, I got her and cut the hair around her eyes, let her go, and then improved upon my botch job. When she first saw me coming, she sauntered to her crate, and I cut her eyes in there. Second time, she was under the kitchen table, and got it cut there. No longer is there panic. It's now a slow casual saunter.

At Off - Leash Social class she's having fun and engaging. She can no longer be described as invisible.

My biggest celebration might be her hiding under the bed. Her previous tendency was to turn into a shark. Yesterday I groomed her head while she was under there, then started rolling toys at her to try and totally change the mood. I was unable to get her to play with me, but as soon as I left, she scrambled out and followed me. I do think getting her to ease up enough under there that she can play is a vital piece. That means all the anger is gone.

Today I got asked if I am enjoying her. The truthful answer is not yet, but I do like her now, and I'm proud of her and her transition. What she needs are more people to get her out of crates and deal with her when she's hiding under things. I hope all of the people in my Shadow Program are game as they will be working with her shortly. Wednesday needs it, and can teach them lots about autistic Weirdos trained with only positive reinforcement. When everything is a choice and difficult and stressful for you, you choose to abstain. And abstain she did, with teeth if pushed. Maybe her graduation point from this program will be the moment that I do enjoy her. That will mean she's balanced, and gotten herself a good sense of humour.

Monique Anstee Author of As a Dog Thinketh and
Lift Your Leg-the podcast

07/01/2025

Tonight was the completion of my first ever Recallers class, and we got to call the dogs off an approaching dog and moving sheep. Thank-you to all of my clients who allowed me to learn how to teach this class on them! While I obviously know how to teach a recall, It takes a time or two before you realize what concepts people cannot grasp. I do have reflections after the fact that I'd like to share.

Here is what I learned teaching this class:
1) Apply a little bit of stress to handlers and you can see their fears overide not only their knowledge but also the instructions.
2) This same stress will be applied even more so in real life situations. This means the fundamentals must be drilled again and again, so that they become rote and repeatable no matter what life throws at you.
The skills needed:
1) If your dog is running away, turn and run away from them, fast, as you call them. A dog will always come faster to your bum than your front. Eventually as training continues, you might just need to walk backwards a few paces, and eventually you are standing still, but at the beginning, RUN. Or hobble if you body doesn't cooperate with you.
2) When they arrive, have your food in the cup of your hand and try and draw them to it with 'Get it, Get it, Get it! Don't push the food at them. Let them come into you.
3) Do not grab at them, dive at them, or chase them. Their job is to come to you, not for you to catch the moving target.
4) If they gallop straight past, again and again, never allowing themselves to be caught, yell at them. It's okay to tell them when they are being a do**he. It's allowed, and appropriate. They will be much nicer once you tell them off. You must never allow lack of effort.
5) In the real world, have a short tab on your dog so that it is easier to grab them, with no fumbling needed.

My students all succeeded in calling their dogs off approaching dog, and more importantly, all were able to call them off moving sheep.

On the Wednesday front, she had an off- leash bike ride through the forest, then did a neighbourhood walk at a busy park. During her house time with me she often remains visible and not hidden. Last night at bed time she shot past me as I walked into the bedroom, then did top speed ninja-crawl under the bed, then came out on a verbal only.

She's getting more and more normal and engaging, and I am reaching into her crate, grooming her, and putting ear drops in with nary a thought. Hah - I just cursed myself by writing that!

Until tomorrow,
Monique Anstee
As a Dog Thinketh and Author of and Lift Your Leg-the podcast.

I decided to chill, and everyone else thought my idea was super.
06/29/2025

I decided to chill, and everyone else thought my idea was super.

06/29/2025

Our days have been kind of easy and non-eventful. She decided she didn't want to go on any trips with me. That's fine, she's welcome to stay home, bore herself to tears, and hide under the bed for a day or two. When I did need to get her from under the bed, she came out easily, so easily I went and grabbed her collar. I admit, I stopped at grabbing. I wasn't stupid enough to lead her by her collar! But I didn't need to - she followed me downstairs.

It's now saturday evening, and she's been normal in the house, but not wanting to go out for all of friday - I assumed she was tired after her big day thursday. Then she was the same for all of saturday. Now at 6 pm, she's following me in and out the door every single time I go. I think she's realizing our hikes and trips are kind of fun.

She's so much sweeter, and engaging, almost normal. My challenges that I must train are just evaporating away with me handling her right, and being one move ahead of her in this game of chess. She really is so very clever.

Dog Trainer Tip. Buy dumb dogs. You will be much happier.

Monique Anstee
Author of As a Dog Thinketh and Lift Your Leg - the podcast

Ps. I stuck a photo of her in the comments below. This was her next to me while I was writing.

06/27/2025

2/2
I have a different dog tonight. After seeing her family she sobbed the whole way home, then seemed to get her s**t together and decided to make the most of her time here. I approached her while she was on the couch and did the unthinkable - I put ear drops in her ears. She was almost normal.

After that I went to do sheep chores and she had the chance to come, or not. She decided yes. Once there, she got to eat sheep poo while I drove the tractor. Eventually, with all of her free time because I was busy working, she realized that she can make sheep move. She started with a few barks and a step or two towards them. Suddenly, she stood taller, and gave bigger barks and moved towards them faster. Pippa saw, and took control. She got in behind her sheep and pushed them towards Wednesday. Wednesday shrunk in size and stepped back, only Pippa continued to push the sheep at her. Wednesday took off and ran, learning a valuable lesson about sheep, and probably having no idea Pippa was behind them causing the whole event. I looked from my tractor and saw her run back to my van and was lying to it, but not under it as would be usual. After a short amount of time curiosity got to her and she was back with me in the barn, eating sheep poo.

While at the barn she ended up covered in sawdust. As I put fresh bedding down, she was digging a hole in the pile, then rolling in it - a far cry from her normal reserved self. She's a coated breed, so was covered in it. Once home, while standing in the kitchen, I realized she had nothing to hide under in the bathroom next to me, so I walked to her with a brush and got some of it out. She had not time to squeeze behind the toilet, and I took her collar and groomed her like I would one of my own dogs. She pathetically bit at the brush and got a minor bop with it-enough of a bop to communicate biting is never gonna work with me. After her brush, she scampered away like a normal dog with no panic, and went to the couch. She remained normal all night long.

All afternoon and tonight I have had a different dog. She engaged with us both, has not hidden under anything in nine hours, which is unheard of. As I write this at the kitchen table, she is lying next to me, rather than under it or my chair.
Tomorrow is a whole different day but I will enjoy every single success and milestone that we made today. Even my dear husband, once he was done moaning about her still being here, confessed she was no problem now and he could see the changes today.

Curious, if you all had to guess her breed, what would you pick? Leave it in the comments below.

Until tomorrow,
Monique Anstee
Author of As a Dog Thinketh and Lift Your Leg-the podcast.

06/26/2025

1/2

Lesson Complete. Wednesday is one lucky dog, owned by two sensible, loyal realists. She's still here with me as its not the time to send her home. As loved as she is, she needs to be worthy of her wonderful home and she isn't just yet. One more bad screw up might get her permanently and rightfully booted, and at her current level of training, that screw up will happen, only with less intensity.

I have serious hopes that she can be the dog this family needs. She will always be weird, or dare we say it, autistic. Training can give her coping strategies, along with rules and fair expectations, and the spoiled brat part of her that outsmarted the system has gone into hibernation. Her people already have a good understanding of her needs, which I can further help them grasp.
I'm realistically hopeful, and proud of my Wednesday dog and how far she has come.

Monique Anstee
Author of As a Dog Thinketh and Lift Your Leg-the podcast.

06/26/2025

Test has been executed. I asked my group-class to identify Wednesday from my three current Board and Trains, only there was a slight glitch. I only had one person that I hadn't already showed her too. However, I'm very pleased to say that this person guessed wrong. She said Wednesday looked happy and normal, so she picked the weird dog.

All three of my board 'n 'train's got to participate in off-leash social tonight: All three showed what is possible in their futures.

Today I was mindful of working Wednesday through the final remainders of her panic. Sporadically throughout the day I went towards Wednesday with focus on her, hand forward so my intention was clear, and would take her collar in my hand. When she was good, I bonded with her for a moment, and then walked away. This included reaching into her crate, which equates with dipping your fingers in a Piranha tank. While she was uncomfortable, she remained polite and tolerant. There is a glitch to my thinking here. While this is all well and good, and these repetitions are needed, as soon as I add one where I follow through with doing something she doesn't want, I will lose trust again and reinstate that panic. But, this still feels like the right thing to do so I am. If I am right on this, my next step will be very carefully using an e-collar to call her out of her hiding places. I do believe this will be the ultimate fix, however, with weird dogs like this, I want to make sure I have taught every piece of the lesson before adding this. An e-collar should always be the final step added, as an additional layer ontop of all of the other learning. I do believe with this dog, when she realizes I can control her when I don't have a long-line, she will take a deep breath of relief and relax.

Tomorrow her people get to see her for the first time since I have had her. They have great trepidation about taking her home. My idea is that we meet and do a lesson. If it feels right to take her home, they leave with her. If not, they give me more dog food and we reevaluate our options. If she is close to being the dog they need, she stays for longer and I complete my task. If it is a no-go, she still stays for longer and we continue on making her a lovely dog for the right people.

I have to say, I admire her people greatly for following their intuition. Admitting trepidation about taking her home takes guts and honest communication. Many wouldn't have been this honest. I am such an advocate for always listening to what inner voice in your head says. This voice, if you are blessed to have it, is a gift to keep you out of trouble. Never ignore it. And as trainers we must hear our client's when they say things that we don't hear often - the golden nuggets of truth are spoken in the irregularities. They know something that we might not, and it is our job to pick up on this and believe / support them.

Tomorrow is a big day. Pray for us.

Monique Anstee Author of As a Dog Thinketh and Lift Your Leg-the podcast

06/25/2025

The progress is immense, but is it enough? Can it ever be enough?

I remember back at the start I thought some of her hiding was a game? I was right. Some of it was, but not all of it. The sport-hiding has gone away, However her panic hiding continues. I'm continuing to break down the component pieces, one by one,vand then can work on those pieces a lot.
Walking towards her with my hand outstretched to grab her collar will send her scrambling away. I'm hoping if I do this lots
the panic will reduce.

Today I took her to a patio for lunch. As we entered the patio she saw the people sitting at picnic tables with confined walkways in between. I felt her switch. I momentarily paused and let her take it in, but not long enough for her legs to take her. Casually I guided her through with little taps on her collar to stop her from bolting. Despite feeling explosive she looked totally normal walking through. While I could feel it, Jill could not see it. That's
pretty good right? It is, if she lived with an adult family that can slow themselves down, and be mindful of the speed with which they throw her into things. But young children are involved and we cannot get them to be smooth, calm and predictable as they reach for her collar or give her a hug.

Knowing Wednesdays struggle with confined spaces, can she ever be trained so that she can have a hair clip put in her ears while she is sleeping? That is the reality of her future life. Her progress is immense. She is braver, happier, and for most outsiders now looking at her, normal. I'm going to test my students tomorrow night about which of my three board and trains am I writing about. I think they will pick the wrong dog..

I do still have hope. Honestly, from the very first day I didn't know she would get this far.

Monique Anstee
Author of As a Dog Thinketh and
Lift your Leg-the podcast.

06/24/2025

Progress: Her ‘stuck’ moments are now minimal. She follows me around, she plays with me appropriately. If she gets weird and hides I can shoo her away to a more appropriate spot, like her crate. She tries really hard to regulate herself all the time except if I have intention. When I am more serious, she can’t cope with me.

A perfect example is we were coming home from our week long holiday. Things had been super, but now we are packing up and she needs to get into the car. She hid, panicked, had a complete meltdown minus biting, then found her way into her crate and her panic went away.

Yesterday we had a full day chilling at home, with so many opportunities to hide and be as weird as she could dream of. She was super, until bedtime. She didn’t want to sleep in her crate. She hid under my seat, scrambled out on top of Kate in a mad panic, and that went as well as anyone can imagine, at which point Harry wanted to join in. I shooed her away as she preferred being scolded by Kate than other options, at which point she ran across the room and hid behind the TV. I put a leash on her, and we walked fully civilized to her crate.

This drama has happened for the past two nights now that we have been home. Tonight on night three there was no drama. She resigned herself to her crate and went in like a good girl.

Then there is all of the good. I got a new Board and Train today, another panicky fearful weirdo that I already am quite smitten with. But my new weirdo managed to do gymnastics and slip out of her tight collar, and bolt away from me. It’s my worst fear. Anyhow, I found her in record time and managed to trick her into going inside a building with Rupert and Wednesday. As I played with Rupert and Wednesday she couldn’t resist and was curious, coming in from behind to see what I was up to. Slowly she came closer and closer, and an hour and a half later, had Wednesday’s collar snapped tight around her neck and was secured in Harry’s crate. Wednesday was amazing helping me catch this dog. It’s almost like she knew someone weirder than her needed help, and she showed them the ropes of survival with the New Auntie.

She can hang in my house with all of my dogs and my husband. She’s much less annoying in the house, and starting to verge on being pleasant. I am starting to have fun with her in moments - as is she with me. Her subtle little personality is starting to show - she is less bland than she used to be.

I’m really not selling her well. She is a dog that lives in the shadows, and gets angry about it. Slowly she is getting more into the front and centre.

Theoretically her Board and Train is soon up, however, it won’t be. If there is a chance of making her the dog her people need, she will stay until that happens. I’m still uncertain if it is possible. If it is, I will share the details on her backstory. If not, I need to give my client’s confidentiality while they make some very tough decisions.

She has changed so much. But will it be enough? I am curiously optimistic, and even if it isn’t enough, she is starting to become a dog that a new family can love.

Monique Anstee
Author of As a Dog Thinketh, and Lift Your Leg - the podcast.

Address

1633 Kangaroo Road
Metchosin, BC
V9C4C6

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 1pm
Tuesday 9am - 1pm
Wednesday 9am - 1pm
Thursday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+12505902664

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Naughty Dogge posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The Naughty Dogge:

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Our Story

Monique Anstee is the owner and trainer of The Naughty Dogge, but was first a competitor. Monique has many accomplishments to her name - including Representing Canada at Crufts in England, with her dog Basil, and having top ten placements in Canada on ALL of her dogs. She is currently the most accomplished Dog Training School on Vancouver Island. Her clients love her for her honesty. She has been called a drill-sergeant by some because she will not allow people to be disrespectful or unfair to their dogs. She always gets results in the kindest way possible. And all training is premised on the belief that we teach rules in orer to give freedom. No dog should behave like a robot, or have his temperament squashed. She teaches clients to train their dogs fulltime, Monday to Thursday. There are evening classes, private lessons for any reason that you can imagine, phone consults, as well as apprenticeships for people who want to learn how to train dogs (though realize this is a life goal and will not be accomplished in the six month apprenticeship - thought it is a good start!)