Smart Dogs Canine Training

10/07/2025

The tenacity of terriers … for fun, I asked AI. I’m ok with the response, it’s pretty fitting.

What “tenacity” means for a terrier:
Fearlessness and Courage: Terriers were bred to confront and fight prey that often fought back. This means they are inherently brave and will tackle challenges head-on, regardless of their size.
Strong Prey Drive: They possess a powerful instinct to chase and hunt, which can manifest as a love for games like fetch or an interest in pursuing squirrels and other small animals.
Intelligence and Determination: Terriers are sharp-minded and strategic. They have the grit and intelligence to pursue a quarry and are known for their determined pursuit of goals, whether hunting or playing.
Independence and Willfulness: Their strong will and independent nature, a product of their working heritage, can be seen as stubbornness if not managed with consistent, suitable training methods.
Digging and Chasing Instincts: The classic terrier instinct is to dig and burrow, stemming from their work in rodent burrows. They thrive on activities that let them chase and dig.

10/03/2025

Basic Classes starting again soon!
✅Classes are kept small for optimum individual attention in a fun and welcoming environment.
✅All ages of dogs welcome once shots are completed.
✅Conveniently located in downtown Milton, you and your dog will learn to work together as a team building on their skills and socialization.
Contact us if you want to build a new relationship with your dog and communicate better. Check out our website or send us a message for more details.

09/30/2025

It’s ok to take your time on a walk with your new puppy. It’s ok to let them pause and take in the sights and sounds. It’s ok not to make it around the block or neighbourhood. It’s ok to just hang out on your porch or driveway and let them experience the world. Remember when you get a new puppy your world is much different from the one that they were raised in. It takes a bit of time for them to adjust and gain confidence, and that’s ok. Patience and consistency, building confidence and good habits are what we should focus on, not perfect walking or perfect obedience. It’s ok to take your time with your puppy. It’s ok to stop and smell the flowers.

09/29/2025

Out of sight stays on a gorgeous September evening.

Out of sight stays are a fantastic goal to work up to with your dog. They are a great confidence builder. They can help teach dogs with separation anxiety that it’s ok to be away from you. They teach good impulse control.

How to start:

✅Teach and reinforce stay in a quiet environment
✅Build on distance, duration and distraction per your dogs abilities
✅Make distractions more complex or the environment more complex once you see fluency
✅Back to a quiet environment start to use corners or furniture to get out of the line of sight, but not too far or too long
✅Be sure to have a partner, mirror or camera set up so that you can see if/when the dog gets up
✅Mark and address immediately any incorrection action by the dog
✅Return and reward if they do well, and disappear again
✅Initial training should have quick disappearances and build time when dog shows understanding/more confidence
✅Don’t make your returns super exciting, a calm good/reward or calm release is best so they don’t anticipate an exciting return
✅Once the dog is doing well indoors, grab a long line and try it out at a school or other quiet place where you can tuck around corners
✅Add complexity per your dog - time away, distance you move and distractions around
✅Always remember it’s ok for both you and your dog to make mistakes, that’s how we all learn.

Why not give it a try with your dog? Let us know if you do, we always love to hear about training wins!

09/27/2025

That's about right ....

09/27/2025

Best day of the Fall Fair is today! Don’t miss out, lots to do and see. Come on out and support our friends at the Milton Fall Fair

09/21/2025

https://smartdogsk9milton.ca/2025/09/20/back-to-school-activities-for-dogs/

September has hit us quickly this year. It seems the summers go by faster and faster every year, just like our parents used to tell us, time goes by too quickly, enjoy it while you are young. We of…

09/16/2025

I have seen a tremendous amount of success in reactivity with something similar to the BAT method with some correction incorporated. Thing is, people need to be on board with plenty of reward in the beginning of training and the fact that this method can feel counter intuitive. However, those who stick with it and practice every day see a dogs mind change about how they feel around other dogs, people, squirrels or whatever else they are reactive too. That is the key. It’s not just about suppressing behaviour or trying to correct it out of the dog, rather we need to look at the root cause and how the dog feels about the thing in question and help to change those big feelings and build either confidence in themselves or engagement with the handler. In turn, making the thing no longer hugely relevant in the mind of the dog. Suppression will work until it doesn’t, and does nothing to make the dog feel better about the situation. Changing a dogs perception is lasting and has a greater effect on behaviour.

09/10/2025

I feel like it's a feather ruffling morning 😜

DOG ETIQUETTE

It’s a thing. Or at least I believe it should be again. It was once upon a time. Let’s discuss a little, shall we?

I am a strong believer in dog etiquette, especially out in the wilds of suburbia. Far too often over the last few years I’ve seen dog etiquette go down the tubes. Here are a few things that I have noticed that I would love for people to be aware of and really think about while they are out in the jungles of the metropolis with their dogs.

1. Not everyone wants to meet your dog, touch your dog, make love to your dog or have your dog invade their space. Be polite, move over, shorten the leash if you have to, work some engagement, ask for a sit stay, don’t be a dick and let dogs invade spaces, especially of kids, other dogs or the elderly.

2. It’s not ok to let your dog on a flexi walk 75 feet ahead of you if you cannot control it with your voice. It’s not ok for that dog who is 75 feet ahead of you to round a blind corner or cross the road without you. It’s not ok for that dog to get to other dogs or people while you are 75 feet behind them. It’s definitely not ok to allow your dog to walk into buildings where you have no idea what’s going on in them and you are 75 feet behind. I am not completely anti-flexi if you are one of those people who are polite and responsible with them. If you aren’t one of those people, get a new leash.

3. Don’t let your dog go to the bathroom on people flowers, porches and gardens, it’s disgusting. I’m not talking the boulevard here, I’m talking about those who just let their dogs meander all over others properties, dropping the kids off at the pool by the porch and yellow watering their private gardens without a care in the world. Stop, just stop for the love of God.

4. Letting your dog p*e in a store and then not cleaning it up or not letting someone know so staff can clean it up. Good gawd people, what happened to just some common decency? I have a dog who marks, he’s an as**at about it – it’s his joy in life, and I make damn sure that I do my absolute best not to allow it to happen. And if it does on purpose-accidently happen, apologies profusely on me, and please hand me the paper towels, I’ll clean it up.

5. Off leash dogs. Sigh. I’m ok if you’ve got control. Like really have control, not pretending you do while you call your dog 25 times and on the 26th they decide to amble back over to you in a haphazard fashion. I off leash mine, selectively and in locations that are appropriate, but here’s the catch. If you are getting close, that leash needs to go back on, or you better be 1000% damn sure you have a solid recall or stay. I don’t give a flying f$%k if you’ve got an ecollar or not, if others are getting close, leash the damn dog. I’ve seen ecollars fail and dogs blow through them. I don’t trust your off leash dog when it’s getting close, and nor do many others out there.

6. Thinking all dogs are inherently friendly. Naïve at best. Absolutely dangerous or deadly at worst. This is to those of you who continue to advance on people with dogs whose owners are showing you all signs of trying to avoid you while you call out “he’s friendly, can they say hi?”. No Sabrina, they cannot. Quite clearly you have never owned a terrier, pitbull-type, working breed or molosser. Not all dogs want friends or are comfortable with friends. In fact, some dogs would rather eat friends than play with them. You need to make yourself aware of this. Please, for the sake of your own dog give your head a shake.

7. Not giving people space who are clearly struggling with their dogs. There are people out there trying to work on their dogs behaviour and not all days are good days. Often you’ll see them move their dogs to the side, or go another direction. To the people that notice and give space to those struggling, you are awesome. To the people who have no common decency and trudge right towards them like a big, dumb, oblivious meat head, well, I think I said enough.

These are just a few of the etiquette infractions that I have noticed happening far too often over the past few years. They are unfair to others, can be dangerous to your own dog, annoying and, if I may be blunt, just plain stupid. Let’s be better and treat others, dogs and people, with respect when out and about, and let’s remember that you are not the most important or only person in the world. There are others around you who may be afraid of dogs, not like dogs, be allergic to dogs and there are other dogs out there who may be afraid of dogs, aggressive towards dogs if they get in their space, be sick or elderly. There are people who take pride in their properties and don’t want to stick their hands in dog s**t while they garden. Overall, there are just other people and dogs that you need to respect and be mindful of when you are out and about with your dog.

Let’s bring back dog etiquette for everyone please.

Happy training!

It’s a thing. Or at least I believe it should be again. It was once upon a time. Let’s discuss a little, shall we? I am a strong believer in dog etiquette, especially out in the wilds o…