Smart Dogs Canine Training

04/04/2025

Boxes are fun. They are fun for kids and dogs. They are fantastic for confidence building, balance, proprioception, problem solving amongst other things. I use boxes to teach dogs that they can over come fears, to teach bodily awareness, to teach how to get in and on things, and more. It might sounds silly, but some simple box work can really boost your dogs confidence, and it’s a low cost, do it yourself, at home way of beginning confidence building in dogs who could really use a boost.

The video below is just a short example of what you can do with a little creativity, a box or two and a dog. Easy, fun, indoor work, great for the mind and body.

04/03/2025

03/31/2025

A shift in how and when you interact with your dog can have a massive effect on behaviour. Do you interact when your dog demands it? When they are being pushy? Or when they are doing things that you don’t like? If you do, you are rewarding all of these things and allowing the dog to dictate your actions. Attention is rewarding for dogs, and even negative attention will suffice many times. Make it a habit instead, to interact when your dog is showing behaviours that you like, being polite and calm, rather than when they are being demanding and rude. This can help to change the dynamic of the relationship between you and your dog.

03/28/2025

Bulldog tricks … or any dog for that matter. I was impressed at how fast he picked this up. Try it with your dog!

✅ Start with luring - repeat a bunch for muscle memory
✅ Add your word - repeat a bunch with word an luring so they gain an understanding of what the word means
✅ Once they “get it” take away lure, use hand signal and reward (I like to toss reward away) - repeat a bunch
✅ Add distance and slowly increase, but step in and help if needed
✅ Then you can generalize to other objects
Have fun!

Ps. My shirt stands for “Man I Love Fishing” - probably wrong choice for the video … since it’s hard to read the small print. Oops. Got this one from 😁

03/26/2025

Intro to Rally Skillz! This fun course will get you introduced to all the Novice CARO Rally Obedience signs while we also work on improving heeling, focus and positions. Your instructor has titled dogs in both CARO and UKC, as well as judges rally with the Jack Russell Terrier Club of Canada. One spot left. Sundays at 2pm. Contact us for more details or if you’d like to sign up.

03/25/2025

Clearing up communication with your dog can have a great effect on over all behaviour. Clarity is key with dogs. Don’t muddle things, don’t give them maybes or sometimes. They need things straightforward, black and white. They either can or they can’t, yes or no … sometimes it’s just that simple.

03/24/2025

Picture what you’d like your puppy to be like at 1.5 to 2 years old, and use that as your template for training, behaviour and rules. If you have a picture in your mind, you have a goal to strive towards. If you have a goal, you are more likely to stick to training. If you remain consistent, calm and clear, it doesn’t matter how you train or what your rules are, you will achieve your goals.

03/20/2025

Body language and spacial pressure, along with eye contact, are huge in dog communication. Dogs aren’t verbal, so they rely on these things to communicate with each other, along with the noises that they make. Body language isn’t just a way for dogs to communicate with each other, but is also a way for us to communicate with dogs, and one that is often over looked and under used.

In this short video I will describe a way that we can use body language and spacial pressure to communicate to a young puppy what we want. It’s not always about obedience commands, and often, in many in home situations, obedience commands aren’t needed. Rather it is about being calm and clear to our dogs. Often we muddle our intentions for them with too many words, and too much energy, and then we get irritated when the dog isn’t understanding or doing what we ask. Using spacial pressure and body language gets the job done without overwhelming our dogs with endless words that they may or may not understand.

I encourage you to try this with your own dogs, as long as you are not experiencing any aggression issues. Remaining calm and consistent is key, just like it is with obedience training, but also quiet and meaningful. Often, less words and more action is better for the dog.

This is "Training with Spacial Pressure/Body Language" by Smart Dogs Canine Training on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

03/17/2025

Socialization isn’t about interacting with every dog and person out there, rather, it is about experiencing the world, and what’s in it, learning to take it in stride, building confidence in new situations and building control around new things. It is being in the world, but not making a big deal about the world and what it contains.

03/13/2025

Let Your Dog Be a Dog!

Many dog owners take their dogs out for a quick potty break, a stroll on a short leash, or let them roam the backyard, thinking it’s enough. But dogs need more than just bathroom breaks and the same predictable environment every day.

Exploration and adventure is essential for their mental and physical well-being. Dogs experience the world through their noses, and every sniff is like reading a new chapter in a book. Allowing them to roam in open spaces—whether on a long line, in a safe off-leash area, or on a decompression walk—gives them the chance to just be dogs.

Here’s why this kind of freedom matters:

✅ Mental Stimulation – Sniffing and exploring new environments reduce boredom and anxiety. A mentally fulfilled dog is a happier, calmer companion.

✅ Physical Exercise – Moving freely, trotting at their own pace, and engaging with their surroundings provide better exercise than a structured heel on a short leash.

✅ Confidence Building – Dogs that explore and problem-solve in different environments become more adaptable and resilient in new situations.

✅ Natural Behaviours – Digging, sniffing, rolling in the grass, and even just meandering at their own pace are all instinctual activities that contribute to overall happiness.

Not every dog can be off-leash, and that’s okay! A long-line in a safe space can still provide this freedom while keeping them safe. The goal is to give them time to engage with the world on their terms, not just ours.

So, take your dog somewhere new, let them sniff, let them wander, and watch them truly enjoy being a dog. You might just find that their happiness rubs off on you too.

Where’s your dog’s favorite place to explore? Drop a comment below! ⬇️

03/08/2025

Respecting a Dog’s Social Boundaries

Just because a dog doesn’t like strange dogs rushing up and getting in their space does not mean they’re not social.

Think about it this way—most people don’t appreciate a stranger running up and getting in their personal space, yet we expect dogs to tolerate it without question. Some dogs love meeting new friends up close and personal, while others prefer a slower, more polite introduction. That doesn’t make them antisocial; it just means they have boundaries, just like we do.

A well-socialized dog isn’t one that tolerates everything—it’s one that communicates clearly, feels safe in their environment, and interacts in a way that’s comfortable for them. Let’s advocate for respectful greetings and give dogs the space they need to feel secure.

Does your dog prefer calm introductions? Let’s hear about their social style in the comments!
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03/07/2025

Your motto with every new puppy while house training should be, “if in doubt, let ‘em out!”.

You’re welcome.

02/27/2025

Many times I walk where the coyotes roam. I see them nightly on the paths in town. The snow allows for me to see where they’ve been and how recently they’ve travelled by. They often mark their trails, and the piles of p**p will indicate time of passing as well.

If you zoom way up on this photo, you will see tracks beside the creek. There is a lot of them that use this area as a highway of sorts. I prefer to have a terrier with me, where I can, when I’m in places that they frequent. The terriers are excellent at telling me when larger wildlife is around, or if something has crossed the path ahead of us. It’s a subtle change in body language, air scenting and interest. It is much different “language” from finding rabbits, skunks or other animals that they would view as prey. And when we see one, they are typically quiet and thoughtful, rather than aggressively trying to “hunt” it. They are forward, but not stupidly so. There seems to be a healthy respect towards these creatures from the little dogs when the coyotes are around. If they sense one while we are out walking, we typically go a different way. I don’t take chances. But if the tracks are at least 24hrs old, I will take a terrier and track where they’ve been, for my own knowledge, and for her enjoyment.

It’s interesting to see how their movement and frequency has changed over the years. Never in my life have I seen so many. We would hear them in the fields surrounding town, but they didn’t venture in. They are close and living amongst us now. Building has pushed them in. Care should be taken, especially during mating season, but more often than not, they show only fleeting interest, and move on quickly when we meet. Though, I do know of people and dogs who’ve been chased or cornered.

You need to be aware if you walk the woodlots, ponds or creeks, that they could be close. A good hunting dog will tell you so, and using common sense will keep you and your good hunting dog out of trouble when it comes to coyotes. Respect them. Please don’t ever feed them. Maintain distance and be aware of your surroundings.

02/18/2025

GuRu Treat Ball - we love it! Way harder to destroy than the other treat balls if you size up, two areas for chewing, and it’s not super easy to get the food out. Perfect for meal time activity … especially on these minus 15 feels like minus 22 days.

02/12/2025

Contact us if interested in joining.

02/03/2025

Need something to do with your dog over the cold, winter months? Don't forget about our online, self paced Tricks Course. 13 tricks, all applicable to DMWYD titles. This course is through Facebook. Contact us to sign up to keep your dogs mind and body active on those less than ideal weather days.

01/31/2025

The boy is looking for a new home. Should be an active family who is able to give him the outlets that he needs. Great with other dogs. Contact Paws & Strides if you are interested in helping out.

Hi Fur Family!! I am looking to help a client of mine find a home for her 2 year Australian shepherd mix. Unfortunately someone in the family was diagnosed with cancer and Finn is just very high energy and they don’t feel they can give the time and attention he deserves with the circumstances. He is a lovely boy and gets along amazing with other dogs, I have had him stay here with other boarding dogs. Please message me if you or someone you know can give him an amazing active home! ❤️

01/27/2025

Introduce place at a young age and build it up solidly over time so that it becomes beneficial for situations such as meal time for humans, when the kids are running around, when you have guests in, for sport classes etc. These portable, collapsible dog cots from Cool Runners are awesome for this.