Smart Dogs Canine Training

Smart Dogs Canine Training Dog Training in Milton - Private and Group Lessons
Behaviour, Obedience, Virtual Sessions Dog Training in Milton Ontario, Halton Region and surrounding areas.

Private lessons, group lessons, virtual sessions, online courses and problem solving available. Puppy training, basic dog obedience, advanced dog obedience, rally-o, bootcamp training.

Couple spots left in our Wednesday November Basic Class. Last one before the New Year!! Contact us today for info or to ...
11/05/2025

Couple spots left in our Wednesday November Basic Class. Last one before the New Year!! Contact us today for info or to enroll.

Uncle SteveHow do I start this post? I don't even know. I'm at a loss for words, which I'm usually not. On Monday Octobe...
11/03/2025

Uncle Steve

How do I start this post? I don't even know. I'm at a loss for words, which I'm usually not. On Monday October 27th the world lost a great dog. I don't really know what to say, so I will tell you some stories about Uncle Steve instead.

For those of you who are into bulldogges, Steve carried the lines of Rockabullz and Bullforce, two big names 15 years ago in Olde English Bulldogges. Steves grandmother was Bullforce Crunch and his grandfather was Rockabullz Budha. Jose from Rockabullz sent us an amazing puppy, Rockabullz Pepper, a little firecracker of a dog, super athletic, great breather, and very healthy. Pepper was Steve's mom. We bred Steve, so Steve has been with us since day one. There were some complications with the litter and only four pups survived, but they were four wonderful puppies, Steve, Will, Lily and Madison. Steve and Lily stayed and Will and Madison we placed with wonderful, loving people. I am especially thankful and grateful for Will's family.

We almost lost Steve to an infection when he was very young. After multiple vet visits, tests and chiropractic, a last ditch effort to place him on left over antibiotics saved his life. So Steve missed a lot of the critical social experiences that were positive as a puppy due to this. But you'd never know that. This is why I like to speak about genetics. Genetics will trump experiences and training every time. This litters genetic temperaments were impeccable. I attribute this to both parents and the lines, however, Pepper had a fantastic temperament that she nurtured in her puppies. I have used all but Madison to help with dogs who are reactive. They are solidly neutral with little to no training.

Steve was my go to guy to help reactive dogs and participate as a demo dog in classes, albeit a slow motion one. He was always social, patient, and had good dog sense. His health wasn't always the greatest, but his temperament was. Anyone who met Steve loved him. He was quietly dominant, had amazing presence, and was like a trusty boat anchor. Always there. Always steady. When classes ended and I would say "you are free to go" he would take this as his time to go and visit around. He filled a rather large hole after the loss of my Jack Russell years prior for the working roll.

He was not an easy puppy. He ate my couch, and was absolutely terrible to house break, which I attribute to the early infection, and he was a typical bulldog - I'll do it on my terms when I please or else I will completely ignore you. He was easy to obedience train, a dog willing to please ... on his terms. He was cunning too. Bulldogges aren't typically labeled that way, but they are silently smart. I remember when they installed the fabric barrier on the union gas plant. The fence was always open to see through and they decided to cover it with fabric. The first time Steve saw it he paused. I guess it didn't look right to him. Then he ran full tilt head first into the fence from about 20 feet away and bounced off of it. My guess was to test it since it looked different. Once that was done, he was satisfied and moved on. Another time he accidentally hit the carbon monoxide detector alarm button. It didn't startle him. He turned to walk away. Stopped, came back and purposefully pushed it again. To test it I supposed. I witnessed both of these things first hand. He knew more than he let on.

He was a pain in my ass at times, he was a barker (inherited that from his mother), a massive shedder and a drooler (my walls are covered). If he hit the grass, whether working or on a walk, he would just roll. Like he would roll down the street instead of walking. Rolling was one of his joys in life. When he was younger he used to gather mouthfuls of dandelions in the field, then choke on them and hack them up for fun. He had what we called "puppy eye", where he would look at you sideways, then would proceed to have zoomies all over the house, throwing his 65 pound self off my walls. I'm surprised there was no drywall damage.

He peed, purposefully, on EVERY SINGLE new soft bed that I got him. Every. Single. One. Then happily slept on them afterwards. I enjoyed having others try and play tug with him ... he was extremely powerful and it was fun to watch people squirm. He loved playing with his brother Will ... his brother at some point stopped loving to play with him. Got him good on the cheek once but Steve didn't care. He liked it rough. He bit Frankie right on the nuts when I had the litter at my place for some extra dog socialization. Frankie wasn't happy that his balls were violated in that manner. I tried him at a Rally obedience trial once. We made it through about three signs before he grabbed the back of my leg and went to town humping the crap out of me in the ring. I excused myself and decided competition wasn't for him. He used to pull the sled in the snow for my son. Had diarrhea one day, un-benouced to me, and proceed to spray sh*t all over the snow and sled behind him. My son jumped off just in time to avoid most of the spray. He was good at pooping.

When we used to train at the gym, Andrea and I were cleaning up, putting things away, and her son and his friend were with Steve. We heard laughing, and came out to see that Steve had one of the boys pinned on the ground and was joyfully humping him while they were both killing themselves laughing. I was not happy. Steve lost his balls not too long after that.

Steve was excellent with puppies. He loved them. Loved playing with them and being with them. It brought him a lot of joy. He loved eating and he loved sleeping. He enjoyed humping when he was younger. He has a couple trick dog titles, though not the most athletic dog, he enjoyed learning them. He enjoyed guests. He enjoyed kids and ladies the most. He wasn't always trustful of men. He'd enjoy them ... but didn't trust them.

He was a good boy who will be greatly and sadly missed. He was a fantastic worker who is impossible to replace. There are no replacements for dogs. There is just another hole. And maybe another dog to fill that hole just a little, but no hole every gets fully filled. My dogs aren't my kids, I have a real child for that. My dogs are my friends, my family and my partners, each one unique in their personalities and abilities. A part of my heart is taken each time I loose one. Loosing them is inevitable, but life without dogs doesn't make sense. Rest easy my big, dense, boat anchor buddy ❤.

If you see me, we won't talk about it. But please enjoy some photos and videos of Uncle Steve below. He'd want you to.

Happy Halloween to all the kiddies out Trick Or Treating tonight! Stay safe and have fun! 🎃 #🎃
10/31/2025

Happy Halloween to all the kiddies out Trick Or Treating tonight! Stay safe and have fun! 🎃

#🎃

There is a trend occurring right now to take your dog everywhere with you. Dogs on patios, dogs in stores, dogs at event...
10/24/2025

There is a trend occurring right now to take your dog everywhere with you. Dogs on patios, dogs in stores, dogs at events where they would never have been included prior, dogs in places they would have never been allow before. For some training and socialization at certain points and in certain places I think it’s great. Beyond that, I’m not a fan. Every now and then maybe, or for those specific dogs who actually enjoy doing these things and ARE well behaved, fine. But that’s not the case for most. A rather large portion of dogs that I see dragged around all over the place are not trained properly to be in these scenarios. And a very large portion of them are not enjoying the experience. Most people miss out on the body language and subtle cues that dogs display that tell you this. Sometimes these cues are not so subtle and yet people either continue to miss them or flat out ignore them. Many of the times dogs would be happier left at home, in the environment that is comfortable to them. It’s keeps them out of trouble, especially if they are not trained or socialized to tolerate these outings. Much of the time dragging your dog along is completely unnecessary. For those who insist on it, make sure that you step back and observe your dog. Are they actually enjoying the experience? Are they calm and relaxed? Are they stressed or nervous? Are they over stimulated and very vocal? Are they trying to hide, tail tucked, heavy panting? Are they outgoing and social or are they anxious? Are they trained to tolerate these situations? Or are they out of control and putting themselves and others in danger? Most dogs would prefer a “dog type” outing over a more human centred outing - hiking, playing in a field, training, a walk with friends, a dog beach, etc. and they would be ecstatic to join you on that. Please do your dog a favour and really seek to find out if they enjoy being dragged around. Please do others a favour and ensure that your dog is trained and well behaved in these situations. A dog would likely take a hike over a pint at the pub any day, so think about that next time you decide to drag your dog out with you.

Training takes time. There is no overnight success with a dog or success without putting in the work. A dog is a living,...
10/22/2025

Training takes time. There is no overnight success with a dog or success without putting in the work. A dog is a living, breathing creature with a mind of their own, we cannot just program them like a robot. Different dogs also learn at different rates, different drives will present different challenges and different temperaments need to be taken into consideration. The other end of the leash must be taken into consideration as well. People take time to learn … and unlearn. Habits can be hard to break. Changing a dog requires some change on your part as well.

A massive thank you to my clients, friends and family for taking the time to vote! I sincerely appreciate your support a...
10/16/2025

A massive thank you to my clients, friends and family for taking the time to vote! I sincerely appreciate your support and kindness, we wouldn’t be here today without you. ❤️ I have met so many amazing people and dogs over the 15 plus years that Smart Dogs Canine Training has been in business and I am truly grateful for every single one.
Thank you! Have a wonderful day!

Small adjustments to your walking habits and equipment can make a massive difference in if your dog pays attention to yo...
10/15/2025

Small adjustments to your walking habits and equipment can make a massive difference in if your dog pays attention to you or not outside. The addition of turns and stops, as well as appropriately timed praise and reward builds connection and puts some responsibility on the dog to pay attention to you rather than hyper fixate on the world around them. Clear rules and boundaries on your walks, as well as clear free time and relaxation allows you to build a more confident dog and a more stress free walk.

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...
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.

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Smart Dogs Canine Training

Is it time to make a change? Are you frustrated with your dogs behaviour? Do you want a better relationship with your canine companion?

We can help! Smart Dogs Canine Training in Milton provides real life, success oriented dog training that is easy to follow, translates well to the whole family and encourages healthy relationships with a balanced approach to training your dog. We offer a thorough understanding of dog behaviour, and are committed to our clients success. From group classes, to private training, puppy training, adult dog training, and behavioural adjustments, we offer something for everyone and encourage practice and exercise for the benefit of both dog and owner.

Smart Dogs Canine Training in Milton, Burlington, and Acton will help you achieve the stable, well balanced canine companion that you've always wanted. Our goal is your success, not to sell you class after class with no results. With families in mind, our priority is to help make your dog easier to live with, more responsive and better behaved.

REMEMBER: training isn't about being perfect. It's about building a better relationship, vocabulary and having fun. Training doesn't have to be boring, or tedious work. A few minutes a day, with reward, play, proper direction and clear communication of YES and NO will make your sessions much more enjoyable. Throw that into real life situations, and you've got yourself a well behaved dog that enjoys learning.