Walks with Jess - Dog Walking & Training

10/14/2025

🍁 Happy Thanksgiving 🍂

Hope everyone had some time to enjoy this beautiful weather with their dogs! 🐶

09/20/2025

Want to know a tip for creating a more reliable “Stay” command? 🤔

Stop pairing it with recall!

Are you someone who asks your dog to stay, then backs away (usually while nagging “stayyyy”), and end the exercise by calling your dog to “Come!” from a distance?

Does your dog also have issues with holding “Stay” at a distance or with a longer time duration?

It’s because by performing the exercise this way, you are teaching your dog to anticipate coming out of position when you move away from them. The more you practice this way, the more unreliable your “Stay” command becomes because the dog always has to go to the reward and there is no motivation to stay in place.

How to fix this? Teach your dog that the reward only comes from staying in position and that they don’t need to leave position to get it. This is when the dog can actually understands what “Stay” means

Need some help reteaching this, or any other behaviours? Reach out to schedule your free evaluation

08/21/2025

Dog training has a wide scope of services and trainers of different skill levels. It’s difficult to know what you’re investing your hard earned money into.

Here’s what to expect when you sign up for one of my programs:

🔸Custom designed programs, suggestions and exercises tailored specifically to your dog and your goals

🔸A creative trainer with seventeen years experience and a very large training toolbox, well versed in a variety of methods and concepts with an extensive educational background

🔸 A non-judgemental atmosphere, where your concerns and questions are heard and you are directly involved in the process of training your dog

🔸 Clear instructions and complex exercises broken down into easy to follow steps, methods that are explained and demonstrated for you

🔸 An environment that respects both the dog and the handler, ensuring both enjoy the experience

🔸 A variety of programs to explore, from puppy classes, behavioural modification and sport coaching

🔸A registered and insured business with a proven track record and great reviews

🔸Free phone evaluations and support outside of class

🔸 Inhome or on the road service, ensuring you train what you want, where you want!

🔸Training for all ages, breeds and skill levels

Message today for your free evaluation and come see what the community has been talking about. I can’t wait to meet you and your dog!

08/21/2025

Sale ends in a few weeks! Take advantage of this great opportunity to meet your trainer before you commit to a program. Don’t miss this!

🏙️ 💥 Try-Before-You-Buy SALE - On now!💥 🏞️

To celebrate being part of a new community of dog owners and introduce myself 🙋‍♀️, I’m offering a sale for first time customers in North Bay and Muskoka 🏙️ 🏞️

For a limited time, receive a two hour private lesson (in-home) for half the price, $95 plus HST.

If you want to continue training after the initial class, sign up on the spot and receive 10% off a four week program, or 15% off a six week program! 😱

This is a huge savings and a great opportunity to get to know your trainer and ensure we’re a good fit before you commit to a program.

I’ve already met quite a few new clients in the area and I’m having a blast so far 🥳

Can’t wait to meet your pups this summer! DM to get started on your training journey 🦮🐾

Offer available for the rest of the summer. Phone Evaluation required (free of charge)

08/20/2025

After doing a post introducing myself, I figured it was time to introduce the other half of my company!

Sega is a 2.5 year old Belgian Malinois and is employee of the month, every month. As a trainers assistant, she fulfills many roles within the company and sometimes, can teach things that I can’t.
So far, her jobs are:

🔹 Swim Instuctor
🔹 Advertising Model
🔹 Reactivity Counsellor
🔹 Emotional Support for Fearful dogs
🔹 Professional Athlete
🔹 New Product Tester
🔹 Head of Security
🔹 Customer Greeter and Cookie Taster
🔹 Best Friend and Snuggle Service
🔹 Copilot and Adventure Coordinator

You will get an opportunity to meet Sega if you have a dog who struggles with distractions, is fearful/reactive towards other dogs, or have a shy pup that needs to make a friend. She is confident, happy go lucky and radiates friendship vibes. Polite and stoic around reactive dogs, she has been essential in helping many dogs overcome their big feelings. She is patient and friendly, able to be calm or crazy depending on the clients needs.

While she loves coming to work with me every day, she also leads a very exciting life outside of the job. This breed thrives with a VERY active lifestyle so she spends her free time hiking, camping, swimming and competing in multiple dog sports. She loves fetch. Our lifestyle means that she spends a lot of time going to stores, exploring new cities and visiting friends/family. This level of extensive socialization is essential in maintaining her easy going demeanour and ensuring that she cherishes time to relax on the couch. She gives amazing snuggles 🥰

If this sounds like a lot of work, then you don’t know a Malinois! She’s a hard worker and a fantastic teammate. Sega and I are looking forward to CKC obedience competitions next year as well as a few camping trips we have planned. She’s super friendly and loves meeting clients, especially kids, so feel free to ask to say hi!

08/14/2025

Being a custom dog trainer means I get to teach some pretty fun things!

Little Bruno is just a baby, but he really wants to learn to swim. We have been working on all his necessary puppy skills and have included swim sessions ( with swim instructor Sega) to help him get comfortable in the water. It’s a slow process for puppies to get comfortable with the water, but Bruno is already showing some confidence. Doesn’t he look adorable in his life jacket?? 😍

08/08/2025

It’s all fun and games until you have to get in the tub…

Thank you in Gravenhurst for the free dog wash today! She no longer smells like a swamp rat🫧

08/05/2025

We are both absolutely in love with Muskoka and feel blessed to be working here this summer 🥰

08/04/2025

Since I have a new service area, I thought I should reintroduce myself!

Hi, my name is Jessica. I’m a balanced dog trainer with 17 years experience that recently moved my business from Kingston to Muskoka. Despite living in Kingston area for the last ten years, I started my career in Toronto. I began my journey as a dog walker and dog daycare attendant but wanted more of a challenge. I apprenticed under my mentor Chris Rollox and spent several years working for his company, which gave me a lot of experience with speciality training (dog sports, behavioural modification etc) but more importantly, encouraged me to keep an open mind, stay humble and continuously seek knowledge. I frequently update and improve upon my programs as I actively research new (and old!) information and skills through neuroscience research as well as seminars and teaching events.

In recent years, I have put my experience in motion and began actively been pursing dog sports as a personal hobby. I compete in both CKC and PSA. I hope to soon pursue dock diving as well try out a few more with my Belgian Malinois, Sega. In 2023, my dog Samson was #7 Mixed breed in Canada for CKC Rally. Dogs sports have helped me to learn creative problem solving skills and have fun with my dogs.

I am passionate about my career and my clients, both dog and human. My goal is to provide an informative and comfortable learning atmosphere for everyone involved. I believe that educating the handler is the best way to help dogs succeed. I train the dog in front of me and truly believe that each is an individual and should be treated as such. Dogs need the right information to make the right choices, and I’ve developed a really successful training strategy to help handlers achieve clear communication with their dogs, leading to successfully achieving their goals.
I provide friendly and flexible training, and enjoy meeting new people and dogs! If you’re interested to learn more, I’d be happy to chat with you. Evaluations are free, and I’d love to help. DM for more details!