Diamond Pawz Training

03/31/2024

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter weekend! 💐🐰

03/14/2024

Congratulations to Opal & Ollie for completing their Good Manners level 1 training! 💫

These cuties were an honour to work with each session with their very different personalities. It’s always fun working with more than one dog at a time and working around their different learning styles. 🐾

Good luck with all your future training!

01/27/2024

One remaining spot to fill for the 5:30-6:30 timeslot!

PUPPY OBEDIENCE TRAINING 🐾

Registration for the next set of Basic Obedience Group Classes are now open!

Classes will take place at 67 Argyle street s, which is the Renfrew Parks and Recreation centre in Renfrew.

All pups must have proof of vaccination in order to attend classes.

STARTING DATES:

- Group A : FULL

- Group B : Tuesday, January 30th @ 5:30-6:30pm

Each course has 6 sessions in total where we would meet at the same hour each week, for 6 consecutive weeks until the course is complete. We would go over 3-4 different commands each session. You would then have the week to practice on your own time, until we meet again for the next lesson where I would answer any questions before continuing on.

By the end of the Basic Obedience course, you should have a dog who has began to discover their impulse control capabilities, and to be attentive to you. They should be able to “sit”, “lie down”, “leave it” and walk politely on leash, among other commands that focus on good manners. You should also be confident in using a clicker or giving a “Mark Word” by the end of this course.

*Training clicker, handouts with step by step instructions, graduation certificate & graduation pictures will be provided.*

Send me a DM or email to sign up!

[email protected]

💎🐾

01/12/2024

PUPPY OBEDIENCE TRAINING 🐾

Registration for the next set of Basic Obedience Group Classes are now open!

Classes will take place at 67 Argyle street s, which is the Renfrew Parks and Recreation centre in Renfrew.

All pups must have proof of vaccination in order to attend classes.

STARTING DATES:

- Group A : FULL

- Group B : Tuesday, January 30th @ 5:30-6:30pm

Each course has 6 sessions in total where we would meet at the same hour each week, for 6 consecutive weeks until the course is complete. We would go over 3-4 different commands each session. You would then have the week to practice on your own time, until we meet again for the next lesson where I would answer any questions before continuing on.

By the end of the Basic Obedience course, you should have a dog who has began to discover their impulse control capabilities, and to be attentive to you. They should be able to “sit”, “lie down”, “leave it” and walk politely on leash, among other commands that focus on good manners. You should also be confident in using a clicker or giving a “Mark Word” by the end of this course.

*Training clicker, handouts with step by step instructions, graduation certificate & graduation pictures will be provided.*

Send me a DM or email to sign up!

[email protected]

💎🐾

01/02/2024

It’s almost that time again!

📣 Registration is now open! 📣

The 2024 Dog Behavior Conference will be held April 19 through 21, 2024 as a global online event and the lineup is bone-afide amazing!

The DBC is an interactive online 3-day virtual conference experience which brings together experts and leaders in the field of animal training & behavior with dog lovers, dog trainers, groomers, pet sitters, dog walkers, veterinary professionals, animal shelter workers and other animal care specialists from all over the world.

You don’t want to miss this amazing event!

Seats are limited, so secure your spot by clicking on the link now ➡️ https://bit.ly/3THnyMs.

05/26/2023

05/16/2023

It’s time to get active with your pup! 🐾

Registration for the next set of Basic Obedience Group Lessons are now open! As well as an Intermediate level class starting the week after.

For the Basic Obedience group, pups must be at least 4 months of age and be able to show proof of vaccination.

Classes will take place at 67 Argyle street, which is at the Renfrew Parks and Recreation centre in Renfrew.

STARTING DATES:

- Basic Group : Tuesday, May 23rd @ 4-5pm

- Intermediate Group : Monday, May 29th @ 3:30-4:30pm

Each course has 6 sessions in total where we would meet at the same hour each week, for 6 consecutive weeks until the course is complete. We would go over 3-4 different commands each session. You would then have the week to practice on your own time, until we meet again for the next lesson where I would answer any questions before continuing on.

By the end of the Basic Obedience course, you should have a dog who has began to discover their impulse control capabilities, and to be attentive to you. They should be able to “sit”, “lie down”, “leave it” and walk politely on leash, among other commands that focus on good manners. You should also be confident in using a clicker or giving a “Mark Word” by the end of this course.

The Intermediate Obedience course will aim to strengthen reliability and consistency, as well as applying commands in real world situations. Our goal is to improve polite manners in social settings and boost your dog’s reliability when it comes to their impulse control and other known commands.

*Training clicker, handouts with step by step instructions, graduation certificate & graduation pictures will be provided.*

Send me a DM or email to sign up!

[email protected]

💎🐾

04/14/2023

Yesterday I saw a video from a well-known trainer on social media that discussed how there is no such thing as “too much exercise” for dogs. This discussion was accompanied by b roll of dogs fetching balls in a variety of places.
I don’t usually get involved in trainer arguments but I need to say something about this.
There ABSOLUTELY is such a thing as too much high-arousal exercise. And you probably don’t want to find out for yourself what happens next.
Activities that tend to *physically* wear dogs out the fastest are also the ones that create the highest excitement levels. Fetching balls. Playing frisbee. Racing around at the dog park. Chasing water from the garden hose. Running next to a bike.
All of these are physical exercise, but they also create intense arousal states. And if you put your dog into high-arousal states repeatedly you better know how to train around this, too.
I have a lot of students who fell into this trap. They got a high-energy dog (a GSD, a herding breed mix of some sort, a retriever etc.).
They figured out that the fastest way to make the dog physically really tired (the tongue-hanging-to-the-floor-kind-of-tired) was by playing chuck-it for half an hour. Or by taking the dog to the dog park every day for a wild romp.
The dog started to crave these arousal states (as programmed in their DNA).
But at the same time, no impulse control training happened. So now we have a dog who knows the fun of adrenaline and who seeks it, without having been taught to listen and regulate when in a state of high excitement.
This dog will start to show other problems. They might get frustrated to the point of redirecting when they cannot access fun immediately. They might be vocalizing or unable to settle and then I get messages that say “My dog just cannot be normal in public”.
If your dog gets to enjoy a high-arousal activity every time they leave the house, they will start to expect (and eventually demand) a high-arousal activity every time.
And this is not fun.
Your dog needs a balance of high-arousal and low-arousal activities. Furthermore, the more high-arousal activities your dog has, the more you have to balance these with impulse control training. It’s not fair to make our dogs crazy without teaching them the skills to un-crazy ;)
“Exercise” can have four quadrants:
- Low-arousal, not physically demanding (sniff walks)
- Low-arousal, physically demanding (hiking)
- High-arousal, not physically demanding (excited waiting while another dog works)
- High-arousal, physically demanding (fetching)

Make sure you are aware which type of exercise you are providing for your dog, and try to reach a balance that works for your dog.
If you are unhappy with your dog’s arousal level or impulse control in daily life, look at whether this is amplified by the type of exercise you are providing.

03/26/2023

Such a good read! 🙏🏽

I still feel confused at times as to why there is still such a pushback to using food to train your dog.
“When will I not have to use it anymore?”
“Will I always have to have food on me?”
“Won’t he then become obsessed with all food?”
“I want him to do it because he loves me, not because I have food”
“Using food is cheating”
“Using food means you’re bribing not training”
“Using food will make my dog fat”
“I never had to use food with my last dog.”

These are all just some of the insane things I’ve heard and still hear. And it makes me crazy because I can’t imagine saying these things to my employees.
“When will I not have to pay you anymore?”
“If I pay you are you going to just become obsessed with money?”
“I really want you to work for me because you love me, not because I pay you”

Food is a tool. It is a TOOL. And just like any tool it can be used well or used poorly, but it’s one of the only tools in dog training that I hear more myths about than any other. And that’s unfortunate because when used properly it does so many good things -

Food is a primary reinforcer and for most dogs it’s the most valuable thing they can get. This makes it enormously powerful when trying to teach them how to do something new and/or complicated. That doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate a pet on the head, but they’d rather have the food and there’s NOTHING wrong with that. Just like you’d rather be paid in dollars rather than chocolate bars.

Food is fast. It’s easy to deliver, portable, and also variable in value (kibble vs cheese) so it’s very flexible also depending on your level and stage of training.

Food can help create powerful positive associations for dogs as well as counter condition negative associations they already have because of its value to them. Using food in the presence of other dogs, people and environments helps your dog have a positive association with them and this in and of itself is incredibly powerful. That’s something I don’t think we consider nearly enough when training our dogs even when they’ve past the learning phase.

Food does not have to make your dog a beggar, fat, or totally dependent on it. The context in which you deliver it, the way you ration out the food - treats vs meals and healthy choices - and also the way you cue the dog when training all help alleviate these issues.

I pay my dogs regularly and have no shame in that. As they get better at skills I ask them to work harder or longer for the pay just like as adults we have to work a full week or two before we get our paychecks. I use higher value for harder things - just like you like to get paid time and a half when you work Christmas, and lower value for easy stuff. I watch to make sure my dogs hope for the reward but don’t expect it and don’t take it personally when they’d rather come back to me for cheese instead of a pet. I focus on the fact that they came back.

Getting paid at work is a big reinforcer for us but it’s also not the only reason we go is it? The relationships you have with your coworkers, the pride you have in your job etc are all intricate parts of your motivation, but that takes TIME to build, and at first it’s usually just for the pay. Same with training your dog. At first, yes, it’s for the food, but as you continue and do it right it becomes more about the teamwork, the fun and the relationship, not just the pay. And THAT’S what I wish more people understood. Over time your dog will work often without food for you because he truly enjoys it now, and he’s been reinforced by the relationship and countless reinforcements over time. But you have to put that time and patience in first to get there. And it’s worth it. I promise.
-Helen St. Pierre

03/16/2023

01/21/2023

Why use reward-based training? The short answer is it works. But there's more. Using a training method that is rooted in rewarding what you like fosters a relationship built on trust.

01/15/2023

We have an URGENT need for 3 foster homes for dogs ranging from 50 to 70 lbs. All 3 are spay/neutered. Each dog is in need of their foster or foster-to-adopt home, and maybe you could even up giving that dog it's furever home. Foster-to-adopt gives you the opportunity to bring the dog into your home for a period of time, to determine if that dog is a good fit for you and your lifestyle, and possibly be able to give it a furever home❤️ If not, it is hoped that the animal could stay with you, if possible, until a suitable adoptive home is found.
Please note: The female hound mix would do best as the only dog in the home.

If you prefer to foster only, we would greatly appreciate that, too. Fostering is a rewarding experience that allows you to help an animal in its journey to finding that forever home.

During the fostering or fostering-to-adopt period we pay for vetting and food supplies, toys and whatever the animal needs for health and wellbeing

If you would like to enquire about being a dog foster or foster-to-adopt home, please email [email protected]

01/09/2023

So many trainers at the other end of the spectrum say that positive training lacks "tools in the toolbox". I say that
we have so many OTHER tools in our toolbox we don't need that Particular Hammer for the same nail over and over...
Creativity is a big one. If your hammer can't drive the nail in...then what do you do?

12/30/2022

With 2023 quickly approaching, save the date for the 2023 APDT/CAPDT Educational Conference and Trade Show, October 18-20, 2023, in northern Kentucky. Each year, the APDT/CAPDT Conference offers a variety of dynamic educational and networking opportunities for professional dog trainers. Stay tuned for more details regarding registration, speakers, workshops and more coming in 2023!

11/24/2022

Let me help you create a fulfilling relationship between you and your pup through Basic Obedience Training. ✨

I provide private one-on-one lessons where I travel to your home for each session, as well as occasional group classes that are held in Renfrew at the Rec Centre.

Both the Private and Group lessons have the same course curriculum, with a total of 6 sessions.
(𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥.)

This course focuses on good manners within the household, impulse control & getting that attention onto you.

𝙒𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨...
𝘚𝘪𝘵, 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺, 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵, 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘱 𝘪𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.

Send an email or DM for more information on the course & signing up! 🐾

Email: [email protected]

11/02/2022

Happy Wednesday! 😅

10/20/2022

Say hello to this handsome boy named Onyx 🖤

This pup had a rough go finding a place to call home in his first year but I’m so thankful to have helped in the process of finding somewhere for him to be spoiled and feel safe. 🙏🏽

You’ll be seeing a lot more of this cutie in future training videos and adventures. ✨
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Valley Animal Rescue
Previously known as Rocky ♡
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10/08/2022

We’ve got two more graduates on our hands! 🎓

Congratulations to Winston & Winnie for completing the Basic Obedience Course!

I wish you all the luck in your future training! ✨
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10/05/2022

Congratulations River for graduating from the Basic Obedience Course! ✨

I hope to see you around town in the future!
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10/02/2022

Happy Sunday from this cutie named Bruno! ✨

I can’t wait to see his progress with loose-leash walking after our session the other day, now that he’s been geared up with a new from PetSafe Brand & his owner has been loaded up with all of my handling technique’s. 🐾
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