The Perfect Pack

11/07/2024

Service dogs.
Probably one of the most unpopular topics for any pet dog trainer.
And with the recent rise of scammy online courses offering to train your dog to get "service dog level obedience in 2 days" 👀 this has gotten even worse.
I cannot begin to count the amount of service dog training requests I receive.
“Can your online courses train my dog to be a service dog?”
“I need to make my dog a service dog so he can ride on the bus with me” (Yes, someone seriously asked me this)
“Do you certify service dogs?”
No - no - no - and more no.
Service dog training is completely different from pet dog training.
If your dog is trained to walk nicely on a leash and sit and stay, they are a pet dog.
If your dog comes up to you and nuzzles you when you are sad - they are still a pet dog.
If you want your dog to accompany you into stores or fly in-cabin on planes … they’re still only a pet dog and these privileges are not for them.
Service dogs are task-trained.
They are specifically taught to work for people with disabilities.
A dog that solely provides comfort is not a service dog.
I see a lot of people acquiring dogs, labeling them as “my service dog” and *then* going about training them.
This is not how that works.
You cannot just select a dog, put a service dog harness on them and figure the rest out as you go.
We regularly receive requests from dog owners who tell us that their “service dog” pulled them over on leash or nips at visitors.
That their service dog relentlessly chases wildlife on walks or has intense anxiety in social settings.
One time I got a request from a lady who told me that she got a dog from the shelter to be her son’s service dog, but that “service dog” was now biting the son and could I please fix it.
I’m sorry - none of those dogs are not service dogs then. And they likely won’t be service dogs in the future either.
Please be honest about the dog you own.
Unless you worked diligently to train them as a service animal with specific tasks, they are a pet.
A beloved, (hopefully) well-behaved, wonderful pet.
But not a working dog, and you should not demand the privileges that are reserved for true service dogs and their disabled handlers.
Staying clear with this distinction protects the actual service dogs and their owners 🙂

10/22/2024

09/27/2024

This Masterclass is for obsessed dog lovers who are seeking a new satisfying career with dogs without having to leave their dogs home all day!

09/19/2024

Special event coming up in our Bark & Fitz Beamsville section! Meet Eileen and Unleash the Paw-Sibilities with your pooch! 1st Saturday of the month until December!
See below for details!

07/31/2024

Some of our summer fun ♥️☀️😎

07/23/2024

Please read this. I see this often even in my own line of dog work and it exhausts me.

Stop letting dogs down. If you’re not willing to do the work, don’t get a dog. And if you decide to get a dog, please train it. Like really train it. Not some online video you found on YouTube hoping to cure your dogs aggression.
There are passionate professionals who are here to help so that THIS doesn’t happen to Celine & the staff members. My heart breaks for anybody working on shelter and rescue system right now. This trend has gotten worse since covid and it needs to stop.

I cried today, in my office and not a few tears and a sniff. I actually ugly cried.

There seems to be no words to make the general public understand what a disaster the rescue word is in. I see all my FB friends post the same thing and yet nothing is getting better, on the contrary it seems to be getting worse.
People are getting dogs and failing them, failing them HUGE.

Today I stroked a 7 mos old baby while he was being humanely put to sleep, yes you read this correctly…7 mos old. Such a behavioural disaster due to his owners failing him he was a danger. I told him he was the bestest of boys, told him that the other side was so much better. He would no longer live in fear and could run, play and have all the treats he could ever want. I don’t believe in God but I lied to this baby and told him, God would take care of him and love him and as I spoke I really wanted it to be true.

We need to do better, something has to change. I’m not sure what it will take to make people understand, please don’t breed your dog if you don’t know what you are doing, don’t be a back yard breeder!!!!!!

All you need to do is walk through any shelter to see this. The shelters are FULL, the rescues are all FULL!!! Everyone is FULL. But mostly I look at my coworkers, the sadness in all of us is palpable. The team I work with is amazing, supportive and so caring. How long any of us can continue is a mystery.

So this is me begging once again. If you are going to get a dog….PLEASE, PLEASE TRAIN! Take your dog for some classes, socialize your dog and get your dog FIXED!!! I heard a quote but don’t remember who said it “ having an untrained dog is hard, training your dog is hard. Pick your hard wisely, your dogs life is dependent on this.”

Tomorrow is a new day, where I will again be hopeful that things will change, today I do not have this optimism.

Much love to all that have read this and most importantly, much love to your dogs. Celine ❤️

05/15/2024

We’ve been having the best time this spring ♥️☀️🌸 can you spot your dog?

04/09/2024

Honoured by this nomination ♥️

Official 2024 Community Voting Awards Platform for Niagara Region, ON. Where the community votes for their favourites every year.

01/31/2024

What a month it has been. It has tried me with this seemingly endless difficult weather, but it has also opened doors I never expected. I started a new mentorship program with a trainer I’ve been following since the very beginning of my business (8 years!), I’ve started offering indoor play at a local farm to help with the mud situation, and I’ve started a new Invisalign/tad/elastic journey as an alternative to jaw realignment surgery that was needed. So many changes this month, but all for the better. I look forward to all the fun we’ll be having next month and beyond!

01/23/2024

Say cheese !

01/11/2024

Our fall was busy! ❤️ I’m so blessed.