The Sophisticated Dog Sarnia

01/16/2025

The Power of Using Play to teach your puppy or dog!

We are always doing our best to make the most out of our time with your pups! On walks, we help them learn polite leash manners while also letting them sniff and engage with the world around them.

When young puppies come to us who are too young to go on long walks, we use our time with them to help you train those basic behaviours, and we have fun while doing it!

Below is a quick video of Tracy and lab puppy Lucy using play, without any food, to help her tire out that active puppy brain and body.

We love helping you develop your dog's abilities and are happy to work on anything you want us too during our time together in a positive and mindful manner.

Happy Walking and Training 😊

10/29/2024

When your dog is just a whole fall vibe 😍

10/18/2024

This week our walker Elaine Vrolyk was saying final goodbyes to the dogs she has been walking for years.

Elaine has been our main dog walker for seven years! With TSD approaching our 10 year anniversary next year, Elaine has been a familiar face to so many of our furry clients over the years.

Elaine will be so missed by everyone involved in TSD, as well as our clients. I could never thank her enough for all the years of dedication to our canine clients and being such a joy to everyone she met.

We do wish her the very best on her next chapter as she returns to teaching.

We will miss you, Elaine 🥰

09/18/2024

🐾 Vacation Notice 🐾

Tracy will be out of the province on vacation from Sept 18th to October 12th.

Due to the change in location, she will be three hours behind in a western timezone and may frequently be out of cell service for several hours a day. Please keep this in time when scheduling or cancelling any services during this time frame.

Your understanding is much appreciated 😊

08/12/2024

Just some happy clients to brighten your Monday 🥰

08/12/2024

Come join the fun 😉

⚡ Seminar Alert! ⚡
Flash Go Dog Training in partner with Niagara Dog Sports is proud to present a two day disc seminar with competition judge Marissa Dakin Lachance.
Are you wanting to learn how to enjoy playing frisbee with your dog, or perhaps thinking of new and fun ways to expand your dog's interest in frisbee? This is the seminar weekend for you!

All dogs of all ages are welcome!

Two seminars over two days will go over everything you need to know about the fun world of disc dog sports.

Where: Flash Go Dog Training at 2886 London Line in Sarnia Ontario
Held outside on fully fenced acreage, event will be rain or shine

When: Sept 7th and 8th, 10-2pm each day
There will be a 30 minute lunch break but lunch is not provided

There is an indoor washroom on site

Please bring a chair, sun shade for you and your dog if required, a crate for your dog if you have a working spot, water for you and your dog

There will be a photographer on site!

8 working spots per day for $70
Unlimited auditing spots for $20
*Sign up via the links provided below*

Day One - Working Spots (with your Dog)
https://portal.busypaws.app/customers/flash-go-dog-training?booking_id=766178

Day Two - Working Spots(with your Dog)
https://portal.busypaws.app/customers/flash-go-dog-training?booking_id=766179

Day One - Auditing Spots (without your dog)
https://portal.busypaws.app/customers/flash-go-dog-training?booking_id=766181

Day Two - Auditing Spots (without your dog)
https://portal.busypaws.app/customers/flash-go-dog-training?booking_id=766180

About Marissa:
Marissa has been involved with dogs from a young age and has continued to grow her passion for dog training in recent years. Marissa has completed thousands of hours training, researching, shadowing and competing with dogs using evidence-based approaches in training. Marissa is a Certified Trick Dog Instructor with DMWYD, a certified Updog Head judge and Freestyle Judge, USDDN Level 3 Judge, Toss and Fetch Judge and Skyhoundz Judge. Not only is Marissa an experienced disc judge, she is also an accomplished competitor. Marissa has Qualified for Skyhoundz worlds since 2021, Placed 7th at the 2022 Canadian UpDog National in Freestyle, Placed 7th at the 2023 Canadian UpDog Nationals, as well as 5th in Far Out in the women’s division, and recently qualified for and competed in UPDIF 2024.
Marissa also enjoys competing in flyball, agility, lure coursing, dock diving, barn hunt, shed hunt, sprinters and herding.

07/25/2024

Handsome Hank hopes everyone is having a great week!

07/23/2024

Welcome to the crew, Rudy!

07/18/2024

Handsome Gus hopes everyone is having a great week and enjoying some of these cooler temperatures... he sure is! 🥰

06/30/2024

Happy long weekend!

Just a reminder that there are no walks tomorrow, July 1st, for the Canada Day Holiday.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday!

06/27/2024

Kealy says, make time to stop and smell those flowers 🥰

06/21/2024

We might be involved in this 👀

⚡ One More Sleep ⚡

Will we see you tomorrow at the Sarnia Dog Festival at the Fox and the Hound 👀

We have some amazing things to giveway!

A basket of dog goodies valued at over $400!

Can you guess how many clickers are in the jar? There is a big prize for that!

We also have another secret giveaway you won't want to miss out on. Stop by our booth to see what it is!

And on top of our three amazing giveaways, we have also collected some incredible gently used dog items that are up for grabs for just a donation to the Sarnia Humane Society!

And there is more!

Hope to see everyone tomorrow at the festival!

06/18/2024

Are you looking for an opportunity to spend some time with dogs as a part-time job? Interested in learning about dog behaviour and getting exercise? Well, The Sophisticated Dog is looking to add another dog walker to the team!

We are Sarnia and Area’s premier private dog walking service and we are in need of another team member to walk dogs in Sarnia.

The Sophisticated Dog is a fully insured and bonded private dog walking service business serving the dog owners of the Sarnia area for over 9 years! We provide pet parents peace of mind that their furry companions are being cared for in a loving, patient manner while they are away or unable to walk their dog friends themselves.

If you’re a responsible, patient, and dependable adult with experience caring for dogs, we’d love to talk with you about this opportunity.

To get the most out of this position, you should have a flexible weekly schedule and availability and want an active, outdoor lifestyle. You must also have a love for animals and understand what it means to be mindful of the respect that building a positive relationship with a dog requires.

A typical work day for our walkers falls between 10am and 3pm, Monday to Friday, except stat holidays.

Qualifications;
Experience with dogs, either personally or professionally
Flexible schedule (primarily between the hours of 10am to 3pm) weekdays
Access to a reliable vehicle
Willingness to submit a criminal record check and references
Cell phone
Over the age of 18 and have a valid driver’s license

If you’re interested in this great opportunity, please prepare a resume and letter of interest that tells us a bit about you and why you’d be a great fit with The Sophisticated Dog.
Submit to: Tracy Wood
[email protected]

To learn more about us and what we do, please visit us at:
www.sitsmilewag.ca

06/04/2024

Happy International Corgi Day 😊

05/14/2024

Taking a lesson from walker Elaine and O'Malley today - enjoy the moment! 🥰

05/07/2024

Some recent photos of our happy clients 🥰

04/04/2024

😊

Hello friends!

The total solar eclipse is just around the corner, and just about everyone is ready to see the once in a lifetime event. We are seeing some mixed information about pet/wildlife safety.

Contrary to what some may read, the sun itself is not any more dangerous during the eclipse. The reason protective eye wear is recommended for humans (who wish to observe the eclipse) is because many of us will be staring directly at the sun that day, which is something we typically avoid.

For our pets, and outdoor wildlife, that day will be similar to any other day. Our pets don’t stare at the sun, so there is no need to keep them indoors on April 08 for any extended period of time. They may notice the change in temperature, but it is unlikely they will exhibit any unusual behaviour.

The eclipse can be more unsettling for birds. The dimming of the sky can mimic behaviour at dusk and during early storm formation, so some birds may demonstrate a wind-down behaviour and there may be less activity in the sky during the peak eclipse. Once the sky returns to normal, so does their behaviour.

If you are purchasing eclipse glasses, please make sure they meet these criteria. For additional information about the eclipse please see:
https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety/

For a list of approved solar-viewing goggles please see:

https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters

It is not safe to watch the eclipse through the lens of your smartphone - it can damage both your phone camera and your eyes. Try this instead:

https://www.safeshot-viewer.com

Safe watching our friends!
Dr Renee Fleming

03/29/2024

Happy Easter Weekend!

Here are some recent photos from our walkers 😊