🐾🐾 We love a good field trip! 🐾🐾 This week, our Canine College class visited a few pet friendly retailers as a practical test of their skills. I set them up with a mini video scavenger hunt where they had to perform and record a variety of their skills in various sections of multiple department stores! I am beyond proud of how they handled the challenge and couldn't be happier to have them representing Liv Better Dog Training! A big thank you to Michaels, @homesensecanada, and @petsmartgalway for being so welcoming to our students! 💚💙💜 #livbetter #livbetterdogtraining #caninecollege #dogtraining #obediencenerds #positivereinforcement #fearfree #dogsofnl #supportlocal #supportlocalnl #fieldtrip #dogsofnl #dogsofyyt #gooddogs #stjohns #yyt #certifieddogtrainer #professionaldogtraining #lovewhatyoudo #explorenl
Liv 🐶 She's deaf. She's blind. She has dementia. She's been living with a terminal diagnosis for a year and a half. But she's still git it!! 💚🩵💜 #livbetter #livbetterdogtraining #littleLivie #seniordog #dogtraining #mygirl
🎉 Home, sweet, home! 🎉
After three months of renovations, city inspections, many, many setbacks and delays, and more scrambling and tears than I’d care to admit, WE'RE HOME! 🥹 we still have some renos to do in the spring, so things are a little rough at the moment, but we have our occupancy permit back in hand with a greenlight to resume regular business!
Losing a whole quarter for a small business is HARD, the hardest thing I've gone through as a business owner to date. So we're coming back hot, opening the books for all of our programs, and planning some new classes to make up for our absence. I have daytime availability for private lessons and I've just opened a new Puppy Preschool class, two new High School Hounds classes, a new Canine College class, AND I brought back the OG, highly requested Loose Leash Walking class - all set to start later this month and early March!
Cannot wait to get back to a regular routine and snuggle all my furry buddies who I have missed SO MUCH! Send us an email at [email protected] for more information! 💜💙💚
Hey friends,
Just an update on our training facility at 40 O'Leary. As you know, the building we lease had a pretty big leak which caused significant water damage to our unit. Unfortunately with so much water coming in, there were some electrical concerns and power was shut down for the entire building. All the tenants in the building also lost their occupancy permits which sadly means we have not been allowed onsite.
All group classes have since been suspended, and private lessons have been moved to in-home wherever possible. I have been working day and night to find a solution to limit the interruption, but sadly nothing has panned out the way I hoped. We have had many gracious offers from other businesses to rent their spaces for classes (all the appreciation to Amy Walsh and The Pawffice, Newfoundland Athletic Dog Association, and Pet Zone O'leary), but the use of those spaces required some flexibility on my part for scheduling and being so close to the holidays makes that quite challenging for many of my students. Some students have also voiced their concerns regarding the upper respiratory illness that has been circulating and their hesitation to visit new facilities that would have higher volumes of dogs onsite regularly. These are all valid concerns and I completely understand and appreciate everyone's individual situations. With that understanding though comes the realisation that my options going forward are very limited.
Yesterday the other businesses in the building thankfully had their occupancy permits reinstated. Liv Better sadly was not given permission to reopen for business. My unit has been damaged pretty significantly and will need to have the affected drywall and insulation torn out and replaced before our permit can be reinstated. Today I learned that the general contractor thinks the job will take 2-3 weeks. After 2 weeks of taking this day by day already I can't tell you how devastated I am. I am still looking into my options but as it s
🐾 We love a good field trip!! 🐾 This week, our Canine College students visited Bowring Park! We had a chirping squirrel harassing us from the trees, children playing at the park close by, a flock of ducks waddling around, plenty of other dogs out for walks with their humans, and even one offleash dog playing near by to use as distractions. They handled the challenges with ease and made me and Miss Amanda SO proud! It's only week two, and they certainly have plenty more to learn, but we're all about celebrating those small victories around here and I just couldn't resist giving them the pat on the back they so deserve! Keep up the great work, my friends, the skies the limit! 💚💙💜
Thankful for puppy kisses and happy tail wags, for cozy fall cuddles and chilly walks in the park. Thankful today and every day for my sweet, special pumpkins. Thankful for my Liv Better team; my friends turned family! For my husband Drew and his unyielding support. For my small circle of family and friends for making life so special. Thankful for each and every dog in my life and their wonderful humans - where would I be without such incredible clients? Very, very thankful for the lot of ya! Happy Thanksgiving, pals ❤🌽🥧🎃 #livbetter #livbetterfamily #grateful #thanksgiving #lovemyclients #lovemydogs #lovewhatyoudo #livbetterdogtraining #thebestteam #livbetterfam #dogspfnl #dogsofyyt #dogsofinstagram #gooddogs
Flash back Friday for International Dog Day! 💚💙💜 Liv and Gabe have been the bestest pals for over 10 years and together we've traveled all across the country and back! They were with me when I graduated college, when I bought my first new car, when I began my career in dog training, when I started Liv Better, when I got married, and when we welcomed Louis, Cove, and Fig to the family. The life we share is perfection and I wouldn’t change a second of it. They take up a huge part of my heart and anyone who is lucky enough to know them knows just how special they really are. Here's to them, to my little boys, and to every dog I've been fortunate enough to know and love! Every day may be dog day around here but we still love the opportunity to show them off! #livbetterdogtraining #livbetter #livbetterfamily #mybabes #littlelivie #goodestgabe #bestfriends #dogsofnl #adventuredogs #internationaldogday #10yearsoffriendship #dogsofyyt #mybuddies #flashbackfriday
Every week I try and give each of my four dogs a little one on one time outside of the time we spend as a family. It's a nice bonding opportunity and gives us a chance to work on extra training, grooming, or even just to visit with our friends and family! 🐶 I didn't have a lot of time today but I still really wanted to make the most of it with my munchkin, Cove. We only had 45 minutes but we practiced his Wait, Leave It, and Drop It cues, worked on his Recall, and some engagement exercises! It may have been short and maybe wasn't what I was hoping for originally, but it was productive and we still had a super duper time! We're taking advantage of our training opportunities anywhere we can and soaking up as much sunshine as time will allow! ☀️🌊🧡 How are you keeping your dogs physically and mentally stimulated this summer? #livbetter #livbetterdogtraining
A little update from our Tuesday evening Puppy Preschool kiddos! 🐶🐶 They've been focusing on their socialization skills and staying calm and polite during greetings. I've introduced some handling techniques that will make their next trip to the vet and groomer more comfortable and we've also started working on some soft mouth exercises to teach the puppies to take treats gently and have a little more bite inhibition. We finished up with a short off leash play session and all the puppies were on their very best behaviour! A great class from start to finish - lots of learning and lots of fun! ❤
Who doesn't love a good field trip?! 🐾🐾 This week our Intermediate Obedience class visited the Salt Water Under the Stars market on Topsail Rd as a practical test for their skills. I set them up with a mini scavenger hunt where they had to visit multiple vendor tables, preform a combination of their skills, and in return received some dog friendly prizes like a delicious Boou Pop (all natural Doggy ice cream🍦), and a Liv Better branded bandana. We finished up as a group and briefly became the entertainment for the rest of market - they did SO well that people couldn't help but stop and watch! I am beyond proud of how they handled the challenge and couldn't be happier to have them representing Liv Better Dog Training! A big thank you to our friends at Canine The Natural Way, Pawtastic Bandanas, and Boou Dog Treats for helping us out with our scavenger hunt and for being so welcoming to our students! 💚💙💜 #livbetter
Basic Obedience week four for our Tuesday evening turnips! 🐕🐕 This week we introduced some of our impulse control skills like Place and Stay and I have zero complaints with their progress! Lots of focus, lots of great decision making, lots of team building! We still have to increase their distance, duration, and distraction levels but they're well on their way and I am excited to see where they take things next - stay tuned!
#livbetter #livbetterdogtraining #dogtraining #positivereinforcement #fearfree #mustlovedogs #dogsofnl #obediencefun #trainingisfun #dogsofyyt #gooddogs #dogsmile #dailydog #basicobedience #supportlocalnl #supportlocal #responsibledogowner #smartypants #smallbusinessesofnl #smallbusinessowner #ccpdt #cpdtka #yyt #stjohns
A little Intermediate Obedience action for your sunny Tuesday! This week, half the class focused on Loose Leash walking while the others used their classmates to add distraction and increase difficulty with their impulse control skills like Stay, Wait, and Place (then we switched so everyone got a turn!). We started working on some distance Downs and distance Stands with the goal being to give cues successfully from a minimum distance of 6 feet away - this proved more difficult than they realized but with a little patience and consistency they started to make some progress! Then we took it outside! We practiced in a location they've never worked, added an extra, unfamiliar dog to the mix, and had the increased distraction of new people, vehicles, lots of seagulls, and even some construction sounds (because it's July in Newfoundland so of course there's construction sounds 🤣). The Intermediate Obedience class is quickly becoming my favorite program and I'm so excited to be able to offer it again soon! We're only half way through with our very first group of kiddos and I am LOVING every minute 🐕🐕 #livbetter #livbetterdogtraining #dogtraining #positivereinforcement #fearfree #Intermediateobedience #dogsofnl #dogsofyyt #dogsofinstagram #certifieddogtraining #dogtrainersofnl #supportlocalnl #supportlocal #yyt #stjohns #cpdtka #cpdt #gooddogsofnl #obediencenerds #smartypants #practicemakesperfect
Intermediate Obedience, week two! 🐕🐕 This week we worked on differentiating between the Sit-Wait, Down-Wait, and Stand-Wait cues with increased distance, duration, and distraction. We worked on proofing their Recalls skills, continued to practice and build on their Loose Leash walking, and refreshed everyone's minds for the always convenient Place cue! They're fine-tuning and increasing their reliability which is exactly what I wanted to see with this program! Pleased as punch and already looking forward to our next class! 😍 #livbetter #livbetterdogtraining #dogtraining #positivereinforcement #fearfree #Intermediateobedience #dogsofnl #dogsofyyt #dogsofinstagram #certifieddogtraining #dogtrainersofnl #supportlocalnl #supportlocal #yyt #stjohns #cpdtka #cpdt #gooddogsofnl #obediencenerds #smartypants #practicemakesperfect
Week two of Basic Obedience training for our Tuesday turnips! 💚💙💜 This week we focused on exercises that turn their daily walks into fun, productive training opportunities! We played obedience games to help them build on the skills they've learned already and I introduced our basic obstacle course for some extra fun confidence building, and body awareness! I couldn't be happier with each of them and am SO pleased with the progress they've made already - we have a couple reactive kiddos in this group so they came in a little hot initially. They had to work really hard and stay consistent but thankfully the whole group have since settled in and are starting to really focus on the task at hand. Proud as heck and already looking forward to our next class!
Intermediate Obedience week one
🎉🎉 Our very first Intermediate Obedience class started last night and I can already tell that we're going to have the MOST fun together. This seven week program is designed to polish and build on the foundations laid in Puppy Preschool and Basic Obedience, raising the bar of expectations and preparing the dogs for real life situations. This class will take place both inside and outside giving students the opportunity to practice and progress in a variety of environments. Help me welcome back Campbell, Bliss, Annie, Jasper, Darla and Cooper!! I'm so grateful that they chose to continue their training journey with us and am super duper excited to get to spend another 7 weeks of learning with each of them! Stay tuned for more updates from our little Obedience nerds! 🤓 #livbetter #livbetterdogtraining #dogtraining #positivereinforcement #fearfreetraining #cpdtka #cpdt #ccpdt #certifieddogtraining #dogtrainersofnl #dogtrainersofyyt #dogsofnl #dogsofyyt #dogsofinstagram #smallbusinessesofnl #supportlocalnl #smallbusiness #Intermediateobedience #obediencefun #obediencetraining #yyt #stjohns #newfoundland
Weekend trip with the fam!
A little #TBT to our weekend in Glovertown! If you're looking for a pet friendly vacation rental this summer be sure to check out Wells Watch on airbnb.ca!🐶🐶🐶🐶 #livbetter #livbetterfamily #livbetterdogs #gooddogsofnl #dogsofnl #dogsofyyt #dogsofinstagram #worklifebalance #adventuresquad #adventuredogs #supportlocalnl #supportlocal #explorenl #petfriendly #airbnb #glovertown #Newfoundland #smallbusiness #smallbusinessofnl
Puppy Yoga
We were lucky enough to be able to host Puppy Yoga for our friends at the SPCA St.John's this weekend! Check out these cutie patooties and all the fun that was had - Puppies were held more than yoga poses but that was to be expected 🤣🧘♀️🐶❤ Be sure to follow along with the shelter for more chances to participate in the cutest little yoga class in town! We can't wait for the next one! #livbetter #livbetterdogtraining #livbetterpartner #puppyyoga #spca #spcastjohns #puppiesofyyt #puppiesofnl #livbetterpartner #rescuedogs #huskypuppies #puppiesofnl #dogsandyoga #yoga #fundraiser #happydogs #supportlocal #supportlocalnl #smallbusiness #community #smallbusinessesofnl #teamwork #stjohns #yyt #dogsofnl #lovewhatyoudo
A little behind the scenes action from a recent training walk with my little Figgy! Those of you who know Fig know that he's always been a bit spicy but hot peppers just add necessary flavor🌶 and I've always loved a good challenge! We've made some phenomenal progress and wanted to take the time to celebrate his victories! I'm really proud of his impulse control skills, his focus even with triggers close by, and his enthusiasm for training. I'm also really pleased with the reliability in his Stay and Recall cues, and am blown away by the consistency of his Leave It and Drop Its. He's definitely come a long way and I have learned quite a bit aswell - I'm excited to see where else we'll go but for now I'm just going to be proud of how far we've come together. ❤
#livbetter #livbetterdogtraining #dogtraining #BostonTerrier #reactivedog #gooddog #positivereinforcement #forcefreedogtraining #fearfreedogtraining #cpdt #cpdtka #certifieddogtrainer #certifieddogtrainersofnl #dogsofyyt #dogsofnl #dogsofig #supportlocalnl #supportlocal #smallbusiness #smallbusinessofnl #stjohns #yyt #dogsofinstagram
