Dog training and boarding with a focus on play, servicing Toronto and the GTA.
My perfect angel child. Thank you so much for the photos of me and my girl ❤️
They often say you get the dog you need, not the dog you want, and I have always felt that to be true about Josie. This soft and nervy girl has helped me soften myself, taught me to be more authentic and to let my guard down. She was exactly the lesson I needed when she came into my life and I’m forever grateful to her for being my side kick in this life
Aprils theme was Shepherds, and I don’t have a single complaint!
Group pictures from the last couple of weeks! Looking forward to leaving the snow behind and leaping head first into spring ☀️
Thatcher ⚫️⚪️
Thatcher is a new face around here that I will be seeing regularly from here on out! This sweet guy has a history of aggression towards people and dogs. Luckily he has been working with .k9 to get a handle on these issues. Thatcher will be coming to see me weekly to work on building trust with a new person and implementing boundaries and rules that are consistent with all his handlers to help generalize his behaviors. So far, Thatcher and I have been getting along swimmingly thanks to his love for a good game of tug.
With dogs who will bite like Thatcher, it is extremely important to show them that they can trust you before you start trying to fix the behavioral issues. Putting pressure on a dog who will bite and trying to punish the problem away off the bat is something I see far too often. Right now my main focus is showing Thatcher that we are a team, that I have his back, that we can do fun things together.
Good boy Thatchy, I’m excited to get to know you better.
Donna ❤️
Donna was boarding for two weeks while her family was away on vacation! We worked on introducing her to a formal heel command, and building up fetch game so she is more motivated to engage with the handler over environmental distractions. Donna is Hazel’s direct neighbor and the two have gotten into fence fights more than once that have escalated. During her stay we worked on having them co exist on group hikes and in the house which she did great with.
Doesn’t she have the sweetest face ever????
Happy gotcha day to my permanent assistant, Josie!
Josie has been my greatest teacher when it comes to dogs. When we first got her she was shut down, wouldn’t walk down the street, got car sick on every ride, and would never dare to hold her ground in any situation. She wasn’t driven like many of the dogs I was used to. Play was a foreign concept to her and her food drive was mild at best. I often felt at a loss with her, like the training I was doing was like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole. As a Great Pyrenees, she wasn’t motivated by many of the things I was used to with other dogs. She forced me to think about dog training differently, to slow down and really work on building her trust, and to appreciate who she was as an individual.
She really has come such a long way in the past four years and I couldn’t be more proud. From a dog who we thought would never be able to get in the car for longer than 5 minutes to a dog who rides with me everyday, and has even travelled across the country with me for trips. To a dog who has helped rehabilitate and teach so many of the dogs who come into my home how to socialize. To a dog who has learned how to move sheep around the ring and work with me even when under pressure. To a dog who has titled in dog sports and continues to make strides in obedience, despite her live stock guardian genetics. To a dog who I can truly take anywhere and know that I can trust her to make good decisions and befriend everyone she meets. I really am just in awe of her and am so proud of the dog she has become and how much we have learned together.
Love you my best girl 💗
She’s officially certified!!!
For the past year I have been working away behind the scenes on Ivan Balabanov’s Training Without Conflict professional certification course. Ever since I found play based training it’s been a goal of mine to complete and pass Ivan’s course. The course did not disappoint. I learned so much in a short period of time and really feel like many of the “puzzle pieces” I had been playing with finally came together.
I’m really proud of this accomplishment!! Most importantly I’m excited to continue to learn from one of the best in the world!!
CLOSED JAN 5-FEB 2 2024
Happy New Year! It was a wild 2023, and to celebrate the start of the year we are off to travel for the month of January! Emails will be slow to respond while I am away as we will be in and out of service. If you need urgent help please email me with the subject line URGENT and I can get back to you with help, referrals, etc. Likewise, DMs will be slow to respond, the faster way to reach me will be via email!
All requests will be responded to by the week of February 5th 2024. Can’t wait to connect with you and your pups once we return!
Mr Laurie is adopted ❤️🔥
It’s been an honour raising such a goofy, unserious, lanky ball of excitement over the last couple of months. This dog is something special. He kept me present constantly and humbled me almost daily. He pulled his weight in the socialization department and would turn many of my clients into instant friends. Many of you got to meet this adorable freak and instantly loved him, as did we (Josie included). The house feels a little more empty without his lanky limbs fumbling through the house, but he is off to live his best life with his new lab sister and loving parents just in time for the holidays.
We love you Laurie! Be a good boy and try not to swallow anything crazy right away 😂 If you want to follow Laurie’s new fam you can find him at !!
Rocky the aussiedoodle has joined our private lesson program and will also be joining us for some day trains to help him become his best self!
Rocky was recently rehomed at 7 months old because his previous owners had had enough of his bad behaviours. Luckily for Rocky a local rescue took him in and placed him in an adoptive home with dog experience. Rocky is lacking in socialization skills, is explosively reactive on leash to dogs, and will go at his handler if he is being asked to do something he does not want to do. Luckily for Rocky his new owners got help with training right away and we are quickly seeing how smart and motivated this boy can be.
I am excited to work with Rocky to help him become the best version of himself.
We are officially off on vacation from today until Nov 12, returning to work on the 13th!
Emails will be slower to respond while we spend some much needed time with my family out in BC. Josie is ready for the fresh mountain air and ocean breeze!
MELON!! Melon was here for boarding recently and her parents opted to do some add on training while she was here as she has one behaviour that has been causing them some issues. Melon is a well rounded dog who is quite dog social. However when she is with other dogs in a group and out on hikes, walks, etc, she becomes quite reactive and forward towards other dogs, almost as if she is trying to protect her pack. While Melon was here we worked on changing her emotions when in these encounters as well as teaching her what is and is not acceptable behaviour. After our first session Melon was no longer reacting in these situations and was able to keep a cool head when encountering off leash dogs, which opened up the opportunity to reinforce her for good behaviour and for her to open her mind that these dogs may actually be friends to her after all.
We will be doing a follow up lesson with her owners to make sure that the new behaviours stick! Great work Melon 🍈
I am always open to adding on training to a dogs boarding stay. If this appeals to you just shoot me a message and we can chat!
Fall is officially here and these pups sure are thankful!! The drop in temperature means more energy to burn 😈 There’s nothing better than getting put into nature this time of year!
A photo that has been a goal for these two doodle sisters for years!
Hazel and Scarlett are littermates who are owned by sisters. The two grew up in different homes, and got along pretty well as puppies. Eventually though each dog started showing reactivity and trust issues with dogs, and as time went on they stopped getting along. Both prefer the companionship of people over dogs. It’s been years since they interacted.
I started working with Hazel in the winter on her general obedience, reactivity and socialization. She has come a very long way and has become one of the most stable dogs I work with. Scarlett started working with me this summer, and has also come a very long way in a short amount of time. It was important to me that both dogs got to work on their individual skills, obedience and relationship with me prior to exposing them to other dogs and each other. I wanted to be able to control them when they were in arousal and guide them out of tough situations.
Fast forward to now, and the two are able to go on hikes together, where they are able to be free and interact with each other without freaking out. This week they even went on a solo off leash adventure together, and they even attempted to play together for the first time. Hazel especially isn’t very interested in playing with other dogs so this was a very special moment to see ❤️
Very proud of these two and how far they have come! Here’s to a bright future of friendship for them ahead!
The schnauzer sisters Lucy and Riley 👯♀️👯♀️👯♀️👯♀️
These two are with me for two weeks while their parents travel in Europe! They have been working on their coexistence with other dogs in the home as they have previously been territorial when boarding with other dogs.
Aren’t they the cutest little bowling balls?
Scarlett is back for boarding!!
Scarlett struggles with reactivity towards dogs, so we are always working on having positive experiences with dogs while she stays with us. Scarlett’s reactivity stems from fear and likely has a genetic component as well, as her siblings (Hazel is her litter mate!!) have also shown reactivity issues when it comes to dogs. Scarlett prefers the companionship of humans well over that of dogs, but each time she stays she opens up a little bit more and starts to change her mind just a bit that not all dogs have bad intentions.
Last time Scarlett stayed with us she eventually hit it off with Josie and they even played, her first time playing with a dog in many many years. It takes time and positive experiences to change how a dog feels about something. Scarlett is a pro at engaging and disengaging from dogs on walks, but her actual feelings about dogs hasn’t really changed just from this type of work. I’ve already seen improvements in her since the last time she came and I’m looking forward to helping her change her outlook even more. It’s a great bonus that this girl LOVES to play!
Welcome back Scarlett!
Puppy Plum is our newest client enrolled in our 5 session package program!
Plum is just a baby at 7 months old. She is a brand new adoption and her new mom got right to work getting me out to start with training. We worked on teaching some play foundations and some loose leash walking techniques which plum picked up on super quickly. Plum slept over for her first night away from Mom this weekend and she did super great with all the other dogs. Her crate training is already super impressive all thanks to her mom.
Shout out to for rescuing this sweet girl and for their great initiative to require post adoption training! I super support this to help families transition a new dog into their home and make sure it’s really a success!
Happy weekend from this adorable crew!
Leo continues to crush goals during his board and train. Just two weeks ago Leo could not be this close to other dogs, now he is happily co existing with them without any issue, with much more confidence than before and able to preform reliable obedience in their presence. Go Leo!!
Little guy Leo has arrived for his board and train!
Leo was brought home just before the pandemic. He has always had a tough time dealing with a number of stimuli in his environment since as long as his owners can remember. They tried going to pet smart training early on and unfortunately Leo had multiple bad experiences in these group class settings. Then the pandemic hit and Leo’s world got smaller, and he became more fearful and insecure. Although he is only 6lbs, Leo is actually a high energy dog, but his owners struggle to fulfill him because as soon as they leave their front door Leo is overwhelmed and reactive to almost everything. He spends a lot of his life in fight or flight and does come with a bite history with both people and dogs.
Our main priority with Leo is building up his confidence so that he isn’t so insecure and worried about his environment. Another big goal is learning cooperative skills for his life, as Leo can be quite pushy with his people. We will also be working on getting him more comfortable with grooming as Leo has been known to use his mouth when he is uncomfortable.
Leo has been here for just under a week and is already making great progress. I can’t wait to see how far we can get together!
This weeks new private lesson students are ready to play!
1️⃣ Penny is a go-go kind of girl who likes to follow her nose and pull through the leash hard to get to what she wants. We worked with Penny on cooperative play and her loose leash walking skills and she crushed her first lesson. Her owners were so happy that they told me they wished they had started training a year ago.
2️⃣ Daisy is a super confident dog who is actually a former foster of mine! She has grown up since I last saw her in her puppy hood. Daisy is working on keeping her focus on her owners when competing motivators are present. We worked on incorporating tug into her routine for motivation with her obedience and working on her cooperative leash skills.
3️⃣ Flower is a brand new adoption from EHS. She is adorable but has been putting her mouth on her owners to get a reaction from them to play when it’s not appropriate. We introduced tug as an appropriate outlet for her mouthiness and as a motivator for working on her obedience. We also worked on setting boundaries in the house and her leash skills. Go flower!
Can’t wait to see how these pups do over time!
Little man Leif! Leif recently stopped by for a week of boarding. His owners opted to add a training package onto Leif’s stay as this little man has some big feelings and frustration that they wanted help navigating. While Leif was here he worked on his crate training, leash skills and interactions with other dogs. He made progress in all three areas and was a joy to work with. Although a week is not nearly long enough to create new habits, I was able to help guide Leif’s owners in the right direction for continuing his progress with a better understanding of how to help Leif be his best self!
Leif is officially the smallest member of the resilient canine crew!! We love this spicy little dude and hope to see him again ❤️🔥🌶️
This past weekend Oreo and I trialed for her SR1 and she passed!
I am beeming with pride for how far this dog has come in such a short amount of time. We’ve only known each other for 2 months and yet here she is crushing titles before she is even adopted. This dog has pretty much surpassed any expectation I’ve had of her and she only gets better every day. She even recently acted as a demo dog for a group class and totally crushed it.
Somehow I’ve had no adoption interest in Oreo so any shares on her would be highly appreciated! She is an insanely special dog. She is the first dog that I have exclusively used play based training with and as a result the progress we have made and bond that we share is unlike any other dog I’ve trained or fostered. Oreo would excel as a pet dog or as a beginner competition dog for dog sport. She is extremely smart, loves to learn and ultimately is always down to do something with her partner in crime, her person.
I am very open to doing informal meet ups with Oreo so if you are at all interested please reach out!!
Monday May 29! Come out for a wicked group class for an amazing cause! Hanna from and I will be running the class with a focus on engagement with your dog in a distracted setting. This class is open to ALL dogs and handlers no matter your experience level. If you have a reactive dog or are dealing with other behavior issues, there will be plenty of space to utilize on the field and opportunities for brakes when needed! Spread the word about this great opportunity to work with your dog in a real world setting!
Whatever behavioral needs you want addressed, this is the event for you. If you want to learn more or have any questions about if this event is the right fit for you and your dog please send us a DM. Get your tickets now as spaces are limited for each location. DM for ticket link!
All funds raised help rescue dogs in need!
The time has officially come, Oreo is ready for her forever home! This dog has truly stolen my heart. She will be very hard to give up but I know her perfect home is out there. Please share her profile so we can find this girl the best forever home possible!
Oreo is a mixed herding breed who was sent to from another shelter due to some unwanted behaviors she was displaying in a shelter setting. Oreo has previously shown some stranger danger and resource guarding that stems from her urge to control space due to her genetics. Throughout her training, Oreo continued to excel, making new human friends regularly and showing a high level of cooperation around resources.
Oreo is dog social, off leash reliable and loves to play fetch with her humans. She is great when being left alone both crated and left out of the crate to free roam. Oreo is extremely smart and loves to work with her person. She excels when she is challenged mentally, and has already learned a number of obedience commands that are reliable under distractions. Oreo has been started in sheep herding and GRC dog sports. She would likely except at a number of different sports, and is very biddable. Oreo is down to hike and play, but is equally as down to cuddle on the couch with her people.
The link in my bio contains the adoption application for Oreo. If you are interested in her, please fill out the form and I will be in touch with you for a phone call prior to arranging a meet and greet. The person interested in adopting Oreo will have several chances to meet her and ensure it’s a good fit.
This is an extremely special dog. Whoever ends up with her is in for a life of laughs, love and adventures!
Sometimes the stars align for boarding and beautiful friendships are born. Kugel and Ella became fast friends and spent two weeks together causing chaos 👯♀️👯♀️
Penny is a potcake, which is another way of saying a mixed breed street dog. I often get inquiries from people who own rescue street dogs and are dealing with various issues living in the city. Stranger danger and on leash reactivity are the two most frequent behaviours I get called in to help with with dogs like Penny.
Street dogs can make wonderful companions, but it’s important to recognize their genetic make up. Unlike most pet dogs, these dogs are still being influenced by natural selection to an extent. Being a street dog can very much be survival of the fittest, and those that survive have their genes passed down. This means that many of these dogs have survival instincts, and can be highly aware of their surroundings. They may not be as trusting of new people, and may not take as quickly to being controlled on a short leash. These would be excellent traits to have when living on the streets, but can create conflict with city living on a 5ft leash.
When working with individual dogs it is SO important to understand the individual in front of you. If we cannot understand where and why the problem behaviour is stemming from, then you will not be able to help fix it. Understanding genetic programming is a major key to all of my training programs.
Penny has some stranger danger issues and need to control space that stem from her genetic make up. Once you prove to her you are cool, you are in her circle, but she wants to sus out your intentions before she lets her guard down. I will be working with Penny and her owners on obedience, implementing boundaries and showing Penny how to trust new people. She crushed her first lesson so I’m excited to see how she progresses!
I spent the last week on the road in Florida for a great learning opportunity with . The weekend was super fun and very informative, I learned a lot and am very motivated to continue learning from one of the best trainers out there. It was great to meet so many like minded trainers from all over the globe who are just as motivated to become better 💪💪
On our journey back home we made a pit stop at to spend some time with the shelter dogs. I’ve been wanting to head back there since my week long stay last year. Of course I couldn’t leave empty handed, so everyone, meet Oreo!
Oreo is a mutt from New York who was sent to DPFL for stranger danger and resource guarding. Oreo is very very sweet, but she also has a spicy side 🌶️. She defitniely has herding instincts as she loves to control space, which is where many of these “problem” behaviours are stemming from. She loves to play chase and catch and possession games, so she’s already won me over with that! Once Oreo has settled in she will be available for adoption. If you or someone you know is interested in her, feel free to reach out to me for more information! Also taking guesses on breed mix 🧬
Special shout out to .wellness for being a great driving buddy. Two 20+ hour car journeys in one week is no joke!!
BILLIE!
Billie is a rescue mix dog that moved to the big city a while back. Since Billie was a young pup, she has always been quite shut down and nervous about life. Loud noises, new people, and changes in her environment can cause her to spiral and lose all confidence she has. I have been working in private lessons with Billies mom to help progress her confidence and sense of self through play. Progress for dogs like Billie does not happen over night, especially when she is living in an environment like the city where she is constantly head on with the things she is afraid of.
The one amazing thing about Billie is that she completely turns on when she is around other playful dogs. She adores rough housing with dogs, she’s almost unrecognizable when she is in this happy state of mind. Seeing her have those moments let’s me see who she really is and challenges both her owner and I to recreate that through play with us.
Billie spent the weekend with us boarding, and she did super well. She trusted me very quickly which is huge for her. I’m happy with her progress so far, especially considering the last time she had to be boarded with someone else it didn’t go so well. Earning the trust of a scaredy dog like Billie is one of the most rewarding things.
Go Billie! You got this girl 💪
This photo might not seem like much, but for Hazel the doodle this is a big milestone!!!
Hazel is a super sweet golden doodle that has previously been social with other dogs and even used to attend regular off leash hikes with packs of dogs. Unfortunately for Haze, she has had some experiences with off leash dogs that have not respected her space, or her very clear cues that she’s not interested in socializing. This has led to Haze being attacked, which has skewed her perception of dogs. Hazel is what we would call a reactive dog, but in her case, she is reacting out of fear and to create space.
While Hazel boarded with me we slowly but surely opened up her world to more positive experiences with dogs. Hazel has a great relationship with me and solid obedience. Exposing her to other dogs that are neutral and respect her space started to change how she saw dogs while she boarded with me. I showed her that these are dogs that I trust, and she began to see that there was a prediction error in how she expected her interactions with them to go. By the end of her boarding stay, she was full on playing with Josie, going on hikes with my other boarding dogs, and going for group on leash walks. A lot goes into reactivity training, and the root cause of reactivity is not always going to be the same.
I’m SO proud of Hazels progress so far. I’m going to be continuing to work with Hazel and her owners so she can regain some of her freedoms like off leash hikes with other dogs once again. You got this Hazel 💪 We can only go up from here!!
One whole year of Resilient Canine!!
It’s been one year since I launched this little ol biz of mine so we made waffles this morning to celebrate, and of course the dogs got to indulge as well!
I’ve learned soooo much this past year, it really has flown by and that is a testament to how much I love doing this. Working with animals has always been such a passion of mine, waking up every day and getting to work with these creatures that continually push me and put a smile on my face is the best feeling. Right now I feel more passionate than ever about this path, I can’t wait to keep learning more and pushing myself. Every dog teaches me something different, and I am SO thankful for all of my clients who have trusted me with their kids whether it be for training or boarding.
I really can’t say thank you enough to everyone who has recommended me one way or another. 100% of my business has been done through word of mouth, which means so much to me. You all are the back bone of this operation, I wouldn’t be out here doing this without your support! I have some exciting plans for this space, including some NEW services that I will be rolling out over the next 1-2 months. I am always open to feedback, so let me know what services you want to see from me!
I’m so grateful to you all for the support. Here’s to another great year of learning, training, growing and playing with your dogs!!
Toronto, ON
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