Happy Dawgs Obedience Training

12/24/2025

2025 - 2026 Holiday Hours:

Dec. 24 - Dec. 26: Closed
Dec. 31 - Jan. 2: Closed
Have a safe, happy, loving, fulfilling, and joyful Christmas everyone. See you all in the new year.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy Yule, Merry Christmas!
🎄☃️🎉🎊🎀

12/23/2025

This is crucial information. Please pass it on.

A medical episode can happen anywhere at anytime for us, and we have had many requests for a "How to" guide on assisting us, and other handlers.

If you encounter a Service Dog handler experiencing a medical episode, your actions should focus on supporting the handler while respecting the Service Dog’s role. Here's how to proceed:

1. Remain Calm and Assess the Situation
Observe from a safe distance. Look for signs that the Service Dog is working, such as:

• Laying on or against the handler (often to provide grounding or comfort).
• Pawing, nosetapping or licking the handler.
• Attempting to direct attention to the handler.

2. Allow the Service Dog to Perform Its Job

• Do not interfere with the dog: Service Dogs are specifically trained to assist during medical episodes, such as grounding the handler, retrieving items or medication, or helping stabilize them or alerting to changes in body chemistry
• Look for signs on the Service Dog such as "Medical information enclosed" or "Don't contact 911 unless injured" & adjust your care appropriately
• Do not separate the dog from the handler for ANY REASON

3. Approach Respectfully and Ask Permission

• If the handler is conscious:
• Approach slowly and ask, “Do you need help?”
• Be specific: “Would you like me to call an ambulance?” or “Is there someone I can contact for you?”
• Follow their instructions if they can respond.

4. If the Handler is Unresponsive

• If the handler cannot respond:
• Look for visible injuries, bleeding /trauma ect
• Look for signs on the dog that they may not need EMS

IF NO SIGNS ARE VISIBLE THAT THE HANDLER DOES NOT WANT EMS OR YOU ARE UNSURE

• Call emergency services immediately. Inform them that the individual has a Service Dog.
• Make it clear to responders that the dog is a trained Service Dog and needs to remain with the handler

5. Keep the Area Safe

• Create a perimeter around the handler and dog and give us space.
• Politely direct bystanders to give space and avoid interacting with the dog.

6. Do Not Touch or Distract the Dog

• Avoid petting, calling, or redirecting the Service Dog. Their actions, such as laying on the handler or staying alert nearby, are deliberate and essential to their task.
• Respect the dog’s focus as it may be detecting subtle changes in the handler's condition.

7. When Emergency Responders Arrive

• Inform responders of the handler’s condition
• Inform EMS of anything you have seen that could assist them in caring for us
• Request that the dog accompany the handler if transport is needed. Separation can cause unnecessary stress and confusion for both.

8. After the Episode

• If the handler regains consciousness, confirm if they are okay and whether they need further assistance.
• Respect their privacy and dignity.

Important Notes

• Do not panic. Remaining calm will help everyone involved.
• The Service Dog’s behavior, such as laying on the handler or tapping or pawing at the handler, is purposeful and part of their training.
• Always prioritize the handler’s safety while respecting the bond and teamwork between them and their Service Dog.

By following these steps, you can provide assistance without disrupting the Service Dog’s critical role.

12/17/2025

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only 8 days away. Where has this year gone?

Reflecting on this year, Vincent and his owner, Tia, have made tremendous strides forward. Both have gained a lot of confidence in themselves, and their relationship has been steadily improving and growing. Tia has been learning how to communicate clearly and effectively, she’s been learning how to remain calm and focused, and she’s been doing a fantastic job of reading Vincent’s body language. Meanwhile, Vincent has been learning to look to his handler for direction and guidance in stressful situations, and he’s been doing awesome with meeting new dogs. This team has grown so much over this year, and I am so, so proud of how far they’ve come together.

Sprocket and his owner, Audrey, are finding their way together. Sprocket is still highly reactive to other dogs and other animals, but Audrey has been doing her best to help him work through those moments. Between scheduling issues and weather, we couldn’t seem to dig into things after the initial 3-day workshop. But, I’m happy to say this will be changing in the new year, after the chaos of Christmas is over and life has mostly returned to a more normal state.

Over the holidays, I’m going to be looking at where I am and where I need to be going. The past few years have brought a lot of changes; some of them have been good, but many haven’t been. If I’m going to continue helping owners and their dogs, I need to adapt to those changes by making some adjustments. I’ve been working with owners and their dogs professionally for 10 years; change is a necessary part of life, and if we can’t or don’t want to adapt, we get stuck and left behind. I don’t want that. Hence, the need to look at where I am and where I need to be going.

I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you to my followers on YouTube and here on Facebook for staying with me and engaging with me, and thank you to all of my clients past and present who have been supporting and encouraging me by referring me to others and keeping me updated on your lives with your dogs. You don’t know how much I appreciate you all.

Have a great day, and remember to stay calm and lead on.

12/13/2025

A rare moment of peace between Glimmer and Violet. So precious… 🥰

11/28/2025

All outdoor classes are postponed due to weather. The current temperature is -11ºC, with a wind chill factor of -21ºC. It's not safe for your dogs. We'll reschedule as soon as weather allows. Have a great day and a great weekend, and remember to stay calm and lead on.

11/26/2025

Winter has arrived, and that means scheduling outdoor classes according to weather. The safety and well-being of your dog is and always will be my #1 priority; just as summer classes are scheduled for cooler temperatures to protect your dog from overheating, winter classes are scheduled for warmer days when temperatures are at or above -7ºC (not including wind chill). You may think -7C is nothing, but most dogs are barefoot. Imagine yourself wearing a sweater or a wind-breaker and standing on snow and ice in bare feet for an hour. It takes no time at all for frostbite to happen on a dog's paws.

Have a great day, and remember to stay calm and lead on. You've got this!

11/21/2025

Thinking about doing a meet & greet at different locations a couple of times each week. It's doubtful that anyone would show up (I'm usually pretty invisible)😅 but it's something to do when I'm not working - give me a break from Husband. 😁

11/14/2025

This week's session with Vincent the was postponed, as his owners are out of town. Looking through all of the videos of him over this past year and seeing the tremendous progress he's made, my heart fills with pride in Tia's courage and determination to push through her own barriers and help him learn to trust her.

Almost a year ago, I met a dog so terrified of the world that he tried to hide under my car, and a handler who was uncertain, lacking in confidence, and at her wits' end. Now, almost a year later, I see a dog filled with curiosity, who thinks before he reacts, whose confidence and trust in his handler has grown exponentially; I see a handler who walks tall and confidently, and who has learned how to provide clear, concise direction to her dog. It's so beautiful, and it fills my heart to overflowing to see these two learning how to be a real team.

Life is full of ups and downs, good days and bad days, challenges and successes. How you handle those challenges and rough days is what makes the difference between success and failure. Sure, you can leave things for another day - sometimes, that's the best thing to do. Just don't give up completely. If you're struggling with your dog, CALL ME. I'm here for you. Sure, it might take a lot of time, but look at how far Vincent and his owner have come in a year. If they can do it, so can you. ♥

Have a great day and a great weekend ahead, and remember to stay calm and lead on. You've got this!

11/11/2025

To all our veterans past and present, thank you for your service.
(poem sung by my aunt, Adele Simmons)
https://youtu.be/pu1XaTIUWR4?si=od7w52NWVT9vJgHc

John McCrae's famous poem arranged into a song by Adele Simmons (Canada)- [email protected]

11/08/2025

This is the biggest breakthrough yet with Vincent and his owner Tia Steele MacMillan. Watch as she successfully navigates him through all kinds of distractions and triggers.

Nov. 6, 2025 - In this session, Vincent and his handler are challenged to deal with multiple distractions and triggers.

11/02/2025

IYKYK

11/01/2025

The latest session with Vincent the reactive was IN-freaking-credible! He and his owner worked on regulating their emotions while handling triggers - one of which included repeated and close exposure to Glimmer. Vincent and Tia Steele MacMillan have made so much progress together that I felt he was more than ready for the challenge. The full session will appear on YouTube tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 2). You'll see for yourself the phenomenal progress this awesome team has made over these past 10 months.

Have a great day, and remember to stay calm and lead on. :)