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The Pack Dog Training Reactivity Redefined! Creating calm for dogs & building confidence in humans - Vancouver BC 🐾🇨🇦

Say hello to Pepper and Maggie again. Pepper is 4.5y, rescue from India who just had her first in person cognitive behav...
23/12/2025

Say hello to Pepper and Maggie again. Pepper is 4.5y, rescue from India who just had her first in person cognitive behavioral therapy session with Mais

Owner concerns: dog reactivity, human reactivity, socialization, aggression with intent to harm, barking at the window and barking at new guests

Assessment: Pepper is quite sensitive and has difficulty relaxing in many situations even when it’s just the family at home. They have worked with Kelly and made some really great progress especially with two of the members of the household when walking her. Recently, the dog reactivity has become more intense, and Pepper is going for other pets in the household. She’s hyper focused at all times including windows, new people coming into the house and on the walk, especially in her neighborhood and will react to many dogs as well as strange objects or movement such as umbrellas, walking sticks, scooters people going in out of cars, etc. One member of the household feels she’s not as strong handler as the others so they thought they would try something new to add to what they already knew, as a member of the family is a familiar with CBT for humans.

We did a virtual call to explain that CCBT exercises. Everyone in the family did so well with them right away and by four days later when I saw them, the following items weren’t happening as much anymore. Sitting and looking at the windows rather than barking, not following around the house which is related to separation anxiety, not sitting begging for food at the kitchen table, choosing to go to the crate on her own, and overall sleeping more during the day rather than hearing every noise. Those are fast changes.

In this session, we went to the street to give the family some new tools on walks. Show them how to take the exercises and transfer it over to mildly stimulating situations at every opportunity. The bringing the brain down at challenging times to allow for processing and different decision-making.

She’s on her way to a whole New World 🩵❄️💙

December 23rd to January 1st For the first time in my life, I am going off social media for a week.No Instagram, no Face...
23/12/2025

December 23rd to January 1st

For the first time in my life, I am going off social media for a week.
No Instagram, no Facebook, no TikTok.

I'm going to party like it's 1999 😊

Our business manager will also be in holiday until January 5th. All emergencies or inquiries should be forwarded to email and will be responded to based on urgency. All other emails will be responded to in the New Year.

See you in 2026!

Love you all!
Kelly ❤️

22/12/2025

Louie is back!

He had his first session out of his five package training program with Kelly, and already is learning to tone it down a notch. This was his first greeting with Cooper after the previous video a month ago, and while still excited and full of beans, he definitely took it down about 3.7 notches 😆

We got him back on the prong collar, which is (as usual) a total game changer giving Mom the confidence in handling him on the busy Vancouver Streets and allowing better control and more communication between her and Mr Louie. Mom had previously used one to great success but was shamed out of continuing, plus she was using a cheap knockoff version so we got her into an appropriate 3mm Herm Sprenger paired with a Katie's buckle.

It is important to note, as several comments have asked, we are not trying to take away this fun boy's quirky and goofy personality, but we do need to teach him to tone it down because he comes in way too hot with dogs and people. Remember the foundation to a socialized animal is neutrality, so we are going to teach Louie to calmly approach, and say hello to other dogs and people before instigating a dance party 🥳

Stay tuned for more!

Everyone say hello again to Louie, star of our viral video when he met Cooper the first time, who is now had his first o...
21/12/2025

Everyone say hello again to Louie, star of our viral video when he met Cooper the first time, who is now had his first official training session out of his five package training program with Kelly.

Owner concerns: Human reactivity, Dog reactivity, Leash manners, Basic manners, Obedience, Recall, Socialization

My assessment: Louie is foundationally a good boy, but Mom is a first time bully owner and has lost confidence in her leadership skills due to his excitement-based reactivity with dogs and fear based reactivity with humans. Obviously because of his breathe, people get afraid very easily and she feels judged and self-conscious about his behavior which has spiraled into anxiety that feeds into his reactivity.

What we are doing: At the assessment Mom informed me that while she was currently using a choke chain, she had previously had great success with a prong collar but was shamed out of using it. We brought that back into the mix today and, as usual, it was nothing short of game changing and you could see Mom immediately relax being that she had much more control of him and it was easier to communicate with far less leash pressure and physical exertion.
We started by creating some in home rules and boundaries with the homework of 1) getting a crate 2) keeping him off the furniture and out of bed 3) utilizing a house leash 4) implementing protocols for guests arrival and 5) leaving the house calmly and respectfully.
We then went outside, I properly sized a prong collar for them to borrow until the 3 mm short Herm Sprenger is back in stock. We did a walk around the neighborhood, talking about the importance of structure and direction. We thankfully crossed paths with a couple of dogs which gave us the opportunity to practice those moments and then we finished off with a little fun with Cooper!

Make sure to check out our stories from today as we once again had a hilarious meeting with Cooper 😆

Everyone say hello again to Brutus who had his final session out of his five package training program with Kelly. Owner ...
21/12/2025

Everyone say hello again to Brutus who had his final session out of his five package training program with Kelly.

Owner concerns: Human reactivity, Recall, socialization, dog reactivity

How it started: Brutus is a BIG husky x pitbull mix that his parents adopted as a rescue and was attacked within 24 hours of coming home. The incident mentally and emotionally traumatized all of them, but more so his parents which then cycled into anxiety and fear to Brutus. They started avoiding dogs more and more which created more feelings about other dogs and the reactivity cycle continued. They had already done a lot of work, so there was a great foundation that we just needed to build confidence in them all.

What we did: They came into the program with the 2.25 mm prong collar which I love to see but I was concerned about the weight limit as those are only good for up to 50 lb. I sent them to dog sport Langley to get the new 3 mm short prong to provide the same amount of links but with more sturdiness. We then started creating controlled scenarios to work on socialization focusing on thresholds, redirection, calm energy and confident leadership.

How it's going: Today we started off with some sassy dogs; Brodie then Minnie followed by Daphne and then Ryka. We did a 50/50 meet versus just proximal socialization. We finished with some off-leash time with Cooper and Bogey which was absolutely perfect! A little bit of play but mostly neutrality.

The progress that they have seen in Brutus is a direct result of the confidence that they have built within themselves. We have a bit more work to do and they have purchased one of our holiday packages so we can start some e-collar training in the New year, but they have come so far and we couldn't be more proud of them all!

See you guys in 2026!

3 years ago today ❄️ We had an epic Christmas snowfall and it was my first with Bear. I don't think I had ever seen him ...
21/12/2025

3 years ago today ❄️

We had an epic Christmas snowfall and it was my first with Bear.

I don't think I had ever seen him so happy in my life. He would spend all day outside if I let him, and I did most of the day but he especially loved our woods walks blazing a trail in the snow.

Whenever it snows I think of him and this moment will forever be one of my favorite core memories of his time with me ❤️

Everyone say hello again to the derpiest of derp Mr Ernie who had his fourth session out of his five package training pr...
21/12/2025

Everyone say hello again to the derpiest of derp Mr Ernie who had his fourth session out of his five package training program with Kelly.

Owner concerns: dog reactivity and overall socialization

How it started: When I first met Ernie and his mom he was alive wire jumping back and forth between extreme excitement and extreme fear. After a couple of unprovoked incidents where dogs attacked him, both Ernie and his mom lost confidence in socializing with other dogs. They weren't using equipment that was giving them the best control and communication between the two of them and Mom had been avoiding all of their favorite off-leash places.

What we did: We started by first showing Mom that he wasn't aggressive, just fear-based reactive and would be a bit overdramatic when he wanted space but his intention was never to cause harm. We switched him over to a 3-mm prong collar which was nothing short of game-changing before creating more of a calm and neutral relationship between him and Mom. The concept of staying still and processing the environment was lost on them both when we first began.

How it's going: Today we met again at Bridgeman off-leash dog park which they had been going to every day since our last session, previously avoiding it because of lack of confidence and altercations that had taken place.
Mom wanted to do more with the E-Collar as last time we did the same walk but I was holding the remote, this time Mom was in charge! Cooper, Bogey and Miss Minnie were his wingmen and although it wasn't super busy because of the weather, we came across a number of situations which provided good scenarios for Mom to practice recall with distractions.

Stay tuned: For our last session we're going to come back to the same park, polish up the e-collar work especially focusing on creating recall in EVERY scenario.

Meet Odin and Onyx! I have been contacted to help find these beautiful bullies homes in the new year. Rehoming a dog is ...
20/12/2025

Meet Odin and Onyx!

I have been contacted to help find these beautiful bullies homes in the new year.

Rehoming a dog is a shame-filled, judgment inducing, extremely difficult decision that not everyone comes to lightly. Before you sit and automatically judge someone for "giving away their dog" make sure to do your due diligence first because I can attest as someone that has run a rescue for over a decade, that not everybody is the careless do*****ag you think they are when a dog needs a new home.

Odin and Onyx have been loved beyond words their entire lives, but unfortunately life changes have made their parents realize that they deserve so much more than what they are currently getting and they only want what's best for them.

I have the privilege of meeting these sweet babies the other day and they are absolute lovers! I will be doing some more temperament testing over the next few weeks to ensure that I have a solid foundation of their needs and what sort of home would be best.

Stay tuned for more updates of these sweet bully babies and their journey to find a new home in 2026 🐾❤️

HOLIDAY TRAINING TIPS 🐾 1) Utilize your crate. If your dog is not crate trained have a room or area that they can escape...
20/12/2025

HOLIDAY TRAINING TIPS 🐾

1) Utilize your crate. If your dog is not crate trained have a room or area that they can escape from the chaos and have quiet and calm. Make sure people are told to stay away from the crate and/or the room.

2) Keep holiday food, especially candies and chocolate out of reach. Your dog may not have counter-surfed before, but sometimes a plate of Nanaimo bars is too much for anybody to deny.

3) DO NOT USE THE HOLIDAY CHAOS AS A TRAINING OPPORTUNITY! Christmas is novel and not the norm. No need to practice meeting your second cousin for the first time under these circumstances.

4) ADVOCATE for your dog. Practice telling guests NO - you can't pet my dog. PLEASE give my dog space or stop staring at them. Say no to humans so your dog doesn't have to.

What would you add?
What protocols and management techniques do you utilize during the holidays to keep your dog safe and happy?

Everyone say hello again to Jacks who had his third session out of his e-collar package with Kelly. Owner concerns: Dog ...
20/12/2025

Everyone say hello again to Jacks who had his third session out of his e-collar package with Kelly.

Owner concerns: Dog reactivity, Leash manners

How it started: Jacks is a true to form working line border collie. His parents were doing the best they could giving him an outlet for his breed need, but unfortunately were still struggling with his reactivity to other dogs especially when on leash or around any of his balls. There had been a handful of altercations that were very concerning to them and they had not received the help they needed from other trainers - One of which saying the answer was to re home him.

What we did: started with more structure in the home, including a place command and protocols for his excitement-based reactivity when people would come or go. He picked this up so quickly, as we are dealing with one of the smartest breeds.
We then did E-collar conditioning to basic commands to be used in the house.

How it's going: due to life, mom had not gotten all of her homework done from the previous session and had not felt confident about using the e-collar so we did a quick refresher for the first part of the session. We then used the second part of the session to practice leaving the home and backing up basic commands out on the walk before I brought out Cooper and used the e-collar as a neutral communication tool to break hyperfixation and potential frustration-based reactivity.

Stay tuned: While Jacks picks things up super fast and by the end of the session absolutely understood what we were saying with the e-collar sensation, we definitely have to do more to build mom's confidence.
Her homework includes slowing everything down as he has enough energy for everyone.
We are going to do at least one more session to practice more real-world scenarios specifically using the E-Collar to interrupt and correct his trigger fixation and start to work on his socialization with other dogs.

Everyone say hello (again) to Reggie who just had his second official training session with Kelly out of his five packag...
19/12/2025

Everyone say hello (again) to Reggie who just had his second official training session with Kelly out of his five package training program, although this is the first time we have posted him.

Owner concerns: Human reactivity, Dog reactivity, Leash manners, Recall, Obedience

How it started: Reggie is a Bouvier mix that gets a lot of feelings about things whether it be nerves or excitement with new people or his favorite people, or fear / excitement with new dogs or dogs he knows. While there was a decent foundation in the home, with the use of a crate and a bed, he had a very different relationship with Mom versus Dad.

What we did: Starting in home, as we always do, we talked about the importance of neutrality, whether it be not engaging with super excitement when they first came home or giving him too much interaction when he was nervous/protecting against strangers. We incorporated more crate time, less unwarranted affection / attention and more clear direction, rules and boundaries.

How it's going: Today we practice setting up a protocol for people's arrival, whether it be people he loves to see or people he's nervous about. We start in the crate, slowly work our way out with calm behavior and then are given the opportunity to engage neutrally and calmly.
We did some light e-collar conditioning to see how he responded to the different sensations. Pairing it with a bed command and doing some higher reward for compliance.

Stay tuned: They are going to be using their new protocols over the holidays with guests and tightening up a bed/place command. In addition there will be no more off leash in the near future so he can earn that back.
Next session we will be doing in-home protocols and then moving outside using the E-collar for basic obedience and interruption.

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BC

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Tuesday 09:00 - 20:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 20:00
Thursday 09:00 - 20:00
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Sunday 09:00 - 20:00

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How Kelly became the Crazy Dog Lady

Kelly has always had a love for dogs, and grew up in a household where she had four that were her best friends. After she graduated with a biochemistry degree from California State University at Fullerton, she moved to Washington state where her love for pitbulls began. She started PB and Chi Dog Rescue Society in 2012 and worked hands on with over 500 dogs and felt rescue dogs was her true calling. Seeing the issues the dogs coming out of the shelters had, she got her certification in dog training and started working hands on with the reactive and unsocialized ones in particular as there was so little training willing and able of working with them. Through the course of her rescue and training experience, she built a pack of her own dogs that she worked diligently to balance and work together in harmony. She now uses her own skills, along with those of her ten pack, to help dogs and families all over the lower mainland to find their family harmony too. She always says “whatever your issue, I have a dog for that!”