Freedom Dog Training & Behaviour

13/04/2024

Big shout out to and Elliot for being a helper today! His handsome mug deserves a spot on the timeline for being the bestest boy.

20/03/2024

FreedomDog FAQ.

Are there fees to reschedule a session?

No.

Actually, I encourage rescheduling if you need. Some days won't be your best, the weather may be awful, your dog could be not feeling great. All valid reasons to postpone a session!

I want you to get the most out of your time with me, behaviour help is an investment and I don't want to waste anyone's time if that day isn't ideal.

I also sometimes have to cancel last minute because of health, road conditions, or my helper dogs input. I always give priority to reschedule my own cancelled sessions as early as possible at the clients convenience.

15/03/2024

FreedomDog FAQ!

"Do you have a fulltime job, or what do you do other than dog training?"

Nothing, dog behaviour is my full time job.

Dog has been my main gig since around 2015/16 after learning and working part time for a few years before that. I started FreedomDog in 2018 and transitioned to soley working under my own business in 2019.

I think sometimes people assume dog training is always a side hustle, passion job, hobby situation. For me, this is my full time career and profession.

(Throwback photo for attention, MadMax a cute minpin.)

07/03/2024

I had such a rough day at work today. /sarcasm

A ProActive session with a baby Doberman puppy who is the sweetest, adores his family kiddos and is doing so good 🥰

Please send me all the baby puppies !!!!!

He fell asleep in my lap half way through our session and it was perfect.

* one day I know we will have another rescue Dobe, not yet. But it was so tempting to adopt one of these little angels.

14/02/2024

I have been missing my old man a lot lately so I love when Facebook shares our memories. Especially today when I am thinking of and sending all my love to a friend who is saying goodbye to their heart dog.
This was 10 years ago when we bought him a giant Sectional so he always had space to stretch out beside us. He made so many changes on our lives - changed the car I drove, what I ate, where we lived, my career.. he made Ryan and I better humans.
We are so lucky to share our lives with such magical creatures as dogs, never take that for granted.
Over 5 years without him but he is still part of our lives in so many ways. The most stoic being I have ever known. Miss you buddy. 🧡

09/02/2024

"No reputable dog trainer would recommend dog parks." A statement I saw in a dog group. Let's talk about it.

Dog parks come with risks, absolutely. But as with everything in life it is important to look at the risk/reward for each specific person and dog.

1. This is an abelist statement. Some guardians are not able to walk, run, hike to meet their dogs exercise requirements. Offleash exercise allows a dog more freedom of movement and activity that is more accessible. (Not everyone can afford to go to private parks, or can drive to access them.)
2. Some dogs' social skills are well developed and they can navigate the rude adolescent dogs, puppies or selective dogs they come across. Jord and Kitsune were dog park regulars for years.
3. It can be a wonderful social opportunity for dogs who thrive with conspecifics and guardians who do not have dogs in their circle of family and friends.

There are definitely dogs who should NOT be at public offleash parks ALOT of them. That doesn't mean we should rule them out completely. And as a reputable dog professional I do sometimes recommend them for certain dogs, I will also help analyze and improve a dogs skills so they may be a candidate. This will fluctuate through out their lives.

If you are curious if your dog should be at dog parks or you want to learn more about interpreting the behaviour you see while there I am happy to help - book a consult and we can figure out what is best specifically for you and your dog.

05/02/2024

Desmond was a tad more comfortable than I predicted 😆

I love being one of the first calls a client makes when they add a new doggo to the family. Desmond was adopted as a nervous boy so booked a ProActive package to help make sure he gets off to the best start with his new family. picked a superstar family for this boy and he may be boarding with us soon (his older sister is Bijou a current boarding client!).

03/02/2024

In 2016/2017 I did study in preparation to write an examination to become certified as a dog behaviour consultant but then I was just too busy doing the consulting to ever follow through. This December on a whim and with some encouragement I decided to FINALLY dedicate the time and now I am northern Alberta's second CDBC (Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant)!

I do want to thank my refrences - you need endorsements from a veterinarian, peer and client who are familiar with you work and I had the best options to choose from. I am so thankful for all the connections I have made over the years.

There are a few organisation's that offer a certification in my field but I chose the IAABC because of the level of professionalism I have seen from other certificants. Also the application process seemed the most challenging and the exam the most thorough.

The exam consists of a large short/long answer section to test knowledge, several scenarios to measure consulting and assesment skills and three case studies to match specific prompts of behaviour challenges to confirm a well rounded case history.

Consulting on behaviour is not dog training, dog trainer has never really been an accurate label for me. It is a part of consulting and a skill that I use but working with behaviour cases involves so much more than just training or modifying behaviour and I am happy to finally have a certification for what I actually do.

I truly love my job and am excited to continue helping dogs with their guardians. Thank you for all of you support and for treating your dogs with understanding and kindness.

02/02/2024

Just a happy face of a happy dog for those that may need a smile.

30/01/2024

I am often entirely over whelmed by what it must be like as a dog guardian navigating hiring any dog professional. The industries are completely unregulated, the information available is contradictory and the costs can be astronomical despite a varied education and experience. Why, WHY, on top of that do you have to worry about folks using labels to mislead you or misrepresent themselves?

I respect professional boundaries in regards to my clients choices and other trainers styles, this isn't a post to debate the best approach. It is about how you as a dog guardian have an extra layer to sift through when hiring a professional and I want to give some extra info to support you.

Just because you align with a certain style of training, seeing those words on a webpage does not mean that professional aligns with you. It is important to ask specific questions. Unfortunately.

Welfare based. Anyone using this word should align with the Five Freedoms, but I have seen it used by trainers who use deprivation of food, activity and rest.

Positive Reinforcement. Specifically the word positive is on every webpage since it became popularized terminology for training that focuses on using reinforcement, motivation with food or toys. BUT it is used as a descriptor by many trainers who refuse to use food in training, demand obedience and only reinforce with praise.

Balanced training often gets thrown around as a "We use all forms of learning" but often in a pre interview or package they actually require the use of a electronic collar for their clients. That is compulsion based training.

And now I am seeing force free used so freely as a descriptor for anyone who does not use shock or prong collars. When the way I use force free and many of my clients expectations are something much different.

The good news is it means guardians are shifting the market of what they want, the bad news is buzzwords are used for marketing. Some of these professionals may even be in the process of learning or changing how they train themselves but...

I want you all to be aware that a LABEL is not enough information.

22/12/2023

Fireworks may be prohibited here in the Edmonton area this New Years with the dry weather. But there will still be someone who sets the off anyway, so be prepared!
Check out this fantastic article about how to best mask triggering noises for your sound sensitive dog, and of course speak to your vet about possible event medications because dogs deserve any help suitable to avoid suffering.

Dogs who are scared of thunder and noise can benefit from masking, "canceling," with fans, noise machines, or certain types of music.