Gentle Beast

Home
Canada
Toronto, ON
Gentle Beast

Dog training and behavior instruction from the world's best, when and where you need it.

04/01/2025

Happy April Fools’ Day from !

(for legal reasons, these are all jokes)

02/28/2025

In 1987, a Bull Terrier with a cool attitude and a taste for the good life burst onto the scene - and overnight, Spuds MacKenzie became a legend.

Who was Spuds Mackenzie?

Once upon a time, he was one of the most famous living creatures around. His primary job was to sell Bud Light beer, but you might be forgiven for not realizing - what Spuds mostly seemed to do was show up to parties and flaunt his wealth. His entourage, a group of gorgeous women named the Spudettes, traveled with him wherever he went.

Like many Hollywood celebrities, Spuds Mackenzie weathered more than a few scandals.

Most famously, he was revealed to be a “she.” Spuds’ real identity was Honey Tree Evil Eye, or “Evie” for short. Evie was a female show dog who attracted the attention of the ad agency DDB Needham. Posters of her in a blue fraternity sweater standing behind a goblet of beer began to appear everywhere. Eventually, she’d end up starring in a Super Bowl XXI commercial, which skyrocketed her to national fame.

Her family, the Oles, were protective of her privacy. Unfortunately, the media did not reciprocate. PEOPLE magazine published not only a shot of Evie squatting to p*e, but also the Oleses’ full home address.

The scandals didn’t end there: gossip magazines immediately began speculating that Evie was retiring due to pregnancy. Senator Strom Thurmond accused the ad campaign of targeting children. Mothers Against Drunk Driving launched their own campaigns against Spuds. By 1988, schools were banning clothing that featured him.

Perhaps most damningly of all: Sir Mix-A-Lot cited the Spudettes as negative inspiration for “Baby Got Back.”

Evie died in 1993, but Spuds Mackenzie outlived her. In 2017, Bud Light resurrected his ghost for another Super Bowl commercial, where he helped a man named Brian reunite with his friends. Presumably, they cracked a cold one after.

02/14/2025

Happy Valentine’s Day from ! Love doesn’t have to be romantic to be important ❤️ 🐶

11/14/2024

With Thanksgiving just a few short weeks away and winter holidays right around the corner, here are some quick and easy dog training tips to help you and your puppy prepare yourselves.

10/31/2024

happy halloween 🎃 👻

10/18/2024

“This Halloween, I’m dressing up as…”

FINISH THE SENTENCE USING PREDICTIVE TEXT

There is literally nothing better about Halloween than all the weird and wonderful dog costumes. There’s something out there for every dog, from fun and spooky collars to full-blown wigs and outfits.

Psst here’s a pro dog training tip…

If you’ve recently welcomed a new puppy into your home, pack some treats and take them out during the day for some peak socialization! People will be dressed in all sorts of costumes that you’ll never see for the rest of the year - there’s no better time to start acclimating your pup to unusual hairstyles and outfits.

Got a dog that likes to bark at doorbells? Tire them out early and put them somewhere quiet where they won’t be going nuts. Or, take the opportunity to arm yourself with treats and think of it as a desensitization challenge.

Share what you and your dog will be up to this Halloween in the comments below!

09/20/2024

tbh we’re all feeling a little lost these days

08/30/2024

1️⃣ The Right Training Philosophy

Dog training has come a long way over the last few decades. Understanding your trainer’s philosophy gives you insight about their methods. Do they talk about positive reinforcement and harnessing motivation? Do they use correction-based methods? Are their training methods consistent with what they’re saying?

2️⃣ Flexibility

Dogs are individuals, which means they’re motivated by different things. And motivation itself can be flexible and context-dependent! A good trainer understands how to adapt their methods and teaches you to understand what motivates your dog in any given moment. If your dog isn’t motivated by conventional reinforcers (ie. Food), your trainer shouldn’t make you feel like your dog needs to change.

3️⃣ Good Communication and People Skills

Your dog trainer should have a good rapport not only with your dog but with you as well. You should be able to express concerns or frustrations that you might have with the training process, and trust that your dog trainer will hear you and be able to answer your questions. And you should exit the training sessions feeling confident that you’ll be able to teach your dog something new.

4️⃣ Patience and Empathy

Dog training can be a grind. A good trainer sets reasonable expectations and doesn’t rush the training process or promise a quick fix. Not to mention, dogs and humans can have off days - your trainer understands that mistakes are part of the learning process, that progress isn’t always linear, and can keep the whole team motivated to continue.

5️⃣ The Right Education and Qualifications

Start your search for a trainer by seeing what kind of qualifications they hold. Common certifications are the CPDT-KA and the KPA, which indicate that they follow ethical, science-backed dog training methods and have agreed to uphold certain professional standards. Then, narrow your search further by seeing which trainers have the kind of experience you’re looking for.

Have you had a good or bad dog training experience? Drop a comment and tell us your story below 👇

08/18/2024

✨ share tips on getting your dog to use these beds pls ✨

Is Jane demure?

08/16/2024

He bit into a pill once and never forgave me 🥲

Real talk: Gadget’s aversion to taking food from me in this context (and only this context) is a great example of single event learning. Although he’s eaten tons of treats without a problem, one negative incident was enough for him to develop persistent anxiety about it. This is a temporary solution; as Gadget relaxes and stops dissecting the first decoy cream cheese ball, I’ll start fading the decoys out.

Fun fact: Gadget started out on pill pockets, then this happened so we switched to peanut butter. Then peanut butter betrayed him so here we are, trying to keep this cream cheese train going.

06/18/2024

If they made a movie about your dog, what would the title be?

06/11/2024

Today is World Pet Memorial Day, so we thought we'd share some ancient tributes to beloved dogs whose owners grieved their loss.

Do you have a story of your own pet you'd like to tell? Share it with us in the comments below ❤️‍🩹

06/07/2024

Hint: it's not a poodle

05/31/2024

just had its inaugural flight with its first pack of pups on board! If you're looking into flying with your pup, we've got answers to questions you've always wondered about but never thought to ask.

Got anymore questions? Drop them in a comment below and we'll dig up the answer for you!

Address

Toronto, ON
11215

Website

http://www.gentlebeast.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Gentle Beast posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Gentle Beast: