Mission Paws Dog School

26/08/2025

Honestly? They’re right. Except that...

Your dog already does walk at your pace… they just don’t do it when you clip on the leash.

👉 Ever notice them creeping slowly through the house?
👉 Or tip-toeing around with their nose glued to the ground?
👉 Or padding quietly toward their bed before flopping down with a big sigh of relaxation?

That’s your dog showing you they have a slower gear.

It’s not beyond them. It’s not untrainable.

The opportunity is already there — you just have to catch it.

Loose leash walking isn’t about correcting pulling.

It’s about reinforcing those little moments when your dog chooses to move with you. That’s how you grow teamwork instead of tug-of-war.

That’s exactly what we do in my Loose Leash LOVE class (or the online version if you’re not local).

✨ Your dog doesn’t need to be redesigned to walk with you. They just need help realizing they already can.

Comment LOVE and let's chat about how this training can help you enjoy your dogs walks without the shoulder pain.

22/08/2025

You didn’t sign up for a full-contact sport when you got a dog.
You imagined walks, outings, maybe even off-leash hangs…
Not your dog going full rocket-launch mode at the sight of another pup.

If your dog:
🔥 Comes in hot to every dog-dog interaction
🎯 Zeros in on every moving thing — bikes, birds, skateboards, squirrels
🧦 Steals socks like it’s a career path
🧍‍♀️ Can’t settle… even when you’re just trying to p*e alone
🌀 Constantly follows you, paces, whines, or struggles to chill at home…

You’re not alone — and your dog’s not trying to make life hard.
They just don’t yet have the skills to process the world.

Let’s break it down:

Most advice about distractions and over-arousal focuses on management or “corrections.”
But that only addresses the symptoms.
And often makes your dog more hyped, more frustrated, or more confused.

Here’s what your dog is really struggling with:

Arousal regulation — their brain flips the ON switch but forgot the OFF

Frustration tolerance — they want the thing… and don’t know how to handle not getting it

Impulse control — that sock? That bird? It might as well be magnetic

Disengagement — they don’t want to leave the distraction, because they’ve never learned how

Traditional training says:
“Correct them.”
“Stop the behavior.”
“Control the environment.”

We say:
Train the brain. Build the skills. Create new patterns.

Distraction? ACTION! is different.

This isn’t obedience.
This is neuroscience meets real-life problem-solving — through play, strategy, and smart structure.

You’ll learn how to teach your dog to:
✅ Focus around other dogs, people, and wildlife
✅ Think clearly in exciting or overwhelming environments
✅ Tolerate frustration and disengage from distractions
✅ Settle calmly — at home, on trails, or on patios
✅ Handle the hard moments with more resilience and less drama

This class is for you if…

🐕 Your dog is brilliant, but has no “off switch”
🐕 You’re exhausted from micromanaging their every move
🐕 You want a dog who can choose calm — not just be forced into it
🐕 You want to go places without stress

It’s not about perfection.

It’s about building the brain your dog needs to live the life you want to share with them.

🎯 Real-life skills
🧠 Game-based training
🙌 Zero shame or punishment

This is the class that helps your dog finally learn how to chill — and helps you finally breathe.

✨ Sunday Sept 7 & 14 @ 4:00pm - 4:50pm
📍 Vic West Community Centre
🎁 Includes lifetime access to Distraction Action & Perfect Place online to continue progress at home
💰 $145 when you save your spot before Sept 2nd!
🐾 All breeds & ages welcome

Spots are limited — grab yours now before they fill!

Build a confident, well-behaved dog with group training classes at Mission Paws Dog School. Positive, practical classes for puppies, reactive dogs, and everything in between. Join us in Victoria today!

21/08/2025

Everyone says “just bring better treats.”
Like… oh thank you, Linda, why didn’t I think of that. 🙄

Here’s the thing: walking on a loose leash isn’t about dangling roast beef like a carrot on a stick.

If your dog is bouncing off the walls the second the leash comes out, no amount of turkey wiener bribes are gonna fix that.

👉 The walk starts inside the house.
👉 Calmness is a skill.
👉 Food motivation is a muscle, not a birthright.

I didn’t have a “food motivated” dog. I built one.

I didn’t have a naturally calm walker. I trained one.

(Actually he was the worst of both worlds, puller on the way out, pancake on the way home. Bless him).

And that’s what no one else tells you:

Your dog doesn't walk out the womb on a leash knowing exactly what to do — you train them to live in this absurd world we ask of them.

That’s exactly what I teach in my Loose Leash LOVE class (and yep, there’s an online version if you’re not local).

✨ If you’re tired of sore shoulders, side-eye from neighbors, and pitching your coffee every time they yeet to the end of the leash...

Come into the light and let’s build the skills that make walks actually enjoyable.

Comment LOVE and I'll send you the deets.

21/08/2025

You imagined peaceful walks.
Matching strides. A connection.
A leash that hangs with ease while you and your dog move together through the world.

But here’s what you got instead:
🦮 Your dog is 5 steps ahead (minimum)
💥 Squirrel = shoulder dislocation
🥴 You’ve tried stopping. Turning. Bribing. Maybe even crying.

You’re not alone — and your dog isn’t broken.

Loose leash walking is one of the hardest skills we ask our dogs to do.
And traditional advice? Usually backfires.

Here’s why your dog pulls (and what you’ve probably never been told):

They’ve never learned to regulate their arousal.
Excitement → pulling → GO TIME.
Their brain goes offline before you even clip the leash on.

They were literally designed to move forward.
It’s baked into their DNA. Herding, sniffing, hunting, retrieving — it’s all about what’s out there.
Disengagement from those distractions? Doesn’t come naturally. But it can be trained.

They pull… because it works.
Eventually, they do get where they’re going.
So the pulling is reinforced, even when you’re not meaning to.

Leash pressure triggers opposition reflex.
That feeling of resistance behind them? It tells their body: push harder.

And when we try to “fix” it by stopping, turning, leash popping, or correcting…
We’re only reinforcing the behavior after it already happens.

That’s like trying to fix a leak by mopping — instead of turning off the tap.

We do it differently.

In Loose Leash LOVE, we focus on what really creates calm, connected walks:

✅ Arousal & Nervous System regulation so they have the capacity to walk at your pace without their excitement overflowing
✅ Patterned movement & engagement games so your dog learns how to move with you not against you
✅ Reinforcement clarity — so your dog knows when they’re getting it right
✅ Disengagement & proximity value — so the world becomes less interesting than you
✅ Mechanics that help both ends of the leash succeed

You’ll walk away with a new understanding of why your dog pulls —
and the exact skills to teach them how to walk beside you with joy, not tension.

💡 This isn’t about control.
It’s about communication, choice, and clarity.

Let’s replace the frustration with freedom.
Because walking your dog should feel good — for both of you.

✨ Sunday Sept 7 & 14 @ 3:00pm - 3:50pm
📍Vic West Community Centre

🎁 Includes bonuses: Lifetime access to Loose Leash Love & Perfect Place training online video training programs to continue your progress at home
💰 $145 + gst
🐾 All breeds & ages welcome
Positive Reinforcement games-based methods, no special collars or punishment tools

Spots are limited — grab yours now before they fill!

Build a confident, well-behaved dog with group training classes at Mission Paws Dog School. Positive, practical classes for puppies, reactive dogs, and everything in between. Join us in Victoria today!

20/08/2025

We do things a little differently around here.
Because I don’t just care about your puppy knowing “sit.”
I care about the life you’re trying to build with them.

You didn’t get a puppy just to survive the first few months.
You got a puppy because you imagined:

🐾 peaceful walks
🍷 patio hangs
🏕️ road trips and camping adventures
💻 a chill office buddy under your desk
👧 a best friend for your kids to grow up with

You have big plans for you and your puppy — and they start here.

Puppy Foundations isn’t your average puppy class.
No outdated advice. No rigid obedience drills. No punishing normal puppy behavior.

Instead, we teach:
✅ Loose leash and recall foundations — so you can explore together with freedom and ease
✅ Confidence-building — to prevent reactivity and raise a puppy who can handle the real world
✅ Focus around other dogs and distractions — so your pup learns to choose you, even when it’s hard
✅ Crate training and separation prep — so you don’t end up with a dog who panics when you leave
✅ Car ride calmness — because your dog shouldn’t lose their mind every time you turn on the ignition
✅ Clear communication and relationship-building — so your pup actually understands you (and wants to work with you)

And maybe most importantly?
You’ll leave class feeling empowered — like you finally have a plan, a coach in your corner, and the clarity to raise a dog who’s an absolute joy to live with.

No more second guessing.
No more midnight Googling.
No more “I hope they grow out of it.”

Let’s raise the dog you actually wanted when you brought your puppy home.

✨ Next round starts Wednesday, Sept 3 @ 7:15pm
(Sept 10, 17, 24 — 4 weeks total)
📍 Indoors at Vic West Community Centre
🎁 Includes lifetime access to 2 bonus video training programs + weekly training plans
💰 $247 + gst
🐾 All breeds welcome, under 6-ish months

Spots are limited — grab yours now before they fill!

Build a confident, well-behaved dog with group training classes at Mission Paws Dog School. Positive, practical classes for puppies, reactive dogs, and everything in between. Join us in Victoria today!

16/08/2025

Here's the missing nuance 👇

Yes, your retriever wants to fetch.
Your border collie wants to chase movement.
Your guardian breed wants to stand sentry at the window.

But here’s the problem: if you lean too hard on those outlets, you’re not calming your dog…

you’re training them to get really, really good at being over-aroused.

👉 Fetch reps the “dopamine junkie” brain.
👉 Herding games can spill into bicycles and joggers.
👉 Watchdog duty builds a 24/7 alarm system.

Instead, think of breed outlets as a tool for growing their thinking brain.

Games that channel instinct while also building focus, problem solving, and calmness.

Because the amygdala (the emotional brain) just screams “CHASE!”

But the cortex (the thinking brain) can pause, check in, and choose.

That’s the difference between a dog who spirals into reactivity… and a dog who can actually enjoy freedom with you.

✨ Breed-specific outlets are amazing — but only when they build skills, not just adrenaline.

11/08/2025

When my mom got her puppy, it was… let’s just say, a learning experience.

Once I started my dog trainer education, I had a game plan for my own puppy—so instead of repeating the rocky start, I did these 8 things that turned him into a calm, clever, well-regulated legend.

They’re the reason raising him felt about 400% easier (no, that’s not a real statistic, but ‘hell-of-a-lot’ felt like a mouthful).

Puppy life doesn’t have to be all shark teeth, wet socks, and zoomies across your face.

Start with the right choices now, and you’ll thank yourself later.

📅 My next Puppy Foundations class starts soon—come learn the game plan that makes raising your puppy a whole lot easier (and way more fun).

Comment PUP for the deets.

10/08/2025

You got a puppy because you pictured trail walks, patio hangs, cozy couch cuddles, and a dog who actually fits into your life.

The life where they snooze beside your desk while you work from home.

Where they grow up alongside your kids — not just as a pet, but a family member.

Where you can travel together, go on weekend adventures, and take them anywhere dogs are welcome.

But right now?

It’s giving:
🦖 Late-night zoomies and 3am potty breaks
🧻 Toilet paper confetti and baseboard “remodeling”
🧯 Whining, biting, chasing, chewing, and a vague sense that your home has been invaded by a fur-clad velociraptor with no "off" switch

Here’s what no one tells you:

Well-behaved dogs aren’t born. They’re built.

And trying to wing it with a YouTube playlist and a pocketful of chicken?
That’s like assembling IKEA furniture with half the parts and no instructions.

You think you’ve got it… until your puppy is swinging from the curtains, and chewing on the Allen key.

Mission Paws Puppy Foundations is your no-BS, step-by-step guide to raising a dog who’s calm, confident, and easy-going,
so that you can take them anywhere dogs are allowed, chill with Netflix or at the office, hike, adventure, stroll, bring around family and friends, or simply sit at the beach and enjoy a sunset..

Because it’s not about perfect obedience or flashy tricks.

It’s about a puppy who can:
✅ Chill when guests arrive — so you’re not apologizing for the their jumping
✅ Walk on leash without dragging you like a sled dog
✅ Settle on a patio, at the vet, or around other dogs — so you can go places together
✅ Make good choices without your constant, "Fido no!", "Leave it"!, "Hey, where'd you get that?!"

We’ll teach you how to:
🧠 Build calmness from the start, so your puppy learns how to think, not just react
🧠 Socialize the right way, so you prevent reactivity later
🧠 Handle biting, mouthing, jumping, crate training, potty training, and more, so those “puppy problems” don’t become permanent habits
🧠 Read your puppy’s behavior, so you can work with their brain, not against it

No dominance. No corrections. No hoping they “grow out of it.”

Just practical, science-backed training that works in real life,
so that you end up with the buddy you dreamed about when you first brought them home.

🎁 You’ll also get:
✔️ 4 in-person training sessions (50 mins each)
✔️ Lifetime access to Confidence in 10 Days — your socialization game plan ($147 value)
✔️ Lifetime access to Perfect Place — train your pup to settle anywhere ($97 value)
✔️ Weekly take-home guides to stay on track between sessions
✔️ Small class sizes = personalized support, real results

If you’ve been rearranging your whole life around your puppy.

Canceling plans. Sleeping with one eye open.

Googling things you never thought you'd Google…

Like “is drywall toxic to puppies?”

And wondering, “Wait… is it supposed to be this hard?”

Puppy Foundations is your one-way ticket to realizing:
No. It really doesn’t have to be.

📍 Indoors at Vic West Community Centre (Victoria)
🗓️ Mondays: Aug 11, 18, 25 & Sept 8
🕕 5:30–6:20pm
💰 $247 + GST
🐾 Positive reinforcement only. All breeds welcome. Designed for puppies under 6-ish months.

This is the class you’ll wish you took before the drywall disappeared.

Save your spot:

Build a confident, well-behaved dog with group training classes at Mission Paws Dog School. Positive, practical classes for puppies, reactive dogs, and everything in between. Join us in Victoria today!

06/08/2025

Swipe for puppy advice that doesn't have you crying on the bathroom floor while your puppy does post-bath zoomies on your bed (IYKYK).

Want the in-person class in Victoria?

Comment PUP and I'll send you the deets.

06/08/2025

You didn’t get a puppy because you wanted a second full-time job.
You got a puppy because you pictured trail walks, patio hangs, cozy couch cuddles, and a dog who actually fits into your life.

The life where they snooze beside your desk while you work from home.
Where they grow up alongside your kids — not just as a pet, but a family member.
Where you can travel together, go on weekend adventures, and take them anywhere dogs are welcome.

But right now?
It’s giving:
🦖 Late-night zoomies and 3am potty breaks
🧻 Toilet paper confetti and baseboard “remodeling”
🧯 Whining, biting, chasing, chewing, and a vague sense that your home has been invaded by a fur-clad velociraptor with no "off" switch

Here’s what no one tells you:
Well-behaved dogs aren’t born. They’re built.

And trying to wing it with a YouTube playlist and a pocketful of chicken?

That’s like assembling IKEA furniture with half the parts and no instructions.

You think you’ve got it… until your puppy is swinging from the curtains, and chewing on the Allen key.

Mission Paws Puppy Foundations is your no-BS, step-by-step guide to raising a dog who’s calm, confident, and easy-going,
so that you can can take them anywhere dogs are allowed.

Because it’s not about perfect obedience or flashy tricks.
It’s about a puppy who can:
✅ Chill when guests arrive — so you’re not apologizing for the their jumping
✅ Walk on leash without dragging you like a sled dog
✅ Settle on a patio, at the vet, or around other dogs — so you can go places together
✅ Make good choices without your constant, "Fido no!", "Leave it"!, "Hey, where'd you get that?!"

We’ll teach you how to:
🧠 Build calmness from the start, so your puppy learns how to think, not just react
🧠 Socialize the right way, so you prevent reactivity later
🧠 Handle biting, mouthing, jumping, crate training, potty training, and more, so those “puppy problems” don’t become permanent habits
🧠 Read your puppy’s behavior, so you can work with their brain, not against it

No dominance. No corrections. No hoping they “grow out of it.”

Just practical, science-backed training that works in real life,
so that you end up with the buddy you dreamed about when you first brought them home.

🎁 You’ll also get:
✔️ 4 in-person training sessions (50 mins each)
✔️ Lifetime access to Confidence in 10 Days — your socialization game plan ($147 value)
✔️ Lifetime access to Perfect Place — train your pup to settle anywhere ($97 value)
✔️ Weekly take-home guides to stay on track between sessions
✔️ Small class sizes = personalized support, real results

If you’ve been rearranging your whole life around your puppy.
Canceling plans. Sleeping with one eye open.
Googling things you never thought you'd Google…
Like “is drywall toxic to puppies?”

And wondering, “Wait… is it supposed to be this hard?”

Puppy Foundations is your one-way ticket to realizing:
No. It really doesn’t have to be.

📍 Indoors at Vic West Community Centre (Victoria)
🗓️ Mondays: Aug 11, 18, 25 & Sept 8
🕕 5:30–6:20pm
💰 $247 + GST
🐾 Positive reinforcement only. All breeds welcome. Designed for puppies under 6-ish months.

This is the class you’ll wish you took before the drywall disappeared.

Save your spot:

Build a confident, well-behaved dog with group training classes at Mission Paws Dog School. Positive, practical classes for puppies, reactive dogs, and everything in between. Join us in Victoria today!

03/08/2025

Imagine this: You call your dog’s name — and they actually turn toward you.

You pass another dog on a walk — and your dog stays with you instead of lunging like a freight train.

You sit down for dinner — and your dog isn’t trying to parkour off the furniture or sneak a bread roll.

That’s what we teach in Distraction? ACTION!
A real-life skills class for dogs who are brilliant, busy… and sometimes a little too enthusiastic about the world.

Because your dog doesn’t need more exercise.
They need brain training that helps them process what’s going on around them — and make better choices in the moment.

🧠 This class teaches focus and self-regulation through strategic play, not sit-stay drills or correction collars.

You’ll learn how to turn everyday moments into training wins — and help your dog feel calm and in control even when life is exciting, overwhelming, or both.

Distraction? ACTION! gives you game-based strategies to help your dog:
✅ Focus around dogs, wildlife, bikes, strollers, and flapping plastic bags
✅ Walk politely on leash (instead of dragging you like a sled)
✅ Relax at home — yes, even when the doorbell rings
✅ Settle on patios, in parks, and in the car without turning into a chaos tornado

It’s not about having a “chill dog.”
It’s about raising a dog who knows how to chill — and when.

🎁 Included:
– Lifetime access to the full Distraction? ACTION! online video program
– Lifetime access to Perfect Place: Teach Your Dog to Relax Anywhere video program
– Weekly take-home guides
– Personalized support in a small group setting

💡 Positive reinforcement only. No fear. No force. No e-collars or harsh “corrections.”

Just practical skills that make life with your dog way more enjoyable.

🗓️ Saturdays: August 10 & 24
🕙 10:00–10:50am
📍 Prospect Lake Community Hall (outdoors) — 5358 Sparton Rd, Victoria
💰 $145 + GST

For the dog who just can’t turn it off…
This class teaches them how.

Save your spot:

Build a confident, well-behaved dog with group training classes at Mission Paws Dog School. Positive, practical classes for puppies, reactive dogs, and everything in between. Join us in Victoria today!