In Partnership Dog Training

It is with such a broken heart and still in disbelief that I share that we had to say goodbye to our best pal Vigo last week.

He started stumbling a little and then more just a few weeks ago and progressed to not being able to walk at all by the end. After progressive testing and ultimately an MRI it turned out he had a tumor on his brain stem. To say he is missed is an understatement.

Vigo was bred to be a service dog by PADS Dogs in Burnaby and we started off as his puppy sitters and co-raisers through Covid. I had a hard time living in Vancouver and Vigo became my pal and saving grace there. He was a bit nervous about some things in the world and so he didn’t qualify to be a service dog ultimately and while PADS tried to place him in a couple other homes as a “very important pet” it just didnt work out and he ultimately got to come back to us forever.

Vigo got to serve many of your dogs though, helping them over the years with socialization or reactivity and was of course our best adventure pal. We could not have asked for a better bike, ski, horse, hike or camping dog.

He wasn’t perfect though 🙃 he liked to eat so many things, fruit was his favorite. The house and car always had to be immaculately food proofed. So moving to Nelson, the fruit-on-the-ground capital of the world was heaven for him. He hated skunks, drooled gallons and was so great with kids. I mourn massively that he is not going to get to be the stellar big brother I was excited to watch him become. It just really really sucks.

So my dear friends and clients, please give your furry ones an extra loving scratch, ball throw, snack or space today for me please. You just never know how much time you have.

In loving memory of Vigo. The holes you leave in our home are everywhere bud and will be felt for a long, long time. Thanks for being the sweetest, cuddliest, adventure pal we could have hoped for. ❤️💕❤️

Join me and other humans of tricky dogs next Tuesday at Backroads for a casual and free gathering to build community around our best friends who can, at times, drive us crazy! Have a challenging, reactive, fearful, selective or high strung dog with unique needs can be exhausting, alienating, lonely, frustrating, scary, not what you thought you signed up for and more. But there are many other folks in the same boat....you're just all avoiding each other when you are out with your dogs! 🙃

So leave your dogs at home and come share (or not! just be with!) others who get it.

Not sure if your dog qualifies as "challenging"? Just come! If you are feeling it would be helpful then we would love to have you.

5:45 on August 18th at Backroads Brewing in Nelson. This event is FREE. Please register in advance so I know how many to expect. https://www.inpartnershipdogtraining.com/classes/

Smoke and Training Update:
I am still out working with scheduled clients in the smoke, mask on. That said if you are uncomfortable being out for your training session, I’m happy to postpone, please just let me know. Sending love, wishes for rain and low winds to those in the fires.

The Calendar Contest is back! Calendars sales will support our scholarship fund for folks who might not otherwise be able to receive behavioral support for their dogs. If your dog is voted as one of the top 12 they will be featured as one of the headline dogs of the month and win a bag of treats. The dog with the most votes will appear on the calendar cover and win a free training session.

One entry per dog. Contest open through September with voting taking place in October and calendars printed and delivered in November. Pre- order yours now!

Enter here: https://www.inpartnershipdogtraining.com/calendar

calendarcontest

When the kitties really want to be involved in training too!
They are always allowed to hang too as long as they are not too distracting. 😍

Join me for some one off classes in August!

Puppy Socials
August 6, Small Breed 5:30 + Large Breed 6pm
At Lucky Leash in Nelson. $25
Fcilitated play time and socialization exercises in a safe environment. For small dogs under 6 months and large dogs under 5 months who have received at least their first round of vaccinations.

Loose Leash Walking Clinic
August 11, 5:30pm
At Lakeside Park in Nelson. $45
Let’s stop all that pulling! Join me to learn and practice the basics of loose leash walking. Dogs must be comfortable near other dogs on leash.

Building Trail and Off Leash Skills
August 13, 7:30am
At the Rail Trail from the top of Stanley Street in Nelson. $45
Come for a tune up or intro to the foundations of trail manners and off leash skills. Dogs must be comfortable around other dogs.

Reactive and Challenging Dog Support Group - For Humans Only!
August 18, 5:45pm
At Backroads Brewing in Nelson. FREE
It takes a lot of energy to shepherd a reactive dog through the world and it can often feel really lonely. But you are not alone! Come join me for this casual gathering to build some camaraderie and community around the fact that these dogs are fabulous can be quite challenging sometimes! Share stories, empathize, compare notes and gripe about those “he’s friendly!” people ;)

Register here: https://www.inpartnershipdogtraining.com/classes

Taking breaks on walks is ok!
For puppies especially, sometimes they need a moment just to take in the world. Let them pause. Sit with them even and just watch the world go by. Little puppies can be overstimulated quite easily, so giving breaks, keeping new experiences short and sweet and letting them have some moments to stop and sniff are all important.

Stopping does not mean stubborn, it means I need a moment, I’m whelmed, I’m hot, I’m tired…Listen to this communication. As they age yes it can mean I want to say hi to my friend or I’m not ready to go home and need more activity. Maybe not what you want to hear, but important to heed and address appropriately rather than just dragging them down the street.

When our dogs are communicating with us the more we show them we will listen, the more they will communicate and the healthier both they and your relationship will be.

It's getting real folks!
Let's address those recent behavioral developments before I go offline for a little while.
Book your follow up sessions here:
https://www.inpartnershipdogtraining.com/schedulingandpayment

And stay tuned for some single session group clinics happening in August including puppy socials, loose leash walking 101, Trail and off leash skills and a reactive dog support group!

When will I return to work? I will be available for basic email questions later in the fall and planning to return to work at the end of February.

I am so appreciative of all the stoke and support I have received from you all so far - thank you!
👶🏼🙉