TRAINING FOUNDATIONS
Have you had your dog a while now and perhaps your training has not gone the way you expected or had hoped it would? Maybe you just welcomed your new puppy or rescue dog to the household, and it's not what you thought it would be. Mischievous behaviours such as stealing food, barking at the door or window, counter-surfing and jumping up on guests? Blowing off obedience cues under distraction, pulling at the end of the leash, lack of food and toy motivation or inconsistent recall?
Establishing training foundations opens up a world of possibilities for engaging activities and strengthens the bond between you and your dog. With a focus on key aspects like markers, engagement, leash pressure, proper socialization, environmental exposure and conditioning the crate, you can create a relationship with your dog that leads to a more fulfilling and enriched life together.
Whether it's mastering your dog's sit or navigating more complex behaviours, clarity in our expectations and communication, paired with a good attitude, patience and consistency can significantly improve your relationship with your dog and create a rewarding training experience for both of you.
What we will cover:
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Leash Walking
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Using Markers
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Utilizing Food in Training
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Utilizing Toys & Play in Training
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Handler Engagement & Relationship Building
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Increasing Enthusiasm & Motivation in Training
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Proper Socialization & Environmental Exposure
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Basic Obedience & Proofing
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Boundaries & Structure Inside & Outside of the Home
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Recall
BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION
Dealing with a reactive dog can be a truly stressful and isolating experience for both the dog and handler. Something as simple as a walk around the block for some, can be an absolute nightmare for others.
Reactivity can present itself for a wide variety of reasons. Not all dogs are reacting out of true aggression, but in fact it can be from over-socialization, prey drive and barrier frustration, under-socialization, lack of exposure or fear. We will help you identify your dog's underlying emotions that are driving their behaviours, and train each dog with their own behaviour modification plan to ensure their future is a successful one.
Having a positive relationship and great engagement with your dog plays a crucial role in dog training. Establishing fundamental training basics make navigating and addressing behavioural issues such as reactivity easier and more effective. Our dogs should be looking to us for guidance no matter what situation they find themselves in. Investing time and effort in training your dog will not only result in a well-behaved companion but also opens up opportunities for shared adventures and enriching experiences.
We don’t just help your dog get back on track, we also give owners the confidence they need to take back those walks and to love going outside with their dog again.
If your dog deals with any of the following, we can help!
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Reactivity - Mild, Moderate & Severe
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Resource Guarding
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Nervousness & Fear
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Aggression
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Separation Anxiety & General Anxiety
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Excessive Barking Inside or Outside of the Home
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Lack of Confidence
DAY TRAINING
Our Day Training service is geared towards people who find training their own dog too difficult or may not be able to dedicate as much time as their dog requires. It is also a great option for anyone who wants to leave their dog with a trainer for a productive, fulfilling day of learning, all while you run errands, visit family, or handle a busy work schedule.
After completing our emailed questionnaire, you will have the option to schedule a complimentary 15-minute Google Meet consultation to introduce you to your trainer and discuss your goals.
In our Day Training program, your dog will spend a 3-hour day receiving one-to-one training directly from Tyler, one of our Head Trainers. We offer flexible options, including 1, 3, or 5 days per week, as well as 6 or 10-day packages over a two-week period. The Day Training program is available Wednesday to Sunday from 9AM-3PM.
We help address behaviours that may need work, including:
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Reactivity, Confidence Building, & Neutrality: Building confidence and creating neutrality in real-world situations through proper socialization and exposure to dogs, people, and various environments, while learning management skills to prevent the rehearsal of reactivity.
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Engagement: Teaching your dog engagement building games and exercises for you to apply at home.
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Leash Walking & Impulse Control: Developing better manners on leash.
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Basic Obedience: Establishing foundations for sit, down, place, and recall.
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Motivation: Building toy and food motivation, and providing proper outlets for your dog's drive.
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Preparation: Preparing your dog for potentially joining our group classes.
If your dog struggles with reactivity towards other dogs, part of our Day Training program includes an opportunity for them to work alongside our demo dogs, Lucifer and Ripley, providing controlled exposure to help create neutrality.
Remember, the learning doesn't stop when Day Training ends! To help your dog generalize their skills and apply what they've learned to different handlers and places, consistent practice at home is key. Following the completion of the Day Training program, we will provide step-by-step video tutorials of the exercises your dog learned to help you maintain their progress.
Significant behavioural changes, especially when dealing with reactivity, require weeks, if not longer, emphasizing the importance of patience, consistency, and persistence in maintaining your dog's training following the completion of the Day Training program. Our group classes are a great option for owners who want to continue their dog's training and exposure in a controlled setting.
We offer free pick-up and drop-off for local clients only within the Cedarvale, Forest Hill and Humewood neighbourhoods at no extra cost. Anyone outside of our local service area will be required to drop off and pick up their dog at the agreed upon times.
Day Training for a single day option is $250/day.
3 days per week for one week is $675
5 days per week for one week is $1125
6-day package over a two-week period (3 days per week) is $1199
10-day package over a two-week period (5 days per week) is $1999
All prices subject to HST.
Payment must be made to confirm your booking.
ONLINE DOG TRAINER'S COURSE
The Online Dog Trainer's Course is a 4 week course (4 virtual sessions) where you will be doing one-to-one virtual sessions with Kat via Google Meet. This course is great for anyone looking to become a dog trainer or for current dog trainers and other pet professionals looking to perfect their craft and learn more. This course will cover the foundations necessary for all dog trainers with an emphasis on canine behaviour and body language.
This course will not be covering separation anxiety or resource guarding. The topics covered in this course are specific to this course and anyone looking for specific advice with their own dog or a clients dog would require one-to-one training that would be purchased separately as a training package.
Week 1:
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Getting started working with dogs. How to get your foot in the door in the canine and pet industry for hands-on work (such as dog walking, kennel attendant, daycare etc.)
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Deciding what type of training style fits you.
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Understanding dog behaviour and body language (list of recommended books included.)
Week 2:
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Engagement and training foundations.
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Creating motivators in training (food, play and praise.)
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Working with reactivity and the necessary foundations required to resolve these complex behavioural issues.
Week 3:
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Dog training gear discussion (aversive tools will be covered.)
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The topic of corrections in dog training.
Week 4:
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Deciding your services (In person, group classes, virtual training.)
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Disasters to avoid & keep yourself protected as a business owner.
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How to successfully run training sessions (this will cover in person, virtual and group classes.)
ONLINE DOG TRAINER'S COURSE
$600 CAD (Subject to HST)
Package of 4 one-hour, one-to-one virtual sessions.
Payment must be made to confirm your booking.
ONLINE DOG TRAINING MEMBERSHIP
Our Patreon membership is a monthly subscription that gives exclusive access to a growing library of dog training videos with the goal of making dog training more accessible, enjoyable and effective for every dog owner.
This membership will cover a wide range of topics including:
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Fundamental training basics that lead to more freedom and enjoyment with your dog. Key components such as building engagement utilizing food and toys, markers, leash walking, recall and more.
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Body language and behaviour breakdowns.
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Proper socialization and exposure.
- Behaviour modification including reactivity, resource guarding and management.
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Cooperative care, crate training, muzzle conditioning and much more!​
BECOME A MEMBER
(SUBJECT TO HST)
TO AVOID APPLE FEES, SUBSCRIBE VIA MOBILE OR DESKTOP WEB BROWSER. YOU CAN USE THE PATREON APPLE STORE APP AFTER SUBSCRIBING TO VIEW CONTENT IF YOU PREFER THE APP
FAQs
What are your training methods?
Our training methods are all fitted for the individual dog as all dogs are different. Every single dog will be worked with using a reward-based balanced approach, mostly utilizing positive reinforcement and an emphasis on enhancing the relationship between handler and their dog. We will teach owners how to create neutrality through proper socialization, environmental exposure and the importance of getting this step right. We will show you how to work within your dog's thresholds, teach you management skills to prevent the rehearsal of undesirable behaviours, and how to utilize behaviour modification techniques such as response substitution, counter-conditioning and desensitization.
What kind of training tools do you use?
At The Tired Pooch, we use a variety of different training gear and tools. Just as our training methods may vary with each dog, so can our use of tools and what we feel the dog will thrive on best. For some dogs that can be a harness, for others a prong collar may work best. Since all dogs are different, there is no one-size fits all when it comes to possible training tools. The typically most used tools are; food, toys, leashes, long-lines, flat collars, slip leads, martingale style collars, prong collars, harnesses, clickers, crates and muzzles.
*We do have e-collar sessions available if clients are interested and qualify. E-collars are used and paired with already learned behaviours and recall — we do not use e-collars for reactivity.
Is there a guarantee I will see improvement?
At The Tired Pooch, we will do our absolute best to help every single dog we work with and improvements will be seen. However, no trainer can give an absolute guarantee as some dogs are predisposed to issues beyond our control due to genetics, health, and drastic life changes. Your dog's success will rely on the consistency and up-keep of the training advice given by The Tired Pooch.
What should I bring for our training session?
For your session, all you need to bring is yourself and your dog! If you have a morning session, hold off on feeding your dogs breakfast and bring their meal with you. If you have an early afternoon session, feed half of their meal a little earlier than normal.
DOG TRAINING RATES
All prices subject to HST
$225 CAD
Single Session
Single one-hour, one-to-one session.
In-person or Virtual sessions available.
$575 CAD
3 Session Package
Package of 3 one-hour, one-to-one sessions.
In-person or Virtual sessions available.
$400 CAD
2 Session Package
Package of 2 one-hour, one-to-one sessions. In-person or Virtual sessions available.
$720 CAD
4 Session Package
Package of 4 one-hour, one-to-one sessions.
In-person or Virtual sessions available.
Behaviour modification training including any sort of reactivity, aggression, separation anxiety/general anxiety, resource guarding, nervousness and fear will not be resolved in a single session. Four session packages are best suited for these more serious behavioural issues as they are more complex.
Payment must be made to confirm your booking.