TRAINING FOUNDATIONS & UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOURS

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 while looking out the 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:

Leash Walking
Using Markers
Utilizing Food in Training
Utilizing Toys & Play in Training
Handler Engagement & Relationship Building
Increasing Enthusiasm & Motivation in Training
Proper Socialization & Environmental Exposure
Basic Obedience & Proofing
Boundaries & Structure Inside & Outside of the Home
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!

Reactivity - Mild, Moderate & Severe
Resource Guarding
Nervousness & Fear
Aggression
Separation Anxiety & General Anxiety
Excessive Barking Inside or Outside of the Home
Lack of Confidence

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

$295 CAD
Single Session
Single one-hour, one-to-one session(s) for existing clients only.

$500 CAD $400 CAD
2 Session Package
Package of 2 one-hour, one-to-one sessions. In-person & Virtual.

$900 CAD $720 CAD
4 Session Package
Package of 4 one-hour, one-to-one sessions.
In-person & Virtual.

All new clients are required to purchase a training package. Each package will be individually tailored to each dog's needs.

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.