Instinct Canine Training Inc.

Instinct Canine Training Inc. Training isn’t just obedience, it’s the start of a better relationship. Transforming dogs and their handlers since 2018

Proud to be a DTTA-CPDT (certified professional dog trainer) and a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals

Happy long weekend! Although…do business owners ever really take a break? 😂 While I’m supposed to be relaxing, my brain ...
09/06/2026

Happy long weekend! Although…do business owners ever really take a break? 😂 While I’m supposed to be relaxing, my brain is busy planning for fall and winter!

I’m considering adding an educational seminar, and I want to know what you’d love to learn more about. I’ve suggested a few topics, but you’re welcome to share your own ideas too!

Sessions will be open to everyone, with applications for working spots depending on the topic.

Anyone who has taken a class with me knows I love sharing knowledge—and can happily disappear down a good dog-training rabbit hole! So, what seminar would you be excited to attend?

09/04/2026

Until this year, I had never given my dogs tick medication.

I’ve always leaned toward a natural approach: tick sprays, ultrasonic collars, regular checks, the whole routine. But ticks aren’t playing around this year, and pretending otherwise isn’t protecting anyone.

Our dogs don’t just face the risk themselves; they can also carry ticks into our homes: onto our couches, into our beds and close to our families. We simply don’t have the same preventive protection available for people that we do for our dogs.

This wasn’t an easy decision for me, but choosing natural care has never meant refusing every other tool. Sometimes, providing the best possible care means recognizing when the natural approach needs a little extra help.

09/03/2026

Every trainer has a list: breeds they'll work with all day, but would never bring home. Here's Karen's.

Fair warning, the pitties own her heart. 💜

Drop yours below 👇 What breed would you never own, and what's your dream dog?

08/27/2026

Putting Ivy to the test to see how well she knows our Day Train dogs! We also tried to pull a fast one on her 🤫

Let us know what team member we should test next!

The 3am potty breaks, the zoomies at the worst possible moment, the biting. You're not failing, you're just in it.Let's ...
08/26/2026

The 3am potty breaks, the zoomies at the worst possible moment, the biting. You're not failing, you're just in it.

Let's be honest: puppyhood is a LOT. But what if the first few months actually set the tone for the next ten years?

At ICT, that's what Puppy Preschool is built for.

This isn't sit, stay, and a certificate. It's foundational training woven into real socialization, confidence building, and the start of a relationship that actually makes sense to your puppy. Small class sizes mean your trainer isn't just managing chaos, they're seeing your pup. What makes them nervous, what makes them light up, what they need more (or less) of.

Plus, our classes double as a bit of a support group. You're surrounded by other owners going through the same chaos, in real time.

You'll leave with more than a puppy who can sit on command. You'll leave with a community that gets it, and an understanding of how your dog thinks, so you're set up for the next decade, not just the next 8 weeks.

That's what makes Puppy Preschool at ICT different.

Now enrolling for September. Email us to grab your spot!

08/26/2026

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” — Dolly Parton

As we remember Dolly and the remarkable life she lived, these words feel especially meaningful.

Another quote that has had a profound impact on my life comes from Maya Angelou:

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”

Together, these words feel particularly fitting as I celebrate a huge personal milestone: my first published article.

Reading and writing have always been passions of mine, and I honestly never imagined I would see something I wrote published in a professional magazine. Seeing my words in the IACP Canine Professional Journal is surreal, exciting—and something I am incredibly proud to share.

My article is titled The Uncomfortable Mirror: Why We Need to Stop Reading Dogs and Start Reading Ourselves.

Curious? I hope so. Read the full article through the link in my bio, and please let me know what you think!

🎒🐾 September means it’s BARK to School!Our upcoming classes were almost completely full—so we added more! But those new ...
08/24/2026

🎒🐾 September means it’s BARK to School!

Our upcoming classes were almost completely full—so we added more! But those new spaces are filling quickly too, with most classes now having just one spot remaining.

And if you’re ready to get started right away, we even have a class beginning this week!

Whether you’re building strong foundations, improving everyday manners or ready to take your training to the next level, this is your chance to make fall the season you and your dog truly get in sync.

Don’t let your dog miss the bus! 🚌🐶

Visit the link in our bio to reserve your spot, or email [email protected] to register or ask any questions.

08/23/2026

Synchronized chewing: 10/10. 🏅👯
The trust behind it? That took work.

There’s something pretty adorable about Mia and Keziah lying side by side, perfectly synchronized, each happily chewing her own bone. 😂

But this moment isn’t really about the bones.

They have learned that they can relax in the same space, enjoy something valuable, and trust that the other isn’t going to take it away.

That companionship didn’t just happen.

From day one, I have advocated for both of them. I’ve made sure Mia doesn’t have to defend what is hers, and Keziah has learned that Mia’s things are not hers to take. I’ve created boundaries, stepped in when needed, and made it clear that managing those interactions is my responsibility—not theirs.

And because of that, they can relax.

We sometimes look at dogs peacefully sharing a home and assume they simply “get along.” But healthy relationships between dogs are also shaped by the environment we create for them.

When our dogs trust that we will advocate for them, protect their space and provide clear boundaries, they don’t have to sort everything out themselves.

That’s what trusted leadership looks like to me.

The synchronized chewing? That’s just the bonus. 😂🐾

If you have a multi-dog household, have you had a moment that tells you your dogs genuinely trust each other? Share it below—I’d love to hear yours.

08/21/2026

Stop training your puppy.

I know, I know. Hear me out.

The second most new owners bring their puppy home, they're drilling sit, down, stay. Here's the problem: none of that matters yet.

Before any command, your puppy needs three things:

🐾 Name recognition, so they actually check in with you
🐾 Touch-to-hand, so they learn your hand means safety, not a correction (or a chew toy!)
🐾 Relationship, the most important piece, is the foundation we build everything else on

Skip these and you're simply teaching commands to a dog whose trust you haven't yet earned.

Trust is built, not implied, and without it, training is just noise.

No magic here. Just structure that starts with the relationship, not the command.

What's the first thing you worked on with your puppy? 👇 And did it stick?

🎓 This moment belongs to our summer grads. 🎓We are SO incredibly proud of these teams and the progress they’ve made over...
08/21/2026

🎓 This moment belongs to our summer grads. 🎓

We are SO incredibly proud of these teams and the progress they’ve made over the past several weeks.

Training isn’t about creating a “perfect” dog. It’s about learning to communicate more clearly, building trust, creating better habits, and developing the skills to navigate real life together.

And these teams showed up for it. ❤️

They worked through challenges. They celebrated the wins. They learned when to ask for more and when their dog needed a little more help. Most importantly, they put in the work between classes—and it showed.

Watching the relationship between dog and handler grow throughout a course is one of my absolute favourite parts of what we do.

Congratulations to our summer Perfect Pet Obedience graduates! You should be very proud of how far you’ve come. We certainly are. 🐾🎓

And while today is about celebrating them, our next round of Perfect Pet Obedience is just around the corner.

This is ICT’s flagship program—the program our training philosophy was built around—and our upcoming classes filled so quickly that we’ve added additional classes to the schedule!

If you’ve been thinking about joining us, now is the time. We’d love to have you be part of our next graduating class.

🔗 Link in bio to register.

Address

Burlington, ON

Opening Hours

Tuesday 8am - 5:30pm
6pm - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 5:30pm
6pm - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 5:30pm
Friday 8am - 5:30pm
Saturday 9am - 12pm

Telephone

+19058021771

Website

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