Leashes & Licks

09/02/2026

Cuddles between rotations in class this evening and to think this boy use to very rarely solicit attention.

Still doesn’t want to leave at the end of class and didn’t care that I handed off his leash and left, he wanted to stay longer.

Wins for the last 3 days though - we are getting in the car faster and with a lot less effort on my end.

Also, yes dog trainers take - actually they should - their dogs to classes taught by other dog trainers. You never know what you will learn from another trainer or the things you miss when working with your own dog, a trainer should always be willing to learn from others.

Thank you Dogma Training for being that fresh pair of eyes on Scooby’s behaviour and helping us launch Scooby towards success with our goals.

08/31/2026

Monday morning with Scooby.

It’s my favourite time of year because parks like Bowness park are not as busy on the weekdays as they were when the kids were out of school.

08/31/2026

A reactive dog doesn’t need to be kept way from popular areas, they just need you to plan the adventure in a way that is going to set them up to be successful and so you both can enjoy your time.

Yesterday, I took Duckie to the park first because it was later in the morning and it was the weekend. Bowness park is typically very busy on the weekends especially during the summer - think overflow parking that requires busing. The weather yesterday wasn’t great which did result in less people; however, when I took Scooby in the afternoon we still didn’t through the entire park like Duckie and I had because there was enough people that the chance of Scooby having a reaction was high. We stayed close to areas that had a lot of open space that wasn’t being used so we could see who was coming and create distance as we needed.

This morning we went all the way down the smaller path for a bit and explored the picnic areas. What is the difference? It’s Monday, it’s the first day back to school for most kids in our area and that means less people using the park first thing in the morning. This allows Scooby the opportunity to explore the entire park, like Duckie could yesterday. Planning our full park tour for today vs yesterday meant Scooby could stop and go as he wanted, he could sniff and I didn’t have to look over my shoulder as often.

Don’t hide your reactive dog away, plan your walks and adventures for days and times that will allow your dog to remain under threshold. Your dog will thank you and you will thank yourself for that little bit of extra work.

08/31/2026

Sunday afternoon spent with Scooby.

We also went to Bowness park but what we did looked different. We did not venture too far into the park but rather spend our time sniffing large open areas that allowed us to created distance when needed, we relaxed in other areas and watched people go about their Sunday at a distance Scooby was comfortable.

Scooby was allowed to pick our direction as long as it was safe for him to lead us in that particular direction.

Two dogs, two different needs, but the same ability to be explore the same areas. Just because you have a reactive dog doesn’t mean they can’t experience places dogs who don’t have reactivity concerns can, it just means you have to set up the experience differently.

08/30/2026

Sunday morning spent right.

Can you believe that all these pictures were taken in Bowness park? Such a beautiful inner city park with scenery that makes you feel like you have left the city.

This morning’s walk wasn’t about getting exercise or even training. The focus was relaxation, calmness and slowing down. We stopped to smell everything for however long she wanted. We stopped and I let her look at things as long as she wanted. We left the house at 10:00am and we got home at 12:50pm.

Even though we didn’t move fast and didn’t do much training, she is tired now. Experiencing new things in itself is tiring, so get outside and go to a new park or location and just enjoy your time. Drop your expectations and just go with the flow of what happens.

08/28/2026

Come see the awesome place I work at. Sign your puppy up for our Kinderpups program and set them up for the best success as they become well-rounded adults. Come learn about our classes and consult options - then you should sign up and join our community for all the support and new friendships!

Dogma's doors are open. Come see the space, meet the trainers, and bring your dog on Saturday, Sept 26, 1–3 pm. Drop in anytime during the event!

08/27/2026

08/25/2026

Seminars, webinars, and a stack of books can only take you so far. See why we built the DCBC standalone - a structured, 12-month path to real behaviour consulting skills for certified trainers ready to go deeper.

08/23/2026

This is something that bothers me and not because I don’t think every safe dog deserves a home but because we are not dealing with our problem before taking on other communities problem. If we had very limited cases of houseless dogs, abandoned dogs, and 100s of families looking to rehome their animals, then yes we should be helping other communities.

I spent the last 2 years in shelter and everyday multiple dogs were added to the waitlist, brought in from the middle of no where - skin and bones or seriously injured. The waitlists not a few short lines of names but multiple pages of names waiting for their time to come in to be surrendered.

When our shelters and rescues can consistently say “bring them in” without having to review their space, check the budget, or send emergency emails looking for food, money or homes - our focus should be closer to home.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT RESCUE PRIORITIES.
Right now, two large dogs in Alberta are at risk of being humanely euthanized if placement cannot be found.
They were abandoned at a property by their previous owners. I was contacted for help, and several other rescues were contacted as well. No one has room. No one has the resources to take them.
Meanwhile, rescues continue bringing hundreds of dogs into Canada from California, Mexico, and elsewhere, often saying, “If we don’t bring them here, they will be euthanized.”
But what about the dogs already here?
Canadian dogs are now facing that exact same outcome because our fosters are full, our facilities are full, and our resources are stretched beyond their limits. We cannot continue importing dogs while dogs in our own communities are being abandoned and left without anywhere to go.
This is not about blaming individual dogs. Every dog deserves safety. It is about priorities, responsibility, and recognizing the crisis happening in our own backyard.
Before bringing more dogs across the border, we need to make sure we have room for the dogs already here. Alberta is facing a serious overpopulation crisis, and pretending otherwise will not save these two dogs—or the countless others waiting behind them.
Canadian rescues need to focus on Canadian dogs first. Right now, these two dogs need somewhere to go. If you believe they deserve to be saved, please step forward to foster, sponsor their care, provide food, or help us find a responsible placement.
We cannot save dogs with criticism and outrage alone. We need actual help.