Dogma Training

06/01/2026

Your Dogma membership is more than a class. It's a whole community behind you and your dog.

We want our members to know exactly what's included, because there's a lot, and it's all designed to support you between classes, through the tricky moments, and beyond.

Here's what you get as a Dogma member:
▪ Member Seminars: educational learning to keep you growing
▪ Live-Streaming Classes: watch live from anywhere
▪ Training Support: instant messaging access to our trainers
▪ Video Library: hundreds of training videos available 24/7
▪ Handouts & Guides: resources to support you at home
▪ Online Community: connect, ask questions, and learn alongside other Dogma families
▪ Webinars & Learning: access to a variety of topics
▪ Member Pricing: exclusive pricing on services, events & more

And this June, here's what's on the calendar, all included for free with your membership:
▪ Project Puppy Seminar: June 19 at 6:30 pm
▪ Virtual Tricks Clinic: June 20 at 4:00 pm
▪ Live Training Support: June 28 at 6:00 pm

If you're already a member, we hope you're taking full advantage. If you're not yet, this is what you're missing.

Questions? Call/email us or book a free Q&A Zoom call https://bit.ly/4obzMdB

05/31/2026

🐾 Project Puppy 🐾

Bringing home a puppy is exciting but it also comes with challenges and many questions.

How much sleep do they need? What should I focus on first? Am I socializing them correctly? Is this normal puppy behaviour?

Join us for Project Puppy, a human-only seminar designed to help new and future puppy owners feel confident, prepared, and ready for real life with a puppy.

Led by Shelley Cherniawsky, Dogma's Director of Behaviour & Education, this interactive seminar will cover:

✔ Socialization and confidence building
✔ Sleep, routines, and potty training
✔ Managing jumping, biting, and excitement
✔ Enrichment and training expectations
✔ Preventing common puppy challenges before they begin
✔ Live Q&A and discussion

Whether you're counting down the days until your puppy arrives or you're already navigating the joys of puppyhood, you'll leave with practical strategies and a clear roadmap for success.

📅 Friday, June 19th
🕡 6:30 PM
📍 Dogma Facility
💲 Free for Members | $15 Non-Members

Spaces are limited. Reserve your spot today at https://bit.ly/3PxcQJ5

05/29/2026

I've mentioned Deja a few times in this series and it's time to tell her story.

Deja came to me as a puppy, rescued from a dumpster at one week old with her three siblings. Only she and her brother survived. The foster mom warned me she was a bit of a princess but she hid under a chair, overwhelmed by the city during her visit. And then Guinniss, my fearful, reactive boy, quietly fit his head in beside her. They bonded instantly so I knew she was coming home.

Our early years were not easy. Deja was soft at her core but fiercely independent. Where Guinniss would say "got it, Mom, I'll do this whenever you ask" Deja's response was more like "but what if I did this instead? Or stop asking me to sit and give me the damn cookie."

I struggled to connect with her for the first couple of years. I loved her but our relationship was strained. I was so focused on what she was doing wrong that I wasn't listening to what she was telling me. The shift came when I stopped trying to change her and started celebrating her. It's a lesson I carry every day in my work.

I created a cue just for her, "sparkle", and she would run through a whole routine of her own invention just to earn a laugh and a treat. I rewarded her spins and her woos and her full-body wiggles. And the more I celebrated who she actually was, the more she settled into being the most extraordinary companion I have ever known.

Deja loved life in a completely unmatched way. I remember walking beside a bus full of commuters and watching her wiggle and dance for every face smiling out the window. I have no doubt some of them still remember her.

She was my burst of joy.

She also taught me the most important lesson of my career - that training isn't about compliance, it's about relationship. Stop trying to quiet the very thing you love most about your dog. Unleash it.

Deja spent 15 years at my side. She had the best last day. She taught me that too - that even the hardest decision can be made with love and intention. That a good goodbye is one of the greatest gifts we can give.

There are so many more Deja stories. I'll share them as they feel right.

I miss her every day.

Run free, Deja. Dance. Sing. Woo.

05/28/2026

The socialization window doesn't wait. Neither do we.

Puppies have a critical period for learning to feel safe in the world and it goes by fast. That's why we offer free socialization classes. And this summer, we're doubling down - now twice a week, all summer long.

We're Calgary's puppy experts. We have programs for every stage of development and we don't want any pup to miss the start they deserve. So we're removing the barrier entirely.

No catch. Just our commitment to puppies.

All we ask: register in advance and make sure your pup has their first round of vaccinations. That's it.

We also gratefully accept donations for Parachutes for Pets forpets - monetary or new/gently used pet items. 🐾

Spots fill fast. Set up an account to register at https://bit.ly/4e95qF4

05/27/2026

Your dog just reacted on a walk. Your heart is racing, the leash is tight, and strangers are staring. Now what?

In the moment, your only job is to get out and increase distance, stay as calm as you can, and wait for the moment they come back to you. That check-in is critical.

If you have a reactive dog, reactions are going to happen. That's not failure.

Success is smaller reactions, faster recoveries, and more moments where they chose you instead.

Learn exactly what to do, and what to avoid, the next time it happens. And if you want to go deeper, we've written a full breakdown on the blog, including why reactions often seem to come out of nowhere (hint: it's never really out of nowhere).

Read it here: https://bit.ly/49o6zWP

05/27/2026

☀️ Summer just got a whole lot more exciting for your puppy.

KinderPups Summer School is open and every membership comes loaded with extras:

🐾 Good Puppy - VIPups group class included ($275 value)
⭐ Smart Puppy - VIPups + a 5-class pass ($510 value)
🌟 Star Puppy - VIPups + a 10-class pass ($725 value)

Plus free puppy socialization classes running twice a week and open to every Calgary puppy family at no charge. 🎉

Want to go all in? Our Puppy Raising Package pre-pays 3 months of Star Puppy, including a 10-class pass, VIPups, and free group classes for the life of your dog while enrolled. This bundle has over $2,000 in savings.

We keep our groups small. Spots are limited.

👉 Book your free Puppy Success Session:

The best months of your puppy's life start here. KinderPups is Calgary's premier fear-free day school — science-based training, field trips, and certified experts dedicated to your puppy's confidence and development.

05/24/2026

Most dog trainers offer sessions.
We offer a system.

Dogma Summer School is here and private training just got a serious upgrade.

✔ A full team of certified trainers
✔ A structured, science-based approach
✔ In-home, in-facility, or virtual options
✔ Real support between sessions

This isn’t one trainer guessing their way through your dog’s behaviour.

This is a team, a curriculum, and a plan - all built around your dog and your life.

If you want real progress, not just tips, you’re in the right place.

Start with a free 15-minute Q&A and let’s build your dog’s best summer yet.

👉 https://bit.ly/4fCFRNN

05/22/2026

Summer school is in session at Dogma. ☀️

June is packed with outdoor adventures, pool parties, nature walks, and real-world training experiences designed to build the kind of confidence and focus that actually holds up in busy parks, around distractions, and out in the city.

This is the difference you'll notice. Dogs who train in real environments are more reliable, more settled, and more capable. It's remarkable how quickly it shows.

New classes starting this month for all ages and stages - puppies, reactive dogs, and everything in between.

Plus a puppy seminar on June 19 to help navigate puppyhood. Free to members and only $15 for everyone else!

🔗 Curious? Come meet us. https://bit.ly/4a5BbMS

05/22/2026

I've talked a lot about what I built. Today I want to talk about who helped me build it.

When we were getting the space ready, my friends and family showed up in so many ways. My best friend Danielle showed up whenever she was in town and did whatever job was needed. She even put her kids to work! I had a whole group of incredible friends that did the same – they helped paint, clean, scrape up flooring, haul stuff around, and so much more. What could have been an overwhelming grind became something I looked forward to.

My parents, Bob and Heather, were there for all of it. My mom and I spent hours scrubbing years of grime off the tall warehouse walls. Hard, tedious work that somehow turned into one of my favourite memories. She went on to volunteer her time every week, helping with paperwork and keeping me company. She became my first paid employee. My dad did so much, and he and I installed the rubber flooring together. Heavy, physical, gruelling - one of my most fond memories. For me anyways. 😄

My sisters Kristen and Joanna are both in communications. They have helped with messaging, press attention, promotions, and creative ideas from the beginning - quietly and generously, the way family does.

And Kris, my husband, came in as a daycare client, joined Dogma Academy, helped with the build and our second location, and has been at my side ever since.

These are just some of the people. There have been so many others over twenty years. People who promoted us, showed up at events, shared their skills at no cost, and believed in what we were building before it was much of anything. Some I've lost touch with and some are still cheering me on. Grateful doesn't begin to describe how I feel about them all.

We talk a lot about self-employment and entrepreneurship as individual acts of courage. And there is courage in it. But the self in self-employed is misleading.

Nobody builds anything alone.

The people around you - the ones who show up, share their talents, and refuse to let you give up - they are part of what you build whether their names are on the door or not.

Thank you to all of you for helping drive this 20 year journey forward.

05/20/2026

Parachutes for Pets needs some help and this is a great opportunity to pick up some items for you and your pets!