Ivory Watier

07/25/2020

What a wonderful article about training dogs to not jump up. A quick and concise read from a fantastic trainer.

Anyone can teach a dog to not jump up; you just have to know what you want your dog to do.

07/17/2020

If you've been debating putting your dog in a kennel while you are driving, maybe take a read here.

Thankfully I did not have Tibby with me last night when I made a bad driving decision in the rain and was t-boned by another driver. Thankfully he and I are both ok, aside from some whiplash and seatbelt burn. But my car is done for unfortunately.

I was very close to bringing Tibby along with me, and the thing is that she has had a negative reaction to her kennel lately, so we have been letting her sit on the back seat next to it. The side that was hit sent the kennel hard into the opposite side of the back seat. I cringe to think that little Tibby could have been right there.

I also thought the kennel would be broken. Nope! Still good as new! Which makes me feel like Tibby would have been quite safe in there, aside from some bumps and bruises.

I am not working today but I am hoping my neck starts to feel better over the weekend and that I can return to work soon.

Take care out there everyone!

07/11/2020

On vacation, but training doesn't stop. We started teaching "wave!" a couple of days ago, and Tibby is doing so great! 🎉
Now we are switching things up so she will wave when we say "hello!" and wave more enthusiastically. It'll be a nice trick we can show off when she is around new people, which is a situation she is not too comfortable in.
(Don't mind my bed head! 🙈)

07/08/2020

Welcome to the pack little guy!
Here is a little bit of "leave it!" training with Ace. He is so enthusiastic and responsive with me. Being a lab, he is an eater of anything that looks remotely appetizing... (Or not!!)
His owner is obviously doing a great job with his training!

06/30/2020

These two are just the best of buds! Aspen being an Aussiedoodle and Tibby being an Australian Shepherd, they're pretty in sync!

I totally believe in letting dogs be dogs, which is why I don't insist that dogs walk in a heel, ever! Some people may say, what?! Isn't it bad that your dog walks ahead of you? Isn't it a sign of a trained dog that they walk next to you?

The simple answer is: no! The fact is, sniffing has been shown to reduce stress AND stimulate a dog's brain in a similar way to exercise! And the study that the "dominance theory" of training is based upon has been debunked. We don't need to be the "pack leader" and we don't need to insist on walking ahead. The best way to earn your dogs trust is a co-operative, positive relationship.

That's why walks with me only have a few rules. The biggest one being; no excessive pulling. Dogs can use the whole length of the leash to sniff and explore. I encourage (and reward!) dogs to practice a few behaviours that make walks easier for me and safer for themselves and others.

I feel that this approach makes most walks a fun outlet where dogs can be dogs! 🐕

06/25/2020

This handsome boy is the newest member of the pack! Meet Riggs! (I call him riggsy)
He's the biggest BOUNCING BALL of enthusiasm you'll ever meet. He's such a smart boy, and we have been building our communication bit by bit every walk.

Believe it or not, he's still 6 months old so he is just getting into that real scatterbrained phase. That being said, I love the enthusiasm because there is so much we can channel it into!! Looks like we will have some interesting walks ahead! 🐾

06/05/2020

I realized the other day that I've been so quiet on this page since resuming work! So here are some highlights from the past couple of weeks.
We've got a new member of the pack; Towee has gotten a baby sister! So I will have my hands full with those two together!! Towhee is such a joy to walk and I know little Kawhi will learn a lot from her.

I always forget to take photos during walks! Now that the weather is so fantastic, I will try and remember to get some extra photos of everyone's furbabies.

05/01/2020

Good morning to all of my lovely clients!

With restrictions opening up in Alberta starting today, my plan is to resume walks and check-ins as of May 14th. I'll be continuing my practice of sanitizing my hands before and after each walk, and of course not touching any surfaces in my clients homes unnecessarily, as well as other measures to prevent any spread.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me. I will be reaching out to each of my clients in the next week or so to check in and chat!

Stay healthy everyone, and enjoy this photo of Tibby posing with the things that she loves most! 😂

03/27/2020

I have an update for all of my lovely clients!

As it was just announced today that non-essential businesses will be closing, I will not be doing any walks moving forward until things start to improve and the government allows us non-essentials to get back to work.
As many of you know I caught a cold and have been in the required 2 week quarantine. Thankfully it didn't turn into anything serious and I am feeling great, if not a little bored and dog-deprived!
I wish all of my clients the absolute best, stay happy and healthy! If you have any questions or concerns about services, please don't hesitate to give me a shout. I will be contacting everyone privately to give them an update as well.

All the best! ♥️

Also, enjoy this photo of Tibby's newest way to ask for attention:

03/07/2020

We saw some geese overhead on our walk!! 🦆
Spring time is so close! And isn't this the cutest big goofball? Towhee and I had some great walks this past week :)

02/27/2020

"Mom I can't hold this pose forever!!"
(Notice the blurry wagging tail 😂)
Practicing holding a "bow" pose as well as some noise desensitization this morning. Then we are off to walk!

02/24/2020

First crack at homemade dog treats. Tibby LOVES them! 🐟🎃 🧀 flavour! 😋