Rascals and Rescues

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Rascals and Rescues

In home, one to one dog training in Nanaimo, Cedar & Ladysmith. For new dog owners who want to start strong and, experienced owners navigating new challenges.

Free in home consultation

10/15/2026

Two dogs living in the same home can feed off each other’s energy — but that doesn’t mean they learn the same way.

With different dogs, we discover different motivations. Some respond strongly to affection and clear direction. Some are more motivated by food and exploring their environment, and need new skills broken into smaller steps.

Training them separately gives us a chance to understand what works for each dog before asking them to work together.

Try this: Spend some time with each dog individually. Notice how they respond to praise, food and new situations. What motivates one may not motivate the other.

Read our blog: https://www.rascalsandrescues.ca/blog/training-two-dogs-at-once-8-lessons-from-a-nanaimo-dog-trainer-part-1

For customized training for your dog, visit rascalsandrescues.ca.

10/13/2026

Bear Safety & Your Dog

Bears don't always stay in the woods.

On Vancouver Island, bears can turn up on trails, in parks and in residential neighbourhoods. When you're walking your dog, your dog's behaviour can affect what happens next.

Keep your dog on a fixed leash.�Skip retractable or long leashes in areas with bear activity. Keep your dog close enough that you can respond immediately.
Don't let your dog chase wildlife.�An off-leash dog can surprise or chase a bear — and potentially bring it back to you.

Watch ahead and make some noise.�Be especially alert around blind corners and dense vegetation. Talk as you walk so you don't accidentally surprise a bear.

If you see a bear, create distance.�Don't allow your dog to approach, bark at, chase or corner it. Slowly move away and give the bear a clear route to leave.

Bear in your yard?�Bring your dog inside and let the bear move through the area. For bear sightings in urban areas, contact the Conservation Officer Service:
1-877-952-7277 (RAPP)

And this is one more reason everyday training matters. A reliable recall, staying connected to you and being able to move away from something exciting or concerning can become important safety skills when wildlife is involved.

For customized training for your dog, visit rascalsandrescues.ca.

10/09/2026

Jorga’s Training Journey – Putting It All Together

Over the past few weeks, Jorga has worked on everything from impulse control and recall to settling, leash walking and learning how to stay connected with her people when the world around her gets distracting.

And, as often happens with training, the journey evolved along the way. Enzo became part of the process, some exercises progressed quickly, others needed more time, and sometimes the best decision was to stop, reassess and try a different approach.

That’s what training looks like in real life.

It isn’t about creating a perfect dog or getting every exercise right. It’s about building communication, learning to understand the dog in front of you and developing skills that can carry over into everyday life.

Jorga has come a long way — and now her family has a foundation they can continue building on.

Well done, Jorga. And thanks for coming along for the ride, Enzo.

For customized training for your dog, visit rascalsandrescues.ca.

10/07/2026

Jorga’s Training Journey – When Training Gets Too Difficult

Training isn’t always about pushing through.

During this session, we could see Jorga beginning to disengage and having difficulty staying focused. That’s valuable information.

When a dog has reached the point where they’re no longer engaged in the exercise, continuing to push can become counterproductive. Sometimes the best training decision is to recognize that the dog has had enough, give them a break and come back to it another time.

Part of good training is learning to read the dog in front of you and adjusting accordingly.

Knowing when to stop can be just as important as knowing when to keep going.

For customized training for your dog, visit rascalsandrescues.ca.

10/02/2026

Jorga’s Training Journey – Learning to Respect Space

Claiming space is another way we can help Jorga develop impulse control and understand boundaries.

By using body position and movement, we can communicate that she needs to pause, give space and wait for direction rather than automatically moving toward something she wants.
This can be useful in many everyday situations — around food, doorways, other dogs or anything a dog may become overly focused on. It can also help establish clearer boundaries around resources and personal space.

Ultimately, we’re teaching Jorga that she doesn’t need to push herself into every situation.

Pause, respect the space and look to your person for direction.

For customized training for your dog, visit rascalsandrescues.ca.

09/29/2026

Jorga’s Training Journey – Walking Through Distractions

Jorga’s leash work is coming along well, and her guardians are doing a great job of recognizing when her attention shifts and redirecting her before that distraction takes over.
In this session, Jorga and Enzo are also practising around real-world distractions, including other dogs barking nearby. The goal isn’t to eliminate distractions — it’s to teach them how to stay connected to their person and continue walking calmly despite them.

Redirecting a dog’s attention and energy gives them something constructive to do instead of becoming increasingly focused on what’s happening around them.
Learning to remain responsive and manageable in distracting environments is an important part of both enjoyable walks and everyday safety.

The distraction can still be there. The skill is learning how to move past it.

For customized training for your dog, visit rascalsandrescues.ca.

09/26/2026

For an excited, energetic dog like Jorga, learning how to settle is an important skill.

It starts with teaching her where to go and to remain there. As she becomes more comfortable, the goal is for Jorga to relax and let activity happen around her without needing to be part of it.

Having a reliable place also provides clear direction when excitement is high — an especially valuable skill for a large, powerful dog.

Settling isn’t about taking away Jorga’s energy. It’s teaching her how and when to turn it down.

For customized training for your dog, visit rascalsandrescues.ca.

09/24/2026

Jorga’s Training Journey – Whistle Recall

Jorga and Enzo’s whistle recall is coming along well!

Why use a whistle instead of relying only on your voice?

A whistle provides a clear, consistent sound that doesn’t change with our mood, volume or tone of voice. It can also carry well over distance, making it useful when a dog is exploring outdoors or farther away from their person.

With practice, that distinctive sound becomes associated with one very clear message: come back to me.

As you can see here, both Jorga and Enzo are learning to respond to the whistle and return — another important skill they can practise together.

A reliable recall gives dogs more freedom while helping their guardians maintain communication when it matters.

For customized training for your dog, visit rascalsandrescues.ca.

09/22/2026

What happens when your dog decides training time is playtime?

For a playful, energetic dog, excitement can make it harder to slow down, focus and respond to the person they’re working with. Rather than trying to take that playful nature away, we want to help the dog learn how to manage it.

For large, powerful dogs like Jorga and Iggy, impulse control is particularly important. Even friendly, playful excitement can lead to accidental bumps, knocks or injuries simply because of their size and strength.

The goal isn’t a dog who never gets excited. It’s a dog who can move from excitement back to listening when asked.

That ability to regulate themselves is a skill — and like any other skill, it takes practice.

For customized training for your dog, visit rascalsandrescues.ca.

09/19/2026

Sometimes training means going back and reviewing a skill before moving forward.

In this session, we’re reviewing the leash pop with Iggy. The focus is on clear timing and communication: the leash pop is followed immediately by a release of pressure, helping the dog understand when we’re asking for their attention.

Although Iggy is demonstrating here, the same technique can be applied when working with Jorga. Both are large, powerful dogs, making clear communication between dog and handler especially important.

Building these skills in training gives us something to draw on when we need that communication in everyday situations.

For customized training for your dog, visit rascalsandrescues.ca.

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