dogWISE training & behaviour center

06/04/2026

Ever wondered how far you can stretch your dog’s thinking? This is where it starts.

What you’re watching is the foundation step called “Look At This.” The dog notices the object she holds up and holds their position on the station while they do it.

There’s no cue yet. Before a dog can pick out the matching item you’re holding, they first have to learn to attend to the object you present and wait for direction instead of rushing in. That noticing, and that pause, are what make a clean match possible later.

From here the skill becomes more sophisticated. Your dog learns to visually pick the identical item from a group of familiar and novel objects on the cue “Match It,” and to find the one that carries your scent on the cue “Find It.”

This is the concept known as matching to sample, a must-have foundation that opens the door to modifier cues, mimicry, and more, and carries over into obedience, nose work, and the Fenzi TEAM titles.

Learn it in Heather’s class Is This It? Match To Sample at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. Enrollment is open now through June 15. Link in bio to register.

05/31/2026

Hold up a toy. Could your dog pick its identical twin out of a pile?

That is the puzzle behind Match To Sample, a concept training class about how far you can stretch your dog’s thinking.

Your dog learns to study the object in your hand and choose the matching one from a group of familiar and novel items, all on a single cue: Match It. Then we add scent matching, where your dog finds the object that smells like you. That piece is the starting point for teaching a dog to search out one specific scent later on.

These are the foundations behind some of the most interesting work in dog training today, from modifier cues to mimicry to counting. They also carry over beautifully into Obedience, Nose Work and the Fenzi TEAM Titles program.

This 6-Week online class runs through . Lectures open June 1 and registration stays open to June 15, so there is still time to get your team in.

Link in bio to enrol.

05/28/2026

The skills you build at home are the same skills that help your dog succeed out in the world.

Calm at the doorway. Connected walks. Settling around distractions. They may seem like separate exercises at first, but they all work together.

05/26/2026

The skills you build at home are the same skills that help your dog succeed out in the real world.

Calm at the doorway. More connected walks. Relaxing around distractions. Settling in new environments. These may seem like separate exercises at first, but they all work together.

Most dogs aren’t “being difficult” out in the world. The environment itself is exciting, stimulating, and full of distractions competing for your dog’s attention. That’s where structure, consistency, and clear communication become incredibly valuable.

Training isn’t just about teaching behaviours. It’s about helping dogs learn how to navigate everyday life successfully alongside us.

Find the full post up in our stories.



Want it shorter still, or is this the right length?

05/22/2026

Feeling frazzled? Try a decompression walk with your dog — slow pace, lots of sniffing, zero pressure. These walks reduce stress, help reactive or anxious pups, and strengthen your bond. Read our quick guide for how to do one and when to choose it: https://wix.to/p6fCrfc

Daily walks are an important part of caring for a dog, but not every walk serves the same purpose. While many walks focus on exercise, pace, or polite leash behavior, a decompression walk is designed to support your dog’s mental and emotional health. Rather than emphasizing distance or obedience, ...

05/15/2026

People say cute dogs get away with everything. The puppies in my classes haven’t heard that.

This puppy is learning about scent articles by working through a row of identical objects to find the one his handler scented. He’s discriminating, problem-solving, using his nose. She’s learning to read him. They’re learning to communicate.

That’s what I want for every team that comes through the door. A dog who knows how to think. A person who knows how to listen. When you and your dog understand each other, you grow together and stay together.

Group classes are open enrollment. Any week is a good week to start.

05/13/2026

If you’re feeling frustrated with all that’s canine and don’t know where to turn, that’s exactly who this page is for.

Heather Lawson has spent 29 years helping dog owners in North Vancouver bridge the communication gap between themselves and their dogs. Her training is reward-based and grounded in the science of how animals learn. She takes the dog’s emotional state into account as much as the behaviour, because setting a dog up for success starts with making sure they feel comfortable and safe.

The goal is a healthy, fun, trusting relationship with the dog you already have, and skills that last a lifetime.

Heather’s philosophy has always been to pay it forward. Follow and she will.

05/08/2026

A few things I wish someone had told me with my first dogs.

05/04/2026

Lasting change begins with something far more effective: clear boundaries and consistent expectations within the home and with the things you like to do with your dog.

Before introducing training methods or complex exercise plans, it’s essential to establish a foundation that supports calm, appropriate behaviour in everyday life.

What’s one problem behaviour you’d rather not be tolerating right now with your dog?

04/30/2026

Thirty years of teaching this and I still see the same thing every spring: a wave of new puppies, a wave of exhausted humans, and a lot of behaviour everyone assumes is just “the puppy phase.”

Some of it is. A lot of it isn’t. The thing nobody mentions until you’re in it: the calm dog you want at six months and two years and ten doesn’t appear on its own. It gets built now.

Questions about your puppy? Drop them in the comments or DM us.