Heeling Assistants Canada

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Not all heroes wear capes. But ours do! We are a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering disabled people to train their own service dogs.

Whether your disability is visible or invisible, we see you, and we are here to help.

10/19/2026

🐾 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸, 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄! 🌱

Every great service dog skill starts somewhere. A simple behaviour can grow into something incredibly useful with practice, patience, and the right guidance.

But training doesn't have to be all serious business! Sometimes, learning through tricks and fun new skills is a great way to build communication, confidence, and teamwork with your dog. 🐶❤️

That's what our Tricks N Skills classes are all about!

Whether you're building foundations or looking to expand your dog's skill set, come learn, practise, and celebrate those little wins with us.

🐕🦺 Ready to add something new to your dog's toolbox? Join our Tricks N Skills classes!

Visit our website to learn more and get started. 🐾

10/18/2026

☀️ 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺, 𝗱𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆… 🥹🐾

A little throwback to the last days of summer, when the trails were dry, the sun shone, and our puppies played their hearts out! 🌿🐶

Running, sniffing, exploring, and being puppies, all while experiencing the world around them.

Because socialization isn't just about meeting new people and places. It's also about having fun, building confidence, and learning that the world is a pretty great place to be. ❤️

Now excuse us while we reminisce about muddy paws, rainy walks, and counting down the days until sunshine returns. 🌧️😂

10/17/2026

🐾 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁.

Owner-training a service dog can feel like a LOT.

The training plans. The setbacks. The questions you’re not sure how to answer. The days when your dog seems to have forgotten everything they’ve ever learned. 😅

And sometimes, it feels like everyone else is making progress while you’re stuck in the same place.

But here’s the thing: you were never meant to figure everything out by yourself. ❤️

Having a support system means having people to learn from, ask questions, celebrate the little wins with, and lean on when things get hard.

It means knowing that someone else understands why that tiny milestone matters so much.

Because service dog training isn't just about raising a capable dog. It's about building a team, and making sure the human has support along the way, too.

You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need to get everything right the first time.

You just need to know that you don't have to walk this road alone. 🐕🦺

That's what community is for. That's what we're here for.

10/16/2026

🚒🐕🦺 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘆: 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!

Our advanced dogs got to visit the New Westminster Fire and Rescue Open House for a little real-world learning!

And by real-world, we mean REAL-world. 👀

From exploring the sights and sounds of a busy fire station to watching a live Jaws of Life demonstration, our dogs got to experience things that go far beyond your everyday walk in the park.

🚨 Unfamiliar sights and equipment
🔊 Loud, unexpected noises
🚒 Emergency vehicles and activity
🧠 Practising calmness and focus in a stimulating environment

These experiences help our dogs build confidence and learn to navigate environments that can be noisy, unpredictable, and full of distractions.

Because service dog training isn't just about mastering skills in a quiet training space. It's about learning to work through the real world, too. ❤️

A huge thank you to New Westminster Fire and Rescue for welcoming us and giving our teams the opportunity to learn!

10/15/2026

𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. 🐕🦺

Some disabilities aren't obvious from the outside.

You might not see the pain.
You might not see the anxiety.
You might not see the sensory overload.
You might not see what it takes for someone to get through an everyday situation.

But sometimes, you can see the dog responding.

A trained alert.
A task being performed.
A dog creating space.
A dog helping their handler regulate.
A dog guiding their person through something that others can't see.

The dog doesn't make the disability visible.

They make the support visible.

And suddenly, what looked like “Why does this person need a service dog?” becomes a little easier to understand.

Not every disability needs to be visible to be real.

And not every reason for a service dog needs to be explained to a stranger. ❤️

10/14/2026

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘂𝗽? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 🐕🦺

Once a dog understands the basic back-up, we can start making things a little more challenging.

Instead of backing up against a perfectly straight wall, try a wavy surface.

Why?

Because we're not just teaching the dog to move backwards. We're teaching them to feel where their body is in relation to the wall and adjust themselves.

Swing too far left?
👉 Correct back toward the wall.

Swing too far right?
👉 Correct again.

The goal is for the dog to start noticing their own position and making those little adjustments without us constantly telling them where to go.

It's a more advanced skill, but it builds something really important:

body awareness + problem solving + independence.

What looks like a simple back-up can actually be a pretty complex conversation between the dog and their environment. 🧠🐾

10/13/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀. 🐕🦺

A service dog doesn't make someone's disability disappear.

They don't make the hard days disappear.
They don't “fix” their handler.
And they don't magically make everything easy.

What they can do is help make certain things more possible.

🦮 Performing tasks that support their handler
🚪 Helping their person navigate situations that may otherwise be difficult
🧠 Providing trained responses to specific disability-related needs
🤝 Creating more independence in everyday life
🌎 Helping their handler participate in activities that may have felt out of reach

The disability is still there.

But with the right support, some of the barriers don't have to be.

That's what a service dog is about.

Not fixing the person.

Supporting the person. ❤️🐾

10/12/2026

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲-𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. 🐕🦺

And that's kind of the point.

You're walking forward…
then suddenly it's a U-turn. ↩️

A few steps left. ⬅️
A turn right. ➡️
Change direction.
Turn around again.

To us, it might look like we're just wandering around the sidewalk. 😂

But we're teaching the dog something important:

Pay attention to where your human is going.

Instead of learning that a walk means “pull forward until we get there,” they're learning to notice our movement, follow changes in direction, and stay connected to us.

It takes a LOT of repetition.

Some days the turns are smooth.
Some days your dog is convinced you're walking in the wrong direction. 😅

But every twist, turn, and U-turn is another opportunity to practice.

Loose-leash walking isn't about walking perfectly in a straight line. It's about learning to move together. 🐾

10/11/2026

𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆'𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴! 🐶⏳

Puppies have an important early socialization period when they're especially open to experiencing the world and learning what's safe and familiar.

And no, socialization isn't just about meeting as many dogs and people as possible!

It's about introducing your puppy to different experiences in a positive, safe, and age-appropriate way.

🐾 Different sights, sounds, and surfaces
🚗 Car rides and new environments
👀 Watching people and dogs from a comfortable distance
🛒 Everyday sights like shopping carts and wheelchairs
🧘♀️ Learning to stay calm around distractions

Remember, quality over quantity! We want positive experiences, not overwhelming ones.

If you're hoping to owner-train a future service dog, those early foundations matter. Don't wait until you need the skills to start building them!

Your puppy is growing every day. Make those little learning moments count. ❤️🐾

10/10/2026

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀! 🐶📣

You don't have to wait until your puppy is older to start building good habits.

This little one is already learning to settle on a mat outdoors. 🧺🐾

It might seem like a small thing, but learning to relax in new environments, around distractions, and while the world keeps moving is an incredibly useful skill.

Puppy training isn't about expecting them to act like a finished service dog. It's about giving them the foundation they can build on later.

A few minutes of practice here and there can go a long way. ❤️

Start young. Start simple. Build those skills one paw at a time.

Who knows? That little puppy on the mat today might be your future service dog team tomorrow. 🐾

Address

2300-2850 Shaughnessy Street
Port Coquitlam, BC
V3C6K5

Website

https://heelingassistants.org/, https://app.return-it.ca/heeling-assistants-canada

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