Head and Heart Training

11/30/2024

What does a force free trainer do while on vacation? Why train, of course! Something that you may not know about me is that before starting Head and Heart Training, I lived Panama working as a biologist. It was during this time that I met the amazing folks running the APCC (Panamerican Conservation Association).

I returned to my old stomping grounds this month to say hi to a few old friends and help out around the project. If you have worked with me before you may recognize some of the enrichment games and training activities being carried out with the wildlife in this post. Whether working with a dog or rescued wildlife, enrichment is essential for training and animal welfare as it stimulates mental and physical activity, reduces stress, and promotes positive behaviors for a healthier, more engaged animal.

Since 2005, APPC has rescued and relocated more than 6,000 wild animals, returning more than 95% of them to their natural habitat and providing long-term care for animals where needed. I am grateful to them for trusting me to participate in the daily care of their animals. If you would like to make a donation to the APPC you can do so from their website: https://www.appcpanama.org/

10/18/2024

Its a tough job but somebody's got to do it 🤷🏼

Training with this adorable little creature was a blast today. Today Montgomery (12.5 weeks old) learned basic recall and crate training and mastered his puppy pushups (sit -> down). Shout out to this incredible family with so much love to give. You deserve all the puppy cuddles in the world!

10/04/2024

This is Dante, working on his snuffle mat in his special safe space. Creating safe spaces like this is a fantastic way to help dogs to make good behavioural choices in the home.

Dante tends to get nervous when guests come over, and sometimes follows his mom around to protect her. We are encouraging Dante to take a load off and enjoy a snuffle, instead.

This setup provides Dante with a clear barrier so that he understands that nobody is going to approach him, a soft cozy crate to nap in, and an entire floor made of snuffle mats! What a cool space for a very special boy❤️

08/30/2024

Snowflake Club is chance for families who have worked with me before to come and practice their training skills, meet other guardians of reactive dogs , and continue to provide their dog with gentle exposures to their triggers in a supervised environment that sets everyone up for success.

Meet ups will be taking place every second Saturday morning at 8am in Maple Ridge (park location is announced week by week to participants)

If you are interested in attending a snowflake club meetup please email me at kathleen@headandhearttraining to reserve your space.

01/29/2024

First seminar of 2024 coming up this Saturday! Tell your friends, tell your family!

12/30/2023

12/21/2023

2023 has been a big year for Head and Heart training and Camp Snowflake boarding services, and I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has been with me throughout the year! I am so grateful to have been able to work with so many wonderful smart, quirky, special dogs, and their amazing families this year.

As a way to say thanks, I will be having a draw on January 1st with a give-away prize of 15% off of a week of boarding with me at Camp Snowflake. To participate in the draw please leave me a review on either my google business page or my page.

If you have already left a review this year, then you have already been automatically entered. Please get your reviews in by no later than December 31st.

12/20/2023

2023 has been a big year for Head and Heart training and Camp Snowflake boarding services, and I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has been with me throughout the year!

I am so grateful to have been able to work with so many wonderful smart, quirky, special dogs, and their amazing families this year. As a way to say thanks, I will be having a draw on January 1st with a give-away prize of 15% off of a week of boarding with me at Camp Snowflake.

To participate in the draw, please leave me a review on either my google business page or my page. If you have already left a review this year, then you have already been automatically entered. Please get your reviews in by no later than December 31st.

11/23/2023

I'm very excited to begin this project with the Maple Ridge SPCA ! On the first Saturday of every month, I will be giving a free seminar covering everything you need to know if you are thinking of adopting a rescue dog, have recently adopted a rescue, or if you are just interested in dog behavior and training :)

Please spread the word and be sure to come out Saturday December 2end at 3pm!

11/01/2023

Ollie's parents sent me this from the car after a very playful training session 😁

We spent the session pivoting our activities to meet this pup's energy levels and interests. We got some great practice doing "leave it" with a banana peel that he found and then practiced recall using a game of tug as the reward. Sleep tight, my precious prince ❤️

10/24/2023

Snickers makes another friend! Snickers (right) is dog reactive, but Apollo (left) is an exceptionally good signaler with other dogs. He used clear body language to communicate to Snickers (right) that he comes in peace and is not a threat. Within moments Snickers felt totally safe around him.

Understanding the body language that dogs use to keep the peace (or not) allows us to make informed decisions about our dogs' social interactions. I love teaching my clients to "speak dog"😊

10/05/2023

Due to high demand, I have decided to increase my boarding capacity starting November 1st with the addition of a second private boarding area. This means that I will be able to accommodate many more sweet and sensitive doggies. Spread the word!