It Takes a Village Dog Training

04/08/2025

An official announcement was never made, but It Takes a Village Dog Training is no longer offering training services. I will be moving in the next year or two and will be unable to commit to long-term Service Dog clients. Additionally, Bo is on the road to retirement, and training his replacement is a full-time job!

08/09/2023

Did you know that it's National Service Dog Month?

September 7th is Bo's gotcha day too, right at the beginning! It was clearly meant to be. He has been a fantastic little working boy full-time since January 2018; the very first thing we worked on today, 7 years ago, was learning markers.

Sending all the good vibes from our team to yours this month!

31/07/2023

Just Bo here to announce that It Takes a Village Dog Training is pivoting from local obedience and behaviour cases to focus on service dog training!

This has been in the works for several months. I will be stepping away from taking new non-service dog clients, and expanding my services to offer more robust in-person and remote training options.

We have been hard at work recording simple training videos and writing thorough hand-outs, testing to meet current industry standards, and a curriculum framework. All that is left is figuring out the best delivery platform! 😁 Until then, everything is being sent and scheduled manually.

20/07/2023

In-person intake closes August 1st. This is so that I can schedule adequate time for clients, as I will end sessions in October. Existing clients can continue to book through October.

If you'd like to start training, now's the time!

I intake for remote service dog training year round! My full in-person program is being adapted for remote assistance.

17/07/2023

Have you ever played this game with your dog?

Bo whips so fast, I can't even mark his head turn anymore!

08/07/2023

I've been recording videos recently for remote service dog clients. At the beginning of each is a demonstration of the behaviour we're aiming for, so Bo gave me this very serious leave it to use today 😂

He's so good at this one that I had to have Peach do the instructional part; she is a serial nose bopper.

21/06/2023

This precious creature is Otis. Otis is a lovely housedog, dog-friendly, and enjoys hanging out with his people.

Otis' confidence takes a hit when he goes somewhere where there are lots of people, like the marina where his parents' boat is, or the cottage with all their friends.

People are afraid of Otis. They've been told he should be put down because he's big and loud.

To help Otis feel safer, we're working on mat work. His orange mat is a safety zone. Every time we practiced with it, his worry melted off. He was even able to disengage from a squirrel and a cat with the help of a magnet and his mat.

In the future, Otis' mat will be a default area he chooses when he is somewhere he is worried.

Helping big dogs with big feelings takes time. It can be done with patience and understanding.

12/06/2023

I currently have just one appointment available the 18th at noon! The next availabilities start July 8th.

Contact me, make that change you want to see!

11/06/2023

Do you have a dog garden? 🌻🐝

We use this cute tower planter to hold dog-safe herbs and flowers! This tower is for sniffing and munching 😋

Bo gets to pick the herbs. Last year he picked petunias, so we repeated this year!

PSA: rosemary may cause reactions in dogs with a history of seizures ✖️

03/06/2023

30/05/2023

Old dogs CAN learn new tricks!

Do you have a dog over the age of 8 who you feel is too "set in their ways" to learn? Maybe they seem bored at home, you gave up walking them years ago because they pull, or they're suddenly scared of things they never were before?

Send me a message and we'll see about teaching your old dog some new tricks, like safe exercise for aging joints, the joy of using their nose for entertainment, and how to cope with the world suddenly going faster than they are.

Peach learned airplane at the age of 11 after being scared of everything for 5 years. More importantly—but much less flashy—she has learned how to play, relax, and eat snacks outside.

26/05/2023

Are you a disabled person in Cornwall, Ontario (or the SD&G area!) seeking a trainer to help you train a service dog?

Service dogs in Ontario are defined as dogs prescribed by medical specialists to assist a disabled person with their day-to-day life. While training with a trainer is not a legal requirement, it is beneficial to have professional guidance!

I have been a service dog handler for a decade. My second service dog drove me to pursue a career in dog training, which finally beat my anxiety from C-PTSD last year! As an advocate for education and pursuant of equitable treatment of service dog handlers in Canada, I have spent years working with other handlers in an unofficial capacity. This year I was honoured to be invited to join the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers' Service Dog Committee.

My training program requires commitment (over a year for the full program!), honesty, integrity, and compassion. We focus on keeping it fun, while meeting the goals necessary to meet current industry standard by completion.

If you need help training a service dog, I am intaking 1 new client for the full program until July 1st. If you feel you have already addressed advanced obedience skills, contact me and we can see if you fulfil the early requirements to jump into transitioning to public access training!

Pictured below is my own service dog, Bolin, through his years of service. He began in 2017 and has been by my side every day since. Working with a service dog is teamwork, not subjugation; there is no room here for coercion and suppression, only trust and appreciation for the animal who is dedicating their life to you.