Tail Guides, Halifax, NS (2025)

04/22/2025

Spring has officially sprung — just ask Stella! This sweet girl joined me a year ago for solo visits during torn CCL treament, and now she's back for seasonal strolls while her people travel. As the crocuses pop, so do the scents — and Stella’s nose is here for all of it. 🐽🌷🪻

03/14/2025

📢 Volunteers Needed for Therapy Dog Assessments! 🐶❤️

We’re looking for volunteers to help with therapy dog assessments! No experience needed—just a love for dogs and a supportive attitude.

📅 Date: Sunday, March 16th
⏰ Time: 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
📍 Location: Paw Pad Retreat

✅ Must be comfortable around dogs
✅ No physical lifting or movement required

Your help will make a huge difference in evaluating future therapy dogs! If you’re interested, comment below, send us a message, or email [email protected].

02/04/2025

Check www.tailguides.ca for upcoming start dates for both Puppy Socialization & Puppy Training Club classes! 🌲

01/29/2025

💔 Saying goodbye to a special soul. Last month, I lost my sweet friend Madison (Mady), an English springer spaniel who will forever hold a place in my heart.

Mady was pure joy wrapped in fur. Her eagerness to explore the world around her, led by her nose, was unmatched. Every time I arrived, she’d greet me with the same excitement, bringing me all her toys or hurrying me to get her geared up.

Though her mobility changed over time, Mady remained blissfully unbothered by it all. She had no cares, moving through life with a spirit that never wavered. It was a true honour to help support her in her golden years, and I will always treasure those peaceful walks and moments of joy we shared, especially when we found a squirrel or a good sun ray to bathe in.

A huge thank you to Mady’s mom for bringing me into her life and allowing me to enjoy Madison’s golden years. I will forever be grateful for the time I got to spend with her.

Thank you for the memories, Mady. You will always be remembered and loved. 🌈💕

01/25/2025

Today is a Tail Guides Holiday -- it's Agnes' birthday! 🎉

Happy 6th Birthday to my spunky little adventurer, Agnes! 🐾🎉 From demo dog to tail-wagging trailblazer, you bring so much joy and energy to everything you do. Here's to many more years of fun and love, sweet girl! 🐩💚

01/23/2025

Lila is soaking up every lesson in puppy class with confidence and curiosity! She’s staying connected with her people for fun training games—and mastering the art of crumb-catching along the way.
Keep it up, little one!🍪

01/01/2025

🎉🐾Happy 2025!🐾🎉

Instead of rigid resolutions, let's make 2025 all about enjoying the little wins and making fun memories.✨️

Swipe to check out the two bingo cards for the tail guides walk pups & feel free to share the blank one with your dog's must-dos for this year.

12/26/2024

Meet Leah! 👋

Leah joined us on hikes this month & immediately thrived on the trail. She’s embracing every opportunity to explore while having perfect check ins & recall. Leah made fast friends with Phoebe & even helped encourage the adolescent retriever to recognize not all friends are tackle friends without any fuss or hard feelings! Now they zoom together, sniff together, & chase squirrels to their heart's content together!

12/24/2024

📍Starting January 5th at The Paw Pad Retreat (Timberlea)
📆Runs for 4 weeks

Your puppy's socialization window is a critical time where long-term learning takes place. It's important to utilize this time to set your puppy up for success.

Our fear-free, positive reinforcement classes are designed to ensure you & your puppy can build a trusting relationship & establish strong foundations for continued learning -- from basic life skills to advanced agility, it all starts here.

Key concepts we will cover over 4 weeks:

- Understanding dog body language
- Cooperative care & handling
- Puppy Manners
- Fear prevention & confidence building
- Enrichment & what that means to your dog

Learning happens everywhere, which is why this program includes an online portal to ensure you’re equipped to continue learning outside of class. Pop in to online Zoom office hours offered every week between classes to fine-tune exercises or get advice.

Puppyhood can be hard, but it doesn't have to be!

Enroll at www.tailguides.ca

11/15/2024

Overlooked signs of potential resource guarding 🚫

Most people can recognize these signs of resource guarding:
- Freezing up
- Hard stare
- Accelerated Consumption
- Growling
- Snarling
- Snapping

But many miss the signals beforehand:
- Avoidance
- Head turning away
- Lip licking
- Tail lowered
- Whale eye
- Crouching

Whether it's physically moving away when another dog or person approaches a resource, or a subtle head turn to look away, dogs with resource guarding tendencies may show subtle distance increasing signals to avoid escalation and conflict.

Small signs save big moments — read your dog' cues!

Sudden changes in behaviour should always prompt a vet visit prior to consulting with a certified behaviour professional.

11/08/2024

Winston got full marks for his puppy dog eyes just in time for graduation from Puppy Socialization. 🎓🦋

A new round of puppy socialization class starts this weekend as well as the long-awaited Puppy Training Club at .

Check out www.tailguides.ca/classes for more information.

09/15/2024

Puppy school is back!

📍Starting September 26th at The Paw Pad Retreat (Timberlea)
📆Runs for 4 weeks

Your puppy's socialization window is a critical time where long-term learning takes place. It's important to utilize this time to set your puppy up for success.

Our fear-free, positive reinforcement classes are designed to ensure you & your puppy can build a trusting relationship & establish strong foundations for continued learning -- from basic life skills to advanced agility it all starts here.

Key concepts we will cover over 4 weeks:

- Understanding dog body language
- Cooperative care & handling
- Puppy Manners
- Fear prevention & confidence building
- Enrichment & what that means to your dog

Learning happens everywhere, which is why this program includes an online portal to ensure you’re equipped to continue learning outside of class. Pop in to online Zoom office hours offered every week between classes to fine tune exercises or get advice.

Puppyhood can be hard, but it doesn't have to be!

Enroll at www.tailguides.ca

08/11/2024

I'm so excited to share with you my new business name & logo: Tail Guides

When I started my business, Tiny Pack was supposed to be a placeholder as I figured out my goals for the business & aspirations for my professional career. It's been clear for a couple of years now that I've been in need of a change, but when you wear all the hats in a business it's hard to find time for a total rebrand.

If you're a current client, there is an email in your inbox detailing how this will affect you (hint: just an address book update).

If you're interested in working with me & reached out to the Tiny Pack email address, don't fret. I have all of that forwarding to my new email [email protected]

Thanks to all of my clients & colleagues for their on-going support. Without you, there is no Tail Guides (or Tiny Pack)❤️

07/20/2024

Bean has been working hard on his group sit skills. While it's not necessary for a dog to sit to hold a stay, it can still be a beneficial skill to have.

A group sit is extra challenging because the other dogs add spatial pressure & distraction. Bean was keen to hop up for his cookie & carry on before he's given the ok, so the first factor I changed was how many dogs were near him during our short practices. This was a game-changer.

Here's Bean showing Louie how smart he is 🤓
Bonus pic of them being released back to the group aka Louie holding out hope for seconds 😂

07/11/2024

Many small dogs will use their voices first to express fear, excitement, concern & curiosity. This is often seen as a negative, but for many breeds, this was a desirable trait.

Just as we are mindful of other breed specific traits, little watchdogs need consideration, too.

Understanding why your dog is barking, regardless of size, is key to supporting your dog. If you're feeling overwhelmed by your chatty pup, reach out now for a consultation.

01/24/2024

Meet Kanga 👋

Kanga has been hiking with us the past couple of months after moving to Halifax.
She's eager to explore every trail & an experienced conversationalist, managing dog-dog interactions like a pro. She has been a joy to have in the group.
Happy trails, Kanga 🌲

✨️Some people say huskies should never go off leash, but that's a myth. Just like with any breed, you have to understand reinforcement preferences for your dog and start recall practice in low distraction environments. Keep learning easy before gradually increasing difficulty with distractions and distance. Just like with any workout, a handful of precision reps make a lasting difference compared to more reps with poor form.

12/24/2023

Happy holidays!

Thank you for another wonderful year full of adventure & learning.
I'm looking forward to seeing all that 2024 has to offer.
✨️🌲

This is a reminder that I am on holiday until January 3rd. While I spend time with family & friends, I may not be as prompt to reply to emails. If you have an urgent matter, please put "URGENT" in the subject line.

Tail Guides