Smart Dogs Canine Training

Smart Dogs Canine Training Dog Training in Milton - Private and Group Lessons
Behaviour, Obedience, Virtual Sessions Dog Training in Milton Ontario, Halton Region and surrounding areas.

Private lessons, group lessons, virtual sessions, online courses and problem solving available. Puppy training, basic dog obedience, advanced dog obedience, rally-o, bootcamp training.

Milo sounds like a lovely little JRT. Why not check him out?
07/04/2025

Milo sounds like a lovely little JRT. Why not check him out?

Hard work pays off. It pays off in everything that you do that means something to you. And it pays off tremendously in d...
07/02/2025

Hard work pays off. It pays off in everything that you do that means something to you. And it pays off tremendously in dog training. Training your dog is like going to the gym. Your coach at the gym can give you all the advice, tips and guidance in the world, but if you don’t implement what the coach says, and don’t put in the effort and work, you will see very little to no results. The same is true for training your dog. Your trainer can give you all of the guidance in the world, but if you don’t put in the effort, work and consistency, you will not see the results that you are hoping for. Even dogs coming from board and trains will go downhill if you don’t put in effort to practice and maintain the training.
But if you do put in the effort, you will see results very quickly, even if they are just small steps forward. Hard work is not always fun, but hard work pays off.
So proud of this girls family and the amazing work that they have put in with her so far!!

Happy Canada Day!!
07/01/2025

Happy Canada Day!!

Don’t forget to check out the Milton Canada Day celebration at Victoria park tomorrow! Happy to help sponsor this local ...
06/30/2025

Don’t forget to check out the Milton Canada Day celebration at Victoria park tomorrow! Happy to help sponsor this local event!

Couple spots left. Contact us for details or to sign up!
06/29/2025

Couple spots left. Contact us for details or to sign up!

If you are having issues with your dog I implore you to try the below. Most problems that I see arise are due to “over d...
06/27/2025

If you are having issues with your dog I implore you to try the below. Most problems that I see arise are due to “over doing” attention with dogs. This can be constant talking to, always physically on them, always thinking they need entertainment, constantly looking at them, worrying about them, providing them with entertainment when they demand it, giving in to every demand that the dog makes and the list goes on. This can drastically increase demanding, inappropriate and even dangerous behaviours from your dog. So if you are experiencing issues try this:

✅ 15 to 30 days of ignoring your dog (you can still walk, play with and train)
✅ Make play, walks, training and things like stuffed kongs, bones and snuffle mats on your terms, not when your dog demands it
✅ Have your dog wear a drag line/leash for those 15-30 days (supervised only and never in the crate) so that you can easily and clearly correct, redirect or block behaviours that you don’t like.
✅ Use confinement (crate, xpen, safe room) where necessary

If done properly and if you can do it without falling off the non-attention wagon, you should notice a massive shift in your dogs behaviour. It’s simple, easy to follow and straight forward. That said, I get it, it’s not easy to ignore your dog. It’s the hardest part. But it’s also the part that has the biggest impact. And we mainly do it to change the owners habits of how they interact with their dog. After the 15-30 days, don’t fall right back in to old habits, rather use attention strategically. Dog is being good and calm, have a game with them. Dog is lying nicely with you while watching a moving, feel free to pet them. Dog has done what you asked, now it’s walk time.
Remember what you give attention to, either negative or positive, will increase in frequency if the dog finds it rewarding. Happy training!

One clear, thoughtful correction can make all the difference between a dog being confused and haphazard about their beh...
06/24/2025

One clear, thoughtful correction can make all the difference between a dog being confused and haphazard about their behaviour and a dog becoming very clear in what is required of them. I’m not applying this thought to obedience training, rather every day household living. One clear correction can save you and your dog a world of stress and help them learn self control. One clear correction can save a life. That may sound dramatic, but it’s true. It’s kinder to be clear to your dog than to draw out the process for weeks and months on end. One clear correction can be the difference in the dog keeping their home or not. It’s ok to have a yes and a no with your dog. It makes life so much easier for everyone when we are not just given one side of an equation, and allowed to experience the full picture.

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Puppies aren’t robots. You cannot program a puppy to be perfect. There is a time for puppy-ness and there is a time to g...
06/20/2025

Puppies aren’t robots. You cannot program a puppy to be perfect. There is a time for puppy-ness and there is a time to get more serious. It’s ok to let your puppy be a puppy as long as you have some clear rules set. It’s ok for your puppy to walk on a harness and not be perfect on leash, there is a load of time to work on that as they get a bit older. It’s ok that your puppy gets nuts sometimes, it happens. I see so much frustration, anxiety and overwhelm when we try to do too much and expect too much with puppies. Puppies are babies/toddlers to a certain age, and we do not need to be putting undue pressure on them or on you for that matter. The things that you should be concerned about with young puppies are house training, crate training/containment and good house hold rules and manners. The rest? It’ll come, you’ve got time. There is no need to add to the stress of raising a puppy by expecting too much too soon.

I cannot stress enough the importance of dogs learning to regulate behaviour without always having to bark out obedience...
06/17/2025

I cannot stress enough the importance of dogs learning to regulate behaviour without always having to bark out obedience commands. We see so much high level, high energy, high stimulation obedience, but that isn’t what families need. They need dogs who can turn off, who can control their impulses, who can relax when needed. Part of it is practicing not giving into your dogs every demand a desire. Dogs who are demanding are dogs who cannot self regulate and always need to be entertained and moving. Part of it is practicing calm with a leash on at home, in the back yard, on walks, at the park or wherever you take you dog. We do this in classes. We stop, we relax, we have a conversation and we allow our dogs to learn how to be bored. The art of learning how to deal with boredom is underrated, but it is the key in having a dog learn to regulate their own behaviours.

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Learning that people are friends not foe is a big step for some dogs. A positive intro with some ignoring by strangers, ...
06/11/2025

Learning that people are friends not foe is a big step for some dogs. A positive intro with some ignoring by strangers, getting down on the dogs level, learning to accept presence, and even learning to accept reward from the strangers. This can all be very helpful for socializing a nervous/anxious dog. We want dogs to think others are no big deal, will not force themselves upon them and sometimes good things happen when the dog makes the approach. A send to hand touch can be extremely helpful in confidence building with strangers (please note this is for non-biters and non aggressive dogs). Thank you for helping us out and making it a positive experience!!

I haven’t seen many truly dominant dogs over my career. I can probably count on less than one hand those dogs. It’s quit...
06/09/2025

I haven’t seen many truly dominant dogs over my career. I can probably count on less than one hand those dogs. It’s quite rare, but dogs often get labeled dominant for pushy behaviours that they have learned that get their humans to do things for them or they’ve learned these behaviours help them get their own way. This isn’t dominance. This is a highly intelligent creature learning that if I do X and Y happens, and I like Y, I am going to keep doing X. Humans do it, dogs do it, most, if not all mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates will do it. Dogs are opportunistic creatures and they are geared towards doing things that make them feel good or have a good outcome, and they can show up as pushy, demanding, rude and sometimes downright dangerous behaviours. This in no way concludes that the dog is dominant. This just means they have us trained very well and if we don’t stop allowing X to make Y happen, these behaviours that predict Y will continue. If we begin to make X not work, which can be as simple as ignoring or moving away from demanding behaviours, X will no longer predict Y and the behaviour starts to extinguish as it is no longer a predictor of something the dog likes or it is no longer working for the dog to get their own way. Dogs are very good at training us, we are not always as good at training them.

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Milton, ON

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Tuesday 1pm - 8pm
Wednesday 10am - 7pm
Thursday 10am - 7pm
Friday 10am - 8pm
Sunday 1pm - 8pm

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Smart Dogs Canine Training

Is it time to make a change? Are you frustrated with your dogs behaviour? Do you want a better relationship with your canine companion?

We can help! Smart Dogs Canine Training in Milton provides real life, success oriented dog training that is easy to follow, translates well to the whole family and encourages healthy relationships with a balanced approach to training your dog. We offer a thorough understanding of dog behaviour, and are committed to our clients success. From group classes, to private training, puppy training, adult dog training, and behavioural adjustments, we offer something for everyone and encourage practice and exercise for the benefit of both dog and owner.

Smart Dogs Canine Training in Milton, Burlington, and Acton will help you achieve the stable, well balanced canine companion that you've always wanted. Our goal is your success, not to sell you class after class with no results. With families in mind, our priority is to help make your dog easier to live with, more responsive and better behaved.

REMEMBER: training isn't about being perfect. It's about building a better relationship, vocabulary and having fun. Training doesn't have to be boring, or tedious work. A few minutes a day, with reward, play, proper direction and clear communication of YES and NO will make your sessions much more enjoyable. Throw that into real life situations, and you've got yourself a well behaved dog that enjoys learning.