Strong Canines - Hilary Strong, Cpdt-Ka, CDBC

09/16/2025

📚 School is in and I can't wait to meet your puppy! 🐶

06/03/2024

👶 Baby Homecoming - FAQs for Dog Families 🐾

“𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙜 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙩?”

Your dog likely knows that something is different about you, whether it be your behaviour, your scent, or the change in your posture. We can’t say for sure if they know exactly what is going on though - if only they could talk! It is quite common for women to report that their dog became more reactive to strangers or “protective” during their pregnancy. This does not necessarily mean that the dog is protecting the mother/baby, as many factors such as change in routine, human behaviour, and increased stress levels amongst family members can make reactivity worse. In this kind of situation, I would highly recommend reaching out to a qualified professional/Family Paws Educator and avoid encouraging the behaviour further.

“𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔, 𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆?”

Kids, toddlers, and infants are all drastically different. Plus, your dog having been around children is one thing, but living with them is another. It is also important to brush up on dog body language to see how well you really know your dog. When they are around a child, what signs tell you that they aren’t just fine, but very comfortable around kids? Just tolerating children isn’t enough to be sure that your dog isn’t going to get fed up one day. Dogs have emotions like us, and they also have bad days. One of my favourite quotes by Family Paws Parent Education is “Babies grow, dogs age, adjust at every stage”.

“𝑺𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔?”

This might look a little different for each family, but it is great to start with understanding your dog’s sensitivities. What do you expect will be difficult for your dog when Baby arrives (think sounds, touch sensitivities, tight spaces/“growl zones”, less one on one time, etc)? How can you make this easier ahead of time? What management tools can be used to set them up for success?
What habits does your dog have that are fine right now, but might become an issue when the family expands? How can you address this now, so that it doesn’t become a problem later? What simple changes can you start making in the dog’s routine, so that they aren’t surprised later on?

“𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔? 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕?”

“Dog Meets Baby”. Social media is polluted with these heartwarming video clips, many which are outright unsafe. Dogs being encouraged to “kiss” the infant with the carrier on the floor, and no adult in between. What you often miss is the dog looking up at the adult for reassurance, flicking their tongue, whites of eyes showing, lowered body posture, pinned ears, staring, and sometimes over-excitement that comes out as zoomies or jumping. Is this fair to the dog? What about the vulnerable infant? The dog might be happy, but what if they accidentally thwack the infant with their paw? Guess who will get the blame? When your baby arrives home they will be making all kinds of noises, and producing a variety of new odors. You as parents will be slightly out of character as well. Everything will be different, chaotic, exciting, and strange for your dog, so they will not be blind to the fact that a new creature has arrived in their space. Rather than focusing on an “introduction”, how can you promote a happy and safe coexistence? How can you reduce the pressure for your dog, and try to maintain some predictability and routine? On top of that, always remember, “Dog and baby on the scene, a parent in between” .

Regarding the baby blanket, there is no simple answer to this question. Many people have heard this suggestion before, which is understandable because dogs see the world through their noses. However, dogs are more complex than that and so are babies (they are always changing)! Assuming that this tiny step will determine the rest of the relationship between the dog and baby can easily set everyone up for unhealthy expectations, and possibly terrible disappointment. Babies are so much more than their scent, but even then, how can you guarantee that the dog can distinguish the baby’s scent from all of the other hospital smells? The variety of odors might even be overwhelming for the dog. If the dog sniffs and wags their tail, is it fair to assume that the dog understands what is happening? If the dog reacts negatively, why would we conclude that it’s because of the baby, and not from having a strange object being put in their face? There are more important things to be focusing on when preparing the whole family for Baby’s arrival, so don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

🐕 There are so many questions when it comes to dogs and children. Please do not hesitate to reach out for some helpful resources, or to book an appointment to come up with a plan unique for your situation.

05/08/2024

Hello Friends! 🐾

I realize I have been quiet lately! I have been doing a fair bit of traveling, so my schedule hasn’t been as consistent. We also recently lost our boy, Bubs (seen pictured bottom right) a few months back, so I must admit that it has been difficult to reignite that passion that I usually have for Dog behaviour consulting. 💜

The good news is that things are back on track, and I have availability for new clients! Behaviour consultations are online, and I offer support for a variety of behaviours and topics, including:

- Reactive Behaviours (leash lunging, barking/growling at strangers, etc)
- Fears, phobias, noise and touch sensitivities
- Separation distress
- Preparing for veterinary visits
- Preparing Families with Dogs for Life with Baby
- Preparing Families with Dogs for Life with Toddlers
- *Some* Bite Cases
- All things puppies!
- Helping your rescue dog acclimate to their new life

Please do not hesitate to reach out by DM or email if you have questions about pricing, or how sessions work online. I am also happy to offer a free 15 minute video chat, just so that you can meet a friendly face, and see if it is a good fit 😊. You can also see more info on my website at

Www.strongcanines.com
[email protected]

Feel free to share and get the word out! 🐶

Hilary

12/03/2023

Hi all - My name is Julia and I am one of Zoë's closest friends, and I am organizing this gofundme on h… Julia Khoury needs your support for Zoë's Dream Team

07/21/2023

This is a really amazing credential to have. Thanks for raising the bar for animal rescue Oromocto and Area SPCA 💜

Did you know that 2 of our staff are Certified Family Dog Mediators?
What does this mean? It means that through a dog's Learning, Environment, Genetics and Self, we can better understand what makes our dogs tick, what is truly behind "problem" behaviours and what they ultimately need to be happy.
"One size fits all" training isn't always the answer.
Stay tuned to our page for more information or give us a call if you'd like to chat.

07/13/2023

Did you know that the animal behaviour industry is unregulated? This means that anyone can call themselves an animal trainer or “behaviourist”. This also means that a self-proclaimed expert can use harmful and unnecessary methods on your animal and easily get away with it. Finding a professional with the right qualifications can save you and your animal from a big headache down the road. There are organizations that help to regulate the animal industry by certifying professionals of high standards and who follow a strict code of ethics. Those that break these standards can be reported. Are certified professionals perfect? No. Are there uncertified professionals who are incredible at what they do? Yes, lots! But they should still have their own strict code of ethics and be willing to learn from the leaders in the industry. Experience and Knowledge are both important. Claiming that they “have always done it this way” and are not open to learning from others is a huuuuge red flag.

With dogs, the professional should aim to get experience with many different breeds in all kinds of settings. They must also become educated in species-specific behaviour and learning theory. Watching youtube videos and tv shows on dog training does not count. They must be willing to take courses, attend seminars, and ideally would have been mentored by another professional in the early stages. They should also be willing to learn about different methodologies so that they can fully understand all views present in their industry, even if they don’t agree with them. They should learn about ethics, and even human psychology because they need to know how to work with people. A dog trainer specifically should learn that training is only 10% of the entire puzzle. If you ignore the rest (environment, enrichment, genetics, health, history, age, breed) then the dog is less likely to succeed.

A professional should be willing to build the other professional up. If they see that another is lacking in a specific area, they offer to help them. They shouldn’t get angry about other qualified professionals getting business because there are enough struggling dogs to go around and every professional has their own niche. They might compete in a friendly manner and when they see their colleague learning new stuff, they ask them about what they are learning and how to hop onto the nerd-mobile! Some dogs require an “all hands on deck” approach, and need multiple skilled professionals to work together and support them (i.e. Trainer(s), Vet, Vet behaviourist, Boarding Facility, Dog Walker). Teamwork really does make the dream work and a true professional should be open to this.

We all start somewhere and all make mistakes (I have made lots). The important thing is to be honest and upfront as a professional about your skill level, and to refer out or team up if you are unsure about your abilities.

Your hired professional should never put you or your dog at risk of danger, or belittle you in any way. They should always be open to hearing your concerns and doubts and not take it personally, and most definitely should not humiliate you. If they make you feel like crap, imagine how your dog probably feels.

I like to keep my qualifications up to date to give dog guardians some peace of mind, and to show how much hard work I have put into my career.

Currently, I am certified as a Professional Dog Trainer through the CCPDT, am a FPPE through Family Paws Parent Education, and I recently acquired Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant through the IAABC. I also worked in the veterinary industry for 5 years (and became fear-free certified), and have trained dogs for over 10 years.

Here were the eligibility requirements before I applied for my exam through the IAABC: https://iaabc.org/en/industry-standards

a minimum of four years and 500 hours of experience in animal behavior consulting;
400 hours minimum of coursework, seminars, and mentorships;
a working knowledge of learning theory, counterconditioning, desensitization, training, and husbandry, with additional in-depth knowledge of assessment skills and application of species-specific knowledge

For anyone who is interested in jumping into the exciting field of dog behaviour, please do not hesitate to reach out! Our industry needs more qualified professionals. I am more than happy to provide information and tips on how to get started. 😊

07/10/2023

⭐️ FAQ’s - Online Consultations ⭐️

“Will Online Consultations Work For My Dog?”

⭐️ Some of my most successful clients with even the most difficult behaviours have been virtual! Especially dogs who are fearful or reactive to strangers often benefit more from virtual sessions because they don’t have to be put under any unnecessary stress. I can actually see their true potential and baseline behaviour when I am not there to disrupt that. This makes it easier to get you started with learning some foundation behaviours before applying them in difficult situations!

“Don’t You Need To See The Behaviour In Person?”

⭐️ With situations like aggression and reactivity it depends. Putting your dog in a situation to fail, just so that I can observe the behaviour is unfair to them and unsafe in general. If you happen to already have a recording for me to observe, great, but I will never ask you to put anyone in danger just for me to see your dog growl or bite - I already know what that looks like! There are other more important details that I look for when looking to create an effective behaviour change plan.

“What Does The Process Look Like?”

⭐️ First of all, you don’t require anything fancy to do online sessions with me. Your phone, wifi, and an app such as Zoom, WhatsApp, or Messenger work just fine! These all have the option for face-face calls.

Step 1️⃣: Assessment.
I will ask you to fill out a detailed questionnaire, and to send videos of your dog. These videos might be of your dog behaving at their natural state, like playing, going for a walk, or interacting with family members. If the unwanted behaviour does not pose much risk, then I will ask to see that. Keep in mind that I’m often observing the details around the behaviour rather than the behaviour itself, so it’s not always necessary.

Step 2️⃣: Agreement.
I will send you a waiver agreeing on the terms and conditions for you to sign and return to me.

Step 3️⃣: Schedule a Session.
When we meet for our video call we will discuss your dog’s history and come up with an initial plan (which you will also receive in written form). I give you the option to add me on chat so that you can ask me questions (anytime!), provide updates, and send me video clips of you implementing my suggestions for more feedback. The more effort that you put in, and the more open that you are for feedback, the more that you get out of it! You let me know whenever there are new developments in your dog’s behaviour, so that I can continue to tailor the plan that works best for your needs. The number of sessions depends on your dog’s behaviour, how long it has been going on, and your individual needs. Communication is essential, and it is important that we have a positive professional relationship.

I will always be honest and upfront about what I am able to offer. if I anticipate that the issue is beyond my capabilities I am happy to refer you to a professional who is better equipped to help. Each professional has their own unique strength to offer! If a behaviour professional ever gives you a guarantee - run the other direction! Keep in mind that my responsibility is to coach and support you, but change happens when you put in the work. This would also apply if I were to come to see you in person. Training your dog *for* you simply does NOT work long term.

Questions?? Don’t be afraid to ask! I have excellent bite inhibition 😉

07/04/2023

Hey Friends! 🐶

Are you in need of a gift for a little one, or a dog lover in your life?

The “I Don’t Like That” book is a gift that keeps on giving! Dedicated to anyone who knows what it’s like to have a “grumpy” dog, or perhaps you are a grumpy human who “likes animals more than people” and prefers to avoid human interaction at all cost…this book is for you! The Oromocto and Area SPCA has copies available for $20 with 10$ from each book going to animals in need 🐾.

Not only does this book donate money towards animals in need, but it also has a heartwarming story, lovely illustrations, AND a resource section on canine behaviour!
Go get your copy - NOW! You can find the Oromocto SPCA at 111 D’Amours Street, Oromocto.