Ruff Relationships

27/02/2026

I’m pleased to share that I’ll be offering a session on mental health and wellbeing for search and recovery volunteers at Wide Sky & Bone Dry – A Prairie K9 HRD Seminar.

This work asks a lot of those who serve- physically, mentally, and emotionally. This session will focus on practical tools, resilience strategies, and ways to support both yourself and your team in high-stress and post-deployment environments.

I’m looking forward to connecting with the SAR and K9 community and supporting the people behind the work.

🍁 SAVE THE DATE – OSARC Fall HRD Seminar 2026 🍁
Ontario Search and Recovery Canines (OSARC) is excited to announce our Fall Human Remains Detection (HRD) Seminar hosted in Alberta, Canada!
📍 Alberta, Canada
📅 September 18–20, 2026
🌐 Registration opens March 1st
🔗 www.cadaverdogs.ca
This three-day seminar will bring together dedicated handlers and teams for advanced HRD training, education, and networking within the search and recovery community.
✔ CGN/CGC Testing Available
✔ Certifications (ESWDA, NSDA & NASAR) available by request
✔ Instructor bios, costs, and full registration details coming soon
Whether you’re looking to strengthen operational readiness, pursue certification, or connect with fellow HRD professionals, this is an event you won’t want to miss.
Mark your calendars and stay tuned for registration details!
K9Training SARCanada HumanRemainsDetection

07/02/2026

Welcome to Ruff Relationships!

Whether you’re new or navigating over from my personal page, this is the home for my work supporting animal caregivers and animal professionals.

Thanks for being here ❤

28/01/2026

Hey friends!

If the work has been feeling especially heavy lately, I want to share something I have been building with a lot of care. For those who do not know me yet, I am a Family Dog Mediator, Shelter and Rescue Volunteer and a mental health professional, and I spend much of my work supporting people around secondary traumatic stress.

Stronger Together is a small, four week series for folks in animal care who are holding a lot emotionally, mentally, and physically and could use a space that feels supportive, real, and grounding.

We will spend one hour together each Friday:

• learning about things like empathic strain, stress regulation, and boundaries
• connecting with others who truly understand this work
• slowing down, reflecting, and figuring out what actually helps you stay well

Dates and times
Fridays from noon to 1pm ET
March 6, 13, 20, and 27

Format
Live on Teams
Sessions are not recorded because confidentiality and safety matter here

Registration in open now.
200 CAD for the full four session series

This is not about fixing yourself or adding another obligation. It is about being in community, feeling less alone, and finding ways to keep doing this work without burning yourself out.

If this feels like something you could use right now, I would love to have you join us, just message me.

09/01/2026

So proud of my friend Kerry and the incredible work behind Dog Adventures Northwest! This brand new promo video absolutely nails something I believe deeply- meeting a dog's need for real cardiovascular exercise and sensory enrichment isn't a luxury, it's basic welfare.
If you love dogs, and want them to live their happiest, heathiest lives, please take a moment to watch and share. Helping spread this message makes a real difference, especially as Dog Adventures Northwest expands to new cities!

All photos on this site are of Dog Adventures Northwest dogs living their very best lives. All collars featured are satellite GPS trackers only. Our collars do not shock animals. Dog Adventures Northwest does  not condone the use of any equipment that trains dogs through fear or intimidation.

19/12/2025

Last minute shopping for the dog pro in your life, or looking to treat yourself? Early bird prices in effect until December 31 🎅

Dog Business & Behaviour Summit

📅 May 1st: All things dog business
📅 May 2nd: What drives fights and bites — and how to prevent them & Skills for working with complex human clients

🏢 967 College St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada

🎟️ Join in person or online!

✨️Use code CWM for discounted tickets✨️
Weekend Pass $175 CDN • Day Pass $100 CDN (prices go up after Dec 31)

https://dogbusinessandbehaviour.com/

10/12/2025

I’m excited to share that I’ll be speaking in Toronto this Spring at the Dog Business & Behaviour Summit!

This event is the next evolution of the Dogs and the City Conference, but with an even bigger focus on the stuff dog pros really want: business + marketing skills, and behavior change- canine and human!

Mark your calendar

📅 May 1st: All things dog business
📅 May 2nd: What drives fights and bites — and how to prevent them & Skills for working with complex human clients

🏢 967 College St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada

🎟️ Join in person or online!

Use code CWM for discounted tickets:

Weekend Pass $175 CDN • Day Pass $100 CDN (prices go up after Dec 31)

https://dogbusinessandbehaviour.com/

09/12/2025

Huge shout-out to Chasin' Tails Dog Care Center for investing in their team’s well-being and booking a Psychological First Aid for Animal Care Teams session!

Your commitment to supporting staff during challenging moments is what builds resilient, compassionate organizations.

This training equips animal care professionals with the tools to respond with calm, clarity, and confidence during and after critical incidents- strengthening both team wellness and the quality of care provided.

If you’d like to prepare your team to respond effectively, reduce stress reactions, and build a culture of compassionate peer-support, reach out to schedule a session for your organization.

05/12/2025

Huge thanks to the Central Vermont Humane Society for inviting me to work with their team this week. Their leadership summed it up beautifully:

“THANK YOU SO MUCH for such a great presentation. It helps to have everyone using similar language and understanding the importance of support and the need to speak up for yourself when you need it.”

While this session was tailored specifically for the animal care field, Psychological First Aid training is fully customizable and valuable for any trauma-exposed industry- from healthcare and social services to education, and beyond.

If your organization is looking to strengthen resilience and emotional preparedness, I’m currently booking Psychological First Aid Training sessions.

PFA empowers teams to respond with calm, compassion, and confidence during and after critical incidents.

✔ Prepare your organization
✔ Support your team effectively
✔ Respond with resilience

01/12/2025

Across industries, we’re asking our teams to navigate rising client complexity- and the stress that comes with it. We feel it ourselves, we see it in our teams, and we hear it from the people we serve.

At the same time, many not-for-profits and organizations are being pushed to do more with less: tighter budgets, higher expectations, and increased demand. It’s no surprise people are feeling stretched.

After 25 years in practice as a helping professional, I know how challenging this can feel from the inside. That’s why I’m grateful to offer training that speaks directly to these realities- and is priced with today’s economic pressures in mind, so organizations can invest in their people without added strain.

✨Reaching the Hard-to-Reach: Engaging Clients and Communities Through Understanding✨

This session reframes “resistance” as an invitation to connection. We look at what drives inaction or avoidance and explore responses that reduce friction rather than amplify it.

Participants leave with a clear, usable framework for understanding complex client behavior- along with approaches that help teams feel more effective, more grounded, and less depleted.

If you’re committed to supporting your team’s resilience while navigating growing complexity, this workshop offers both insight and relief.

Reach out if you’d like details, or feel free to share with someone looking for meaningful, accessible professional development.

01/12/2025

Today, I had the pleasure of celebrating a remarkable milestone: 30 years of dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment from the ARF Alberta - Animal Rescue Foundation . For three decades, this incredible organization has been a lifeline for animals in our community.

What many may not know is that my own work in wellbeing supports for animal care professionals was deeply inspired by this hardworking team. Witnessing their resilience and empathy, often under extremely challenging demands- showed me just how essential it is to support the people who give so much of themselves to help animals thrive.

To the entire Animal Rescue Foundation team:
Thank you for the lives you’ve saved, the comfort you’ve offered, and the example you’ve set 👏

26/11/2025

Not quite yourself lately? I can help.

Sometimes the weight of emotionally difficult work stays with you long after your day ends.

As animal-care professionals you carry stories, pain, and hope.

I offer individual therapy in Alberta and group support for professionals across North America to help you process, restore, and realign.

I also offer organizational consultation and training – so teams and organizations can build healthier, sustainable work cultures.

Feeling overwhelmed need not be the norm. Let’s explore a path forward together: www.connectwithmarlene.com

24/11/2025

Struggling to move a particular client? CAPDT Friends: Join me on December 9th for a Q&A about complexity on the human end of the leash.