Group Class Orientation
About Your Trainers
Tara’s love of animals began as a young child. She was always helping ‘lost’ bugs or injured animals and was fascinated by the world around her. As a child, she grew up with a number of different animals and loved learning about each and every critter. Everything from fish to birds, hamsters to cats, and eventually a dog!
While attending university, Tara missed having animals in her life and set out to fill the gap by offering pet care services to friends and co-workers. This was a great stepping stone for her and allowed her to gain valuable experience which she has continued to use in her future endeavors.
Tara is certified in Pet First Aid & CPR and is also a fear-free certified pet professional (which we love!). This means only humane and positive methods of care are used and no adverse tools or techniques will be found at our group classes! Tara has continued to advance her education by learning about dog body language, proper socialization, and the fundamentals of dog training. While working with her boarding clients, Tara began to focus more on the training aspect with dogs in her care. Caring for dogs for any length of time meant she would be working with them and training them, whether intentionally or not.
Seeing the dogs in her care grow and learn was an amazing experience for Tara. This launched her decision to become a certified, science based, positive reinforcement dog trainer. She recently graduated from the VIctoria Stilwell Academy and has been shadowing our group classes since March, taking opportunities to allow her to teach as well when possible. Tara did an amazing job listening to all of the students and helping them troubleshoot and advance their skills. We think you are going to LOVE her! She is looking forward to continuing to provide our students with the highest standard of care and can’t wait to help you and your pups build a stronger foundation for success through positive reinforcement training.
Hi there! My name is Sarah! I am thrilled and humbled to be joining two incredible Pet Professionals at Terra Nova Canines! I am dog obsessed and feel honored to be considered for your Dog Training and Pet Sitting needs.
I am new to Canada, and hail from the Great Lakes State of Michigan! I have two golden retrievers and also have a love for backpacking, house-plants, and road trips.
I started off in the pet care industry, as a puppy raiser for Leader Dogs for the Blind. I wanted to serve my community, and have a chance to be a part of something bigger than myself. I fell in love with the dog training side of things, and found a new career because of it!
Shortly after, I took a Dog Trainer Apprenticeship program with a local positive reinforcement based dog training school. I gained valuable knowledge about canine body language, the basics of dog training, and working with clients in general. I helped teach some groups classes, and began volunteering at some of my local shelters in Michigan.
I then started my own dog training business, and have continued to further my education in the field ever since! I am certified through the Certified Council for Professional Dog Trainers. I am also certified in Dog & Cat CPR/ First Aid. My passion lies in helping owners better connect with their dogs, and form strong bonds and understanding of one another. I love educating owners on dog behavior, and really love helping teach pet parents how to train their own dogs! I also empathize with dog guardians who are struggling with problem behaviors and not knowing where to turn... Positive Reinforcement based training is the only training that I use, and I am also Fear Free certified.
I equally love pet sitting, and caring for animals while their family is away - as I personally know how hard it can be to leave your pets with just anyone. I always put the care and respect into watching over your pets, as if they were my own! I can't wait to meet you and your special pets!
Class Details
Class Procedures
Arrive ready to learn!
Don't forget your:
Treats
Treat pouch
6ft leash
Blanket or mat
Enrichment item (bully stick, stuffed kong etc)
Please make sure all distractions are turned off or put away
NOTE: Terra Nova Canines prides itself on being a safe space for all. Any use of racial or discriminatory remarks will not be tolerated. You will be asked to leave immediately and will not be subject to a refund.
Class Policies
Cancellation/Refund Policy:
Group Classes - You must cancel within 7 business days for a refund. This gives us time to fill your space. Please note: All refunds are subject to a $20 service fee.
Missed Classes - We do not offer makeup classes, however a recording of the lesson will be posted in the student group to watch if you are unable to make it.
Health:
Dogs that are sick or recovering from illness are not permitted to partake in class. You may attend class without your dog in these cases and this is encouraged.
No Guarantee of Results:
You recognize that the role you play in your dog’s learning process is integral to achieving desired results. You acknowledge and agree that there is no guaranty that your dog will achieve the desired level of training, despite the best efforts of Terra Nova Canines.
Photo Release:
You give Terra Nova Canines permission to publish in print, electronic, or video format the likeness or image of you and/or your dog. You release all claims against Terra Nova Canines with respect to privacy rights, publicity rights, copyright ownership and publication, including any claim for compensation related to use of the materials.
Our Training Philosophy
What is positive reinforcement or R+ training?
Positive reinforcement is the force-free method of dog training that focuses on rewarding desirable behaviors. The idea behind this method is that the more you encourage the behavior you wish to see, the more likely your dog is to show you that behavior again. R+ training is HIGHLY effective because dogs will naturally repeat behaviors that are rewarding to them, making it a powerful tool to help mold and change your dog’s behavior. Rewards can include but are not limited to: treats, toys, praise, and real-world rewards like going outside or getting to sniff a tree. Not only does positive reinforcement help your dog learn appropriate behaviors, it also helps you to develop a stronger and more solid bond with them through trust, affection, and encouragement. Our goal is to find out what motivates your dog best and use that to help shape your dog into the confident canine we know they can be!
AVSAB Position Statement On Humane Dog Training
“Based on current scientific evidence, The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends that only reward-based training methods are used for all dog training, including the treatment of behavior problems. Aversive training methods have a damaging effect on both animal welfare and the human-animal bond. There is no evidence that aversive methods are more effective than reward-based methods in any context. AVSAB therefore advises that aversive methods should not be used in animal training or for the treatment of behavior disorders.” - AVSAB
See full statement - HERE
Equipment For Class
Equipment
Harness:
We always prefer to use a harness rather than a collar. A collar can slip off your dog pretty easily and if your dog tends to pull, it can cause damage to their neck and throat from that single point of pressure.
But it's imporant to remember that some harnesses can also cause damage to your pup if they are not designed propery or are ill-fitted.
Here are a few options that we love!
These are designed to fit properly on your dog & help if they have a tendency to pull (including both front and back attachment points!)
2 Hounds Freedom Harness - HERE
Ruffwear Harness - HERE
Leashes:
There are few different leashes that we recommend to have on hand!
1. A standard 6ft leash is always good to have! It's a classic!
2. If your have a dog that currently pulls on leash, a double clip leash (like the one from 2 Hounds - HERE) is a great option. It is made to help give you a bit more security when walking your dog, and allows you to help redirect the more easily when you need to.
3. A long lead - We like to use 30ft ones! These come in a number of different widths (thinner ones for small dogs & thicker ones for larger dogs) and are what we primarily use for leash walking! Here are some great examples! https://www.etsy.com/ca/search?q=biothane%20long%20line&ref=auto-1&as_prefix=biothane
PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT EVER USE A RETRACTABLE LEASH! These can be incredibly harmful and a quick Google seach (Trigger Warning!) will show you just how dangerous they can be.
Treats
The Right Treats Make the Best Reward: How to Choose
There are many ways to reward your dog for a job well done. Throwing a tennis ball might be great at the end of a long "stay,” or a romp in the backyard after practicing "wait” by the door. But food treats are often the most convenient and effective way to influence your dog’s behavior. Here are some tips for choosing the right dog treat for the right situation.
Fast-Eating Treats
When you’re teaching your dog new behaviors, it’s important to keep him motivated and interested. One of the easiest ways to do that is with a high rate of reinforcement (how often you give rewards). In order to give your dog lots of treats in a short period of time, you need to choose ones he can eat quickly.
If your dog gobbles his treat immediately, you can move to the next repetition right away. He stays interested and gets lots of practice in a short amount of time. But if your dog spends several seconds eating each treat, that means more time waiting between repetitions. You will either have to increase the length of your training session and risk having your dog lose focus or practice fewer repetitions per session.
Keep Treats Small
Small dog treats are key to keeping a training session moving along. Even for large dogs, a pea-sized treat is plenty. For small dogs, you can use even tinier pieces. Some commercial treats are far too large. Look for tiny treats or cut larger ones into small bits before your training session begins. You might feel like you’re cheating your dog, but as long as he’s getting something he loves, he won’t care if it’s just a tidbit or the whole wiener.
The smaller treats are also kinder to your dog’s waistline. Particularly when training is intense, like with puppies or dogs training for specific sports, your pup might be eating handfuls of treats each day. Keeping treats small means fewer calories consumed. It also means your canine companion won’t get full before the session is over.
Soft and Stinky Treats
Soft dog treats are also great for training because, compared to crunchy ones, they’re easier and faster for your dog to eat. Biscuits can be fine for one-off rewards, but during a training session, waiting for your dog to find every piece that’s crumbled to the floor is time away from teaching.
Soft treats are also smellier. Every dog has a hierarchy of rewards and most of them would put smelly items like cheese or bacon up at the top. You might be able to get away with using kibble as a reward in your quiet living room, but in a more distracting location, you should pull out the stinky treats your dog adores.
Changing It Up
Just as your dog likes certain treats more than others, he might also like a variety. Dogs can become bored with the same old treat. If you notice your dog’s enthusiasm is fading, change to a different reward of equal or greater value. You can even use several different treats during a session, so your dog never knows what type of delicious morsel is coming next.
Please Note
It is advisable to have a treat pouch during class! The ability to quickly and easily reward your dog is very important. Having your hands free will make learning new skills easier for both you and your pup!
Training Basics
Vocabulary
'Mark' or Marker - A marker word is a tool we can use when we teach our dogs new skills. It communicates to the dog that what they were doing in that exact moment was the right thing. A marker will be followed up by food reward. We will typically use the word "YES" with our training.
Reward - In class, we will typically use treats as a reward for our dog when they do something we like! However, some dogs aren't that food motivated. For those pups we can use toys, praise, physical affection or 'real world rewards' like allowing them to sniff a tree while on a walk, or allowing them to go outside when they nicely wait while we open the door.
Cue - We will learn both verbal and visual cues for the skills we learn in class! A cue is the 'green light' that tells you dog it's time to do a certain behavior.
Capture - In training, 'capturing' is when we reward our dog for doing a behavior. Typically this happens when your dog does a behavior you like without being given a cue. A good example of this is 'sit' ... Most dogs do this naturally and we can 'capture' this and other behaviors that we want to see more of.
Lure - In training, 'luring' is when we use a treat or reward to guide and direct our dog to do what we are asking of them. An example of this is often the skill 'down'. We will typically use a treat and lure our dogs downwards until their bellies are on the ground. Then mark with 'YES' and give them their reward. REMINDER: We want to fade out this lure as quickly as possible so that your pup will do this new skill without you having to have a treat in your hand.
Threshold
What does Threshold mean?
“Threshold” refers to the distance your dog can notice a trigger and be alert to it, but not upset by it—as in when the dog crosses over from one emotional state to another.
Think of the threshold as your dog’s protective bubble.
Going over threshold doesn’t necessarily look like a dog barking and lunging. It can also look like:
Over excitement (such as mouthing and jumping). This is a common manifestation of being over threshold for shelter dogs.
Being distracted to the point that you cannot get the dog to connect with you in the ways that have worked in the past. This is a common occurrence for dogs who do agility. Once in the trial ring, the dog might completely lose focus because they are overwhelmed by the environment.
Shutting down or freezing. You often see this at the vet clinic when dogs stay completely still while being restrained for a procedure.
Zoomies (the dog zooms around in a frenetic manner). This is often seen at agility trials where something the dog perceives as stressful occurs, triggering the dog to race around the ring.
Inability to take a treat (especially if that dog is a foodie!). Change the environment to allow the dog relief and he may be comfortable enough to take food again.
Desensitization & Habituation
Body Handling Basics
One thing we want to do while our puppies are small is teach them to enjoy being handled and touched all over. We don’t just want them to tolerate being touched, we want them to love being touched as much as possible. Then when they’re not enjoying the experience, say at the veterinarian’s office, or when they’ve got something in their paw or muzzle, the unpleasantness will only be due to the circumstances, and not an added stressor for a dog already averse to being touched in those areas.
Perform these exercises without a leash, if possible. If a leash is required, always allow your puppy to move away from your touch, while practicing.
Consent is imperative for these exercises. If the dog is not consenting to be touched, you’re instead sensitizing her to it, and making things worse.
There is a special order of operations for the following exercises. It is very important that you reach for or touch the puppy first, then deliver the treat. Avoid feeding your puppy the treat as you reach for him! This is extremely important. We want puppies to associate us reaching for or touching them with the opportunity to eat a treat.
If we touch him and feed him at the same time, our puppy may not notice we are touching him, or he might stay to eat the treat even though he feels uncomfortable.
Practice this order of operations without your puppy, first. Use an object, like a book, and practice touching the book, then removing your hand, and extending your hand with the treat in it toward the book. This practice may feel foolish, but you will be glad for the practice when you work with your live, wiggly pup!
Remember to smile, or at least have a relaxed face and attitude. If you’re frowning in concentration, your dog will wonder what is up that’s so concerning. You can also chat with your puppy as you go along. This is a casual but important time you’re spending with your dog, not a chore!
Don’t put the treat you’re going to give in the same hand you’re touching your dog with. The dog will naturally turn her head and become a fluffy pretzel bending and twisting to see what that yummy thing is in your hand, making your job much harder and distracting the dog from noticing what’s going on.
Body Handling: Tail & Hindquarters
Have 25-50 treats in a container next to where you’ll be working with your pup.
Gently touch your puppy’s back, then feed a treat. Did your puppy calmly accept the touch or did he or she whirl around to see what you were doing?
Next time, watch your puppy’s face as you touch her back. Does your puppy keep her head still and glance at you, eager for a treat? Or does your puppy fling her head around, try to move away, or try to bite your hand? If your puppy puts his mouth on your hand, or snaps at your hand, stop. Go back to gently reaching for the puppy’s back, and feeding a treat. Repeat the reach-treat exercise until your puppy looks at you for a treat, when you reach for him.
If your puppy is looking at you for the treat, you’re at the right level of touch, and can repeat the back-touching and feeding exercise five more times.
When your puppy looks at you for a treat for five repetitions, change your light touch to the base of his tail, then feed. If your puppy puts his mouth on your hand, or snaps at your hand, stop. Go back to gently touching the puppy’s back, and feeding a treat. Repeat the reach-treat exercise until your puppy looks at you for a treat, when you touch his back.
Watch for the same behaviors: the puppy continuing what it was doing, or looking at you for a treat, before moving onto gently touching the puppy’s tail. Repeat the tail touch 5-10 times.If at any point the pup lunges at you or bites you, go back to the lower level of stimulation (reaching, light touch, etc.) until the puppy looks at you when you perform that action.
Body Handling: Ears
Have 25-50 treats in a container next to where you’ll be working with your pup.
Gently touch your puppy’s ear, then feed a treat. Did your puppy calmly accept the touch, or did she move away?
Next time, watch your puppy’s face as you touch her ear. Does your puppy keep her head still and glance at you, eager for a treat? Or does your puppy fling her head around, or try to bite your hand? If so, stop. Reach for the puppy’s ear, then feed a treat. Repeat 5-10 times, until your pup looks at your face for a treat when you reach for her ear.
If your puppy stays close to you and looks at you for the treat, you’re at the right level of touch. Repeat 5-10 times, then switch to the other ear.
Look for the same signs when you touch the other ear. The puppy should continue what she was doing, or look at you for a treat. If at any point your puppy moves away, stiffens her body, snaps at you, or bites your hand, stop and consult your trainer.
Body Handling: Paws
Have 25-50 treats in a container next to where you’ll be working with your pup.
Gently touch one of your puppy’s paws, then feed a treat.
Next, watch your puppy’s face as you touch a paw. Does your puppy glance at you, eager for a treat? If so, repeat 5-10 times. Notice: Where are your puppy’s ears? Are his eyebrows relaxed or scrunched together? If your puppy stays with you and looks to you for the treat, you’re at the right level of touch and can move to the next paw.
If your puppy pants or show the whites of his eyes, or tries to bite your hand, stop. Reach for the puppy’s paw, then feed a treat. Repeat 5-10 times, until your pup looks at your face for a treat when you reach for his paw.
Repeat this exercise with all four paws. You may find that your puppy is more sensitive about being touched on his back paws. If so, alternate between touching your puppy’s front paws, and feeding a treat, and then only reaching for the back paw, then feeding a treat. Once your puppy will watch you for a treat as you reach for a back paw, then you can try touching that paw again.
Body Handling: Mouth
Have 25-50 treats in a container next to where you’ll be working with your pup.
Start by just lightly scratching your pup under the chin, then feeding a treat. If your puppy is excited, start instead by touching his chest, and feeding a treat. Then, take your hand away and put it under his chin, and feed a treat.
Next, gently lift your puppy’s chin with two fingers, as if you are trying to get her to hold her head up, and feed a treat. If your puppy backs up, puts her mouth on your hand, or bites at your hand, stop. Go back to gently scratching under the puppy’s chin and feeding a treat. Once your puppy eagerly reaches for the treat when you touch under her chin, repeat 5-10 times, then go to the next step.
Next, gently touch the tops of the puppy's nose and feed a treat. If your puppy tries to bite or mouth your hand, stop. Instead, reach for the pup’s nose and feed a treat. Do this a few times until he is waiting with his mouth closed, for you to deliver a treat. Repeat 5-10 times.
Make a C with your hand and gently cup it over your puppy’s muzzle, like you plan to hold it – but don’t grab your puppy or squeeze his muzzle! Just lightly cup your hand over his muzzle and feed. Did your puppy calmly accept the touch, or did he or she move away? If your pup moved away, only reach for his muzzle next time, then feed.
Now for the fun part! Gently lift your puppy’s lip on one side of his mouth and put a treat in his mouth! If your pup stays nearby, repeat 5-10 times. If your pup moves away, repeat the muzzle handling step until your pup is eagerly awaiting the treats, then try again.
Foundational Exercises
Engage/Disengage
This is a simple exercise to help your dog start to focus on you and to learn that the marker word "YES" means a food reinforcement is coming.
To Start:
Make a noise to get your pup's attention. Try not to use their name, as this can often become 'white noise' to them. A kissy sound, a whistle or clicking usually works well.
As soon as they look at you, 'mark' with “Yes!” then immediately give your dog a small treat.
Do this 10x’s in a row.
Your dog does not need to be performing any specific behavior other than giving you their attention.
Repeat this exercise daily until your dog whips their head around for that treat every time she hears that sound!
Touch
This is a simple targeting exercise that can be used to improve our timing of marking "YES" and reinforcing behavior, getting your dog to move from place to place, or as a distraction when you do not have an out.
To Start:
Using a flat hand with your palm towards your dog, place your hand close to your dog's nose.
When they move their nose closer and go to smell your hand, as soon as their nose touches, 'mark' with "YES" and treat.
Do this a few times and then begin moving your hand a great distance away, little by little.
Once your pup reliably recognises that when they touch your hand they get rewarded, start adding the verbal cue 'touch' just as your dog's nose touches your palm. Then 'mark' with "YES" and treat.
While this seems like a very easy exercise, it helps you to start building a solid foundation with your pup and will be used in other more complex skills later on.
Find-It
This exercise can be used to distract your dog when faced with a trigger or after a reactive incident to help calm them.
A trigger is anything which causes your dog to feel stress, over-excitement, pain or fear.
*REMEMBER* - Practice this first in a distraction free environment like your home or backyard before trying this while on a walk or encountering a trigger.
This way, your pup gets used to what this game is supposed to be, rather than trying to figure it out on the fly.
To Start:
Grab a handful of treats from your treat pouch.
Say “Find It!”
Toss the treats on the ground.
Repeat 5x in a row.
If you need to use this distraction in public, repeat as needed until the trigger passes or your dog calms down.
