A: In 2006, my partner and I became first-time dog owners and adopted a then-three-year-old ex-hunting beagle named Duke. He lived outdoors in a kennel and the only time he was taken out was for hunting. We signed the adoption papers, paid the rescue fee, picked him up from his country home, and drove him straight into downtown Toronto.

Duke had a real zest for life. He would spin in circles, get the zoomies, run around in circles, and get all of the other dogs at the park to chase. He loved howling; he was the loudest beagle we ever met (he won a howling contest at a beagle-rescue annual fundraiser, in fact).

Duke had severe separation anxiety and, after a brief honeymoon period, he developed severe on-leash aggression toward dogs. We loved him dearly the moment we met him. Learning how to help him through his anxiety and aggression issues sparked my passion for dog training.

A: Yes! While my first beagle, Duke, sparked my passion, my second beagle, Petey, was my partner through KPA. He taught me lessons that took me from interested amateur to ready professional.

Petey also came from a rescue background, but he was found as a stray. We fostered him and discovered very quickly that he had quite severe resource-guarding and body-handling sensitivity issues, along with very low bite inhibition. I still have scars from his bites early on.

Petey taught me that kindness, patience, and positive reinforcement prevail in the end. Petey was the first dog I learned free-shaping with (through KPA). I titled him in dog sports and he earned his Canine Good Neighbour certification (the Canadian equivalent of the Canine Good Citizen). Before long, he became safe to handle. I would take him along with me to speaking engagements as my sidekick and feel safe that he could be petted and touched (and enjoy it). During the last month of his life, when his mobility was failing, Petey trusted me to pick him up and carry him when he needed help. An entire relationship founded on positive reinforcement was the key to earning that trust.

A: These days, I share my home with two elderly beagles (estimated ages 13 and 15) that we adopted/have in palliative care foster. Their hearing, vision, mobility, and general health are quite poor, so I don’t teach them a lot of new things. One can still do scent detection (I taught it to her when she was 10), so we do some box searches for fun once in a while. The other is frequently ill, so most of my training with her is around accepting medical treatments like eye drops, ear drops, and other medication.

Although my two girls are beyond their peak training years, I am not letting that be a barrier to keeping my training chops up. Fortunately, my neighbour across the street has a very bright and hardworking beagle mix named T-Bone (also a rescue, from the Toronto Humane Society). He’s an alumnus of my training facility and his owner has agreed to let me borrow him for my training projects. I often knock on their door and ask if T-Bone can come out to play.

A: For my physical and mental well-being, I’ve been physically active these last ten years. Earlier on, I focused on training in endurance sports like triathlons. I finished a Half Ironman Distance event in 2015. Shortly thereafter, I focused on Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), actually competing in two full-contact fights in 2018.

Besides physical fitness, the other activity that keeps me busy is my spiritual practice. For the last few years, I have been practicing Zen, which has me meditating for hours every week. Pre-pandemic, I would go away for week-long silent meditation retreats multiple times per year.

A: Back in 2010 when I started, I was the young “kid” on the block. Most dog training businesses ten years ago had barely functional websites and no social media activity.

There’s been a major changing of the guard. There are now many new dog trainers who have grown up with a smartphone in their hands. They are much savvier about using technology to market and sell their services.

To stay ahead of the curve, and not go the way of the dinosaur, I make sure to stay current myself. I also rely on our younger team members to point out trends and keep our fingers on the pulse.

A: When my clients’ dogs remind me of Duke or Petey, they have a slightly more special place in my heart. A couple with two school-aged children contacted us when they were contemplating rehoming their rescue beagle, Jake. His on-leash aggression toward dogs had become quite severe, and he had also become quite aggressive toward visitors to the house and to the mail carrier. The whole family, children included, loved Jake dearly, but were frustrated and very conflicted about keeping him as his aggression had progressed.

Long story short, by focusing on the basics of good observation skills, timing, mechanics, and a straightforward explanation of learning theory, the family was able to reduce the on-leash aggression to rare instances. They could welcome visitors to the front porch again safely. Just as with Duke and me, positive reinforcement training saved Jake’s life and saved a family’s relationship with their beloved rescue dog.