Ukko is a friendly, excitable, and highly trainable dog. She has two key traits that make training easy for any handler: she’s eager to please and highly motivated. Shaping behaviors with positive reinforcement and treats is straightforward, but her excitability and mild anxiety can make maintaining commands more challenging. 

 Taking her to the cottage was a great experience for both of us. It helped me trust my training process and strengthened our bond. Initially, I was concerned that she might be too excitable and struggle with staying close or recalling. I had about a week to perfect her recall before the cottage trip, and she exceeded my expectations. I focused on keeping her close and building trust, ensuring she felt safe. Some dogs naturally dislike water and need encouragement to go in, so I was patient but firm, helping her overcome her fear of it. Maybe next year, she’ll even become a swimmer!

This is how to you /we do it !

1. Start slow: I let her observe the water from a safe distance without pressure. 

2. Gradual exposure: Introduced shallow water gradually, I didn’t force her in but at this stage we used gentle leash pressure and treats to push her slightly past her earlier threshold. 

3. Positive reinforcement: Rewarded her with treats and praise for approaching,  interacting with the water or stepping in. 

4. Incorporate play: I tried to use toys to make the water more appealing, this did not motivate her . Find what motivates your dog! This changes from dog to dog  

5. Stay calm: We MUST be patient and supportive. Don’t over face the dog ! 

6. Short sessions: We kept each interaction brief and ended on a positive note. She eventually gained the confidence by the end of the weekend to walk in on her own and say hi to me when I was just floating in the water.  

Thank you too @torontodogmoms for bring this wonderful event to my attention and to @cityofto for letting us use the public pools for some last day of summer fun!

It was a blast to see this doggo who normally has major reactivity to his pool at home, have such a great experience, especially amongst others. He surprised me in every single way with how calm and willing he was to get into the pool. So much that we closed the place down! It’s interesting how some dogs become totally different given the environment, handler or situation. I think it this case it really helped to see other dogs willingly, calmly and happily get into the pool! 

Reactivity can be for a number of reasons including fear, anxiety, caution or protective instinct. For this pup, it seems to be protective instinct because he doesn't react with me, only his owner.  When he sees them swimming he barks and whines loudly and attempts "rescuing". Finding the cause of reactivity is important, as it will help us understand why but also how to approach it. We have our work cut out for us next summer for sure!

The joys of taking one of your doggie clients to join you on a mini vacation is always so lovely. I get to see them interact with me and the environment in a new and exciting way. This is especially good for young and nervous dogs, such as this black little-barely two-years old terrier. Having a terrier is completely different than having a doodle , labrador or even hound sometimes. These fiesty little creatures were bred for hunting and even though no one has taught them how to do so, I'm pretty sure they could snatch up a chipmunk if given the chance. Our older blondie here, would definitely bring something home for dinner. However, we would never want that to happen! One of the most important things to teach your dog with such high prey drive is that it is NEVER okay to unalive another animal. You can look but don't touch. And when the fixaton gets too high and escalates, it's time to call off. A leave it command is paramount! 

Beach days are absolutely my favourite!  I love how the dogs know that they are about to explore a new space and have some water fun. Being the perfect place to cool off in the summer heat , I try to go at least one a month for an adventure day walk ! However, due to my recent situation and last weeks, torrential downpours, swimming anywhere in the GTA, particularly lake Ontario - is a bad idea. There has been too much run off and flooding to have it be safe , especially since you know you can’t really prevent the dogs from drinking that water, despite you bringing fresh jugs of it! Until we can again we reminisce in these paw-fect memories  

I have to say these dogs have really kept my spirits up over the last five weeks. They have been a welcomed distraction and not to mention the cuddles! Not being able to walk has been challenging on its own but if you know anything about me, you know I love animals and I love being active. This is why I combined two of my favourite things into a Dog Walking Profession. It has kept me sane to be able to be around the doggos, despite not being able to walk them . Having hired dog walkers to come walk my dogs felt a little bit strange but a milestone, as I’ve come to realize business is growing! One of the best things in recovery is to “keep calm and carry on!” Or in my case "keep calm and crutch on"!

Many of you might know my current situation, it’s not something I would have imagined for me to experience for yet another summer. A few weeks ago, I fell off the beloved horse who got spooked, a young dream horse of mine, resulting in a serious fracture of my leg and emergency surgery. Here I go spending another start of the summer in a cast again, only this time it’s a longer road to recovery.  

They say everything happens for a reason and there are lessons to be learned. I’ve learned that my commitment and dedication to animals is something that will never break or go away. I just have to be careful it’s not to a fault, where I will be hurt again. But that’s the thing with these creatures , dogs and horses alike, you love large and the risk of such love like that , an unbreakable passion,  is that you can get hurt big time. All I can hope for is my heart to stop breaking ( my bones as well) in the years to come. Please my furry creatures , stop breaking my heart- you guys keep me it whole more than you’ll ever know.   

I know it might seem weird to be posting a snow day in the middle of what’s about to happen. Summer dog walking weather is coming, double digit weather is here to stay!!!!! I wanted to close off the winter season with a little bit blurb about how disappointing it was to be in perpetual spring-like weather. 

Despite what people might consider to be good walking weather, as it never got too cold, the dogs and I look forward to our snow days as it elevates the desire to play in the snow as well as there is something magical about it. 

All we can hope is that this season we will have great warm weather (but not too hot as it’s not too good) . Hopefully there won’t be any forest fires coming down from the Ottawa area. That was really rough on some of our older dogs and dogs with breathing issues . Remember to find plenty of shade on cloudless hot days, bring loads of water, keep your puppers off the pavement when it gets really hot and of course give lots of breaks! Our canine friends don’t sweat so panting is NORMAL, it’s how they cool off. So we can’t stop them from doing that, but we can help them out with by doing the above! 

There are no words to express my deepest sadness for losing one of our extended family members. It’s taking me a month to find the acceptance to make this post about you, not that you don’t deserve a gazillion posts to show the world how special of a pup you were, but because I’m still expecting you to run up my stairs for a sleepover. I guess by sharing our memories together, that’s what they will become just memories. And here I thought we’d have you for a week and some summertime fun to play fetch, run around, cuddle and make more memories. Charlie , you left suddenly March 28, 2024 and I’m still here bawling my eyes out as I look at your pictures and videos. 

We will miss your crazy ways, your readiness to play ball despite the time of day ( or night ), your bell hop pawing for a belly rub, your moping around when Wojtek left the house and your refusals to be treated anything but like the PRINCE CHARLES that you are. Thank you for biting your previous sitter, you have given us so much and taught me about patience, perseverance and kindness. Char puff, you live in our hearts forever and have taught us so much about love, acceptance and most of all irresistible cuteness. A truly special and one of kind dog that meant so much to us. 

Forever  Charpuff, Prince Charles, Charplay, Charbite, Charjump , Char Char , Cha -Cha- Charlie 

Recently I went on an incredible trip to Peru and although there this was more of a adventure-cation than a relaxing vacation I wouldn't have it any other way! I have to tell you about the dog culture there. I was incredibily surprised at how much effort, love and care they put into their doggos! In the past I've been to places south of the boarder that appeared to view dogs as pests, strays were prevalent and even dangerous as sometimes they would not let us pass them by on a street. In Peru however, the people were so kind and polite and these attributes seemed to transfer to their dogs! 

Both males and females there are pretty much all intact and are sometimes let to wander the streets. There are some strays but even the strays politely idle by. In the city of Lima, every other person has a dog. And they are dressed to the nines with cute t-shirts, collars and bandanas! They are allowed to walk off leash 20-30 feet behind or in front of their human and never stay off course. They don't bark at you as you pass by, they don't jump on you and they calmly sniff other intact dogs and carry on.  This floored me as we have the perception here that you must neuter your dog for them to calm down and behave. I even saw a few dog walkers which was really cool for me to see! What made the biggest impression on me is how well the dogs that I saw listened to their handlers, at times I would think a dog belonged to the street but out of nowhere a soft whistle and that dog would be in a heel position, recalled or was jumping into a car. They were following their human all along. 

This month has been a difficult month for my friends and family. Three people have had to say their final goodbyes to their beloved pets. These 3 people are  very important and close to me and have been a big part of introducing me to the world of pets and allowing me to explore my love for animals. All because they owned these incredible creatures. I would like to say my deepest condolences to anyone having gone through putting their pet down or anyone who is going through it. I can't imagine what this is like. I personally have a difficult time with pet ownership for this very reason. When I came to Canada I had to leave all my furry and feathery creatures behind. I never saw them again. Albiet I was a child, I think a lot of your earliest  childhood memories change and create how you are later on in life. It was very difficult to not see my dogs again. Even though I was truly too small back then to fully take care of them.

I wanted to share with you a very important dog in my life who has crossed over to the rainbow bridge. She was our very FIRST dog for boarding. She was my best friends first dog. He raised her well. She was given so many freedoms because of this. We brought her EVERYWHERE. We ran wild with the horses, stood on high alert when camping and swam in many rivers & lakes. I took care of her for 3 months. For those 3 straight months I got the pleasure of treating her as if she was my own. She was a incredible, smart and a healer for me. She helped me through a really bad horse back riding accident back in 2016. One where I did not think I would ever ride again. Her kind eyes and love didn't care that our adventures and hikes were put on hold. She was perfectly content lounging around until I got better. Thank you Simba for the incredible memories and love. It brings me to tears to think of you being gone but it is "better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all" <3

When I see my double trouble team my heart just melts. To think little Luna is all grown up now and I miss those days of when she was Scout age. When I first went to pick up a 6 month old little puppy for a Etobicoke dog walking company I used to walk for many years , I was skeptical. Would she be big enough to handle herself around the Labradors and Shepherds? Would she pee in my car? Was she going to whine & bark expose me to the public as I was pick up more dogs? Yet none of those questions became concerns because this little cockapoo was brought up in a well adjusted way. A balanced training way. And now I have the pleasure and honour of doing it all over again with puppy Scout. Figuring out what makes your dog tick and click with you is the best part of a puzzle. At this stage , they don’t know and maybe neither do you. That’s why is SO important to treat EVERY dog differently and train them the way THEY need to be trained , not the way you think they should be . People are all so different and you must agree with me , so are dogs! They all have such different personalities wouldn’t you agree?

We have some playful boys in the group. Sometimes I call them my "heavy hitters" because when we are at the dog park and they come bouncing blindly towards you, they will knock you over! These dogs love to play and run which makes it so much fun to walk them! I love watching and facilitating dogs having fun. This has to be my favourite part of being a dog walker. It brings me such joy to be able to give a dog a good run that makes them happy and exercised .

We have our signature party boy pup, who always gets the dog pack going. Our cheerleader who wants encourage the play and rough house all the time. Our fancy boy who loves to show off his fancy footwork and quick moves. And finally the dog with the biggest FOMO of all. He is always in "fear of missing out" even if he's missing out on something bad, he wants to be there! This is why he has been trained for certain things like place, wait & off. When given a still command and there is action happening, he whines a little just to tell you he's not pleased that he has to be patient! But hey,  a trained dog is a good dog!

It has been a little while my doggie diary. My focus over these past few weeks has been to heal, rest & recoup. Although it was difficult to wrap my head around not being able to horseback ride, walk dogs or even do things for myself, I am glad I was essentially forced to chill out. This taught me that I can relax and take it easy. Taking it easy is not in my nature nor is sitting still!  Sometimes I feel like that dog that just won't calm down. BUT if I can do it, so can all dogs! They might need a little bit of training along the way !

For the coming weeks I will be building myself back up, continuing with my physiotherapy and getting stronger by walking more and more. One VERY important thing on my list is to purchase a new pair of shoes, I'm thinking some Keens will be the way to go. They have served me well so far! Another thing I learned is I need to invest in myself and in good equipment for dog walking. After all this is what I do as a profession. As part of this new and improved approach, I am keeping my hired help for the rest of the summer. ( Yup! A dog walker has a dog walker) This will allow me to get back in the swing of things (ie. walking the distance) and to not push myself too far, too soon. Oh the things your learn from injuries <3

In less two weeks I will be undergoing surgery for a chipped bone in my ankle. This was just from a simple slip and then it gave out from riding an elevator. Or maybe it was from a few weeks after that; from the wear and tear of horseback riding and walking. Dog walking is the best job I've had but it can be difficult on your body. Since realizing this, I started walking hands free by leashing dogs to my waist instead of holding all of them my The Mommy Hook,  I invested in good dog walking shoes called KEENS and started using arnica cream from Stonehouse Holistics when I felt I'd had a " ruff " day.

 Unfortunately flukey things happen in this crazy thing we call life. We cannot turn back time to do things differently  ( or walk differently haha) and I can definitely say I’ve had the best winter with dogs and horses so far. It was almost too good to be true. I don’t know what the summer will look like but I am glad to know that there is a fix for this, as I have been struggling with it since February. I guess the hardest part during recovery will be to SIT STILL. Those of you know know me , know I don’t do that well. Clearly my dogs are better at sitting than me!

I think I have the winter blues but in reverse. I love walking in the winter time ( aside from always being cold and having to wipe doggie paws). Winter dog walks are great, especially when there is snow, because the dogs stay cleaner ( no grass stains or dirty paws) and we don't have to worry about heat exhaustion. The small dogs can get cold easily, but I always check for shivering and snow build up in the paws. Another thing I am going to have to get used to with summer around the corner is the amount of people that will be walking out and about. Not that I don't like people but I definitely prefer dogs. Dogs are the best! Humans < Dogs in my opinion. The problem is that other people feel this way too and try to come up to pet my walking dogs, sometimes even without asking. I don't mind chatting with people but I have to consider the risks for when people approach and try to touch the dogs. Are the dogs going to pull me at the end of the leash? Are they going to jump on this person and undo my training ? Do these people even know HOW to approach a dog? You would be surprised. I don't think people that come towards us realize that dogs can BITE. Not that any of my client dogs would but how would they like it if some stranger came up to them on the street and started talking at them a million miles a minute and friendly patting them on the shoulder. I'm sure most dogs out there would love this but there's always the chance that one will be intimidated or scared! I walk one like that and it pains me when people stare at him giving him attention, trying to talk to him. They think they are being nice, meanwhile the pup is shaking and trying his hardest just to get away from that attention. 

Spring is finally here! What felt like a summer day last week was a little tease of the great walks and adventures to be had in the summertime. However, summer is NOT HERE, SPRING IS! What this means for your pet pals is, you have to be careful with the environment when out walking your dog. With the melting of the dirty old snow, exposed trash, increased rainfall, return of the Canadian geese and people using pesticides to spray their front lawns etc. dogs are able to pick up all sorts of things by licking and eating it directly or from their paws. We must be aware that these things can cause giardia, leptospirosis, aspergillus just to name a few . Not to mention  other fungal or bacteria infections like E-coli. This by no means is to scare or prevent anyone from walking their dogs! Knowledge is power, so the more educated (myself included) we become about these things, the better pet care providers we are! Even the most diligent pet parents can get unlucky, so as long as you are aware and observant of your dog, you can provide veterinary intervention when needed to avoid further complications. The goal is to get your pet feeling good and happy again so they can run and have fun!

Some dogs, just like people, are in our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. It is with great pleasure that I was able to facilitate this third re-home situation ( in only a span of a year) for this sweet pea of a dog. She was and her family were, great clients of mine but with the dogs best interest at heart (as it always should be) they made the hard call to re-home their dog to someone who could provide her an amazing life; full of attention, pets and great walks. Trust me, there is no shortage of love for this pup but sometimes things happen in life and changes must be made. As difficult as the decision was for a family to give up their dog and for me to not see my girl on the regular, I am overjoyed that we have found her the MOST INCREDIBLE HOME! This labradoodle love bug gets to live on a 50 acre property with fields and forests to run around in, with two retired folks who absolutely ADORE her. The best part? She gets to be in my life for a lifetime, as her new family are my best friends parents. Talk about right time and place. 

This big beautiful dog has a special place in my heart. He is undoubtedly one of the hardest dogs I have worked with in terms of strength, risk and resistence. He boarded with me and his brother back during covid times of Spring 2021. He would stay with me during the week days while things at home settled during a big move. Being a new rescue and all, having the time of day for this special pup was very important and I was so honoured that my dog boarding services could be a home away from home. We got along great and I was so proud of the milestones this dog had made!

Unfortunately he was not the right fit for his family and developed resource guarding issues. Having struck out at family a couple family members, biting could not be tolerated (nor should it ever be) due to his size, power and unpredictability. His issues are serious and not to be taken lightly, but I do believe he has the ability to be managed & trained. He is one of the most obedient dogs I've had the pleasure of walking and caring for! I'm so thankful we found a UNICORN home for him in the nick of time. A home where he will get the professional dog training he so desperately needs, a home where he can be respected for his loyalty and power and most of all a home where he can truly meet his full potential. <3 I love you my brindle boy!

It is so hard to believe how quickly time flies! It has been a doggie filled Christmas for the win. We welcome a few extra dogs for boarding during the Christmas season, as we know it is a busy time for all and it's very important to spend time with family or even get away ! It is one of my favourite holidays to host dogs and go on dog walks. I love seeing peoples houses all decorated and lights twinkling. Now if only we had that pretty snow that both the dogs and I love. As with humans, the dogs get a "few" extra treats. This means now that it's January, we are all burning it off with our walks. I'll be honest, I still have my tree up. It makes me happy and I feel that the winter calls for these joyous decorations! January can be a tough month and statistically speaking it is. So why why not brighten and lighten the spirits with keep it up just a "little" longer? Maybe I'll be done sit posing with the dogs by the tree in.... February. 

National Retail Federation says the number one costume for dogs, is a pumpkin! I hope you all enjoyed your pumpkins this year, I know I did! Not only do I personally love Halloween but I also love how it can be a great training opportunity for dogs as well. Desensitization and corrections are key, so you must trust that your pup will not ambush a kid dressed up in a costume but why not take the dog out for a walk while trick or treating! Staying at home giving out candy? Why not do a little dog training and perfect some commands such as sit, wait, place and no barking! Opportunities to encourage and train for neutrality are everywhere. Good dogs are focused and composed dogs, and who doesn't love a good dog!

 Given that we celebrate thanksgiving in the fall, it is only fitting that we reflect and consider our blessings. Here is one of my blessing I wanted to tell you about. This puppy, well not so much a puppy anymore, came to me for pet care several months ago. It was by fluke that I was contacted to take care of him. Somehow the unreliability of a pet care service app that I am on called Rover, fell apart and I got to taking care of a six month old Viszla, Labrador & German Shorthaired Pointer puppy. I won't tell you about our struggles but my gosh was it ever the most difficult pup of my life and I had him for a 10 day stay!  As life would have it, he became my best trained dog and my best friend. Every dog has a unique personality and his is very fun & VERY defiant one.  He knows how to take a joke and he teaches me every single walk to lighten up. I've never had such a powerful impact from a dog, but I've been told you should never say never. I'm truly thankful to have such an amazing client and dog to walk. Someone who is willing to drive before work, all the way from Georgetown to my house in Mississauga just to have me walk their dog!  A reason, a season or a lifetime. Michelle and Auggie; I look forward to a lifetime of reasons why this crazy turkey dog makes us throw our hands up and just ...laugh. 

People are generally surprised to hear that I do not own a dog or a horse, or both! More on that later; I wanted to talk about a very special pet that I do have, that is near and dear to my heart. His name is Rafiki and he (maybe a she , more on that later too) is a Quaker Parrot. We had a big scare yesterday where we had to take him from Mississauga to Campus Estates Animal Hospital in Guelph for fast veterinary help. We really thought we were saying our goodbyes. As a dog sitter and dog walker, it is "different" not to have a canine of my own, but my attention is given to the dogs that I do host and of course my little bird buddy. One day I will tell you all the tricks I taught him (it's just like training dogs for tricks) but today I am so thankful to spend another day scratching his tiny little head and cuddling his soft feathers .  

Today I found out one of the dogs I walked for another dog walking company, suddenly had to leave us. Such a short life lived, so of course it was sudden. I cannot even imagine. My memories will always hold onto how unbelievably excited the pup was to see me roll up and take him to the dog park. At the dog park he thrived; running, jumping & playing with whomever was having good time. He definitely lived life to the fullest and will be greatly missed. These paws belong to such special creatures, we are forever changed by their presence and absence. RIP little pup. 

I cannot believe it! Wednesday was the first day of fall and let me tell you the dogs and I felt it! Going from 30 degree weather to barely 10 today is going to tickle those paws! During this time it is very important for both humans and canines alike to bundle up and boost up those immune systems. Change of weather ( especially drastic ones like we are experiencing in Mississauga right now) means flu and kennel cough season is among us. For people; get plenty of sleep, vitamin C and stay warm! For dogs; stay strong and healthy with immune boosting supplements. this all-natural Colostrum Powder , or these Zesty Immune Chews !