The Empowered Canine

There is nothing natural about large numbers of unfamiliar dogs partaking in high-intensity activity in a dog park, and this shouldn’t be the benchmark for a social dog. If your dog is not their best in such an environment, you are not doing anything wrong. 👏👏 There is nothing wrong with your dog. 👏👏 Your dog is normal. 👏👏

ruffandpuffyyc and The Empowered Canine are proud to be teaming up and presenting an Off Leash Etiquette Seminar to the dog owners of YYC and surrounding areas!

Offleash dog parks are one of the most popular pet destinations for dog owners. Join us for our 2 hour course designed to teach you as a handler how to ensure your dog is safe and interacting appropriately, how to enhance their confidence, social skills, and enjoy freedom in open spaces. We will teach you as the handler:

- which types of dogs should or should not be at a dog park
- Pre requisites for attending a dog park
- how to recognize appropriate and inappropriate behaviour and how to interrupt it
- how to advocate for your dog and step in when another dog is acting inappropriate
- the most effective ways to break up dog fights
- What to do incase your dog gets bit or bites another dog
- How to report an aggressive dog
- And so much more!

The workshop will begin with a theory portion, followed by offleash time for all attending dogs and hands on work.

Please note that no aggressive dogs will be permitted. Handlers with aggressive or reactive dogs are encouraged to attend as spectators.

Cost: $75.00 +gst for handlers with a dog
$40.00 for spectating only (no dog)
Max. 25 dogs
Location: Barrett Offleash (2km east of Calgary on the 22x)

REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/MWkxrqGMvnLvh9zo9

We have been nominated for Best Pet Training in Calgary!

We would love love love if you can click the link below and Nominate us as well🫶

🔽LINK HERE: 🔽
https://calgary.communityvotes.com/2024/09/pet-and-pet-care/pet-training

No sign up required! Just click the link, scroll down to The Empowered Canine and click nominate! At the end of the nomination period, the businesses with the most tallied nominations will move to the voting round.

Congratulations to the following teams that have been working with us, on their newest achievements at the K9 Utility IGP trial under GSSCC Judge Jim Chrisp!

Leia & Ari BH/VT
Cortnee & Fable BH/VT
Steve & Toro BH/VT
Ewa & Ice IGP1
Leia & Dezi IGP1
Milena & Bruno IGP1

Great work and we are so proud of you 👏

Last weekend, Asia and I entered with UK9BG PSA trial for a PDC title. Asia is now retired from IGP at 8 years old and I’ve always wanted to give PSA a go! Happy to say we walked away with a brand new title 🙂

📸: Connie Sandbach and Northern K9 Photography

‼️ NEW CLASS ALERT ‼️

Ecollar 101! Join our innovative E-collar training class that is aimed to show dog owners how to ethically introduce the e-collar into their training regime. This class is suitable for dogs over the age of 6 months who already have a positive foundation in basic training.

What to expect:
▪️ Understanding the ecollar. Learn about the ecollar, its features, and how it works. We’ll discuss proper safety, usage, and the importance of proper timing paired with reinforcement.
▪️Properly conditioning the ecollar in a safe and ethical manner.
▪️ Obedience training that becomes reliable.
▪️ Address common issues such as jumping, frustration barking, pulling, and discover how to redirect those unwanted behaviours.
▪️ Participation in group activities that promote socialization, allowing your dog to learn alongside other dogs and handlers in a supportive atmosphere.
And more!

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
▪️ You will need a quality ecollar. I recommend the mini educator from Ecollar technologies which can be purchased locally at Modern K9 or on Amazon.ca (if you already have an ecollar, contact me to confirm if it’s appropriate for the class)
▪️ Slip leash
▪️ High value food rewards!

JOIN US FOR 8 CLASSES, Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm beginning August 26!
Located in South Calgary at various locations (Belmont, Auburn Bay, Glenmore Park, Etc)

REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/QNb8Do8cqervq9jR9

🎉WE ARE BACK WITH CLASSES!

REGISTRATION LINK: https://forms.gle/QNb8Do8cqervq9jR9

Everyday Obedience

Using balanced training approaches, our philosophy is that we should have reliable obedience without sacrificing our relationship with our dog. We have incorporated engagement into our program to ensure that you and your dog find that perfect harmony.

What we cover:
▪️Loose Leash Walking
▪️Responding to leash pressure
▪️Walking under distractions
▪️Sit/Down/Stay
▪️Neutrality to the environment
▪️Focus/eye contact
▪️“Leave it”
and more!

What you will learn as the handler:
▪️Reward, duration, and release markers
▪️The Four Quadrants of Operant Conditioning
▪️Classical Conditioning
▪️The importance of Timing and Consistency

Location: this is an URBAN CANINE COURSE and will take place at various public locations in South Calgary (Belmont, Auburn Bay, Glenmore Park, etc)

8 week class, 2x per week for 1 hour

$225.00 + gst . Max 10 participants.

Mondays & Thursdays 6pm - 7pm

Aug 26, 29, Sept 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19

Learn to master the power of engagement! JOIN OUR ENGAGEMENT CHALLENGE VIA VIRTUAL COURSE! Video tutorials and a FB group where you can post your own videos for feedback!

https://stan.store/TheEmpoweredCanine

ONLINE COURSES NOW LIVE! You can purchase our Intro to Engagement & Personal Play on the link above!

You want it, we got it! Our Intro to Engagement & Personal Play has gone VIRTUAL!

When our canine companions learn obedience through personal play, they learn the task 40% faster. Personal play emotionally arouses the dog which causes hormones to be released that enhance memory consolidation. Let us show you how to create an active, engaged dog that is reliable in the competition ring and on the training field. We will show you the prey cycle and how to maximize your dogs desire to interact with toys and food.
Best suited for handlers interested in competition obedience and protection sports, and those wanting to improve the relationship they have with their dog.
No experience necessary. all breeds/ages welcome.

I have AUDIT SPOTS AVAILABLE for those interested in learning protection theory and techniques for sport from one of the best! Contact for details.

We are excited to have Joeri here for a workshop June 29-30.
Working and auditing spots available. DM for details.
Joeri has extensive experience with IGP training, as well as experience with PSA and American Schutzhund. Joeri has coached multiple teams (and was the helper/decoy for those teams) to championships and achieved top scores.
Secondary obedience, grip development, drive channeling, Joeri can do it all!

Congratulations to Connie & Syn for achieving their BH this weekend under GSSCC Judge Ken Trouton at the 2024 Prairie Regional Championship!
What a beautiful routine!

We are excited to have Joeri here for a workshop June 29-30.
Working and auditing spots available. DM for details.
Joeri has extensive experience with IGP training, as well as experience with PSA and American Schutzhund. Joeri has coached multiple teams (and was the helper/decoy for those teams) to championships and achieved top scores.
Secondary obedience, grip development, drive channeling, Joeri can do it all!

We were welcomed on a podcast with The Naughty Dogge, discussing the subject of footstep tracking! Thanks for having us Monique and Jill.

‎Lift Your Leg - the art of training a dog: 12. Tracking with Dominic Scarberry on Apple Podcasts ‎Show Lift Your Leg - the art of training a dog, Ep 12. Tracking with Dominic Scarberry - Apr 1, 2024

Congratulations to our trainer Dani, for qualifying for the IGP-FH World Championship in Germany where her and her dog Yaro get to represent Team Canada!

The IGP-FH is an advanced tracking title in the sport of IGP. It includes two minimum 1800 pace tracks on separate days. Each track has 7 articles, and 8 legs. One of the legs is a semi-circle with a radius of 30m. There are 7 corners, which atleast two of the corners have to be acute (30-60 degrees). The tracks are laid by two different strangers and are aged for 3 hours. There are also 2 cross tracks on each track, laid 30 minutes before the track is ran. The cross tracks are laid by a separate track layer.

This type of tracking requires a very special dog, special training, and special handler. We applaud Dani’s commitment to training and so proud of her accomplishments. Can’t wait to cheer you on!

I used to have a co-worker who would wake up at 3am every single day and run 5km. Vacationing, or before work, rain, or -50 in a snow blizzard. He never took a day off. I said to him once “you must really love running! How do you find the motivation?” and he replied:
“I hate running. I despise it. I do it because I have to. For my job, and for my health. It’s not about motivation - it’s discipline.”
I admit I am not the most disciplined person, but I think of this often especially when it comes to my dog training. I wake up and don’t feel like training my dog at 7am and I hear myself “ugh I’m so not motivated to go” then my thoughts interrupt and I hear repeatedly “it’s not about motivation - it’s about discipline. It’s not about motivation - it’s about discipline.” Motivation is fleeting and unreliable. You cannot rely on only motivation to complete tasks.

Discipline: Training oneself to do something in a habitual way.

Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it. Whether you feel like it or not. It’s when your conscious tells you that you need to complete a task and you don’t talk back.

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.

We are excited to announce that we have some new services being offered to the Calgary and Cochrane area!

The Empowered Canine will now be offering group dog walking, private dog walking, and home check-ins!

Are you a busy pet owner who wants to ensure your dog is getting the exercise and attention they deserve? At The Empowered Canine we understand that your dogs well-being is of utmost importance to you. That’s why we’ve added on a new, experienced dog handler who is committed to providing the best care for your dog!

Services Offered & Pricing:
Group Walks (up to 4 dogs) ~ $35.00 (1 hr)

Private Walks (up to 2 household dogs) ~ $60.00 (+$5.00 per additional dog) (1 hr)
Training Add-on (1 dog private walks only) ~ $10.00

Home Check-ins (potty break, feeding, 10-15 minute walk) ~ $40.00

All walks are on leash. Walking time does not include time to pick-up/drop-off.

There are numerous benefits to adding a dog-walking service to your dogs weekly routine.
1. Exercise and Physical Health - ensures your dog is getting regular exercise, even on cold and/or busy days

2. Mental Stimulation - a mid-day walk while you work allows for the dog to have mental stimulation to prevent boredom and destructive behaviours.

3. Socialization - don’t let your busy schedule prevent your dog from being properly socialized! Professional dog walking services allows your dog to be exposed to different sights, sounds, smells, and environments. This can improve their overall behaviour and reduce unwanted behaviours in the future!

Our professional dog-walker is an experienced trainer and handler, and is able to provide structured walks tailored to the training you’ve done (no worrying about your dogs training regressing!)

This service is REACTIVE DOG FRIENDLY.

Contact for booking!

This past weekend we competed at the Vancouver Working Dog Club IGP trial. Azula was entered for her IGP1 and received a score of 99/71/96, taking home High in Tracking and High in Trial!

We would also like to congratulate the other members of our training groups for their newly acquired titles. Thank you for trusting us!

📸: Cortnee Leeh