About

My name is Colleen and I have been a professional trainer for 2 years.  I decided to specialize in training D.W.I.'s (dogs with issues) after adopting Chaos from the Calgary Humane Society.  Chaos was 11 months old when I adopted him.  He seemed a nice, quiet kind of guy, somewhat shy and retiring.  It was recommended that I take him to obedience classes to "bring him out of his shell."  Turned out Chaos didn't need to be brought out of a shell!  Once he settled in at home, he came out in full force as a raging adolescent that had received no socialization as a puppy.  He snarled and lunged at people and other dogs when I walked him.  If we were on a walk and he simply heard another dog, he would go odd, hackles raised, up on his toes, tail arched over his back, ready for battle.  We started him in obedience classes 2 weeks after he came home.  It was a lot of work, but now he is able to compete in Rally Obedience trials, can work off leash around other dogs and has learned self-control, probably the most important thing for any D.W.I. to learn.  He will never be a daycare or off leash park dog, and has no interest in playing with dogs other than Havoc, but he is what I want him to be...a happy, well adjusted best friend!  Havoc, my Jack Russell Terrier came with her own set of issues.  She tried as a puppy to bite her vet at 4 weeks, and succeeded in biting him at 8 weeks.  She is an extremely dominant little girl who doesn't much care for playing with other dogs.  But, constant vigilance and compassionate understanding has turned her into a dog who can also work off-leash in competitions and she races very nicely with ouy flyball team, Yo...Dogs!  I am constantly taking courses and lessons to learn the newest training techniques and then tweaking them for my clients' dogs.  I am currently working on my trainer certification with NADOI (North American Dog Obedience Instructors).