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Reviews
Puppies are so cute but also so challenging at times. Shannon’s courses provided both me and my puppy with the necessary foundation and skills required to develop a happy, confident and well behaved adult dog. Each of the courses offered are very informative while being fun at the same time. Shannon’s extensive knowledge and kind approach brings the most out of any owner/dog combo.
Zen Dog Training has made life with our reactive dog possible. We didn't know the extent of our rescue dog's issues when we adopted him and were totally lost when the problems surfaced. Shannon was patient and efficient in teaching us the basics and Jenn has been a complete savior with her Growl classes ever since. She has a wonderfully clear and direct way of teaching us and helping us communicate better with our crazy pup. Her hard work has taught us how to communicate with our dog and build a relationship that keeps us all safe and happy. I truly can't thank her enough.
Shannon is the most knowledgeable dog trainer I know. She combines a common sense approach gained from years of experience with a thoughtful and detailed insight into dog behaviour. Plus, she makes training fun!
We took Puppy Kindergarten and absolutely loved it! Shannon has structured the class to spend some time learning skills like sit, down etc but also to provide useful information on things like grooming, diet, spay/neuter etc which was super helpful as first time dog owners. I would definitely recommend this class and will be taking her more advanced classes as our puppy grows up!
We highly recommend Shannon and are thrilled with what she has taught all of us!!! We were having issues with Vinny, our French Bulldog, being reactive on his leash which made walking pretty stressful most of the time. Shannon worked with us and provided us with a “tool kit” to handle whichever situation comes our way. Our little guy is like a brand new dog, we are more relaxed with him and our walks are so much fun now!
Shannon is hands down THE BEST! We just completed Puppy Grade 1 - not only was it fun but we learned a ton of tricks to keep our pup safe and engaged! This is the third class we have taken with Shannon (two different dogs!) and we just love her practical approach to training - 10/10 highly recommend. Archie agrees!
Shannon has been helping us with our Aussie’s reactivity and we couldn’t ask for a better trainer! She helped us hone in our handling skills and with lots of time and patience, our dogs reactivity is now super minimal and we feel equipped with the skills to handle it. We also love the Skills and Drills class which is a great opportunity to strengthen our dog’s focus and our relationship with him.Highly recommend Shannon to anyone looking for a skilled and supportive trainer!
We have learned so much with Zen Dog, so happily. The classes are effective, with an outstanding trainer (Shannon) guiding our dogs to learn very happily. Everything is based on positive reinforcement and it all works so well. You will enjoy the training and your dog will thrive.Our Aussie Mountain Doodle puppy came home at 5 months. She is our first dog so we were a bit anxious about how to get it right. We quickly gained confidence with the Zen Dog JumpStart programme. It was astonishing on the first day to find that Indy could do so much already... when Shannon worked with her. Then we took over and things fell apart. It dawned on us that Shannon was actually training us, not the puppy! We applied ourselves, began guiding Indy better, and saw really rewarding results. Grade 1 was a great experience, too. We have made notable progress and, most importantly, now have considerable confidence as to how to proceed. We'll be back for Grade 2 with Zen dogs!
I have been taking my two dogs to classes with Shannon and the other great trainers at Zeno Dog for a couple of years and am loving it. We are currently enrolled in the Nuts and Bolts class with Shannon. Her classes are challenging, and she makes you work, but her program is creative , practically helpful and very fun. One of the things that makes Shannon such an engaging teacher is that she is constantly taking courses and incorporating new ideas into her teaching. There is nothing stale or repetitive about Zen Dog! One of my dogs could be reactive towards other dogs but has done so well in Shannon's classes. It makes me proud to see her so focussed and relaxed around other dogs. I think that we were so busy and concentrating so hard during class that my dog forgot to worry about other dogs and I forgot to worry about her. At the end of the day, I leave Shannon's classes with tired and content dogs and a really great feeling about my relationship with them. I highly recommend Zen Dog.
Overwhelming positive experience
Very thankful for Shawn Housman’s/Zen Paws behavioral training with Lillie. We can now take her for extended walks without confrontational behavior. If you’re looking for someone to train your dog, I would highly recommend Shawn. I would without a doubt use her services again if necessary.
A true gem in the world of dog training. Shannon’s compassionate and insightful approach sets her apart from the rest. With a wealth of knowledge and experience, particularly in the realm of dog sports, she goes the extra mile to explain the "why" behind her recommendations which helps me envision everything coming together (and makes it easier to remember for future dogs!).Shannon’s Puppy Kindergarten provides the essential foundations for every puppy in their new home and as a breeder, I can confidently send my puppy people to her, knowing they will be in the best hands during one of the most crucial stages of their lives. Her principles align well with those of Puppy Culture to boot, which is amazing and hard to find.I recently finished Shannon’s rally class with my 11 month old Ridgeback and had so much fun. The class was really well thought out with lots of opportunity to practice, learn and grow. The courses were from past CKC trials which was awesome! I can’t wait to attend another set; the classes were well worth me driving an hour each way to get to.So, if you're looking for a trainer who embodies such kindness, expertise, and genuine love for her work and the dogs she trains, look no further. Shannon is, without a doubt, the gold standard in dog training.
Zen dog classes are amazing! They really challenged our dog and taught him practical and fun skills to take out into the world. Would highly recommend the classes, especially if you have an active dog!
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Does your dog need some Life Skills? Our next Level One Obedience class is starting up June 30th. One spot is available. Come join us for some summer training fun!Life Skills is our recommended level one obedience course, incorporating both game-based and obedience-oriented exercises into the skills you will teach your dog, all using positive reinforcement.This five week course consists of five instructional group lessons held outdoors with access to a sheltered space on rainy days so we have plenty of room to work on big picture stuff. It is how dogs learn best and where they need to use those life skills most.In Life Skills we cover management and its importance in dog behaviour; leadership practices so the human steers the ship; reinforcement strategies using markers for clarity and precision; toy play for relationship building; engagement games for distractions; settling exercises for both inside and out; responsible leash walking concepts; and recall games.Whew! Be prepared to learn, work hard and have a blast!www.zendogtraining.com
Calling all puppies!!Join us on July 8th for our summer Zen Puppy Kindergarten course.The course features six one-hour lessons, and covers the basics of early puppy socialization, handling, skills building, body awareness, nutrition and wellness. We discuss toy play, enrichment, grooming, impulse control and early obedience exercises, all designed to start puppies off in the best way possible in a positive and supportive environment. In the first lesson we meet over zoom with foundation exercises to support the in-person lessons, and a discussion on puppy biting, crate and potty training, as well as management strategies to prevent unwanted behaviours from flourishing.The five remaining lessons are held at Simply Natural Raw Pet Foods in Kerrisdale with an interactive mix of skills building, puppy agility/body awareness, social play, and fun contests to win prizes! We set up a mini agility/obstacle course for the last class – one of the highlights, celebrating six weeks of hard work!The course includes a puppy pack of training goodies and supplies to assist puppy-human teams on their learning journey. Class size is kept to six puppies between 9 and 14 weeks of age at the start date of the class. All puppies must have age-appropriate vaccines to join.We promise this to be one of the most well-rounded and informative puppy classes in Vancouver.Reach out to us at zendogtraining.com for more details or call Simply Natural Raw Pet Food at 604.266.1125 to register.
https://www.zendogtraining.com/training/first-things-to-teach-your-puppy/
