Blog

Have you ever seen reports of dog-on-dog aggression with a quote to the effect of, “next time it will be a child?” It seems to be a staple in news reporting, and it’s problematic: dog-to-dog aggression does not equal dog-to-human aggression.Let’s be clear. If a dog injures another dog, that’s a problem. Some of these news stories have tragic outcomes and they should be treated as the serious animal control issue that it is. But if a dog fights or attacks another dog, does that necessarily mean that it would do the same to a small human? We asked Shelagh...

Finding a trainer can be an incredibly frustrating process. Dog training is currently an unregulated business and because of this, anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. To make the search easier we hope that we can encourage our followers to go to the Certified Council for Professional Dog Trainers website. They are one of the largest organizations to offer a nation wide certification program.  "The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), established in 2001, is the leading independent certifying organization for the dog training profession. The CCPDT is the leader in the development of rigorous exams to demonstrate mastery...

After the tragic death of a 49 year old woman the media has made the banning of “pit bull” type dogs a hot topic once again.   Polls regarding banning “pit bull” type dogs federally, provincially and municipally can be found on almost every major media outlet across Canada.   Despite science, and history showing that breed is not of relevance this topic continues to be something that sparks controversial conversations across the nation.   We rarely see discussions of bans when other breeds are involved in such tragedies. Given our history in Canada one would think that we would...

"Fudge was just five-months-old when he was destroyed. His owner, Carole from Liverpool, had rescued him at just six-weeks-old and had no idea he might one day be suspected to be a prohibited type.But a neighbour, who thought he resembled a pit-bull, reported Fudge to the police.Carole was not aware that she could challenge the ruling and apply to have Fudge exempted by applying as a responsible owner. This would have meant Fudge could live, although under restrictions such as being muzzled and on the lead at all times when out of the house.Carole has said: 'BSL was something I...

Breed specific legislation is not evidence-based and lacks support by reputable academic and professional groups. We will be talking about some of these groups as part of our #BSLbytes campaign. The International Association of Canine Professionals​ is dedicated to the education, development, and support of dog training professionals world-wide. Their position statement on breed-specific legislation “strongly opposes legislation which discriminates against dogs and their owners by labeling certain dogs as ‘dangerous’ or ‘vicious’ based on breed or phenotype. “Breed or breed type is only one factor which determines an individual dog’s temperament. Many other factors also influence behavior. In the...