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Meet The Dogs

Jasper & Dax

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I currently have two dogs. Jasper on the left and Dax on the right. 

 

Dax came before Jasper and was my first dog as an adult. 

 

I seen Dax on the SPCA website, which is how it all started... He was emaciated with lip infections and ear infections, not to mention riddled with fear. He was seized by the SPCA at 7 months old from a person who was overproducing German Shepherds and German Shepherd mixes, along with inbreeding them.

 

Dax's description specifically stated that he would need a lot of time, patience and care while he navigated the real world after being locked up for the entirety of his life. I adopted Dax when he was 14 months old from the Comox Valley SPCA in June, 2019. I remember the day I met him so clearly... Full of fear, anxiety and uncertainty. I left with him that day. Fast forward a few years and he is thriving! Dax was very reactive and terrified of everyday things such as brooms and outside trash cans. Through months and months of some good ol' TLC, he overcame these fears and is now my demo dog for diagnosing the severity of dog reactivity with my clients.

 

The reason you don't see training videos/content with Dax as the subject is because he has a very difficult time with attention being on him. He much prefers to be on the sidelines with his ball and just doing his own thing. He tends to shut down when I attempt to do more complex training with him other than the basics. I don't push Dax whatsoever because our relationship is so valuable to me. Jasper on the other hand...

I purchased Jasper in 2020, about a year after I got Dax. Jasper is not ethically bred and he is a mix breed. He is predominantly American Bully with a few other breeds mixed in. Owning a power breed like Jasper has been an incredible experience yet challenging at times due to his ...excitement towards other dogs. We started training together at 8 weeks old and Jasper has come a long way from where we started. He is a great reminder to clients that the process is not linear. The training process takes time, blood, sweat and tears. He is also a great reminder to trust the process.

Meet The Trainer

Head Trainer, Owner & Operator

Let me introduce myself, my name is Sydney and I'm an adult woman living in beautiful Campbell River.

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I'm the owner, operator and head trainer here at ThrivingK9. 

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Before we jump into dog training shenanigans, I want to tell you a bit about myself.

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I absolutely love the outdoors, although my dogs have really ignited this love. I enjoy kayaking, hiking, camping and biking! Have to take advantage of this beautiful place I live in, right? 

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Now into the nitty gritty...

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I've worked in customer service, sales and retail for years while doing dog training as a hobby. Over-time I noticed my motivation for working a 9-5 job was dwindling... quickly. These 9-5 jobs were also causing me stress, frustration and didn't give me the fulfillment I so desperately desired. 

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I played around with the idea of dog walking more difficult dogs/dogs who don't walk well on the leash... I realized that's still not exactly what I wanted to do but it is in the right direction, the direction of dogs.

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Enter ThrivingK9! 

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I currently have two large breed dogs, Dax, an SPCA rescue German Shepherd Dog and Jasper, an American Bully mix who keep me on my toes everyday. I have a deep rooted passion for dogs, from training methods to nutrition to breed histories and everything in-between.

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I'm a relationship-based dog trainer. From balanced methods to positive reinforcement, no matter what, the relationship is always the core focus.

 

"Balanced methods" can have a negative attachment to it due to the fact that balanced trainers utilize corrections and aversive methods when needed.

 

But stay with me for a moment.

 

To me, being a relationship-based dog trainer means that I will use all four quadrants of behavior modification.

 

With some dogs, I won't even use aversive corrections and with others, I do apply pressure in a very calculated way. 

 

To me, being a relationship-based dog trainer means that I approach every dog with a wide variety of methods and tools. Tailoring my methodology to the dog and owner in front of me.

 

To me, being a relationship-based dog trainer means using minimal pressure, minimal pressure with corrections, not relying on force and/or corrections, while only using corrections when the dog has passed the generalization phase in their training.

 

It all comes down to the individual dog, their history, breed traits and their owner.

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I have completed the Animal Care Aide course through North Island College, I am currently enrolled in STSK9's Positive Only Program and I have completed multiple courses through ConsiderTheDog created by world renowned trainer, Tyler Muto.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read about ThrivingK9.

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