Riley started training her German Shepherd Dog to be a certified Service Dog at 8 months old. Her journey spanning over 4 years pushed her to her limits. There were moments of success and triumph, but not before nearly giving up on her dog and hitting a wall with training. Validating at the JIBC in 2022, Riley received some of the highest praise from the validator. Hear her journey in detail and learn more about what a recognized service dog is in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.

Dr. Radica Raj started practice as a Veterinarian in general practice but soon embarked on a more fast-paced career in Veterinary Emergency Medicine and Critical Care in Ontario. Within a year of practice in this field she was inspired to start her own emergency facility and subsequently opened a second general practice. While this path provided the stimulus and the challenges she had yearned for, she soon realized that there had to be a better quality of life for terminally-ill patients, for...

Cindy Hughes is the owner of Muddy Love Pet Photography. Cindy has loved animals ever since she was a small child. Over the years Cindy has volunteered her time for rescue organizations including the BCSPCA, Best Friends Animal Society and Soi Dogs. Cindy now calls the Sunshine Coast her home and is mom to 3 dogs and a horse. Cindy joins us on this podcast to talk about her brave rescue of a little dog in Thailand whose life she changed by slowly earning his trust and bringing h...

Shelby Eckford is the owner of Westbrook Goldens. Westbrook Golden Retrievers is a small home based hobby breeder located on 5 rolling acres in beautiful Langley British Columbia. Their dogs and puppies are raised in their home along side their family. All of the dogs used in their breeding program have their appropriate health clearances, and have obtained their CKC and/or AKC championships. They strive to produce dogs that are exceptional family members but can also excel in other venues s...

Melissa Major is the host of Housewolves and the owner of BC Westcoast K9 Services. She is a balanced trainer specializing in pet dogs with behavioural issues. Melissa has been working with animals for over 20 years and is based in Langley, British Columbia. This episode walks you through Melissa's journey to becoming a balanced trainer by sharing her 2 biggest failures.

Balanced Training with Doug Deacon SV/CAN Judge Doug Deacon was a founding member of the German Shepherd Schutzhund Club of Canada, which was formed in 1979. He received his SV judge’s license in 1983 and since then he has developed a reputation throughout Canada and the United States for maintaining high standards for working dogs. He has judged the Canadian National Schutzhund Championships on several occasions, the USA Nationals protection phase and the North American Championship twice. ...