Professional Trainers Program Fall 2012

Congratulations to the graduates of the Fall 2012 Professional Trainers Program!



Enjoy,

Ben

Sharon Toews - Graduate PTP Spring 2012

Sharon Toews, graduate of PTP Spring 2012 sent us an update, check out what she did to make her first puppy training job a success. Way to go Sharon!

Enjoy, Ben


Hi Nancy and Ben,

I have really been enjoying training dogs of all sizes - yes I finally did get the hang of working with a small dog. (You may remember how totally lost I was on the first free training day when I got a Yorkie mix, after only working with Scout and the big dogs in our class.) Soon after getting home my first puppy training opportunity was a 9 week old Havanese. I was very excited because I had done my class presentation project on the Havanese but had never even met one!

I didn't know where to start so I re-watched your puppy training video and couldn't sleep that night with doubts whirling in my head. However, you guys really do know your stuff and I should have trusted your encouragement when you said: "Remember you have more to offer your clients because there is no other method out there that compares to ours....".

Well, this little Havanese puppy responded exactly like your Border Collie did - "sit" to "stay" to "sit" to "down"... fortunately she was really food motivated! I can't even begin to describe my excitement! The owner was flabbergasted and sputtered, "Isn't that too much for her to learn?" I managed to hide my own incredulity and replied, "Well look at her! She's doing it all and I'm not even touching her."

Over the next 4-5 weeks I praised her for her puppy's progress and reassured her of being a good owner. The puppy is well on her way to being a dream dog but she still hires me for walking consultations and advice. I finally told her she no longer needs me because she has done a great job raising her pup. She admitted she just likes having me around for reassurance. Score one for holding my tongue!





Sharon Toews

"Toews Training Paws"

Graduate Update - PTP Fall 2010

Anthea is a graduate from Fall 2010 PTP, check out what she has been up to!

Enjoy,
Ben

Rollover!

Breeanne and Nai from PTP Fall 2012 - Great Tricks!

Enjoy,
Ben

A Great Day to Hit The Trails

Another gorgeous fall day at Thetis Lake

Enjoy,
Ben

PTP Fall 2012

Meet the Wonderdogs PTP Class of Fall 2012!

Fun Friday!

It was a gorgeous November morning, perfect for Fun Friday! Check out the Fall 2012 PTP Crew at sunny Elk Lake this morning.

Enjoy,
Ben

Canadian Service Dog Foundation - Available for Adoption

Hi all,

Check out these great dogs available for adoption, proceeds go to a great cause!

Best,
Ben

Hello,

Attached are a few pics of the pups we currently have for sale through Canadian Service Dog foundation (CSDF). There are two purebred German Shepherd Dogs and two Canadian Healers (a specially bred GSD/ACD hybrid). All of these pups are crate trained and possess basic on-leash obedience skills and manners.

The two GSDs, Lance and Lex, are both dark sable males. They have also been started with some simple puppy tracking/search skills. These two would make excellent competition or working dog prospects. Cost is $1000 CDN.

The two Canadian Healers are both bi-colour males, suitable for pet homes. Cost is $500 CDN.

All proceeds from the sale of these four individuals will be applied directly into the Canadian Service Dog Foundation and used to help us provide a fully trained service dog to a disabled Canadian veteran suffering from an operational stress injury (OSI) such as PTSD.

If you know anyone who may be interested please pass our info on.

Thanks in advance for your assistance and consideration :)

Cheers,
Melanie

Melanie Woolley
President and Head Trainer
Canadian Service Dog Foundation
T:613-914-2733
E: mwoolley@servicedog.ca
Web: www.servicedog.ca

Barbeque for the Homeless - A Smashing Success

Thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors who made our barbeque for the homeless, in front of Our Place Homeless Shelter on October 28, a smash success. Great team work to all who gave their time and resources to support this worthwhile cause and enable this meal to take place, we hope to do many more!

Thanks to all corporate sponsors including Wal-Mart Uptown, Thrifty’s in James Bay, Market on Yates, Cobs Bakery on Yates, Wildfire Bakery, and Country Grocer in Royal Oak.

If you are interested in volunteering for future meals for the homeless please contact info@wonderdogs.ca for more information.

Thanks to all,

Ben

Jillian and Abby - The Weave

Check out PTP student Jillian and her dog Abby working on a wicked weave. Looking good Jill!

Enjoy!
Ben

Staying Connected with your Community

Always great to catch up with grads! Take a look at this update from graduate, Jeremy Leete, his experience is a great example of how keeping close connections with your canine community can really help the growth of your business.

Hi Ben,

Just wanted to let you know the website looks great. Much improved from the old site. As for dog training, my business has really taken off in the last little while. I have a close relationship with the local SPCA here in Prince George as well as my vet (whose dog I'm currently training) and they have both really helped to promote my training services. Anyways, hope all is well in Victoria. I'm planning to visit sometime in the near future.
Cheers,

Jeremy

On the Road to Success...

Checkout what former graduate Mary McCarthy has been up to, it is always great to hear about a graduate’s success. I hope this inspires others on their path to success. Way to go Mary!

Hi!

Thanks so much for that! I really appreciate that although I graduated over a year ago I still feel connected; updates, resources, facebook/support groups, refreshers... Nobody's being left out, nobody's being tossed to the wolves ;) Well... maybe we are, but darn it, we're prepared (and can go back to check our notes and ask questions if we forget something!).

I am now managing a PetValu store (same company as Bosley's and Paulmac's) here in Nova Scotia. There is a huge learning curve for me. It's great though! It's sort of like going back to school and getting paid for it. I am gaining excellent experience in a few areas that I know I need: management experience, sales experience, and more in depth pet nutrition knowledge. In addition, I can build my network in Nova Scotia; getting to know local animal rescues, becoming more familiar with dog/pet issues specific to NS (bylaws, parks, etc), and of course, simply talking to pet owners and learning their needs. (It's all part of a bigger plan I have for myself!)

Although I'm not training, I love when I can help advise customers on the best collar type for their dog, recommend a fun and safe toy, or help solve a behavioural problem. I'm learning a lot of new things, and I still get to help owners build a better relationship with their dog!

So thank you so much Ben! My supervisor was thrilled with the reference you gave me, so of course I am too! I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with him; that means a lot to me.

Please take care Ben, Nancy, and staff!

All the best,
Mary

Selling Your Service

Hi all,

Anyone in the dog walking business? Thought this email I received from Heather Barron was interesting. Bottom line: How you can sell your service when there are cheaper options available to your clients.

Enjoy!

Hi Ben,

Thought you'd be interested in taking a look at what I did to convince a client that my 1 hour walks are better than somebody else's 4 hour hikes for the same price. It worked!

Well she's definitely cheaper! We tend to go for quality over quantity so she would either be walked by herself or with 1 or maybe 2 other dogs at the most, and the duration is one hour. When you take out a huge pack of dogs and one of them gets hurt it doesn't leave you with many options so it isn't the safest arrangement unless there are multiple people walking the group of dogs. Since we're trainers (not just dog walkers) we make sure our clients dogs are behaving appropriately and following their leash etiquette rules while getting socialization and exercise. Our leash policy is that the dogs are either on leash the entire time, in a completely fenced in environment or they are allowed off leash if they have done advanced off leash obedience training through us in the recent past....so she would be on leash or in a 100% contained area.
Here's a quick little list of a few things that may be noteworthy for your situation:

-if a dog is used to having a certain amount of exercise and all of a sudden it doubles or triples overnight you run the risk of injury to the joints, pads of the feet and muscles
-we don't leave dogs together unattended for any period of time, not even in the vehicle
-we have emergency prevention and preparedness policies and procedures in place
-we are certified, licensed and insured
-all my staff is formally trained in canine body language and certified in DogSafe canine first aid

I'm sure this other person that does the 4 hour hikes is great, hopefully this gives you a couple of questions to ask her about that you may not have thought of yet. Alternatively, we have a 4-hour daycare option and an 8-hour daycare option ...both include outdoor exercise and socialization, there's more info on the website if you have time to read up on it.

Keep us posted about what you think is going to be best for you and your dog!

The Power of the Pen

Received this email from David, a grad from a year and a half ago.  Thought I would share it as he really articulates how important good note taking is - even years later!

Hi Ben,

I was doing a little clean up of my office last week and came upon all of the 'stuff' from PTP Spring 2011. Naturally, I started to flip through various things - photos, keepsakes etc.; but as I began to reread the classroom notes I had taken, I rediscovered a veritable treasure chest of information. Having been in the dog business now for about 16 months, those old classroom notes almost started to speak. What had been frantically written down every afternoon now made so much more sense. There were some important things that I had either forgotten or let slide. (I'll have to blame that short-term memory loss on having grown up during the 60s and early 70s). I can't tell you how beneficial it was to reread the classroom material from a working perspective. I think that a review of the classroom material confirms the importance of some of the basic methods that were taught. I think this review also helped me to understand some of the changes or modifications that I have made in my training methods. Either way, rereading your classroom notes 10 to 12 months later is a great experience....a should do for everyone.

Hope all is well. Please send my best to everyone.

Cheers,

David Dussault

dpdussault@sympatico.ca

Privacy Glass for your Vehicle from Diversity Window Films

If you work in the dog industry or just have dogs that like to come along for rides in your car, privacy glass is definitely something to consider.



Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen

Diversity Window Films
http://diversitywindowfilms.ca/
250-896-6388

Wonderdogs Professional Dog Trainers Program Feedback

Here's some thoughts from Becky and Breeann after the first week of class.

Ben Kersen

Fall 2012 Professional Dog Trainers Program Feedback

Some feedback from Sara and Tina after completing the first week of the our fall 2012 Professional Dog Trainer's Program.

Ben Kersen

Fall 2012 Professional Dog Trainers Program Feedback

Another gorgeous day on the field!

Here's a clip from students Anette and Amber with their thoughts after 1 week.

Enjoy,
Ben Kersen
www.wonderdogs.ca

Professional Dog Trainers Program Reviews - Week 1

We are now one week into this fall's Professional Dog Trainers Program!  I got some quick thoughts from students yesterday and will be posting them over the next few days.

Enjoy!

Ben Kersen

Graduate Highlight - Heather Patz

Graduated from Wonderdogs: 2005
Business Name:  Good Dog Ranch and Spa
Location: Coquitlam, BC
A Word From Heather: 

Taking Ben's professional trainers program laid the foundations for a career that I absolutely love. The program was not only informative with lecture material, but also had the emphasis on practical learning that I believe a program like this needs to be successful. The fact that Ben's school is accredited is also a major contributing factor to the legitimacy of the quality of learning. 

Above all that, the experience of the program is one that I will always think of with fond memories. My dog that I brought as my learner dog, Jetta, was a recent adoption with very high drive and aggression issues with both people and dogs. Ben had the confidence to take her from me and let her run with the other dogs, which was incredibly emotional for me to see, as I wouldn't have done it on my own. Ben and his team also kept the learning experience fun - we were constantly going on new trips and adventures with our dogs, which really demonstrated the freedoms you can have with your dog if they are properly trained. 

My company, Good Dog, is a growing company that offers dog training, boarding and daycare. I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life! Being a business owner is not for everyone, but for me, the diversity and flexibility it provides keeps me interested and challenged. The added benefit is that I get to not only work with my own dogs but get constant exposure to new dogs that I can help along the way.  

Without Ben's program, I wouldn't have had the certification and skill set to do what I love doing. I highly recommend this program. 

Heather has 2 locations, more than 15 staff working under her, and cares for 30-40 dogs per day.  


For more information on Heather Patz and Good Dog Ranch & Spa visit www.gooddog.ca.

Another Testimonial

To Who It May Concern

    I own a 2 ½ year old Rottweiler. I went through obedience training with three other trainers. Even with all this time and money spent on training, the dog was still totally out of control. He would jump up on people and was aggressive toward other dogs. It was to the point where I would only walk the dog early in the morning or late at night when no one was around. This was no fun for me or the dog. I was at my wits end. It was try another trainer or do something more drastic. Then I read an article on Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs. I decided to give him a try.

After talking to Ben he said it would take about ten sessions to fix the problems.  We started working on the dogs problems of jumping on people and his aggression towards other dogs. Within two sessions the dog was no longer jumping on people. Ben would bring his dogs out so we could fix aggression problems.  Ben told me how to correct the dog when he showed aggression, then he would work his dog around mine until mine was no longer aggressive. Within a few short sessions the dogs were playing together. We also worked on basic obedience. Ben helped me get rid of bad habits I had when doing obedience work with the dog. In the end Ben’s method of training worked where all others didn’t.

You can save yourself a lot of time, money, frustration my going to Ben to have your dog trained. I know I would have done it in the first place. I went from not being able to take the dog around people or other dogs to being able to take him anywhere. This method of training gave me back a piece of mind and saved the dog’s life.

John Boehler

Victoria. B.C

June 2012 Group Session Feedback

Smile!  Got some good feedback on our Group Session we held in June we thought we would share.

Our summer class is now running and our next intake begins September 7th.  Visit our website for more info: www.wonderdogs.ca.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE PROGRAM?

"The intensity!" 

"The bonding with my dog"

"The one on one time with the trainers"

"The consistency of the approach"

"The fast pace of the class"

"The concentrated work and expertise from staff"

WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR TRAINER?

"Personable; you cared about my dog and the progress of all the dogs"

"Clear and decisive information" 

"The amount of attention we were given in a large group"

"Clear instructions and energy"

"Obviously know your subject well"  

Training Can Save Your Dog's Life!

Just received this fantastic testimonial from a client who trained their dog with us many years ago and is now training their new pup with us again.

My husband and I were travelling to the interior of BC, when we stopped at a gas station in Princeton. The gas station is right next to the highway and a bridge, and there is a trail running along the river under the bridge. Our 1 year old Australian Shepherd, Fawn, got out of the car with us. We each thought she was on the other side of the car, and when we realized that she was not with us, I began calling her.  As I walked up the bank toward the highway, I saw her. She was obeying me exactly as I had trained her and was running toward me– right toward the highway.  I yelled "down!" as loudly as I could, and she dropped right along the edge of the pavement as a pickup truck flew past. I have no doubt that if she had not been trained, and had not dropped instantly, that she would have been hit and likely killed. She lived a happy life to the age of almost 13. I am now training my second Aussie, Ghillie, who is now just a year old. I am very confident that her training with Ben will be equally important as she travels with us everywhere we go. I highly recommend Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs training, for dogs and their people. 

Cori Barraclough
            Victoria, BC
            clbarraclough@shaw.ca

It is testimonials like this that remind me of the importance of what we as trainers do.

Welcome!

Hello everyone and welcome to our new blog!  Here we will feature reviews from clients, graduates and students about their experiences with Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs.

We also plan to highlight a new graduate every week so we can get their name out there and you can find out what they're up to.

Enjoy!