By Ethan Ready

Online dog training

Local dog trainer shifts to online in response to social distancing

Mar 25, 2020 | 2:16 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – While many of us may be spending more time than usual at home, Lucky’s tail may be wagging a little bit more than usual.

Like us, dogs are a creature of habit. With many of the daily routines that we have become accustomed to now altered, our furry friend’s are no different. As a result, their level of obedience is potentially being impacted according to one local dog trainer.

“Dogs thrive on routine and structure, so for the majority of our dogs, their structure has gone out the window,” Vanessa Charbonneau, owner and head trainer of Sit Pretty Pet Services. “That could be a good thing but that could also be a bad thing. Normally, when we’re home we’re giving our dogs attention but we may not be able to do that if we’re trying to work from home.”

For Charbonneau, she has shifted her entire business model to online for the time being as her response to social distancing in hopes of maintaining her current clients, while also hoping to draw in new ones as more people may be spending time with their furry friends.

“Right now, lots of us have dogs and we’re spending more time at home potentially, which gives us plenty of time to spend with our dogs, which is awesome. But we still have behaviour problems or training that we’re needing or wanting to do with them. The lack of ability to join in groups prevents us from having group training classes, which a lot of people partake in. I’m just trying to put a spin on a bad situation and still help people with dogs.”

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Sit Pretty Pet Services is no stranger to online training. Charbonneau has been providing online training for a few years now. While group training has been a part of her business, she states there are advantages to online training than the traditional group training she typically would be offering.

“The environment is less distracting. Your dog is more comfortable at home. The distractions are pretty low-key and they’re more familiar with them,” she states.

“If you have a dog who’s fearful or worried about people, or distracted easily, group classes can be very overwhelming, challenging, or frustrating for people. So this is a real good baseline training platform to get these behaviours up and rolling before we transition to a busier environment for the dogs.”

Additional information on Sit Pretty Pet Services can be accessed through their website.