By Matt Fetinko

Northern Noses digs its paws into AnimalKind accreditation

Dec 23, 2020 | 2:13 PM

FORT ST. JAMES — Northern Noses in Fort St. James has been granted as an AnimalKind company. AnimalKind is a relatively new animal welfare accreditation and referral program through the BC SPCA, starting in 2019. Its aim is to accredit dog training companies that use science-based positive reinforcement training, as opposed to a negative reinforcement system.

Northern Noses is one of 23 dog training companies to receive the accreditation and only the third in Northern BC. Amy Atkinson is the only dog trainer in Fort St. James and deals with clients from neighbouring communities on top of her own, even helping train a cat in Vancouver. Formally becoming AnimalKind is a way Atkinson and others are able to stay somewhat regulated in an industry that currently is not.

“You immediately have peace of mind and you know that the trainer is well-educated, you know the BC SPCA has audited the trainer,” explained Nicole Fenwick, Research and Standards Manager with the BC SPCA.

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“In BC and in Canada, do training is completely unregulated. That means anyone can call themselves a dog trainer and anyone can choose whatever training method they want to use, whether or not it is grounded in science.”

They say dog is man’s best friend and for most people, their pets are their family. Another reason Atkinson prefers positive reinforcement methods, which are also applicable to parents dealing with their children. Atkinson often relates the two, saying, “it’s so similar. Specifically with puppies, people who have had kids tend to pick it up a little bit faster. [Dogs] can have tantrums, they can get overtired, it’s very similar.”

The two other Northern BC companies accredited as AnimalKind are in the Prince George area.