For many trainers, it is a particular dog that leads them into the world of dog training. For Jessica, it was Chewie, who had been deemed unadoptable because of his aggression, but she could see a glimmer of possibility. Old-school training methods failed them and intensified his aggression, but Jessica refused to give up.   Switching gears, she focused on learning how and what Chewie was communicating, giving him space and choice, which resulted in a unique bond filled with understanding, camaraderie and happiness. Chewie’s teachings and Jessica’s natural understanding of force-free training methods has helped many rescues overcome some very unique fear-based behaviors. 

 

With an emphasis on recognizing the signs of canine anxiety through behaviour and body language, Jessica approaches training as an opportunity to foster the bond between dog and parent via reciprocal communication. She also applies many of the skills acquired through 20+ years of teaching piano to adjust for the different ways dogs can learn, and more importantly, finding their motivation to learn.Jessica has been through the award-winning Educanine mentorship program, has completed the Karen Prior Foundations and is Knowledge Assessed through the Council of Professional Dog Trainers. You will often see Jessica practicing training techniques with her rescue dogs around downtown Toronto.
 

Jessica is also fluent in Cantonese and Thai and can offer training in both languages.