NWB Dogs

Throughout 2023, I've had a handful of opportunities to learn from and work with the NWB Dogs team. I attended multiple workshops and group classes focused on engagement and canine tracking & trailing, spent several days as a shadow student with Matt & Jen at their facility in Bingen, WA, and completed their online Obedience Foundations Program. I had an absolute blast at the tracking & trailing workshop with my Australian Cattle Dog Wren. Matt & Jen first introduced the group to the theory behind tracking & trailing before we headed outside to try a variety of engaging exercises in forested and urban areas that were just as fun for the humans as they were for our dogs. Wren was a little slow to the take on the first day of the workshop. Then the switch got flipped! On the second day, his gears started turning and he was ready to work. Wren & I completed several successful urban trailing searches, and I was over the moon stoked as I watched my dog lead the way and show deep focus for the task at hand. This workshop lit a fire in me as much as it did for Wren! We continue to advance our skills at home with weekly practice using exercises we learned during the workshop. Additionally, Matt & Jen have inspired me to try new approaches to training, to continue to grow my skillset as a canine professional, and to take a deeper dive into the theoretical knowledge related to dog training and behavior modification.

A goldendoodle was being rehomed in our area and we were the lucky couple that was choosen. Kipper came to us at 11 months old and with very limited life skills. We have worked with Matt at NWB previously and knew that we would need his expertise in working with Kipper. We arranged for private lessons and Jen was our instructor. Kipper is reactive to other dogs and gets overstimulated when meeting new people and dogs. We had the opportunity to work with him around other dogs that were placed in the training room. Learning very specific skills to intervene prior to Kipper reacting has made all the difference in the world. After his sessions ended we joined the NWB Pack so that we can continue to reenforce the handling skills that Jen and Matt have given us. Kipper is now able to hold place for long periods of time with heavy distractions. We can walk him anywhere safely, he has good recall, and his engagement with us is stellar. We will continue to be part of the NWB Pack because, as humans, we need to practise our handling skills so that our dog can live the best life possible.