all of the content on this website is developed by Allison (me!), a university student working part-time as an pet professional. I am studying Life Sciences with a minor in Psychology, specifying in animal behaviour and learning. I have also taken courses through the Dr. Dunbar Dog Behaviour & Training Academy, IAABC, and Victoria Stilwell Academy, in addition to conferences and webinars.

I hope to pursue further study in animal behaviour, and am particularly interested in the physiological basis of behaviour. I take a scientific approach to training, collecting data on training sessions and walks to identify behaviour patterns. this helps me determine the most relevant, effective, gentle, and realistic path for training!

I am always reading up on the latest in force-free training, cooperative care, and ‘rehabilitation’ for anxious and reactive animals; right now I’m studying Grisha Stewart’s Behaviour Adjustment Training 2.0. in my spare time you can find me relaxing with my partner Zoe, training with our newly adopted 15 y/o cat Nilly, and reading about animals!

Daisy – Lazy Daisy is the sweetest, gentlest dog in the world. she was rescued from Ohio and now lives the good life, snoozing all day and rolling in dead things on the beach whenever she gets the chance! she has a very soft jaw and isn’t super into toys. her recall is a work in progress – sometimes her surroundings become a lot more interesting than our silly little treats! she has free time in enclosed areas only, and/or on a 30ft leash. she can’t help it, she was bred to chase rabbits! while we work with her on recall, she gets indoor and on-leash enrichment as well as adventures on a long line.

Kardi – silly, rambunctious, and loves to chew; she has the strongest jaws of the Kibble Party squad. she will one day become a service dog for someone in need, but in the meantime she enjoys tummy rubs, zoomies, and lots of treats from us 🙂

she rolls over on her back to greet everything, my favourites of which include a Pomeranian, a flag, and a plastic lawn flamingo. she matches the energy of every dog she meets, and her favourite trick is jumping over other dogs.

Nilly – our feline friend! we adopted Nilly in February of 2021. she was 17lbs when we got her, and has been thriving on her new weight loss diet. we have been training with her since March and she now opts into tooth brushing, entering her carrier, wearing her harness and collar, and restraint for a jugular blood draw! we are still working on nail trims and full-body restraint, should it ever be necessary at the vet. she is well-loved and well-photographed, and so brave! her favourite game is chasing, pouncing on, and eating tiny kibbles we toss for her down the hall.

Juno – aka Ms. Wiggles aka CHAOS. Juno is a firecracker of energy! she was rescued as a baby stray in Mexico and loves everyone, no matter how many legs they have. she has the most hardcore zoomies i’ve ever seen and will plop right down for tummy rubs, no questions asked. her ears move in every direction and communicate very effectively. she loves to destroy and disembowel anything she can get her hands on, so keeping her brain busy is an ongoing challenge. much of the research done for this site was originally intended to find inexpensive, easy(ish) to set-up, and minimally messy ways to entertain her.

Marco – aka sausage boy! Marco is a Basset mix with very funny proportions. he is full of beans! he likes to entertain himself with a plastic flower pots he finds in the yard. he was rescued from Tennessee with his brother, Polo; he loves people and is very loyal to his folks. he can play with Kardi non-stop for hours – we have to separate them for water breaks! he likes to pester Daisy as well, but is getting better at respecting her space. he is a big fan of the snuffle mat, and plays with it respectfully even when it doesn’t have treats in it! he’s a very sweet boy.