Get to know your trainer
Hi everyone! Let me take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Dawn, I am a dog trainer in Belleville Ontario and training animals has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I was the kid that walked and trained the neighborhood dogs for free just because I enjoyed it. At the age of 12, I got my first paid training job. He was a Siberian Huskey named Thunder, and I was in love. He started off as a dog with zero manners who lived outside tied to his dog house and by the end of the summer he could not only be walked but he could heel, sit, down, stay, had gained impeccable leash manners along with fantastic recall. He even learned how to interact with other dogs. This was the turning point, the moment in my life when I knew this was what I was supposed to do.
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At 17 I rescued my first dog. She was an American Pitbull Terrier mix and I fell head over heels for her instantly. She was a hot mess to say the least. At four and a half months old she had no idea how to even potty outside. It took nine months of intensive training and reconditioning to correct the collection of undesirable behaviors she was used to. My commitment to her, and her loyalty to me served as an inspiration to continue making the lives of our canine companions better through education and training.
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Today I am on a journey to help others learn to understand what their dog is telling them and to build the kind of relationship with their furry companions that will bring them years of joy, love and adventure. Come take a walk with me down the path to understanding. The path to an unbreakable bond with man and woman's best friend.
Education
Continuing my education is very important to me and I always strive to improve my knowledge to better serve my clients.
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I have completed continuing educational training seminars through Canine Foundations in the following areas:
Canine Basics
Separation Anxiety
Territorial Aggression
Dog to Dog Aggression
Resource Guarding
​Attended seminars by Complete K9 Care and BK9
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Four Paws Forward Dog Training
Award Winning-Gold Winner of the Community Votes Award 2023
Positive Reinforcement Based Balanced Training
About My Program
Positive Reinforcement Based Balanced Training
I have always believed that there are no bad dogs, Just misunderstood dogs. Throughout my life I have had a fundamental belief that harmony and peace can exist between owners and their dogs. That you can have a relationship built on mutual trust and respect. I am here to help you find that, By implementing a variety of techniques rooted in positive reinforcement, I can help you and your dog understand and communicate to each other. This is a fundamental part of the training process. My program is designed based on each dog and their individual needs. Training is not a one size fits all and here each dog's needs are addressed individually and not as a whole.
So, if you dream of having company over and not having to apologize for your dog's jumping and crowding the door, or maybe you just want to leave the door open while you cart in your shopping and not have the dog run out and off to the neighbor's house. And, wouldn't be nice to be able to enjoy walking your dog and not have them pull and bark at other dogs or people?
I can help you achieve this.
At Four Paws Forward Dog Training, I am here to assist you with your canine developmental and training needs. From basic obedience to assisted owner training for your service dog, Four Paws Forward is here to help you strengthen the bond and working relationship between you and your dog.
Offering private lessons to ensure that you and your dog get the most from your sessions. Let's work together so you and your canine companion can live your best life, together. When you work together as a team, anything can happen!
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For more information and fun stories, stop by my Blog and Helpful Tips pages found in the drop down menu of the mobile site and at the top of the page on desktop.