Raising Res - A Day School for Dogs

The Raising Resilience Program is a day school option for families who need a little, or a lot, of extra support with their dog's challenging behaviour and also to help puppy parents with social development challenges their new, young puppy may be facing. This program is a way to accelerate the process of helping your dog overcome the roadblocks that are keeping him from enjoying life to its fullest but in a kind, compassionate and ethical way. 

A Family Dog Behaviour Counsellor is a type of behaviour therapist that helps dogs of all ages participate in the activities that they want and need to be happy. A canine counsellor can also help dogs overcome the barriers that prevent them from enjoying life and doing the things that increase their confidence and improve their quality of life. 
The days of emphasizing obedience over partnership and connection are over. New emerging research in canine neuroscience is paving a new path for canine behaviour therapists to take to help dogs live their best life. 

Modern behaviour therapy programs enhance the emotional resilience of dogs by meeting their needs for safety, self-expression, the practice of instinctual behaviour, healthy arousal levels, good nutrition and plenty of rest. The raising resilience programs include 60-Minute, learning sessions. 

The sessions are prepared in a manner that follows the cycle of canine emotional regulation to provide the individual dog with healthy activities that meet their innate and instinctual needs, as well as support the toning of the nervous system to regulate and improve upon emotional resilience. 

If you would like your dog to participate in a unique program that is both fulfilling and supportive to overcome big challenges, this program is for you. 

Day school is suitable for dogs who:  

  • have experienced trauma
  • are struggling with emotional regulation and resilience
  • have been deemed aggressive by a municipality 
  • are fearful in certain environments or situations
  • need confidence building
  • go from 0-100 very quickly 
  • have a hard time expressing themselves in a healthy way 

A Modern Approach to Behaviour Counselling for Dogs

Including day school as part of a behaviour support program is a wonderful way to integrate many layers of help for dogs. 

Some common canine learning & enrichment activities include: 

  • plenty of sniffing
  • exploration
  • body awareness exercises
  • intensely fun games and play
  • slow moving for decompression
  • species appropriate enrichment
  • connection
  • co-regulation
  • relaxation

How the Program Works

Your behaviour counsellor will create an individual program for your dog to meet their very unique needs to provide them with the support that will help them learn to cope better with transitions and adapt to environments easier. Once your session is booked, your behaviour counsellor will reach out to you to arrange/set-up a location for the session to ensure your dog is set up for success. 

Although each session looks different for each dog, all dogs will go through the cycle of emotional regulation which includes healthy play and arousal followed by calming activities to help decompress the nervous system and return the dog to balanced emotional state. This is a beneficial life skill that helps dogs cope better with stress, adapt better to routine changes and become more emotionally resilient. 

The last 10 minutes of each session is reserved for client transfer, demonstrations and questions. Clients are welcome to stay for the entire session if they wish, but some dogs will relax into the therapy better if their guardian is not present. 

Enrol Your Dog Today 

If you're ready to enrol your dog in the Raising Resilience Day School Program, click "Book a Session" and you'll be redirected to the calendar where you can book your first learning session. Or you can Contact Me through my website and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. 

The entire 60 Minute session will be spent outdoors in different activities and environments that are carefully created and managed to provide positive experiences and the right kind of challenges to help your dog problem solve, build confidence, feel empowered, feel safe and learn new skills. 

Some of our favourite activities are snuffling, exploring, connection walks, practicing body positioning on balance discs, discovery boxes and puzzle toys, confidence courses, walking poles, playing partnership games, playing learning games, skill building, tunnels, digging, chewing, sensory activities and relaxing. 
Book a Session Contact Me
"Niki (or Aunty Niki as Diesel referred to her as) saved my relationship with my dog. Diesel was a 160lb Great Dane who became reactive. I tried every method out there with no success. When I found Niki, my world changed. She showed me how to create a safe place for Diesel, how to read him/what he needs and how to connect with him on a primal level. She gave me my best friend back, with an even stronger relationship than before.  Diesel passed last year, and so many of my most treasured memories with him are due to Niki’s guidance and support. He lasted a little bit longer in large part due to the use of doTerra oils and specific applications. Starting with my new puppy, I have created a bond with Lennon following Niki’s classes and reaching out for support whenever it’s needed! She truly understands animals and is able to help you create the loving, trusting and beautiful relationship you are seeking with your pets "
—Leslie E.
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