Guy Lapierre, Author at Unleashed Potential | Stratford, PEI

My last dog…

No,…that is not a statement. I have not sworn off dogs and will most certainly welcome another with open arms when our 4 canine family members cross over the Rainbow Bridge.

This isn’t a rant either,…rather an attempt to point out something that some dog owners often get hung up on.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard a dog owner, while in conversation about their current dog, say….”my last dog”, right before listing traits their last dog had that they wish their new dog possessed.

First things first…unless you extracted DNA from your last dog, cloned that canine and raised it to have the same life experiences as the first dog (which, by the way…is impossible), you will never again have a dog just like your last dog. The dog you now have may look like that dog, or remind you of that dog in some way…but it is not that dog….so please stop focusing on their differences and comparing the two.

When reflecting on the memories of our prior dogs we often forget about the work we did during the puppy years, how much work our parents put into that dog, how we may have had more time (and energy) before the kids came along, how much energy they had when they were younger (we remember their older, mellow/chill years). We remember the good times we had with them, during a different time of our lives…and yet we expect a new dog to be just like them at this point in our lives, after having totally different life experiences.

If your dog is named Max, III…and he isn’t royalty,…you may be having a hard time letting go of “your last dog” (and the one before that).

If you were to remarry after the passing of your spouse, saying “my last wife or husband…” before making a comparison in favour of the latter, it would not go over well with your new spouse. Even though your dog can’t understand, it’s not really fair to compare your current dog to your last dog. Each dog, even if they are the same breed, are individuals and they have had their own unique life experiences that have molded them into the dog that they are today.

I have 3 shepherds….and each one is unique. In fact, none of our dogs, or any of the rescue dogs that have come through our home have ever been “just like” another dog. Of course, some share breed traits, but their personalities are all completely different.

If your new dog needs some training to help them become more obedient, to learn some manners, or achieve off leash recall… then spend some time, put in the work and at the same time make some memories with “your new dog”…because although some good dogs just happen, some good dogs take a little work, and sometimes we forget the work that we did with “our last dog” that made them so awesome.

Posted in loving memory of my Siberian Husky, Ninja, who I lost in the fall of 2014. I miss him dearly and there will never be another dog just like “my last dog”… and that’s OK.

Why not make the best memories possible with your current dog? Contact me to find out how you can unleash their full potential.

Guy Lapierre
Unleashed Potential Halifax
902-403-0102
guyl@upk9.ca

My three shepherds: Karma, Sam and Thor.

I am frequently asked why I became a dog trainer. The answer is simple really – I love dogs and like to help troubled dogs. As you may imagine, the reasons go deeper than that so let me explain.

A few years ago my wife and I adopted a rescue dog and we named her Karma. She’s a German Shepherd / Bernese Mountain Dog mix that came with some behaviour issues. She was aggressive towards other dogs and would lunge and bark on leash. She is a strong dog and managed to damage my wife’s back to the point that it ended her time as a runner. She ran marathons and wanted a dog to run with and unfortunately the dog we got ended up putting an end to her running instead of becoming a running companion.

I had tried several trainers that categorized themselves as positive only trainers and unfortunately a year of that style of training didn’t help her. I then tried the other end of the spectrum with a trainer that used only corrections and affection was the sole reward. That helped in suppressing the behaviours temporarily but didn’t modify her behaviour. I had all but given up and was reserved to trying to manage her as best as we could until one day she attacked a small dog and drew blood in the process. I gave it one more try and contacted what I would later learn to be a balanced trainer. That trainer was from Unleashed Potential. Within a few weeks we saw great results and Karma was learning to be social and change her ways by applying a balance of reward and corrections. She seemed to finally understand the training process. She is now a wonderful dog and as a result of our success we put our other dogs through the same program.

We came to believe so deeply in the Unleashed Potential program that my wife and I started our own rescue and set out to train the dogs that came through rescue before adopting them out. After putting several dogs through the program it became apparent that Duke Ferguson’s system worked for all dogs and it led me to want to help as many dogs as possible. Through the rescue we helped many dogs and began to offer training services to the public.

When the opportunity came to join Unleashed Potential, I jumped at the chance to take intensive training and become part of the team. I went from a customer and a great supporter to a professional dog trainer at Unleashed Potential. With the power of the brand and a great family of trainers I can now reach many more dogs in need and help people overcome using a proven balanced approach.

That is why I became a professional dog trainer – to help as many dogs as possible and to educate the public on the merits of a proven balanced training approach.

If you adopted a rescue that needs work, a puppy that needs a solid foundation, or you have a dog that didn’t get off to a proper start and now needs some guidance, I can help you. I’ve been there and done that several times over.

Contact me at 902-403-0102 or guyl@upk9.ca for a free assessment today!

My Last Dog…

Why I Became a Dog Trainer