Guy Lapierre
Assessment Requests & Registrations
Obedience and Behaviour Modification
I believe obedience is the key to a well-balanced dog. Through obedience one can build a solid relationship with their dog that has mutual respect and relevance. Once you have a solid relationship with your dog, obedience can be leveraged to overcome behaviour problems to reach a balanced state. Or, prevent them from developing in the first place.
How I deal with behaviour problems is through obedience. I teach the dog some base obedience and then we proof it under distraction so it becomes manageable. Once it becomes manageable, meaning they can hold the obedience that is being asked for in the presence of their triggers (dogs, people, etc.), then we can further advance the dog to understand how interact with these triggers in a calm and proper manner. I use a combination of reward and correction. Reward is typically food and corrections vary from verbal markers, leash corrections, or via a variety of training collars. Dogs are properly conditioned to any tool prior to it being used and understand the concept of pressure/release. Below is a video of me training a dog on an e-collar where I demonstrate its use as well as talk about some of my other training philosophies. E-Collar Demo .
The end goal for all dogs in my program is to be able to attend our group classes when they are ready. You can attend group classes for as long as you own your dog. In group class you can continue to improve your dog’s leash walking, social, and off leash skills in distracting environments.
Ultimate Obedience
In this program we instill the obedience we need in private sessions through a combination of reward and correction to proof the obedience and leverage it to deal with the problems specific to your dog. Reward is administered by communicating with the dog that they have done right and are being rewarded for doing so. We integrate an e-collar (included in the price) into the teaching system so that it can be used to pressure behaviours when needed to make them reliable. E-Collar Demo .
This program is results based so I do not quote for a specific number of sessions - I quote for results. We do whatever number of private sessions required to attain the obedience and make the behaviours manageable.
Once success has been attained to the point that the obedience and problems are controlled, you can attend group classes to continue to work on your dog's obedience and social skills.
Day Train
In this program your dog is dropped off daily (Monday to Friday between 7:00AM and 8:00AM) to spend the day with us and we take them through the Ultimate Obedience program as outlined above. They are picked up at the end of the day between 5:00PM and 6:00PM and spend the night and weekends with you. We provide instruction and homework for you to do in the evenings and on weekends.
This program is results based so I do not quote for a specific amount of time - I quote for results. The average length of this program is 4 to 6 weeks but can vary depending on your dog. Once day train is complete you can attend group classes to continue to work on your dog's obedience and social skills.
Board & Train
In this program your dog stays with us at our facility 24/7 and we take them through the Ultimate Obedience program as outlined above.
This program is results based so I do not quote for a specific amount of time - I quote for results. The average length of this program is 4 to 6 weeks but can vary depending on your dog. Once the board and train are complete you can attend group classes to continue to work on your dog's obedience and social skills.
Puppy Management
Our puppy management classes take place Monday nights at 7pm in Bedford It is an on-going class with no start date and end date so you can start between 8 and 14 weeks and attend until your pup is 20 weeks of age. This class focuses on socialization, obedience, and typical issues you deal with while raising a well-balanced puppy. Upon completion, you can credit the amount paid for this class towards our Ultimate Obedience, Day Train, or Board and Train programs within 60 days of completion.
Dog Training Genesis
The Genesis program is an online program with a money back guarantee that gives you all the background theory you will need to know as well as all the hands-on training instruction you will need. First you will teach all the base obedience required and then learn how to develop an action plan to deal with any behaviour issues you may need to solve or raise a well-balanced puppy from scratch.
For an inside view of the Dog Training Genesis Program follow this link: Inside View.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You must purchase the E-collar Excellence program through the button below to have access to Halifax group classes after completing the online program. Once you have completed the Genesis program and you have solved any issues your dog has, you are eligible to attend our group classes for an annual fee of $300. There we can continue to develop your dog's obedience and social skills.
Custom Training
If you have a specific issue you are trying to solve or a specific behaviour you are trying to teach, we can design a custom solution outside of our regular packages to accommodate your needs.
About Me
I grew up in the country surrounded by farms where cattle dogs and hunting dogs were the norm. The intelligence of these dogs amazed me from a very young age and I’ve always had a deep desire to fully understand these amazing animals. As an adult, my wife Kimberley and I adopted a rescue dog named Karma that challenged just how deep my desire was. Karma turn out to be a 115 pound German shepherd / Bernese mountain dog mix that pushed me to my very limits. I spent a year and a half trying to fully understand her aggressive behaviour by learning endless theories, methods, and techniques that made little progress. Then, I found Duke Ferguson’s team at Unleashed Potential and they helped me turn her around. I was so inspired by what was possible that my wife and I started a dog rescue of our own in Karma’s name where we used Duke Ferguson’s training program to rehabilitate and fully train dogs surrendered into our care and then placed them in loving homes.
By thoroughly immersing myself in the Unleashed Potential program and other well renowned programs, I've now successfully trained many dogs with a variety of behaviour problems and developed a well-rounded understanding of the complex canine. My desire to continue to learn more led me to formerly train under master trainer, Duke Ferguson and become part of his team and now service the Halifax, Nova Scotia area. I may no longer rescue and rehome dogs but as a professional certified dog trainer I help dog owners train their dogs so they don't have to be rehomed.
I live in Halifax with my wife Kimberley, my two daughters, and our six dogs.
If you would like to see examples of my training, I invite you to check out my Facebook page where we post training sessions and the progression of dogs in training for all to see: UPK9 Halifax Facebook Page
I am a member of the IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals) and I adhere to their code of ethics.
The INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANINE PROFESSIONALS is dedicated to the education, development and support of dog training professional world-wide. The IACP provides a community where experienced dog trainers mentor, guide and cultivate members to their full potential. Our commitment to the highest quality training increases our members’ skills and abilities, develops professional recognition and improves communication on training best practices. We support our members’ rights to properly use and promote effective, humane training tools and methods to create success for each dog and owner, while expanding the understanding and cooperation among canine professionals and dog owners across the full spectrum of the canine industry.
Guy’s Blog:
The 3 Keys To Successfully Training Your Dog
The 3 Keys To Successfully Training Your Dog I meet with several people each week to discuss their dog's problems and needs. Most of them are trying very hard to help their dogs and end up standing in front of me because they are frustrated that they can't make any progress with their dog's issue - … [Read More...] about The 3 Keys To Successfully Training Your Dog
How UPK9 Can Help You!
Train Your Dog for the Real World Our dog training programs at Unleashed Potential K9 are geared to help you overcome behaviour issues or raise a well balanced puppy. We have programs to fit most budgets and they are all structured to see you through to the end. As long as you stay committed to … [Read More...] about How UPK9 Can Help You!
Meeting Your Dog’s Needs, Unleashed Potential Halifax.
I've assessed hundreds of dogs up to this point in my career as a dog trainer. The biggest constant I see as the underlying cause of the behaviour problems presented to me is quite simple, the dog's needs are not being met. Most of the dogs I've met are being cared for from a health and wellness … [Read More...] about Meeting Your Dog’s Needs, Unleashed Potential Halifax.