dog training sackville

Border Collie given a new lease on life!

July 10, 2013 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Memphis is a fun loving, full of life Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix. You would never know, looking at him now, that he has had a pretty complicated past. By the time Memphis was 6 months old, he was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia. Memphis underwent two major surgeries just weeks apart followed by four months of strict recovery. By the time he was fully healed, he was just over a year old. He missed the critical stage in his life for developing social skills with other dogs. When we were finally able to walk him down our street, we noticed quite quickly that Memphis was very nervous of other dogs, becoming excessively vocal, and a true nightmare to the neighbourhood. We were extremely embarrassed passing other people and dogs as our sweet little boy would turn into a growling, barking dog. We had tried many things to get Memphis back on track with socialization, but it proved to be beyond our control. That’s when we made the phone call to Unleashed Potential in Halifax. After a few lessons , we were making progress. We could see a huge difference in the way Memphis acted. The methods have become a daily ritual in our house. With guidance, and a lot of homework on our part, Memphis was ready to participate in semi-private lessons. Before we knew it, he had graduated to group class! Now he’s able to play on and off leash with other dogs! We couldn’t have made it to where we are now without Unleashed Potential. It is an amazing feeling to have such control over your dog, and not worry about how he will react. Memphis has learned to focus on us and our commands instead of other distractions. We look forward to attending group class every Saturday. Memphis loves it so much. Thank you Unleashed Potential, for everything you have done. You have given us our fun loving sweetheart back, and now he can continue living the happy and healthy life he deserves!

Ryan, Ashley & Memphis

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Unleashed Potential Dog Trainer Presents at Eastern College in Halifax.

January 31, 2012 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Unleashed Potential Dog Trainer with Vet Tech Students at Eastern College in Halifax.

One of the things I love most about my career as a dog trainer with unleashed potential is that I have an opportunity to educate Veterinarians, Vet technicians, students, doggy daycare workers and pet store staff. Over the years I have learned a wealth of knowledge from some of the best dog trainers in North America, and I am more than happy to share that experience with those who want to learn more about dog training, aggression, rehabilitation and animal behavior.

Today I had the great privilege of doing a seminar for the students of Eastern college in Halifax, all of the students were Vet technician students. I have to say it was really fun watching light bulbs turn on as people listened, connected, asked questions and had a really good time. At the end of the seminar I brought one of my dogs up to the class room to show how our training methods work. Automatically the entire classroom fell in love with BB, it was a great way to bridge the gap between theory and practical.

I would like to thank Nadine at Eastern college for having me in, and inviting me back next year.

-Ted Efthymiadis

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Methods of Dog Training

July 26, 2011 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Today I was reading the newest installment of a publication the Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers puts out regularly.

Pat Renshaw, the current chair of the organization has an article in the publication in which she talks about unity within the dog training industry.

It was very interesting to read about how the organization values all it’s dog trainers, regardless of the methods they use.

It’s no secret that there is hundreds of ways to train a dog, so to read that the organization supports the use of all methods including food training, leash training, e-collar training, I was happy to see that the strongest voice in Canadian dog training will fully back the use of e-collars when used properly with professional training. I choose to use many methods in dog training, and have personally trained with some of the best dog trainers in the world, from France, USA, Canada, Italy, and one thing that seems to continue to come up is that we all need to have an open mind in the training of dogs.

Pat Renshaw also touches on how Robin MacFarlane, (a strong supporter of e-collar use in the USA) was recently a presenter at the 2011 CAPPDT Conference in Toronto Ontario Canada.

I must say it’s nice to see some people open their minds to the use of alternative dog training tools in the industry, it’s almost as nice as the feeling I get when I show up in group class every week seeing 10-20 dogs off leash in a public park, most of whom previously had severe dog or human aggression or both.

If you would like more information on how I go about my dog training programs, please contact me personally and I would be more than happy to show you one on one in person.
Best regards.
Unleashed Potential Halifax.

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Dog training should be fun!

July 24, 2011 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

I love it when clients take training to the next level. The more inventive you can be with simple commands such as sit, place and down, the more fun dog training becomes. This will also make for a better home as a tired dog is a happy dog. Share some pics on our Facebook page!!!

“Place” command for weighting a rapidly growing puppy.

Call us today if you want to have more fun with your dog!

Do you have problems training your dog or dogs? Do you want help? No matter the size, sex, age or breed We Can Help!

To find a UPK9 Trainer near you or to Book your FREE Demonstration and Consult Click Here

For more information on how you can purchase Dog Training Genesis and become a member CLICK HERE or on the photo of Duke and his dogs.

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Chocolate Lab UNLEASHED

February 14, 2011 By Duke Ferguson 4 Comments

Rolo is 5 years old and all things chocolate labs are supposed to be; hyper, fun, goofy, lovable, etc. But, he was also stubborn and unruly. We had tried puppy obedience classes when he was small, he pulled so badly we couldn’t get him into the classroom and inside, he was too distracted to learn anything. The classes didn’t seem to help at all and to be honest, I’m not sure we “passed” them. We had a private trainer in two different times over the years, we learned basic obedience, but Rolo was dominant and stubborn, it took him weeks to give in to the down command. I tried books, videos and searched the internet for help. We had different collars, leashes, halties and harnesses. Over the years, we’ve adapted our lives around Rolo’s issues. Moving across the street away from other people and dogs while walking, not taking him to places like the lake or the park, keeping him fenced in the yard because he’d run as soon as he’d realize he wasn’t leashed, and putting him outside or in another room when company came because he’d jump all over them. It was embarrassing to have people in, it was embarrassing to take him out. The last straw came when we had to take him to the vet and his behavior landed us in a private room away from everyone else. I was feeling desperate to have some control over my life and this dog, and found Unleashed Potential during one of my internet searches. The upk9 trainer came to the house and gave a demonstration, explained his methods and left all the information I needed. At first, I was very skeptical, I had tried a lot of things so far and wasn’t convinced this was going to work.

But, I decided to go ahead, and the results have been amazing.

Rolo now plays in the front yard while I shovel snow without a fence! He’s been skating with us for the first time and never once wandered off, not even when two large dogs showed up. He has been learning to greet people without scaring them, and has advanced enough to take him off leash in Point Pleasant Park. We still have a lot to learn, but I’m confident we can master it. We even made it to the vet without being removed from the waiting room!!

I am impressed on how quickly the results were seen with proper direction and support. I’m really looking forward to summer, cottages, lakes and beaches, Rolo is loving his new freedom!!

Holly Flemming
Halifax, NS

Do you have problems training your dog or dogs? Do you want help? No matter the size, sex, age or breed We Can Help!

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