The Wisdom of Woof is committed to providing professional, humane and effective training solutions to owners of dogs in Toronto.

There are as many ways to train a dog as there are people willing to offer opinions. If you’re looking to improve your dog’s behaviour you’ve probably heard lots of conflicting stories and opinions. Books, television programs and websites all offer different ideas. Which is right for your dog and your family? As if that weren’t enough, adding the stress of a difficult pet can make your situation feel overwhelming.

Does your dog fit into a category? Can you explain your dog’s personality and preferences in a sentence? Of course not! Your dog is an individual. Mine are, too. For example, in a litter of five puppies you will often observe five distinct and separate personalities. Even though the puppies are related directly to each other, nature has a way of creating variety.

Now factor in the different members of your family and their personalities, home lives, daily schedules, expectations and abilities and you will come to appreciate how very individual your situation really is. Not many of us fit neatly into categories.

This is why I find method training to be limited. One method might be be successful for some dogs but completely ineffective for others. A professional trainer knows how to find solutions based on the dog in training and the family seeking help. A balanced trainer focuses on the humane use of both praise and correction to give the dog all the information it needs to learn.