What’s New

We are incredibly excited to welcome Emily Westfall and her company, Epsilon Dog Training, to the AnimalKind community of evidence-based dog trainers!

Emily offers in-person sessions in Delta and the surrounding areas and is passionate about helping people enrich their dogs’ lives while navigating behavioural issues.

We asked Emily to tell us a little about herself, her training business. Emily writes:

“I became a dog trainer after running my own dog walking business, where I realized how many dogs struggle to walk on leash and how many guardians feel unprepared to manage their behaviour.

I learned that by teaching dogs a few basic skills, the walk becomes so much more enjoyable for everyone.

I choose to train with positive reinforcement-based methods simply because it is the right thing to do. Treating dogs kindly, rewarding them, and meeting their needs unconditionally is the whole point for me.

I had a mindset shift a while ago after my dog had surgery. I saw how vulnerable he was and how much he depended on me to care for him.

I decided from that moment on that I didn’t particularly care about having an”obedient” dog. Does he feel safe around me? Can he communicate his needs? Does he have opportunities to engage in fun and fulfilling activities? That’s what I care about.

Through my work at Epsilon Dog Training, I aim to promote this mindset shift in other dog guardians. As a dog trainer, I have the unique opportunity to help people solve their dogs’ behaviour problems and enrich their dogs’ lives all in one.

Currently, the dog training market is buyer-beware, which unfortunately results in a lot of people wasting their money and a lot of dogs being treated poorly.

Getting my AnimalKind accreditation was important to me because dog guardians deserve to have access to competent and ethical professionals.

Currently, the dog training market is buyer-beware, which unfortunately results in a lot of people wasting their money and a lot of dogs being treated poorly.

The AnimalKind accreditation is like a seal of approval that shows a trainer has been vetted by a reputable third-party organization. I hope that more training businesses continue to pursue AnimalKind accreditation to expand the network of credible trainers in B.C.”

 

Thanks for the kind words!

Check out the directory of dog trainers the BC SPCA recommends at the AnimalKind directory of trainers.