The most important part, our testimonials!
We shared so many inspirational stories with both canines and their owners, if you have time, here are a few stories of pups we suggest!
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JASPER
My name is Amelia. I have a Catahoula hound. He is a rescue dog and his name is Jasper. I adopted him 14 months ago as a six year old. As a first time dog owner, I had a lot to learn about rescue dogs, so I contacted the Canine Valley Re- Education and Adventure Center for help. Valley and her team were a great resource for both me and Jasper. They helped us with his aggressiveness and lack of socialization skills. Valley and her group helped me to understand and interpret dog behaviour, how to establish myself as a pack leader, and to bring out the best in my dog. I now feel that I am a competent dog owner. Jasper has come a long way from a poorly manner dog to one who is well mannered, loves to play and meet new dogs. He has become a true friend. We will continue to participate in Valley’s weekly pack walks and the center’s agility course where we are always learning new skills. Thank you Valley and Team for all your support, positive energy and ensuring that Jasper and I are the best that we can be! Amelia and Jasper |
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BEAR
Valley is the female Cesar Milan. Bear, my dog, is my first dog and he is a rescue dog. He was about 2 or 3 when we adopted him and you could say he was a troubled teenager. He had aggression issues with other dogs, was very rude and needed to be socialized and taught some manners. Two weeks after bringing him home, I quickly found this out. I had no idea how to handle this 80lb stubborn, mean dog and it stressed me out. Each time I had to take him out around the neighbourhood I stressed out. So I found Canine Valley. I needed to be taught how to handle this dog. I knew a lot of the reason for his behaviour was my energy at the other end of the leash. He could feel my anxiety and fear. He knew I wasn't confident so he used that to his advantage. From the first moment we had Valley in our home we knew she was the right one to teach us. She instantly took control of Bear and immediately saw my weaknesses and set me straight. After three hours with her I was convinced that we could rehabilitate Bear and I was learning from the best. It wasn't easy. There was a time I called Valley in tears doubting that our Bear could be rehabilitated. She told me out right, "your dog is mean". But she said, "it'll take a long time, but he will get better". Four months later, I can now say I'm completely comfortable and confident to be in pretty much any situation with Bear and be in control of him and myself. I now find myself standing up to other dogs if they are misbehaving and letting them know I'm the alpha. It works. Looking back at the training, I've really enjoyed it. It has bonded Bear and I. I can now take him to dog parks, off leash and know that he won't attack other dogs. I can now say, "yes, my dog is friendly" when someone asks as their dog approaches mine. It's a great feeling. Finally, I can walk him off leash in my neighbourhood knowing that he will get along with all the other dogs. And there are dogs off-leash everywhere where we live. I recommend Valley canine to everyone I meet with a troubled dog. Her and her team are amazing at what they do. They are great people for one, plus they know what they're talking about. I thank Valley for rehabilitating Bear. For teaching me how to train my dog, to recognize the body language, the specific growl pitches and the behaviours I need to look out for on not only my dog, but others as well. It's because of her that I'm a good owner. She taught me the skills I need to give my dog the best life he could have and to allow us to have the best relationship with each other based on mutual trust and respect in a calm positive assertive way. Vesna Rukavina |
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MAX Valley came to us in a moment of desperation. For over a month our new puppy was pushing us to the brink. Our previous dog had also required a lot of work, but since we rescued him as an adult we did not have to go through the puppy phase. With our new little puppy, Max, we literally hadn’t slept for a month. Then Valley arrived. She worked with us for a couple of hours offering tips and feedback. Then, possibly sensing that we were on the brink, Valley offered to take Max to her Canine Valley Re-Education and Adventure Centre Society and work with him for a few days. When we were finally able to pick up Max it was like we had a new dog. Valley and her team transformed our little whirlwind of a puppy to a well behaved - and very polite - dog. The difference was truly amazing! The follow up pack walks with Valley and her staff further cemented the skills, behaviour, and attitude we, including Max, needed to practice for her training to fully take effect. We cannot thank Valley and her team enough for all of the feedback, insight, generosity, and patience they showed Max and us in our time of need. We wholeheartedly recommend Canine Valley to any and all in need of help with their four-legged little friends! Buzz, Jasmine (and Max) Henczel Squamish, BC |
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RUSSELL
Forbes and I have adopted many dogs in our life. We basically have never been without a 4 legged friend since we were children. Each one was special and sweet - never any real problems. When we lost our Jack Russell Terrier at 17 and 1/2 years old we were devastated. It took a year before we could come to terms with it. That was when we decided we needed and wanted another little Jack. We had loved and handled one before without any situations and we wanted to do it again. Little did we know what we had taken on! At about 7 months old, Russell, our new little Jack, developed something called leash aggression. His hackles would go up, he would growl and lunge at any person or dog that we passed. We had obviously done something wrong in those first 7 months but we had no idea what. We decided we would have him neutered early and that would solve the problem. It did not. We then hired a trainer. It was to no avail. While we and Russell were being trained he bit our neighbour. We were beside ourselves! We did not know what to do. Two different people recommended Valley at Canine Valley Re-education and Adventure Centre. We phoned and it was the best thing that ever happened for the three of us. Valley, Desi and the amazing team stepped in and performed miracles. I know this sounds over the top but we were at the point that we no longer took him for walks - we were afraid to take him out of the house. None of us were happy. We never gave a thought to giving Russ up or putting him down. We couldn't do that but our life was in chaos. We were always worried he would attack someone else. Canine Valley taught both Russ and us so much. We are now able to handle Russ on walks. Our fear is gone. He is a high energy dog. They taught him to run alongside a bike. They then taught us how to run him alongside the bike. The most amazing thing was when we met Desi at Park Royal Village. With all the people and dogs I was worried this could be a disaster. Not so. Desi took him first while we watched. Under her leadership he was actually social with both people and dogs! Under Desi's guidance we then took him through the Village. Again Russ was social with people and dogs - not the aggressive dog he had once been. We then, on leash, took him to the off leash park at Ambleside. Desi showed us what to look for in other dogs . How to handle different situations. It was actually a pleasure to finally be walking Russ again. We are forever grateful to have found Valley, Desi and the team at Canine Valley. We cannot thank them enough! Russ is now a happy puppy and we are a happy family thanks to Canine Valley. Sincerely, Joanne & Forbes Mason |
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CAYOOSH
Cayoosh joined our family in February 2013. He was a rescue from the Chilliwack Area and was a bundle of love. He is a Bernese Mountain Dog, German Shepherd, Rottweiler and Mastiff mix. Everything was great until he was about 6 months old, when Cayoosh decided that he was the boss of the house (ok, maybe he was) … We had tried puppy obedience classes and they were successful for a while, but eventually Cayoosh thought he was in charge and the skin on our arms couldn’t handle his teeth anymore. We also have two bunny rabbits who “owned the turf” before Cayoosh came along. We were fairly sure that we should not even let Cayoosh see them and he started jumping over the barrier into their room often. In a cry of desperation, Valley and Desi came to our home and gave us some strategies to try. Cayoosh would have nothing to do with this new world order and quickly deteriorated from there. Valley took our desperate 9pm phone call on September 9th and Cayoosh was dropped off in the morning on September 10th. After two weeks, Cayoosh came home a completely changed dog. We won’t call it a miracle cure as we know that Valley and her team worked tirelessly with him and we continue to reinforce the teachings every day with him. And, of course, we needed re-training as much as he did! He is now much calmer and at least knows his place in the world. He has become a wonderful member of our family and has gone from pushing us around to loving to be pushed over and hugged on the floor. Although he still loves to grab mittens and things he shouldn’t have, getting them away from him now simply involves a look and a “Cayoosh…is that yours?” which results in a drop of the glove and a droopy-eyed walk into his house. His favourite time of the day is at night when we announce “Food for Bunnies!”. He runs in excitement to the bunny door, lays down without being asked and stares at the bunnies while they get their food. We can leave him at the bunny door unsupervised and he won’t move a muscle (sometimes for up to an hour). Once the door is closed, he wanders into his house as he knows its his bedtime. We could not have imagined giving Cayoosh back to the rescue he came from but it almost came to that point on September 9, 2013. The joy that we have shared with our dog since then is completely owed to Valley and her team. Doggie rehab is not a miracle cure; it is hard work on everyone’s part. It took a complete change in how we behaved around Cayoosh. This being said, we still cuddle and play with him like any dog owner would! |
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VALENTINO
To say we were desperate when a friend recommended Valley to us would be an understatement. Two and a half years ago we rescued a sick, stray dog from a beach in Mexico. In spite of his health problems, Valentino appeared to be well-behaved, gentle and relatively obedient, so we gave him free run of our home. However, 4 months after we brought him to BC, he started getting territorial with people coming into or near our home. First, he was just a little nippy, but in short order he had bitten a number of people. Eventually he became extremely unstable to the point where we were stressed all the time. We considered ourselves very lucky that nobody had laid a formal complaint ,but we literally felt like we were living on borrowed time. We did try one trainer when Valentino’s aggressive behavior originally began, but we literally spent 2 hours with him trying to lunge and bite her – not a good match! The more we procrastinated, the worse it got, until finally I called Valley and booked an in-home consultation. Prior to meeting Valley, we thought we had a perfect dog that just had one issue: being territorial in our home. What we learned was that we had a highly fearful dog that was stressed because we hadn’t been strong pack leaders to him. He had been abused and abandoned, so we showered him with unconditional love and attention without providing him with structure and boundaries. Valley took Valentino to her Canine Valley Re-Education and Adventure Centre Society and worked with him for 30 days. We credit Valley and her team of amazing professionals with giving us our dear sweet Valentino back. During the time he was away we went to the Centre to work with other dogs, and eventually our own dog, three times a week. We probably needed as much training as Valentino did! But when we committed to consistently doing everything that Valley had taught our dog, we were finally ready to take him home. Now, almost 3 weeks later, we are still practicing what Valley taught us every single day and we have a few more in-home visits scheduled to help complete the transition. We are indebted to Valley and her team for showing us the joy of having a happy and well-balanced dog. We would highly recommend her Centre to anyone; we haven’t seen a dog yet that she hasn’t been able to rehabilitate! - Karen, Glen (and Valentino) Dodd of Lions Bay, BC |
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Misao
I had the pleasure of meeting Valley recently, while having dinner with friends. Two of them had done training with their SPCA rescue dogs with Valley and the training enabled those dogs to remain in their new homes. They were surprised we hadn’t met before and I remarked that although I was a dog lover, I had pugs and they didn’t usually require the assistance of a dog rehabilitation trainer. That was how I was introduced to Misao, the Pug/Chihuahua mix that has recently come into my life. She was surrendered to Valley for house training, car chasing and fear-based issues, which the owners could not handle. I had lost one of my pugs this summer to old age and was planning on only having one dog, but after meeting Misao I could not resist. She is a dominant little firecracker, traits I haven’t had to deal with before, and Valley’s organization has been crucial in training me to manage her correctly. I don’t feel like I have been sent off with a rescue dog to deal with all the issues alone. Misao has had wonderful training and is well on the road to being a well-balanced dog, coexisting with my two cats and older pug. I am very grateful that Valley’s organization exists in our community. Many local and not so local dog owners come to learn, participating in packwalks, and receiving lessons and information on how to better socialize their dogs, so that they can exist in our community. The Canine Valley Re-education and Adventure Centre Society is a vital resource for our area and I am very grateful that it exists and has brought this little gem of a dog into my life. Jennifer O’Rourke |
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LOU BABY & ROCKY
"Wow, these guys are amazing!” Through some abnormal circumstances, I adopted a 4 week old bulldog / pit bull mix. He was cute and tiny (3.5lbs), but I had no idea what to do with him. I had heard about Valley and CVRAC and was told that I should contact them for help. I called Valley and she came to my house the next day, assessed the situation and made a plan. Lou (my puppy) spent 3 hours every day for three weeks with her, her fabulous dog handlers and her pack. There he learned how to be a dog - something that he did not have the opportunity to learn from his mother and his litter mates. One of her pack members, a female lab, took Lou on as her own pup and showed him the world of being a dog. What’s right and what’s wrong, and when enough is enough - things that I could not and would not know to teach him. Lou is now growing rapidly and loving his dog life. We continue go to the CVRAC 3 times a week, and still have so much to learn. There they have taught Lou to be a dog, and are teaching me to be a calm and assertive leader. Lou and I will have a great trust and a lifelong bond because of the knowledge and dedication of everyone at the CVRAC. I also have Golden Retriever (Rocky), and after 6 years of struggling with him we have now mastered the walk. I am slowly, with lots of work and patience becoming the family pack leader, instead of Rocky trying to be ours. He is a much happier dog now that someone is taking over the job that he never really wanted. Jeri Bohn |
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MALU
After working with Valley and her team at the Canine Valley Re-Education & Adventure Society (both humans and canines), I finally have the skills to relax and enjoy the company of my dog, Malu. I adopted Malu from a rescue society up north 5 years ago. Shortly after adoption she developed a high level aggression towards other dogs and sometimes even people. Without help it escalated so bad that I was even bitten on a few occasions when trying to take control of the situation. Needless to say, my stress and anxiety were at an all-time high and I was terrified that eventually I would be sued - or worse, be forced to put Malu down. Thank goodness, I finally learned about Valley and her Re-Education Centre! Valley's first consultation was at my home where she assessed Malu's behaviour, taught me some of the basic communication signals to be aware of, and gave us some training exercises to work on. Valley also taught me about my own essential behaviours and methods to "take the lead" in my role as a pack leader. To compliment the first consultation, Valley arranged for us to visit her at the Centre and to meet with the pack to work on Malu's socialization. From my past experiences with Malu this was very scary at first, but Valley and her team worked with me to overcome these fears and become an effective leader. It was working! I was beginning to see Malu progress and respond to my new leadership. We continued our training by attending weekly pack walks and socialization classes. Malu also attended the Centre for one full day every week for a year. Now I am constantly surprised that we have not only overcome our issues, but Malu is a super obedient companion; I am so proud. I will be forever grateful for the work of Valley and her team at the Re-Education & Adventure Society. Her observations, coaching skills, and commitment have not only saved my relationship with my dog but enriched it in ways I never expected. While engaged in Valley's rehabilitation program it was also encouraging knowing that the fees for services not only support their amazing work, but a proactive save a dog program which rehabilitates and finds homes for dogs that would otherwise be terminated. This place is truly "being the change they wish to see in the world." I would highly recommend Canine Valley Re-Education & Adventure Society to anyone who loves dogs, has a troubled dog, or simply wants to learn more...they can do it all! Kim E. |
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DEXTER
Valley Calderoni began working with our dog, Dexter, in July of 2010. When we began working with Valley our dog was one and a half. We were having problems with aggression, disobedience and chewing. In our first session Valley showed us how we could help our dog by focusing on changing our own behaviours and interactions with him. We noticed marked improvement in Dexter’s behaviour after our first week working with him. Valley continued working with us throughout the summer by coming to our house and further demonstrating how changing our own behaviours could help Dexter. In the fall Dexter began attending Valley’s re-education center once per week. This helped us as we both work and attend school, meaning that we do not always have enough time to ensure that our dog has enough exercise and training. We watched as Dexter’s behaviour continued to improve throughout the fall. At the end of October we moved to a new house and Dexter began escaping out the front door and running away. In November we boarded Dexter for four days and Valley was able to change this behaviour for us as well. Since we began working with Valley she has always been professional and helpful. She has demonstrated to us on a number of occasions how much she cares about Dexter and his well-being. Whenever we have presented her with a problem she has listened and worked alongside us to create a solution that worked for us and our dog. We have referred friends and family to her and will continue to do so in the future. Dexter continues to attend the Canine Valley Re-education and Adventure Centre on a weekly basis. Without the help that we have received from Valley we would not have the dog that we have today. Many of our friends who attend university and live in other areas have just recently seen our dog for the first time since the summer. Over this holiday season we have heard, “It’s like you have a different dog,” more times than we can count. This is 100% attributed to Valley’s work teaching us how to be better dog owners. We look forward to continuing our work with Valley in the future and watching as Dexter’s personality continues to grow and change. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: Sarah Walkey [email protected] 604-848-5633 Jeremy Childs [email protected] 604-848-4584 |
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