Training Academy

Obedience training doesn’t come naturally to everyone. And despite early efforts, training may slide a bit over time. One day you may suddenly realize that your little treasure pulls on the leash, jumps on strangers, and gets way too excited when they see another dog or a squirrel.

If you discover that your dog has become the leader of your pack and every dog will fill that role if they see a vacancy, the problem can seem overwhelming. You might be surprised at how some simple changes can turn things around and restore you to your rightful position.

Whether your relationship with your dog needs minor tinkering, or a major overhaul, we can help. Our goal is to ensure that dogs are never surrendered by owners because of behavioral issues. We see many dogs that other trainers have already given up on, but no problem is too big to handle.

Our standard programs are described below. Contact us to discuss your particular training needs.

INBOARD TRAINING

Trained by Lucas

This program requires your dog to come and live with us for 10-12 weeks, were we will train them completely off-leash.

The Art of Obedience

We begin training your dog by using an established system of markers with various rewards/play to increase performance and motivation in obedience. Establishing thresholds and responses to such things as prey-based behaviour, defensive behaviour and environmental stressors helps us to customize a successful program for your best friend. We are of the thought that learning and generalization of all commands, rules, and manners you intend to hold your dog responsible for, should always be taught first without any compulsion (correction). After your dog is versed in all the obedience, we begin a conditioning phase in preparation for correction. We then begin to condition the e-collar for obedience. There are strict guidelines we follow for the fair use of the e-collar, the lowest level possible is used for response, the dog is never corrected for things it does not know the answer to, it is not used where a dog is confused or makes a mistake. The e-collar is not a magic bullet and it does not come without a host of caveats. For this reason, we believe only competent professionals should condition this tool.

Unlocking your dog’s potential in obedience:

Our intention with every dog we train is to help bridge the communication gap between owner and dog for complete off-leash control. Your dog will learn all the fundamental behaviours of obedience to an advanced level. Sit, down, place, downs from motion, stay, recall, off-leash heel, and loose leash walking -under all distractions that you may face in everyday life.

Your dedication in training:

One important factor is your dedication to continue with the freshly polished skills your dog has learnt. Consistency with training and the new routines is of paramount importance here. Please remember that we can train your dog to an exceptional level, but dogs are social opportunists and they will slowly revert to the old way of life if it presents itself before habits are formed. Your training will take place at our facility once your dog has graduated the program. You will be required to come for a 3-4 day seminar with Lucas, and 1 home visit where distance permits (within 2 hours from our facility). Lucas will teach you all the skills you need in order to take over as a competent handler. You will learn to master the skill of off leash control and learn how to communicate with your dog using a language of markers, and to apply the e-collar properly in training. By the time you are done your 3-5 days of training you will be on your way to be a confident and well-educated canine handler! Your training will be held at our Swissridge facility in Schomberg, Ontario. On the first day we will teach you communication and handling skills without the dog being involved. On the remainder of the days we will integrate your dog into the training and slowly put your skills to the test in increasingly distracting environments. For the final day we will meet at your household to go over routines, handling, and walking in your neighborhood (where distance permits in Ontario).

What the training comes with:

* 10 -12 weeks of training. We give a wide range as every dog starts with a different skill set and has a different personality. Some dogs we’re able to get done faster than others. We do not believe in rushing training and pushing the dog beyond what is fair. This is how we achieve a happy working dog without compromises on their temperament.

* inboard care for the length they are here for training

* weekly updates on how your dog is progressing

* 3-5 days of training for the owners after your pup has graduated from our inboard training program. 1 home visit- if your home location permits.

* slip lead

* ongoing support after your dog goes home to ensure a smooth transition.

Price

Please contact us.

PRIVATE SESSIONS

Trained by Lucas

Schedule Lucas for one on one training at the kennel.

We offer private, one-on-one sessions at the kennel to work on specific issues you are having with your dog or we can take you through our full obedience course.

Price

Private sessions are sold as a package of 10 sessions only. Please contact us for the price. FULL UNTIL SUMMER 2026.

ONLINE TRAINING

Trained by Lucas

Train in the comfort of your own home and be educated like a trainer!
Learn one of the most effective and proven systems for developing a truly responsive dog. This is a course built on Lucas’s system. In this course, you’ll explore classical conditioning and how it connects to marker training—the foundation of clear and consistent communication between you and your dog.

Through over 90 in-depth videos, you’ll gain a solid understanding of how to apply training methods that address unwanted behaviours, motivate desired actions, and build lifelong obedience. You’ll study key topics such as learning theory, motivation, and the science of behaviour shaping—all explained in a way that’s easy to understand and apply.

You’ll also develop strong handler skills as we break down every obedience behaviour step by step through detailed, easy-to-follow video demonstrations. Lessons include:

Loose leash walking techniques that actually work

Proper use and timing of markers

The principles of learning theory and luring

Core obedience behaviours: sit, down, stand, stay, and place

The foundations of a bombproof recall

Price

Please contact us.