About UsSeriously Dogs Inc. Brags Page Our Philosophy Seriously Dogs Inc. came into existence because I have an extreme passion for dogs. In my opinion dogs are one of mankind's greatest achievements. They have been by our side for tens of thousands of years and will continue to be with us until our time on this planet has ended. Without a doubt we love dogs.  My philosophy behind dog training boils down to one word: RESPONSIBILITY. A long time ago, humans managed to domesticate the close cousins to today's dogs. Over an extended period we have created, through the process of selective breeding, hundreds of different types of dogs; each created to perform tasks that made our lives easier. Humans have also managed, at the same time, to instil a great sense of loyalty in these "tools" that were created to carry out a specific job. Many of these jobs were very specialized: rat hunters, duck flushers, sheep herders, property guardians, and at the end, of what could be a gruelling days work, these "tools" were simply pleased that they had a job to do and that they had a social unit of dogs and humans that they belonged to. Today our dog's roles have changed dramatically. Dogs are now house companions and simple pets. Rarely do today's dogs have real jobs to do. Instead of choosing a dog based upon the work it was created to do (farmers choosing Sheepdogs, hunters choosing Fox Hounds), today humans choose their dog based upon what they like physically in a dog (short hair, squishy face, pointy ears). Over the past 100 years, we humans have forgotten that for thousands of years we used our creations for specific purposes. We gave them characteristics that would make them excel at the job we wanted them to perform for us. Today, those jobs no longer exist, and our dogs are left with a job that they were never created for - being just a pet. The sad reality is today's dogs are suffering due to our modern ways of life. Dogs no longer work beside their human companions, they stay at home all day waiting for us to come home from a long day at work. Once our dogs exercised and were mentally stimulated by the tasks we gave them. Today, our dogs are fat and frustrated because they have no outlet. Half hour walks around the block do not replace a days worth of hunting in the marshes for your Golden Retriever. Responsibility: a duty, an obligation, or burden. Humans made dogs what they are. We chose to modify an animal in order to use it to our advantage. It is the responsibility of every single dog owner everywhere to understand what dogs are, what they come from, and what they need to be healthy and happy. We created them. We need to be responsible. Seriously Dogs Inc. strives to educate dog owners. I teach dog owners the principals behind pack leadership (dogs are pack animals) and how to be an effective yet affectionate leader. I aim to help people understand the root of their dog's behaviours (pulling on leash, barking at other dogs, jumping up on people) so these people can better train their pet dogs. My overall mission is to build better relationships between dogs and their owners. I want everyone to experience the same deep, joyful relationship with their dogs as I do with mine. Types of Training We Provide Seriously Dogs Inc. offers lessons to suite anyone's needs. My comprehensive, detailed courses offer dog training skills for those that desire a well mannered pet dog that listens reliably to basic commands, and lessons to those that are geared towards competitive obedience. I offer private in-home training, as well as behaviour management, for those with dogs that are "challenging".  Seriously Dogs Inc.'s Training StyleThere is no one way to train a dog. Many people believe that dogs are all the same and that the same training methods should apply to every single dog. This is far from true. Dogs are sentient beings. They have individual personalities based upon their inherited temperament and their life experiences. Anyone who has been around dogs knows this. Therefore, each dog will respond differently to different training techniques. I believe that when you train a dog, you and your dog become a team. You learn eachother's mannerisms and individual quirks. I believe that the training process should be an enjoyable experience where both dog and owner are willing participants. When people ask me "What kind of training do you use"? My answer is, "A healthy combination of many training styles which becomes my unique style." I believe that you MUST TEACH a dog what it is you want from him. I believe in using methods that employ motivation to engage a dog in the training process. I believe that dogs where designed to have a job. Since the vast majority of jobs that dogs were originally designed for are gone, obedience training not only gives owners control over their dogs, but that it gives dogs a job and the mental stimulation that they need and crave. About Me I (Kimberly Dorrington) have loved dogs, and animals in general, my entire life. When I was a girl, I didn't play with Barbies, I played with stuffed animals exclusively. I was fortunate to have parents that allowed me to have a wide variety of pets growing up from rats, cats, and guinea pigs; fish, reptiles and parrots. The only thing we never had when I was a kid was a dog. I LOVED dogs. My parents tried on 4 occasions to own dogs (I remember every one of them), but it was all short lived. Dog ownership was beyond my parents. The dogs didn't listen at all. I am pretty sure that none of them (save the Lab) ever became fully housebroken. My parents just didn't know how to train a dog. I grew up; dogless. In February of 2002, I rescued my first dog, Jake, from the Animal Shelter (city pound, different from the SPCA). You can read Jake's story here. It was at that time that I fell deeply in love with dogs, and German Shepherds in particular. I became almost obsessed with dog behaviour and obedience training (which are two different things). My poor Jake lost his family and spent months in a shelter all because people didn't understand how to handle him. He was the best dog, a wonderful sweet soul who I miss every day. I took dog obedience classes with Jake at the local kennel club in the town I lived in. Obedience training came very natural for me and still does. I often wonder if I didn't do it in a past life. I had a friend who was in the "higher - ups" in the kennel club, and after a short time, the club asked me to teach some classes for them. Honestly, I didn't teach classes for the kennel club for very long. I quickly realized that the style of training that they had adopted was not doing owners with problem dogs any favours. Most people enrol in obedience training classes because they want to get their dogs under control. Keep in mind that obedience training is focused on skills: sit and down and dumbbell retrieving; not behavioral issues like lunging aggressively at other dogs. It is not designed to remedy behavioural problems that are out of control (it helps, but it's not the full solution). The straw that broke the camels back for me was watching a young girl with a young Akita in one of the clases I was helping with. The dog was uncontrollable. It was becoming somewhat aggressive as each class when on. The solution was to slap a Gentle Leader on the dog and banish it to the corner, where it still didn't focus. Eventually, the family stopped coming to the classes. I was discouraged by this. The dog's problems could have been dealt with if my hands where not so tied. There were rules as to what I could and could not say, and what I could and could not do. So, I quit the kennel club and went "rogue", so to speak. Years later I found out that the owners of this dog "gave up" on it. They felt that the dog was not able to be trained, so it became a backyard dog. The dog was trainable. They were not given the tools or the attention that they needed in class. I am not saying that kennel club obedience training is a bad thing. They do a good service for a very resonable price. However, these are volunteer trainers offering their experience and knowledge. For some dogs and owners this isn't enough. While I worked full time at a pet supply store, I did private training in the evenings and attended all the behavioural and obedience seminars, hosted by top professionals, that I could. I was still pretty green, but you learn by doing. There is nothing like trial and error to teach you some good life lessons! As time went by, I became more involved in aggressive behaviours. I have the scars to prove it! At the same time I became involved in the sport of Schutzhund but quickly realized that Jake was not capable of handling the extreme mental pressure, so he did as much as he could, but we never titled and I purchased a dog that would be capable of the sport, Ina. Ina was an amazing girl who was taken from me far too young. In 2005 I started group training classes under the name Pacific Paws Dog School in Nanaimo. I rented a grooming salon in the evenings a couple days a week. Business soon started booming as word of mouth got around. I then expanded to Courtenay for a little while and did very well there too. In September 2006 my husband took a job in Campbell River where we moved to. I continued to teach classes in Nanaimo, Courtenay and then opened a shop in Campbell River as well. At the height of it all in 2008, I was seeing between 10-15 clients/week on a private basis for behavioural issues between the 3 cities, I was teaching 12 group classes a week for a combined total of an average of 70 dogs per week! I was superwoman!! And then.... I got pregnant. Oops! I found out in February of 2009 that I was 9 weeks along. I had to make some major changes, and fast. I didn't know what to expect during the pregnancy. I decided that it was in my own, my son's, my husband's and my dogs' best interest if I just focused on creating a small retail store and training classes in Campbell River. My son arrived in August 2009 and I have been building a very steady business in Campbell River under the name of Seriously Dogs Inc. The new name suits the passion and attitude that I have, and will continue to have, for dogs. I continue to participate in competitive obedience trials both in CKC and Schutzhund with my dogs as well as something new: SV dog shows. My Yanik is a pretty boy! What's coming in the future? Training videos! Watch for them!! I am going to be big! Puppies! I am in the preliminary stages of breeding Von Öhmke German Shepherd Dogs |
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