Clever Canines Ltd.

As someone who had never owned a dog (and was a bit nervous around dogs), Clever Canines was the perfect spot for us. They helped us understand not only our dog's behaviour, but the significant impact our own behaviours had on our ability to train our dog Ronnie. Plenty of hands-on opportunity to learn in person with very clear instructions for dog owners to consistently use on their own at home. Over the course of a few months, our dog's behaviour went from fairly unmanageable to largely controllable. With more time post-training with Clever Canines, Ronnie continues to make improvements, as does her owners!

Update: My partner and I have learned a lot about science-based and ethical dog training in the past several months because we noticed that Toast developed reactivity after the first few weeks of clever canines pupstart class. We sought the help of a certified professional trainers (not associated with Clever Canines) and have learned a lot about positive dog training as a much more effective and ethical training method. After learning more and questioning what Clever Canines philosophy was trying to convince us of, we feel really disappointed by and regretful of our experiences at clever canines. We were incredibly dedicated to the clever canines method for many months and it made Toast's reactivity worse and completely disrupted our ability to build our relationship with him because he had no trust in us (all we were told to do was leash corrections and mould his body into the behaviours we wanted - they even told us not to talk to him unless it is a command, which is just so hard on the dog and not necessary at all). They claim that their approach is research based, but large vet associations like the American Veterinarian Society of Animal Behaviour (AVSAB) have reviewed science based effective training methods and released statements, and according to these professional agencies, Clever Canines method is not supported by research, would be classed as aversive and is dangerous to the well-being of the dog. The methods we were taught with Clever Canines were a major factor in developing our dog's stranger reactivity; every time he saw a stranger we were told to make him sit and wait, which made strangers very stressful to him and it has taken us months of learning and implementing different positive methods to get to a place where toast is able to interact with people again. While it may not be so obvious in dogs that have different temperaments or early life experiences than our dog did, Clever Canine's training approach is still not the best way to train a dog because it doesn't provide the dog with an enriched and supported life. Their motto is "experience freedom", but really they care about the owner getting to experience freedom while the dog is forced to completely obey and shut down. Now that I've learned differently and left Clever Canines, I believe that ethical dog guardianship should be about providing the dog with freedom and agency in a healthy and safe way. I would recommend that people looking for support with their dogs (training, dayschool, etc.) should find a certified professional trainer (good certifications include Victoria Sitwell Academy, Karen Pryor Academy, etc.) and look at the Fear Free Pets website or Alberta Force Free Alliance website to find ethical dog professionals using their search functions. We've been able to find really great alternative resources in Calgary that follow ethical dog care and are run by certified professional dog trainers. Clever Canines is definitely not one of these places. Old Review (I no longer agree with my old thoughts on this company): Our vet recommended clever canines to us for our new border collie puppy to get a chance to socialize with other dogs at dayschool. It has been really amazing! They gave us a call part way through Toast's first day to let us know how he was doing, which we really appreciated! Toast absolutely loves dayschool and he is also very tired and satisfied at the end of the day because he gets to all sorts of play with other puppies and some training and even some agility! We have started pupstart and it is a game changer! The philosophy of their classes is amazing because it focuses on building a true relationship with your dog based on their psychology. It's not just training it's learning and confidence and leadership. My partner and I have learned so much in just the first two classes and now we honestly don't feel frustrated with him at all even if he is having some puppy behaviors because we UNDERSTAND why these things are happening and how we can be leaders for our little toast.

After a number of failed attempts, Clever Canines was able to help us walk our dog without pulling. As a large breed dog, walking without pulling is extremely important. I highly recommend.

Absolutely great experience! Instructors were very knowledgable and very helpful. I really enjoyed the how they not only explained what to do, they explained why. Things like how dogs learn, behave and react to us was very helpful. Highly recommend them to anyone.

10/10!!! My little guy Bodhi is always so excited when we arrive at Clever Canines for dayschool! I love that they enforce what they teach you in class, the have both indoor and outdoor space, have amazing hours and give you a little report at the end of the day! Bodhi absolutely loves the yard with the obstacles and just loves being able to play with so many friends! The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and the space is so clean! I would not hesitate at all to recommend Clever Canines for both dayschool and classes!

I first discovered Clever Canines over 10 years ago, after trying countless other training programs in Calgary. There is no other way to put it: the Core program was life-changing: my relationship with my dog transformed from one of complete exasperation (from his forceful pulling on leash, incessant jumping on people, and complete disinterest in my requests), to total freedom (relaxed walking, predictably calm behavior, and responsiveness to me … no matter the level of environmental distractions). My dog lived a wonderfully enriched life, thanks to the incredibly important learnings we received from Clever Canines! Fast forward to many years later, and many, many miles away with a new canine companion… In efforts to brush up on my memory of establishing a solid foundation with my pup, I sequentially tried FIVE different local training programs. Much to my dismay, I was simply not seeing the results that I knew could be possible. On a “wing and a prayer”, I reached back out to Clever Canines to see if I could get any support virtually, since I live so far away. Alas, they offer Core VIRTUALLY! I cannot say enough good things about Clever Canines “Core” (even the second time through). The trainers cover an enormous amount of exactly relevant content that is ALWAYS backed up with the “why.” The trainers are patient, comprehensive, and adaptive to their students. Even in the virtual class setting, the trainers provided actionable feedback to all participants. I was so thankful for the immersive experience that they can achieve on a virtual platform! Not only did my dog and I make absolutely amazing progress during the course of the class, but I’ve walked away with the tools to know how to troubleshoot any issues that arise in the future. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be reconnected to the awesome Clever Canines team, and I have the highest praise and strongest recommendation for them to anyone and everyone in the world.

We did their puppies class. After we started the classes our dog began to experience leash reactivity. (Probably didn’t help that they were training me to constantly jerk my dog back into position on walks). I brought this up on multiple occasions (phone call, email, even before class) and was reassured it would be addressed in class. It wasn’t. Each day I came back to the class I was getting more upset. He continued to get more anxious and uncomfortable with walks. Our pup already knew some basic commands with verbal and hand signals but they insisted on pulling on a martingale until the dog submits into a position. A lot of their training methods included creating discomfort for the animal. Physically forcing your dog into obedience. Training isn’t one-size-fits-all! I can see how this training may work for some dogs but it’s a little sad because you know the dogs are obeying only because they are trying to prevent discomfort. It’s a lot like learned helplessness. Class sizes are too big for trainers to support animals that are struggling. There were some activities that started to cause my dog to become over stimulated and none of the trainers supported us when this happened. At one point we were moved to an area away from the group, we received even less support when this happened. It was so much money down the drain but we dropped out and sought support elsewhere. When we missed a few classes they sent us an email, but by that time we were so frustrated and upset that we didn’t want to consult them any further. Our dog has done much better with Fear-free and positive training. I regret ever putting my puppy through that class, it definitely set us back. I still feel icky when I see those orange leashes.

Huge thank you and shout out to Clever Canines and the team of trainers we worked with during our Pupstart program. We would highly recommend Clever Canines Pupstart (and Day School) to anyone who has, or is thinking about getting a puppy. We are not first time dog owners, in fact have had dogs most of our lives, but taking Pupstart was definitely the best thing we could have done and very much worth the time, effort and cost. The training and guidance was top notch and very thorough. The trainers were always available to answer any questions and help you along the way. We always felt comfortable and safe and the genuine care for the puppies and for the families success is felt from everyone, from the owners to the trainers we worked with. I would like to specifically mention, Ashleigh, Alex and Liza. Not only are they amazing with all of the little four legged fur babies, they were absolutely incredible training us humans as well. The value for what you are getting in this course is unbeatable. We researched several dog training companies and I am so grateful we selected Clever Canines. We have also taken our pup to the day school at Clever Canines and it has been such a great enhancement to the training. Not only does he get so much puppy playtime when he is there he gets training from the team of trainers which reinforces what we are doing at home, and he comes home happy and tired! Thank you again to the team at Clever Canines!