We’re excited to announce that we’re now offering the following training services at Urban Bark!

 

Private Sessions: To address your dog’s general obedience and manners in and out of the house. Private sessions can also address behavioural problems like reactivity or counter-surfing.

 

Socialization Sessions: Is your pup having some trouble getting along with it’s friends? Our socialization sessions can help get your dog comfortable in doggy daycare and playing nicely with their puppy pals.

 

Grooming Desensitization Sessions: For dogs who are sensitive to being touched, grooming desensitization sessions can help them get comfortable with the grooming and bathing process so they can be their cutest self, stress-free.

 

Contact us now to learn more about our training programs!

 

Training Philosophy

 

At Urban Bark we follow a balanced training philosophy, meaning we use a variety of tools and methods to achieve your training goals and accommodate your dog’s specific needs. No two dogs are the same, so there is no one size fits all approach to training! We emphasize the use of play, confidence building, and handler engagement to help your dog thrive and address any problem behaviours. 

 

Meet the Trainer

 

Sophie started working with dogs in 2018, while working as a teacher abroad in Cairo, Egypt. Fascinated by the street dog population in Cairo and the complicated coexistence between humans and dogs in the city, she began spending her time volunteering at dog rescues. At the same time, she adopted her own German Shepherd puppy, Luka. At around 1 year old, Luka started displaying severe aggression towards humans and reactivity towards dogs. What started as journey to solve Luka’s behavioural issues and provide him with a fulfilling and free life turned into a passion for dog psychology and training that prompted her to pursue a career in dog training. 

 

After returning to Canada, Sophie spent her time providing walking and training services to her local community and volunteering with dogs at the Toronto Humane Society. With a background in education and a passion for continuous learning, she is constantly striving to improve her skillset through courses and seminars in the field of training. She has also apprenticed under the prestigious K9 Academy in Toronto, and is an advocate for the role of play and confidence building in training. 

 

Since joining the Urban Bark team, she hopes to empower clients and their owners to live their safest and happiest lives as a team. Having gone through the experience of rehabilitating her own difficult dog, she knows more than anyone the joy that comes from solidifying your relationship with your dog and finding solutions that enrich your lives together, and wants to bring that experience to as many owners as possible.