Dave McMahon

I always had dogs growing up as a child , I started training my own dog at the age of 9 at a local dog school close to my home. My mother would drive me to my dog obedience classes & I immediately became so incredibly interested in the entire experience of learning how to train my dog.I followed what I was taught in class and practised with my dog every day and passed the obedience test at the end of the course and earned my certificate. This was my biggest accomplishment as a child and not only did I love my dog but I also fell in love with dog training. My passion for dog training continued through my youth and by the age of 12 I knew I wanted to be a professional dog trainer when I grew up.When I was a teenager I worked part time after school at a veterinary clinic cleaning kennels and feeding animals & I really enjoyed the job.I also worked at a Humane Society scooping dog poop & cleaning kennels as a summer job , still a teenager at this time.I saved up enough money to buy a purebred Doberman Pincher with CKC registration papers & I began to compete with my dog in obedience trials and earn obedience titles with my dog.Dog training was my hobby and I couldn’t be any happier. I wanted to teach others how to train their dogs so I did a apprenticeship at a local kennel club to become an obedience instructor. I assisted with obedience classes and eventually learned to teach dog obedience classes on my own. I began offering private lessons in my backyard in my late teens & eventually started to teach group classes. It wasn’t before long that I rented a hall and begin teaching classes a few nights a week and on Saturdays. My thirst for further knowledge in dog training lead to me learning other aspects of dog training from experienced Trainers. I attended the University of Guelph to study canine behaviour & attended many seminars on a variety of dog training subjects. What started off as a childhood hobby grew into a lifelong passion for me.Follow your dreams ! ~ Dave McMahon.

We offer board & train programs for puppies & adult dogs. We specialize in obedience training for the family dog and behaviour modification & problem solving.We offer basic through advanced obedience training.We offer 1 to 4 week board and train programs in a home environment.We send you video clips on a daily basis showing your dogs progression in the training. Upon completion of the board and train we include 10 instructional lessons for the owner.If you’re interested you will need to set up an appointment so that we can evaluate your dog at the academy & have you fill out a questionnaire.We will give you a price for the board and train after we evaluate your dog.This appointment is referred to as a Meet & Greet , to set up an appointment call 289-687-0505. Web Site for Dave McMahon’s Dog Training Academy : www.davemcmahon.ca

We offer private lessons in specialized scent detection training for dogs at our academy. We train dogs to detect a variety of different substances and odours. Although every dog has an ability to use their nose to a certain degree there are specific qualities that we are looking for in a dog such as a high energy level , high ball drive or obsession for a toy i.e kong , a dog that is comfortable & confident in different surroundings , has great concentration and good focus , relentless to search for their toy , comfortable with different terrain & the dog should be in great physical condition & have a super sharp nose.This type of training provides great mental stimulation and physical exercise for your dog and most importantly your dog has FUN !! Prerequisite to commencing private scent detection lessons with us is that your dog pass an assessment at the dog academy , we need to do some tests to determine if your dog is cut out for this specialized type of training. For more information or to set up an appointment to have your dog assessed TEXT or CALL 289-687-0505.

I’ve been teaching people how to train their dogs for 35 years. It has been very rewarding for me to watch my students progress with their dogs.I’m getting so many students return years later with their second , third and fourth dog and I’m delighted to see second and third generation families return to me for training. I’ve found that in most cases all dogs are trainable when in the right hands with the right owners and the right training methods are being used & when the dog is in a good stable environment. I’ve learned that not every human student that comes to my dog academy is trainable , many students don’t practice their training and for some reason or another don’t follow what I teach them.I give my human students very specific homework assignments to practice with their dog EVERY DAY and I assure them that if they follow everything I teach them they will get great results with their dog.The qualities that an individual must possess in order to train their dog would be dedication & commitment to practising their dogs training EVERY DAY ! Lets not forget about patience and a great deal of EFFORT that the dog owner will have to put into the training in order to get results.It’s also important to use a variety of rewards and make training fun for the dog as well. In the early years of me training dog owners how to train their dogs I found it very disheartening and upsetting when some of my students weren’t putting the training practice into their dogs.I can tell when I look at the dog if the owner has practiced with their dog , some people think they can just attend class once a week and their dog will be trained.I want more than anything for every human student that attends my training classes to get amazing results from the training , I have come to except that not every student will practice with their dog between classes. I’ve learned that I have two types of students those who follow my instruction and practice with their dog every day and get great results & recommend me to their friends , family and coworkers.Then we have the other type of student that doesn’t practice with their dog and refuses to follow my instruction for whatever reason & may even drop out of class. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from coaching people on how to train their dogs is that not everyone is cut out for training their dog.Not everyone is going to be dedicated and committed to practising their dogs training on a daily basis and as a result of that their dog will be untrained.DOGS NEED TO BE PRACTICED IN THEIR TRAINING EVEY DAY ! Those good students of mine that follow my instruction and practice with their dogs every day between classes will tell you that it’s worth it , put the effort into training your dog every day and both you and your dog will be happy with the outcome. I’m still just as passionate now as I was when I first started my coaching career , I want everyone that comes to me to succeed with their dog ! ~ Dave McMahon. www.davemcmahon.ca

It has recently come to my attention that many dog owners are giving their dogs chicken with hot sauce on it , this is a current trend on TikTok. This is not good for dogs! I can’t believe how dumb and cruel some dog owners are ! Other DUMB things that many dog owners are doing include allowing their dog on their lap while driving in a car , not a good idea ! How about the dog owners that let their dogs run loose off leash to run up to your dogs while your dogs are leashed , absolutely clueless ! We can’t forget about the dog owners that like to tie their dogs up with training collars on & leave the dogs in the crate with their training collars on as well.So many dogs owners are still willing to roll the dice and visit a dog park with their dog , there are just way too many variables at the dog park so why gamble on your dogs physical and psychological well-being. Many dog owners enjoy carrying their toy breeds of dogs around in their arms as if their dog were a little bunny rabbit.Have you noticed how much dog poop there is on sidewalks , parks and outdoor areas , I think it’s one of the most disgusting things you can do as a dog owner to not pick up after your dog.An increasing amount of dog owners are purchasing harnesses for their large muscle breed dogs so that these dogs can tow them around on the walk , makes no sense.I could go on and on with this article but I’ve got to scoot now as I have to take my dog for a walk on leash and I will bring my poop bag with me. ~ Dave McMahon.

We can teach YOU how to resolve any problem that you’re having with your dog ! We can help you with any of the following problems: dog aggression , people aggression , shyness , anxiety , fear , phobias , reactive on a leash toward cars , joggers bicycles , skateboards , people walking by & oncoming coming dogs ect. We can teach YOU how to housebreak your dog and teach YOU how to resolve other behaviour problems such as biting , mouthing , nipping , chewing , digging , barking and destructive behaviour. We can help you with your under socialized dog , we can teach YOU how to build confidence in your dog. We can teach YOU how to work with your High Energy hyper dog. Contact us through our web site : www.davemcmahon.ca

I own a Chihuahua named Hannah Banana and I can assure you that little dogs need obedience training just as much as bigger dogs.So very often I have witnessed many dog owners pick up their SMALL DOGS and carry them around everywhere , I believe this is wrong , you should let the little dogs walk on their feet as Little dogs need exercise & proper socialization to different environments just like all sizes of dogs.The practice of carrying your little dog around in your arms means that this can result in a dog that doesn’t want to walk on a leash because he would be prefer to be picked up rather than walk;k on his feet while on a leash.Now there’s nothing wrong with picking up your little dog from time to time and you might even have to pick up the little rascal if the snow is too deep for him to walk in. Your goal should be for your little dog to be walking on the leash as often as possible.I can’t tell you how many times I have seen dog owners pick up their little dogs when they bark or growl at other dogs or strangers. Picking up a little dog when they bark or growl at dogs or people is not an effective solution for barking or growling.In our group obedience classes we teach proper effective humane solutions for when SMALL DOGS bark at dogs or people. It’s important to remember that little dogs need to learn proper manners and essential obedience commands just as much as larger dogs do.So many people that own little dogs think that their dog doesn’t need training , SMALL DOGS need to be trained to come when called on the first command as this will save their life and prevent them from being hit by a car.In our all – breed dog obedience classes the SMALL DOG enrolment has always been quite SMALL , the vast majority of dogs that attend our classes are medium to large size dogs.Many moons ago I put on a 10 week dog obedience course for SMALL DOGS , I learned that this was not ideal because in the real world SMALL DOGS are going to encounter medium to large size dogs on the street & at the veterinarians office and dog groomers and they need to know how to behave properly around dogs of the same SIZE and DOGS that are bigger than them.The way we are doing things these days at our dog academy is truly the best way , all breed dog obedience classes consisting of different size dogs and different breeds of dogs.SMALL DOGS need to learn to stand stay for nail trimming and brushing & bathing just as much as the medium to large size dogs need to know this.EVERYTHING we teach in our 10 week novice dog obedience course is useful and practical for SMALL DOGS. I’ve only mentioned a few things in this article that SMALL DOGS can learn by attending our obedience classes , it’s important to remember that your dog is not to SMALL to learn all of the curriculum that we have in our group obedience course at Dave McMahon’s Dog Training Academy. ~ Dave McMahon Web Site : www.davemcmahon.ca