I recently sat down with your favourite cognitive dog trainer, Kendra, to ask her a few questions so that we can all get to know her a little better. One of Kendra’s best qualities is her openness and honesty, so if you have already met Kendra, you probably already know her pretty well.
Another great quality she possesses, however, is an endless depth to her inner workings and that translates to many interesting layers of thoughtful musings, interesting facts and so much more. Because she is always learning, Kendra will always have new things to say and knowledge to share.
Did You Know?
That Kendra’s favourite colour is pink? She grew up loving pink as a child but moved on to appreciating green more as she matured. Recently, she has come full circle in love with pink once again! The nostalgic colour reminds her of childhood innocence—happy, bright, playful and carefree.
That Kendra’s favourite time of day is between 5 am and 6 am? She loves when she gets up and it is still dark and everyone in the house is asleep. It is a quiet time for Kendra when she gets a chance to be by herself and reflect. Then, of course, she gets to share that time with her two dogs—Sken:nenand Ren—when the morning is still in a “wild” state. She loves hearing coyotes howling in the darkness, the glowing of her dogs’ eyes, the extra crisp fresh air and the feeling that the whole world belongs to her or her to it.
That winter is her favourite season? For most of her life, Kendra loved Fall but in recent years, she has come to adore winter—the crisp air, the crunching underfoot, the beautiful, clean and fresh snow all around. The outdoors provides even more freedom in winter as fewer people go outside and Kendra just loves the silence created by those big snowflakes where all you can hear is your own breathing.
That her favourite dog training activity, when forced to pick one, is Fitness and Conditioning? Fitness touches on parkour and canicross which she also loves and it is enriching both mentally and physically for the dog while building injury prevention and longevity of life. As a bonus, Kendra loves that she can work out at the same time!
That Kendra really cannot picture herself doing any other job? She is, however, very interested in one day living up North and working with sled dogs and she also dreams of working with wolves. Kendra keeps an eye open for volunteer work and internships to work with wolves and prepares and educates herself for this eventuality that would be a dream come true.
The Making of a Dog Whisperer
Q: When did your passion for dogs and dog training start and where do you think it came from?
Kendra: “I think as a kid I had an affinity for all animals. I was always saving strays and buying ‘wolf magazines’ from the corner store. I always had a particular interest in and innate connection to canines. I grew up with dogs and cats and felt more myself and more comfortable in their presence. As I got older, I got into horse riding and that involved so much training and discipline. Then I trained others and I loved the horse world but some of the training I really believed in was frowned upon at that time in that world—positive reinforcement. Recognizing the horses’ feelings was not the norm at the time and I was criticized for being too emotional and sensitive. At the time when I stumbled into dog training, new science had emerged and the timing worked out as my philosophies matched with the dog training science. When I started working with dogs, I felt right away that I was with ‘my people.’ Things came innately to me that people were learning at the time, things I intuitively did were being taught. When I was getting certified, I was already practicing the techniques I needed to learn, but now I knew the names of those practices. So I kind of did it backward, I practiced from instinct and got results and then learned what the skills I used were called so I could teach them to others—deconstructing what I naturally did and then learning what was going on in a behavioural sense. And that was over a decade ago and now I have grown at recognizing dogs as individuals and bonding with them and their people. I love every minute of what I do with dogs.”
Q: Which people and what events helped you get to where you are today as a successful business owner and trainer?
Kendra: “Lots of people helped me get where I am today, most notably my community and their support. Ricardo Dorez, for example, is a client of ten years and he single-handedly spread word of mouth about what I was doing and is a very big supporter and good friend. Many people have since been amazing at recommending and supporting me. I have met the most wonderful people, I could name hundreds of people who have touched my life and encouraged me, trusted me and supported me to help them with their pets. There was a lot of doubt on the path to get where I got. I spent many nights questioning myself. I think it’s good to question and challenge yourself, good to always educate yourself, improve, take classes and get certifications, but at the end of the day, you just do it because it is what you love. I am someone who is equally motivated by people’s doubt as I am by their support because I like proving people wrong. It is a tough business but it is energizing and refueling and completes me as a person.”
Q: How many years of work, training and certifications did it take?
Kendra: “I have studied animals my whole life in some capacity. I trained dogs with natural ability and completed years of training in just months. I have done many years more since and it is an ongoing process so I will never be done. I have been constantly learning all the time since I started 10 years ago. Hundreds of hours of seminars, books, videos and working with my dogs, and practicing with other dogs before getting that first basic certification. Now I am at higher-level training as a cognitive and behavioral consultant. I know my limitations too and know when to recommend a behaviour specialist. I know how to only offer what works for my skills and knowledge and type of training and passion rather than always teaching what is popular. I am happy to recommend a place in those instances too.”
A few of her favourite certifications and seminars; CPDT-KA, certified professional dog trainer, 2012, Clicker Expo 2013, seminars with Dr.Sophia Young 2012, Canine Life and Social Skills Evaluator through APDT 2013, Dr Ian Dunbar Growl Class workshop 2020, Canine Conditioning Fitness Coach diploma 2020, IDPKA Parkour Instructors course 2021 and member of APDT, and IAABC over the years and OFSS
Q: You have a unique and innate bond with animals—especially dogs—that the dogs and other people can sense that also makes you uniquely qualified even underneath all your training and certifications. What do you accredit this gift to? Do you think it is a spiritual bond?
Kendra: “I do not know how to put it into words, it is a feeling like you said. Something I don’t feel anywhere else. Spiritual feels like the right word. When I look at dogs, everything clicks into place for me—makes sense to me.”
Q: What would you say are the 3 top qualities needed to run a successful business?
Kendra:
“1. Determination/grit.
2. Be genuine/yourself/authentic. It took a long time to realize that I did not need to be perfect. I needed to be me and people really respect and appreciate that I am imperfect and make mistakes and that I share my mistakes with them and show them this journey does not need to be perfect to be a success.
3. Love what you do!”
Q: What would you say are the 3 top qualities needed to be a successful dog trainer?
Kendra: “The same answer but add empathy and compassion for the dogs and for their parents. I tend to easily have empathy for dogs because they are innocent but the people can also be hurting and struggling and I needed to learn that I needed to understand the feelings of the person with the dog too. I needed to put myself in their shoes and see their point of view which also helps them understand my point of view otherwise I can’t teach them anything.”
How It’s Going
Q: What is your work-life balance? What animal would you use to describe it?
Kendra: “It is ridiculously hard to balance life and work, it happens without much process, I just get it done. When it is your own place, you live and dream work. You respond to messages from 5 am to 9 pm nearly every day. It is a 24/7 job but it doesn’t feel that way most days because I get to do what I love all day long. I have to remind myself though that since it is draining, I need to try to take a day ‘off’ a week where I at least do less. There are times when I feel like I have nothing to give my kids which feels bad but they see me work and work for me and have the amazing opportunity to be learning so much and we spend time together at work. They even come up with things I don’t always notice and share their knowledge with me. Quality time with my own rescue dogs is important too and they do integrate well into my day to day because they come to demos and classes and walks. When I do find time to be indoors cooking dinner with family, those moments are precious and therefore even more valuable. I guess the work-life balance I am describing is that of a squirrel—always on the go and always doing something. Squirrels are always preparing and working with a mischievous, witty and cheeky side. Maybe one day I’ll be a cooler animal lol.”
Q: How do you stave off burnout while raising two kids and running a business?
Kendra: “Self-care: I am not good at it but have to make time for it. And boundaries. Saying ‘no’ sometimes, asserting myself to carve out my time, and doing what I want with my free time instead of a million projects for other people in my downtime otherwise I will drown. I love going on trails with my family and being inside in sweatpants and being cozy reading and watching movies.”
Q: How do you handle mistakes and problems as they arise now compared to when you first started out?
Kendra: “I think now, even though I am a sensitive person, I handle things better because even though I take things to heart, I am better now at putting feelings aside and seeing the problem with the rational brain and removing more of the emotional side. I am more professional when facing problems but still face them with the care and concern I will always have. I will always want to own up to my mistakes and fix them and never want to hurt anybody or their dogs in their journeys. Mistakes I have made have been mostly administrative not training-related—time management, double-booking, that kind of thing. I always make it up with an offer because my clients are so important to me.”
Q: What makes you laugh at yourself at your job?
Kendra: “Everything LOL. I am dorky and 100% myself—no filter. I do voiceovers for dogs based on what I think they would sound like as humans. I am not coordinated, I trip over my own two feet. I laugh at myself and at moments a lot because you get dirty, covered in poop and covered in drool but life is short and I love all of that and we are out there building friendships, joking about our dogs and about ourselves and bonding. I really am dorky...and dogs like that. They are majestic one second but dorky the next second too because they love life and they do not take anything too seriously...except maybe their food—which, so do I, so I get them!”
Q: Is there anything that makes you lose your patience? Like maybe a dog training myth that you keep encountering?
Kendra: “There are a few and there is sort of some rising frustration because you feel bad for the dog that their pet-parent learned this misinformation and you have to prove there are better ways. But that is my job to show these different ways that are more positive.
The first myth is: ‘Dogs need you to be alpha.’ I think my biggest goal as a dog trainer and as a lover and guardian of animals is to improve the lives of the animals I work with and of their pet parents, so one of the most important things I try to convey is that dogs DO have feelings. They do not need you to be the alpha—they do not need to be put in their place—they need you to understand them and help them feel good and learn. They need you to know that their behaviours are reflections of their emotions. They may be overwhelmed, stressed, fearful, anxious, over-stimulated, over-excited, over-aroused and need understanding. It shouldn't first be a question of how to stop the behaviour but of how to understand why the behaviour is happening and then what you would like to see happen instead—how do you help your dog feel confident enough in himself, in you and in the environment to accomplish that? Positive reinforcement is amazing, but unless we have an understanding that dogs do indeed feel, we will not see the results we are hoping for.”
The second myth is: ‘I don’t have to reinforce that behaviour.’ Some think that they do not need to reinforce their dogs for walking as the walk should be the reinforcement. At the end of the day, you’re training your dog to walk like people do rather than what is natural to them. People walk from point A to point B in a linear way. Dogs do not naturally do that. They zig-zag, roll around, dig, run around and see the world differently. That is enjoyable for them. When we put them on a leash, we take away choices and take away what makes them dogs which means making them work and I don’t know about you but I don’t work for free. Instead of using choke collars etc., putting the work in to reinforce good behaviour will lead to dogs enjoying linear walks with you. I recommend starting reinforcement with healthy treats or toys and then as your dog and you evolve you can start using environmental reinforcement, like offering your dog a nice sniff break after offering a wanted behaviour. They will also still need off-leash play where it is allowed and safe to have fun. Decompression walks are important too with long leashes.
Another myth is: ‘My dog has to listen to me because I said so.’ I just feel like, in what universe does someone listen to someone else because someone said so? They are sentient beings with emotions and they need to be taught by someone with education and knowledge and be rewarded for their efforts. It is better for them to listen when they want to rather than have to. They respond much faster to positive reinforcement training than any other training.
Another myth is: ‘When a dog is peeing in the house, the dog should be grabbed by scruff and dragged in the crate.’ The dog peeing in the house is a human error, not your pet trying to plot against you. They are just being dogs. It could be a health reason, anxiety, too young or not enough training. Sometimes I have to take risks with some pet parents who might lose hope despite doing things wrong. I have to bring home the message of how to train the dog otherwise there can be a strong possibility that dogs will end up in shelters and then things are really bad for those dogs when the problem is not even the dog. People need to understand the psychology of dogs and behaviour and then train accordingly. If we stop viewing the dog’s behaviours as actions against us and see ourselves as a team with our dog against issues then we can figure anything out and fix anything! REINFORCE! I know it is hard to find time, but work can be done around busy schedules when you have a community helping you and working together.
Another issue is: I find it sad when dogs with reactivity issues (often based on fear) are only brought to one lesson and no work is put in. Then, they show up 8 months later because the dog bites and it is an emergency situation that has become much more difficult to repair and could have rather been avoided 8 months ago with regular training.”
Q: What are you most proud of in your work?
Kendra: “I am the proudest that my clients are my friends as well and that I have a community that I love. They help the most on the most difficult days.”
Kendra’s Tips
Q: What is the best advice you would give to someone who just adopted a dog and is thinking about training?
Kendra: “If you’ve adopted a puppy, I would send them a puppy management sheet and let them know about free resources such as Dunbar’s book which is free online and covers both before and after you get a puppy. It is important to read because it sets you up to be successful. It is very traumatic for a puppy who just moved out from mama and nursemaid so it is important to remember that the puppy is having a hard time, not just you. It is good to lay next to the puppy’s crate or bed and set them up for success with positivity. Everything should be positive, it won’t help to get mad about accidents at first because they don’t know those rules yet or understand. Ideally, look for a positive trainer, build your community and put proper socialization at the forefront of what you do. Continuous training is important but does not necessarily need to be with a trainer. You need to keep your dog safe and you need to educate yourself. Grow your world and theirs and make sure you love your trainer. Training should be enjoyable, not inconvenient. You need to want to keep going back. And remember that you are not done after puppy training; training and learning are for life. Find the training classes that interest you and your dog most and pursue what works for you and your dog.”
Q: What are some products you think no dog parent should go without?
Kendra:
“Every dog parent should have a good H harness that fits their dog well (I recommend the blue-9 Balance harness).
A good H harness gives freedom of movement—of natural movement, no hindering and it does not constrict the windpipe. It is versatile and especially great while the dog is learning.
Paw Balm—I make my own:
2 oz. olive
2 oz. coconut oil
1 oz. shea butter
4 tsp. beeswax
Heat in a small pot or double boiler, low heat until melted, stir well and cool on jars or tins
Musher Secret is another brand that I love that is good and I use it all winter for my dog’s feet.
Treats/toys your dog loves for reinforcement are a necessity.
Every dog parent should own a few good Kongs, black Kongs for extreme chewers, and appropriately sized
A longline for safe and positive recall training
High visibility vest for trail and walks in the dark, for both dog and pet guardian
Puzzles, lick mats, snuffle mats or other (homemade or bought) for enrichment
Sprayshield, to protect yourself and your dog from threats, like loose dogs. It will not harm anyone but it is a great deterrent so you can leave safely.”
Pockets are great but so are treat pouches, fannypacks and my favourite are canicross belts with pouches. Perfect for treats, poop bags, phone and sprayshield.
Q: What do you think is the absolute number 1 most important quality to be a good pet parent?
Kendra: “I want to say compassion (love) but I think I will say education. Of course, that needs to be paired with love, because it is not easy to train and some days will be hard so love helps a lot but education is the most key.”
Don’t forget to followZENFULdog Training on Facebook where you can stay connected to your like-minded dog-loving community every day. Also, a very special “Thank You!” goes out to Kendra for providing so much of the content for this feature.
This was so beautiful.