who we are

relationship based training

Our training philosophy is centred on handler responsibility - it us up to us to provide a fulfilling lifestyle for our dogs, in order to create a strong foundation from which we can teach them the rules they need to be successful canine citizens.

Relationship based training means we always consider our dog’s needs and emotions, and recognize the influence we have on them. We take responsibility for treating them with respect, prioritizing having fun together, and understanding and advocating for them based on their individual needs.

As important as it is to fulfill our dog’s needs, we prioritize meeting our human needs as well. We emphasize seeking and receiving support for all the humans we work with, knowing that we all deserve to have a supportive community around us.

We don’t expect dogs to be robots, our goal is for our dogs to feel confident in being and expressing themselves, while safely and harmoniously moving through life together.

We have dogs because their companionship is one of the greatest joys in our lives.

Meet our team

Hanna Feuer

After graduating from McGill University, I decide to pursue my love of working with dogs instead of continuing an academic career. I was already interested in and had studied human psychology and behaviour, so it felt natural for me to pursue a career in dog behaviour. I learned to understand dogs mostly by living with rotating packs of dogs, spending every day observing and participating in their social life. I’ve also been fortunate to learn from a variety of talented and experienced trainers. From these experiences, I’ve been able to develop my own methods to successfully train and rehabilitate dogs, and most of all enjoy a thriving relationship with them. I created Mindful Dog Company as a way to share my methods and offer behaviour consulting, rehabilitation, and socialization support for my clients' dogs. I am passionate about dog rescue, and I currently work in partnership with local rescues including Bullies in Need, TEAM Dog Rescue, and Canine Haven.

Taro, Chocolate Lab

Taro is currently the most mature member of our pack at the age of 8 years old. This gentle creature is our go-to assistant whenever we work with puppies, or shy or fearful dogs. His ability to project calm energy and his sweet and friendly nature make him an invaluable asset to our rehabilitation team. Taro also helps with many reactive dogs - this peaceful lab will always keep his cool and never bark back or get tempermental with another dog. In his free time, Taro enjoys sniffing, peeing on stuff, a good roll in the snow or dip in a lake, and cuddles with his humans. And, food. As much food as possible.

Squish, American Bully

Our resident American Bully is the most alpha member of our pack. Squish’s confidence is one of our favourite things about him - he will walk into any room and immediately own it. At 5 years old, he is very playful and always happy to make new friends. He’s always up for a chance to run and chase or wrestle with the dogs we work with. He helps us with dogs not only by being their playmate, he’s also able to set a great example of confidence for them. Squish is definitely the most adventurous of our pack, and he loves nothing more than a chance to run, play, and explore on a new trail or just literally go anywhere. We love his outgoing nature and are proud of what a great representative he is for “bully breed” dogs.

Rogue, Bully MiX

Rogue came to our pack via Bullies In Need, an Ontario-based rescue for “bully breed” type dogs. Prior to joining our family, she lacked a lot of confidence in herself which was expressed through explosive, reactive behaviour. Rouge taught us the importance of making sure a dog’s individual needs are met before expecting good behaviour from them, as well as the power of socialization. This girl is a higher energy, higher-drive dog than most, which means she needs significant physical and mental outlets to thrive. Rouge now now lives life as a confident and social dog, and is building her confidence with us more and more as time passes. Rogue loves to play tug, quality time with her friends, and lots of cuddles and affection.

Bianca Low Kum

Bianca is our trainer in Oakville, where she lives with her Malamute mix, Spud. Bianca joined our company with a background as an Addictions Counsellor, and she is currently studying to become a Somatic Experiencing Facilitator. Along with her background and experience in counselling, she has a passion for coaching and supporting people that is second to none. Her skill and capacity to lend support to her human clients makes her an invaluable asset to our team. Additionally, she has a strong background in dog behaviour that dates back to working at a vet clinic in high school, and raising guide dog puppies when she was in University. She has studied under trainers including Rachel Allen of the Healing Pack in LA, and Nelson Hodges of the Canine Human Relationship Institute in Texas. Bianca’s passion is merging human emotional wellbeing with dog training, helping her clients build their emotional capacity as well as helping their dogs succeed.

Bianca offers private sessions for clients in the Oakville area, boarding, and human-only coaching virtually.

Cassandra Carroll

Cassandra is in charge of our Collingwood location, where she lives with her canine companions Rowan the Corgi and Koda the Texas Heeler. Cassandra brings more than just experience to the team, having worked with hundreds of dogs previously at a dog walking and daycare business. She is also highly intuitively skilled at knowing what each dog she works with needs. She is direct and honest in her coaching.

Currently, Cassandra offers on and off leash pack walks in the Collingwood area, 1-to-1 private sessions with owners, and private sessions with dogs (no owners present) to train leash skills as well as off-leash obedience with the e collar.

Mel Mcrae

Mel is our Obedience Specialist. She is located in Toronto, where she lives with her Cattle Dog/Rottweiler Mix, Roxie. Mel got into training after adopting Roxie, and quickly developed a passion for obedience training. Mel specializes in teaching reliable obedience to dogs, even those who struggle to focus around distractions. Her techniques combine clear marker systems, rewards, and fair pressure to create both motivation and reliability in obedience.

Mel currently teaches our Obedience Foundations Group Class, as well as our Advanced Obedience Group class in Midtown Toronto.

She also offers dog boarding.

Mere McIntyre

Mere is our trainer in Guelph, where she lives with her pack of 5: Kenny the chihuahua, Lola the papillon, Bug the Pomeranian, Hank the mixed breed, and Freya the sharpei. Mere has 10 years of experience running and managing a dog walking company, but has found that her true passion lies in dog training. Mere specializes in working with shy and reactive dogs, as well as dog socialization.

Beginning in the fall, Mere will be offering 2 group classes in the Guelph area: Confidence Building, and On-Leash Reactivity classes.

She also offers private sessions and boarding.

Haley Silbernagel

Haley is our trainer in Richmond Hill, where she lives with her Husky, Nova. Haley has an interest in dog sports and loves working with high energy breeds.

She offers private training walks and boarding.