Control Unleashed Group Classes
with Samantha DeJong B.Sc, CCUI, CTB.ccs, IPDTA-CDT (Puppy Power)
Serving Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and Surrounding Areas
Ask for a FREE pdf to help troubleshoot specific behaviour problems while you wait for your class
Serving Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and Surrounding Areas
Ask for a FREE pdf to help troubleshoot specific behaviour problems while you wait for your class
“We are going down an exciting path, as a community, toward a future where all kinds of animals in all types of situations will be given the tools to be the director of their own show. As more and more research on animal cognition is done, we will finally be able to prove what most of us already know — animals have feelings, their own internal life, and their own opinions”
Leslie McDevitt (quoted from her 3rd book: Control Unleashed, Reactive to Relaxed)
The Control Unleashed Program can be best described as conversational training: It creates a dialogue where the dog and handler give each other feedback rather than just cue & response training. It empowers the learner by letting the dog direct its own counter-conditioning - the dog gets to tell you when it’s ready to take the next step in its training!
Our in-person classes include plenty of socialization and play time which is critical to a dog's overall confidence, well being and temperament, and online classes include the option to sign up for ongoing socialization classes to keep up on those important social skills. Scroll down for all your class options and book now!
Benefits of the Control Unleashed Program
- A more confident dog who learns to offer calm behaviour as its default behaviour to get what it wants
- A better understanding of your dog’s motivations, how it thinks & learns and how environmental cues can become context cues to offer desirable behaviours
- Prevention of unwanted behaviours
- How to understand the function of unwanted behaviours and teach the dog to offer preferable behaviours to have their needs met
- Effective, benevolent leadership – not dominance
- An incredible human/canine bond
- A deep understanding of canine communication and how to apply it to real life situations
- Powerful pattern games that you can take out into the real world so your dog can learn about distractions and triggers from the safety of a predictable pattern
- A unique combination of virtual and hands-on training
- Ongoing support via email, phone and behaviour handouts
- Training Manual (PDF) for our original Life Lessons program
- Access to our YouTube playlist for video demonstrations of our most up-to-date techniques
- One of the most experienced, qualified, recommended and vet referred trainers in Ontario
- Top shelf customer service
Control Unleashed - the Puppy Program
All the basics: sit, down, stay, leave it, loose-leash walking and recall - all taught the CU way!
In this class we’ll teach you the difference between cued vs offered behaviour, what default behaviour is and why you need it, and how to motivate your dog to want to work with you. We’ll teach you how we get dogs to choose to “leave it” without always having to say “leave it” and lots of self-control exercises so you can help your dog be as calm and confident as it can be. Currently being offered only via ZOOM with optional socialization class add-on for pups under 16 weeks. All in-person classes are outside - weather permitting. Dress accordingly. Four weeks of one hour classes. PAY BY EMAIL MONEY TRANSFER AND SAVE $10 - SEE BELOW |
$199+ HST You will be contacted by email for your class preferences Payment due upon registration. |
Control Unleashed - the Building Blocks
We’ll teach you the basic building block behaviours of Leslie McDevitt’s CU Program. These critical behaviours are important for life skills, coping skills, and feeling comfortable in the world. Together these building block behaviours create a functional system of communication between the dog and the handler so you can empower the learner and build a lasting relationship with your dog based on trust and mutual respect.
You’ll learn how to get your dog to take a breath (biofeedback training), default behaviour, the offswitch game, reorienting to handler, matwork, the Look at That Game and get an introduction to start-buttons using the chin-rest behaviour. You’ll also get an introduction to Leslie McDevitt’s Pattern Games and we’ll discuss how they provide a predictable framework for the dog to make counter-conditioning easier. Because these are virtual classes they are available to dogs of any age as well as reactive or fearful dogs. 6 Weeks x 1 hour, virtual only. |
$250 + HST You will be contacted by email for your class preferences Payment due upon registration. |
Control Unleashed - The Power of the Pattern
Pattern games provide a rule structure for the dog that is predictable, safe, and easy to transport so we can use them anywhere to help the dog feel more secure and feel a sense of control in new environments.
This class expands on the Patterns introduced in the Building Blocks class. You’ll learn variations of 1-2-3 walking, the chair game, Superbowls and Requested Approach Training, which introduces a start button into our counterconditioning games as well as using that start button to do Voluntary Sharing. You’ll also get to learn Leslie’s newest technique LATTE, which introduces enrichment and promotes more decompression for the dog. This class will be offered in-person and outdoors only. Weather permitted. Dress accordingly. A private consultation will be required for reactive dogs to join this class and reactive dogs will be given a private option for offleash play as an alternative to the social class add-on. 4 weeks x 1 hour - some dogs may only be able to handle 45 minutes and as such no new material will be introduced in the last 15 minutes. |
$275 + HST You will be contacted by email for your class preferences Payment due upon registration. |
Payment Options
- PayPal (includes all major credit card options)
- Pay by Email Money Transfer and Save $10.00 - It's quick and easy! See the bottom of this page for instructions.
- Other payment options; Cash or Cheque
Email Money Transfer Instructions
To send an Interac Email Money Transfer:
1. Log in to your bank's online banking site
2. Locate Transfer or Payment menu options
3. Select the Interac Email Money Transfer service
4. Specify a recipient by entering his/her email address
5. Fill in the information (dollar amount, from which account, security question and optional personal message)
Send transfer to puppypowerdogtraining@gmail.com
6. Follow prompts to complete
7. Don't forget to e-mail Sam with your password
1. Log in to your bank's online banking site
2. Locate Transfer or Payment menu options
3. Select the Interac Email Money Transfer service
4. Specify a recipient by entering his/her email address
5. Fill in the information (dollar amount, from which account, security question and optional personal message)
Send transfer to puppypowerdogtraining@gmail.com
6. Follow prompts to complete
7. Don't forget to e-mail Sam with your password
- Amount for Control Unleashed: the Puppy Program $199 - 10 = 189 + HST = $213.57
- Amount for Control Unleashed: the Building Blocks Program $250 - 10 = 240 + HST = $271.20