Dog Trainer and Pack Leader

My name is Shawna Gower and I am a certified dog trainer, having graduated in 2015 from the International Academy of Canine Trainers in Delta, BC. September of 2018 I continued my education in Dog Training and graduated from a Fundamental Trainer's Course through Tug Dog Coaching, Elverta, California. I have also spent countless hours volunteering for CAARE rescue in Vancouver, doing everything from transporting dogs to foster co-ordinating to training.

I’m passionate about dogs and have been since I was about 4 years old and my family got our first puppy named Peppy. Peppy was full of beans and always on the go somewhere, he was an awesome family dog and whom I would make sleep with me every night! I remember…When I came back to Canada from Grand Cayman in my early 30s, I wanted a dog so badly, but my landlord wouldn’t allow it, so the minute I bought my first townhouse, I got a dog! Dogs seem to love me and they’ve always tended to migrate to me—especially the rescue dogs. I’ve seen how the more work I put into the rescues, the better off they are. I believe that dogs live in the moment—forgiving easily and loving hard—and if everyone lived their lives this way, we would all be so much happier.

In July 2017, I moved to Duncan and am loving the Island life so far. I wanted a better life for myself and my three dogs, and to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was time for me to get out of shift work and the daily grind of commuting to a fast-paced, high-stress job. Plus, we were living in a small townhouse in Surrey, so my dogs had a very small back yard to play in, and we had long drives to get to half-decent hiking trails, only to have lots of people around and… well, you know what city life is like!

My dogs are energetic: Bear is 10 years old, a chocolate Lab from a farm in Chilliwack. He is a big boy who is scared of most things, including slippery floors. Moto (whom I named the business after) is 9 years old and a black Lab/pitbull cross rescue from the Chilliwack SPCA. He’s my special, ridiculously friendly boy, who is called the dog park “greeter” back in Surrey because he has to see, meet and smell every person and dog in the park. Then there is Shyla, a German shepherd mix from the North who is turning 7 this year. She is also a rescue dog, but with little information about where she came from, other than they believe she lost her mom, as the litter of pups were found alone. Shyla is what I call the trouble-maker! She likes to instigate most of the playtime with Moto (not that he minds), but she will steal his balls, lie on top of him, and nudge her bum in his face, all while acting innocent. Cheeky thing!

I can’t imagine life without these amazing creatures (even though Moto drives me crazy sometimes with his antics, including getting out of the yard). They provide me with so much joy and happiness, and I love the fact that I have been able to change my life and move to the greatest small town, where I get to hike and play with my best friends every day.

I am starting my business with Dog Walking and Dog Training services, but my dream is to have a big daycare centre that caters to shift and weekend workers. I know how tough it is when you work long hours and need help on weekends and stat holidays. I am hoping this dream will come true in the near future!

I’d love to chat about how I can help you with your dog(s).