Meet Shawna Gower

My name is Shawna Gower and I am a certified positive reinforcement dog trainer. 

My Experience and Training:

• 2016 I graduated from the International Academy of Canine Trainers in Delta, BC.

• September of 2018 I graduated from a Fundamental Dog Trainer's Course through Tug Dog Coaching, Elverta, California.

• In 2019 I completed Dog First Aid with DogSafe Canine First Aid (thankfully I have not had to use it.)

• I spent countless hours volunteering for CAARE rescue in Vancouver, doing everything from transporting dogs, 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 BEAR! 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 from Surrey BC to Duncan on Vancouver Island,  I wanted a better life for myself and my 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 backyard 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!

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Early this Spring uncontrollable events took life on a right hand turn and changes/decisions needed to be made so as of July 2023,  I have made a huge leap and we moved to Atlantic Canada PEI. We (Sprocket, Slicks and myself) have made a long 5800km drive across this great country and are living in Wheatley River PEI. So far we have been so welcomed here and everyone I have met has been super helpful and friendly! I am so excited to be here.

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Of course we are getting our bearings and figuring out this great province. I am so exciting to servicing your dogs needs. 

 

My current dogs are Sprocket who is a 2.5 year old Black Lab he's my big love bug and Slicks who is also 2.5 years old PittBull/Shepherd Mix from a Manitoba Reserve. I have a blog about Slicks as she is a very special girl... you can read up on her if you are interested in learning about adopting a reactive dog. The first 10 months of her life were very tough, we work through her issues daily and she slowly progresses past her fears and she grows emotionally every day. Of course both the dogs are also getting used to all of this change-  we are acclimating to our new environment...

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My previous dogs who both past in 2021 were Bear he was an energetic:  11-year-old, chocolate Lab from a farm in Chilliwack. He was a big boy who was scared of most things, including slippery floors. And then there was Mr. Moto (whom I named the business after) he was a 9.5-year-old black Lab/pitbull cross rescue from the Chilliwack SPCA. He was my special, ridiculously friendly boy, who was called the "dog park greeter” back in Surrey because he has to see, meet and smell every person and dog in the park.

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I can’t imagine life without these amazing dogs. 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’d love to chat about how I can help you with your dog(s).