Brenda Goodbody, CPDT

Having grown up with cats, Brenda's dog training career took her completely by surprise! When she acquired her first dog, Jasper, a Miniature American Eskimo, at the age of 19, the concept of paws-itive training was not something she had been introduced to. Brenda unfortunately lost Jasper 20 months later, having to euthanize him due to aggression, but not before he could plant a seed in her heart that would inspire a passion for dogs. A few short months later, Brenda acquired Molly and Jessie, both Miniature American Eskimos as well. In those few short months between losing Jasper and acquiring Molly and Jessie, she was fortunate enough to hear about this 'new' training method that was taking the dog world by storm. It was called clicker training and for Brenda, it was love at first click! She had found a way to bring out fabulous behaviours in her puppies at very young ages, she had a great time working with them, and training was fun! Brenda's passion at the time was agility (and how she got into that is a story in itself - ask her some time!) and she titled Jasper, Molly, and Jessie in this sport very early in their competitive careers. Molly was also certified as a Therapy Dog for many years. Brenda went on to become an Advanced level agility judge for eight years with the Agility Association of Canada and an Excellent level agility judge for four years with the Canadian Ken nel Club. During this time, she also started teaching the sport of agility to other enthusiasts! As time went on, Brenda started immersing herself in learning about animal behaviour, how learning occurs, what is really the foundation for productive training, and anything else dog-related she could absorb! Today Brenda is the proud guardian of Brody and Jonah, both Pembroke Welsh Corgis, and enjoys training in competitive obedience, sheep herding, agility, flyball, and scent hurdle.

In addition to being the Franchise Operator of Pet Planet Daycare & Training Academy, Brenda is one of only a very few Certified Pet Dog Trainers in the province of Alberta (www.ccpdt.org). Brenda is a member of the Canadian Ken nel Club (CKC) and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). In her spare time she volunteers as a pet evaluator with the PALS Program and is also a licensed Canine Good Neighbour Evaluator with the CKC. Brenda is certified in Pet First Aid, and participates in ongoing training and development by attending numerous workshops each year presented by world-renowned speakers, behaviourists, veterinarians, and other experts in the fields of canine behaviour and ethology. Additionally, she is working on performance titles with Brody in the sports of agility, flyball, and scent hurdle. Although Jonah doesn't have any titles to prove it, he is highly skilled in couch-sleeping, cuddling, and being cute. Unfortunately, physical limitations mean Jonah cannot compete in dog sports at this time.

The focus of Brenda's classes is always on deepening the relationship between dog and guardian and ensuring that training is always paws-itive and fun for all six legs!