"Soon after I brought Orion home, he terrorized my 3 cats, began showing signs of aggression, and literally destroyed my apartment. Despite 9 days of training and a boarding facility with a dog trainer, Orion's aggression only got worse. I felt like I had tried everything and was ready to give up.
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Luckily, I continued training, this time with someone who could see Orion in the home and how he interacts with me. After just 2 virtual training sessions with Rhiannon, I have already been given several tools to distract Orion and refocus him when he is scared or aggressive. I also can work on establishing
boundaries through various exercises she has shown me and instructed me though with the dog. Even being a full time student with a full time job I still have been able to do training sessions weekly due to scheduling flexibility. I am so so grateful for all of Rhiannon's help and encouragement. I look forward to our future sessions and seeing how much better me and Orion's relationship will be! Next step is getting him over his fear of the car. I'm excited to see how far he comes and hopefully one day have him jump in on his own free will :) thank you Rhiannon for all your help!"
Anna Claire, SC
About Canis Fidelis
I cried every day for a whole month when I first brought home my rescue Rottweiler, Klaus. It broke my heart how he was so afraid to go potty in my presence that he would hold himself until he was leaking. He chewed through multiple leashes and harnesses. I couldn't leave him alone for more than a few minutes - he was a master at crate escape and even broke out of my apartment and one of my car windows (no injuries, thankfully!). And I can't forget his outbursts towards other dogs. We could be a football field away and he'd be at the end of the leash pulling me almost off my feet. Due to my ignorance he even managed to bite another dog in the face; luckily he didn't seriously injure the other dog and the other dog owner was unusually cool about the whole thing. But it really rattled me how bad that situation could have been.
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All of that happened within one month of brining him home. I was at a breaking point. I felt I either needed to re-home him or do some serious research and work on training him. I decided he was stuck with me no matter what, so it was time to get to work. This is the origin story of Canis Fidelis.
Programs
All programs are done through private lessons so that you're sure to get my full attention.
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The biggest difference between programs is that the larger programs make sure you can trust your dog in more situations. You can choose how much your dog learns and how often we meet... The more your dog learns the more freedom you'll have with your dog, and the more I get to work with your dog the faster you'll get to where you want to be.
Larger programs also have more long-term support after the program ends to ensure your dog doesn't revert to unwanted behaviors.
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All programs are based on the latest proven training methods and take your and your dog's individual needs and lifestyle into account to give you the most effective results.​​
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All programs are results-based, meaning there's no hard time limit or number of lessons.​
Peace at home
This program is for you if:​
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You want a more peaceful at-home experience with your dog.
You might have already tried some training with your dog, but they still have selective hearing and only listen to you when they want to, not when you need them to. Wouldn’t it make your life so much more relaxed if your dog listened to the most important things exactly when you needed them to and also if they calmed down easier and faster?
This program is perfect for people and families who want their dog to listen to them consistently around the house and to calm down when they need them to. For example, we’ll teach your dog one of the commands people love the most - the awesome “place” command. We’ll teach your dog to go to a specific spot and not move until they’re told it’s okay to move, which will come in handy when you get a delivery or have guests come over.
With the "out" and "off" commands, you'll be saying goodbye to annoying begging in the kitchen and adios to not being able to get (or keep) your dog off the bed.
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Does your dog help themselves to the counters? We’ll make it a thing of the past with “leave it.”
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This program is typically completed in about 6 weeks and includes:
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1 to 2 weekly lessons in-home.
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exercises to ensure you and your dog have success around distractions at home.
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commands: sit, stay, come, place, down, off, out, leave it, and drop it.​
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skills: no jumping on people, no rushing out an open door.
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3 months of in-person support after the program ends, to make sure your dog doesn't slip on training.
Fun outdoors
This program is for you if:​
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You want a more peaceful at-home experience with your dog.
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You want better peace of mind on walks and in outdoor public spaces.
Does this sound like you right now? Your dog goes bonkers as soon as you pick up their harness or leash. Once you finally get them all suited up they’re off to the races through the front door. Then they pull you for what feels like miles and hours. And if they see another dog or person ... your blood pressure rises just thinking about it. It would really make taking your dog out for walks so much more enjoyable if they could just contain their excitement.
This program covers everything that the "Peace at home" program covers, but gives us extra time to work with your dog in the most exciting environments – on walks and in public outdoor spaces. We’ll work on loose leash walking and not to react excitedly to other people and dogs so that outings are enjoyable for everyone involved.
With the “wait,” “cross,” and “this way” commands, your dog will learn to wait at street intersections, cross with you when you say it’s okay, and change directions with you so your walks are calm and safe.
We’ll also introduce different types of activities for walking and enjoying outdoor spaces so that everyone is happy and fulfilled!
This program is typically completed in about 8 weeks and includes:
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1 to 2 weekly lessons in-home, on-walk, and in public.
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exercises to ensure you and your dog have success around distractions at home, on walks, and in outdoor public spaces.
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commands: sit, stay, come, place, wait, this way, down, off, out, leave it, and drop it.​
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skills: no jumping on people, no rushing out an open door, and loose-leash walking.
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5 months of in-person support after the program ends, to make sure your dog doesn't slip on training.
Best sidekick ever
This is the most popular program!
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If you're dreaming of a calm and enjoyable life with your dog in-home, on-walk, in any public space, at the vet, on trips, etc., this program is for you. This program is perfect for people and families who want their dog to calm down and listen consistently and reliably anywhere, even in high energy situations.
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The "Best sidekick ever" program comes with a few other awesome bonuses. You'll have the option for trainer-only lessons, to be even more flexible with your schedule while also speeding up the training process. Another speed benefit that additionally gives better results is that you get up to 3 full-day lessons where I devote my entire day just to your dog! You'll also have the peace of mind that should anything come up in the future, I've got you covered - this program comes with lifetime support. That means that if your dog lives to be 15 years old, you'll have me on call that whole time.
Side note: if your dog has some behaviors that are more challenging to overcome, like being afraid of people or not being peaceful around other dogs, then this program is perfect for you.
This program is typically completed in about 12 weeks and includes:
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1 to 2 weekly lessons at your house, on walks, or in public - wherever help is needed most.
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The same skills, commands, and behaviors from the "Fun outdoors" program, PLUS additional unlimited commands! Fun commands, convenient commands, automatic behaviors… whatever you can think of!
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BONUS: optional trainer-only sessions to be even more flexible with your schedule and save you time and effort while speeding up the training process.
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Another super convenient BONUS: up to 3 full-day sessions where I devote my entire day to only your dog for better and faster results.
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Lifetime in-person support after the program ends.
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How it works
Request a free consultation call
During this short call you can tell me a bit about your dog and the problems you're facing with them, and you can ask me any questions you might have - I'll have a few for you too. This call will help us get to know each other a bit better before committing to anything.
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Schedule an assessment - $80
Assessments are in-person home visits and last about an hour. We'll get to meet face-to-face, ask each other more questions, and I'll get to see your dog in action so we can decide if we'd be a good fit working together. We'll discuss different program options, and you'll receive a summary of the assessment via email afterwards. The summary can also be useful for consulting with vets, veterinary behaviorists, dog walkers, dog sitters, and can even help people in the household better understand how they feel about the situation.
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Enroll in a program
An assessment is required prior to starting a program. I have several programs that cover a range of things from jumping and leash pulling to more advanced obedience to fear and reactivity to health and wellness. Programs are results-based, meaning there isn't a hard limit on number of sessions or program duration. We'll cover all the details during our assessment, so you can choose the program that fits your preferences.
Testimonials
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My Story
My name is Rhiannon and I love helping people live happily and peacefully with their dogs.
When I decided to earn my PhD in Geophysics and become Dr. Rhiannon, I knew I loved research and solving problems. Geophysics was a natural progression from my Bachelor’s in Physics, and it was interesting enough. But as I continued developing my research and problem-solving skills and applying them to my own life, it became clear to me that I was significantly more passionate about solving other problems – particularly those involving my dogs. It has been deeply and profoundly rewarding to help my dogs overcome problems on the behavior side from severe separation anxiety and reactivity to problems on the wellness side, like constant skin yeast infections and allergies.
I understand firsthand how sad, frustrating, and expensive it can be to live with both troubled and ill dogs, and I would love for nothing more than to help you and your beloved pup overcome your challenges and live happy and healthy together.
My Dogs
These are the pups who taught (and continue to teach!) me much of what I needed to learn to be able to help others with their dogs.
