A sense of serenity is not what one would normally expect while walking a pack of dogs, but that’s the vibe if they are Canine Valley dogs.
It is a rainy Wednesday and Valley Calderoni, owner of the Canine Valley dog behaviour education centre, leads the four dogs down a trail in the Northyards near the centre.
While the canines all look different, they were chosen for this walk based on their character traits, Calderoni said.
“When we choose the dogs we are walking, we choose them in accordance with their issues,” she said, explaining when walking a little dog, it will be paired with calm and well-behaved bigger dogs so that both learn not to be afraid of the other.
“Everything we do has a reason.”
Calderoni bristles at the term “trainer,” preferring to be called a dog behaviourist because what she does isn’t about giving commands and a dog obeying. Instead, she is an expert in dog psychology and behaviour, which is about using the dog’s own personality to help them out.
“We are an education company. We educate dogs and we educate people,” she said.
Calderoni’s mission is to reduce the number of dogs in Squamish who have behaviour issues by holistically educating both people and pets.
“Our goal would be to provide an environment where people can relax; where they can come and learn about dogs,” she said.
At first, the centre focused on dealing with issues people were having with their dogs and, while they still deal with difficult cases, the focus is on prevention.
Patience is the most important trait for a dog behaviourist, according to Calderoni.
“A lot of patience,” she said with a laugh.
“Somebody who has the time to observe the dog and say, ‘OK, he lacks confidence. I am going to do this, this and this to bring his confidence up,’” she said, adding being a good dog behaviourist is time consuming.
Carl Merac is one of the staff who works with Calderoni. The pair met about two years ago through outreach the centre was doing with children from the Squamish Budo Society, which Merac founded.
He says many people mistakenly think of their pets as human.
“But these are a different species. They have different language, different psychology,” he said.
Owners also mistakenly reward dogs with affection when they display high emotions, when instead they should wait until their pet is calm to pat or reward them with affection so the animal learns that calmness is rewarded.
Calderoni added that dogs need stability and predictable routines to be safe.
“So they know when they are going to walk and eat,” she said.
She said picking the wrong type of dog for one’s lifestyle and needs can lead to issues.
“All animals are classified by energy levels,” she said. “So, for example, if I am a high-energy dog, I need a high-energy person.”
A lot of the time people and dogs are mismatched.
“They call me and have a dog that is doing somersaults in the house because he is super pent up and he can’t help himself because he requires a lot of stimulation.”
Canine Valley offers boot camps that enable dogs to get eight hours of activity per day.
Rambunctious puppies or dogs with aggression issues are examples of dogs that owners bring to Canine Valley, but the centre also welcomes dogs with no issues at all.
Two of the small dogs at the centre the day The Chief visited had been nipping at people, Calderoni explained. She motioned to Quicksilver, who she said is insecure, which leads him to lash out.
“So what we do is teach him that he doesn’t need to feel that way. We teach him other ways to interact with people.”
Currently, eight behaviour modification therapists work at the centre.
The centre can have up to 22 dogs on site per day.
Calderoni opened the centre about 15 years ago and has worked with around 10,000 dogs, she said.
The centre also offers programs for children and free pack walks for community members and does outreach with schools to teach the next generation how to live in harmony with dogs.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Calderoni said she did not have dogs as pets growing up, but she now has an extensive background in animal biology, behaviour, dog aggression and fearfulness.
Her professional career started 17 years ago when she successfully interrupted a fight between a Doberman and a cocker spaniel at a dog park.
“The lady who owned the Doberman was an influential person in West Vancouver. She asked me if I was a professional,” she said. “I told her I had the training, but I hadn’t worked.”
The woman hired Calderoni and, after that, word of mouth spread about her skills.
About 15 years ago, she moved to Squamish and established the behaviour education centre.
“And it grew from there,” she said.
Weighing in on a common hot button issue in Squamish – off leash dogs – Calderoni said respect is key. “I don’t think it is fair to have a dog charge a person who may not necessarily like dogs,” she said. “On roads, dogs should be on leash, but I think the trails are fair game… I think that people should be educated to have their dogs controlled even on a trail. You should have recall of your dog.”
She would like it to be a requirement for everyone who wants to own a dog to have a licence.
“They’d have to come, do some volunteer work, learn the basics about dogs and then read a book, pass a written test – just like a driver’s test – and then once they pass and get approved, they can get a dog.”
If an owner wanted a working dog, such as a pit bull, Rottweiler or German shepherd, he’d have to pass an extra test, Calderoni said.
“I don’t necessarily blame the breed, but I do blame the lack of education in our society,” she said.
“If you have a gun, you have to have a permit,” she added.
Soon, the centre is going to move into a new location, which Calderoni said she is excited about, but she can’t discuss details until it is finalized.
“It will be Canine Valley 2.0,” said Merac with a laugh.
