Episode 31: Why You and Your Dog will Love Having “Fun with Tricks”

Have you ever wanted to teach your dog great tricks like tilt their head, wave, spin, or to take a bow? Whether you're a seasoned trainer or a first-time pet parent, Fun with Tricks classes promise to bring a smile to your face as you teach your dog some impressive tricks and strengthen your bond at the same time!

In this Episode of the Muttz with Mannerz™ Canine Academy Podcast, host Corey McCusker is joined by Agility and Trick Trainer Nancy Brouillard to share with you all about Fun with Tricks and why it is a great activity to share with your pup!

In this episode, Corey and Nancy discuss:

• Introducing Nancy and her experience with trick training.
• What trick training is and why Nancy loves doing it with her own dogs.
• Some of the tricks Nancy has taught her dogs for roles they had in a tv series.
• You may have already taught your dog some tricks and not even realize it!
• What type of tricks a “Fun with Tricks” class will help you teach your dog.
• If an owner and a dog need to have certain skills before attending class.
• How you can use some of your dog’s natural behaviours to teach them a trick.
• Why trick training and agility are often recommended for reactive, anxious, or fearful dogs.
• The many benefits of doing trick training with your dog – including building your confidence to teach your dog as an owner!
• Howlong it can take to teach a dog a certain trick.
• Under what circumstances a dog may not be suitable for a trick training class.
• How trick training is like obedience training - you are teaching a skill and building your dog so it takes time and patience – but ultimately it’s all about fun!

Resources

To register for one of our upcoming Fun with Tricks classes visit https://muttzwithmannerz.com/classes.

Special Guest
Nancy Bouillard, Agility and Trick Trainer 

Nancy is a member of The Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers (CAPDT), the Agility Association of Canada (AAC), the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), Canine Performance Events (CPE), and Canine Hoopers of Canada (CHC).  She has volunteered with the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program since 2011 and is a Provincial Therapy Dog Evaluator Trainer and a Therapy Dog Evaluator in York Region.

Nancy lives in York Region with her husband and 3 Boston Terriers and is mom to two adult children.  She has been teaching young to not-so-young humans professionally for over 30 years and has decided to combine her passion for dog training with teaching in her semi-retirement.  As a life-long leaner, Nancy continues to upgrade her animal training skills and knowledge through courses and seminars both in person and online, including world-level competitive agility, leash reactivity, reactive dog handling, separation anxiety, Pet First Aid/CPR, and has attended many conferences including The Aggression in Dogs Conference 2023. 

Your Host

Corey McCusker, CPDT-KA Canine Coach

Corey’s passion for helping humans and dogs excel led her to take a leap of faith after 22 years working in the Financial Industry to leave her corporate job in 2006 and start two companies. Corey is a Coach at heart and works with business leaders and high-performance teams, but her true passion has always been canines. She now has created a career that supports both.

Corey founded Muttz with Mannerz in 2006. Her foundation of knowledge which includes being a Senior Manager, Dog Trainer, Vet Assistant, World Tour Lead, and Mental Performance Coach helped her to launch the Canine Academy. The purpose of the academy is to assist pet parents build the foundat