Ann is a knowledgeable, compassionate trainer. She has helped me work through some complex issues with my puppy.
As a first time border collie guardian, I’m not sure how I would have started my Rodeo on the path to success without Ann’s expert guidance. I recommend Ann to anyone starting out with a puppy or improving their relationship with an adult dog. Thank you, Ann Gunderson! You’re a miracle worker! Hillary Bray _________________________________________________
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Ann Gunderson is an exceptional canine and human educator. My sheltie Ro came out of the second canine fear period terrified of noise and his future as my agility partner was looking grim. Ann taught us nosework games, mark training and how to play with each other; all aimed at boosting his confidence. She did this in steps, making it clear where we were going and why and she answered all my questions during the process in between our meetings. Ann taught me to notice how Ro was feeling and when I was asking too much of him. She gave me pep talks when progress appeared to falter. Four months ago we went to a trial and Ro could not even enter the ring. Ann had prepared me for this and I knew what to do. But not for long: I am happy to report that Ro and I are now a successful agility team. She has transformed Ro into a happy dog that enjoys what we do together which is what it is all about! Thank you so much, Ann. Darlene Sugiyama __________________________________________________ 
I've been lucky enough to have Ann as both an agility coach and a nosework instructor over the past ten years. Her love and devotion to dogs is evident in her approach to supporting canines and their humans in the development of successful partnerships. Among many of Ann's strengths is her ability to come up with unique solutions to complex challenges, always prioritizing safety and care of the dog. My own dogs have benefited from Ann's understanding of canine behaviour, helping me to better understand their needs to ultimately make me a better dog mom to two happy dogs. Kelly, Jasper and Ollie. (pictured with his Agility Dog of Canada ribbons)
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I greatly appreciate Ann for the path that she guided me and my fearful and reactive GSD when we first attended her Nosework Classes. I could see how compassionate and understanding she was to the emotional well-being of our companion dogs. She was a wonderful communicator in her delivery of structured exercises according to each individual level/need of both her K9 and human students. She provided me with a strong foundation and the tools to sharpen my observation of my dog and her body language which flowed over from learning Nosework with Ann, to our everyday life. To this day, my dogs and I have been given the best gift of a deep abiding bond in our relationship that all began when we first met Ann Gunderson. Sheila, Genne and Mac
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Ann is a compassionate trainer who considers not only the dog but the person/people attached to the dog. She was instrumental in helping my very reactive dog, Screech, and I participate in nose work classes and to actually go in to trials. Ann was not only considerate of Screech and my needs in order to participate in this sport, but also considerate of other participants and their dogs. This allowed Screech to just be a dog and do something he loved. It also gave him the opportunity to understand that he didn’t have to worry about dogs close by. Screech passed away 5 years ago but I will always be grateful for the gift that Ann gave Screech. Leila Kullar
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What makes Ann such a great teacher is her deep understanding of both dog and human behaviour. Through Ann’s teaching I learned how my behaviour influenced my dog both negatively and positively. Ann taught me how to get the best from my dog and I am forever grateful to her for helping me become a better partner with him. Ann’s coaching was instrumental in our obtaining our agility championship when I had previously thought we would not accomplish that goal. If you are looking at improving the quality of your interactions, teamwork or connection with your dog whether in competition or just day to day living Ann will be able to guide you. She’s the best. (pictured, the fabulous Scouty, BC cross RIP) Sue Porter _________________________________________________ 
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One of dog training's great talents has moved to the Parksville/Nanaimo area! Ann is a skilled, champion dog handler, with that elusive background in pedagogy and learning theory that is vital to being able to share her knowledge with her human clients. She is such a warm and kind person, and that is reflected in her positive approach. My giant, adolescent, rescue dog struggles with reactivity and hyper arousal, but she quickly fell in love with Ann and finds her much more fun to play with than me. Ann assessed her as over-excited and missing a few developmental stages, so we were able to feel successful a lot quicker than in the other courses I took, which are more for fearful or aggressive dogs. It made a big difference to have the right assessment of the problem. Ann got us working comfortably within about 5 feet of new dogs in just 4 lessons; previously we were only comfortable to stay about 20 feet away. There were a lot of lightbulb moments and takeaways (if the dog is happy and pulling towards the other dog, that's when it's ok to decrease distance; the environment is more fun than you right now, get higher value treats; etc.). I go to a lot of different dog trainers on purpose, to help get my dog used to novel people, so I know that Ann is one of the best. We will be back if future issues arise, but are very happy with our success and the ongoing ways that Ann has offered to support us. I think we've graduated from what I thought would be a much longer and more difficult journey, thanks to Ann. Grace and Sadie ( Red Irish Setter/Poodle) |