Cheryl Smith, Director/Owner & Canine Behaviour Specialist

Author of "Biting, Barking, Lunging, Growling" (retraining an anxious fearful dog without intimidation)

Charter member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and has spoken at their conferences in Memphis; Houston; St. Louis; Chicago and Portland (OR)

Conducted highly acclaimed workshops and seminars in Canada and the USA and Japan since 1994: LA, San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Richmond VA, Washington DC, San Diego, Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Moncton, Pickering, Kingston, Kemptville, Ottawa, Toronto, Port Hope, Sudbury, Barrie and Thunder Bay

Recognized as an expert witness by Canadian courts in areas of dog aggression

Member of an international committee sponsored by the American Humane Society and the Delta Society to establish ethics and professional standards for dog trainers

Member of the Board of Directors of RDOG (Responsible Dog Owners of Canada; TPOC (Therapeutic Paws of Canada

Acclaimed and quoted as being "One of the Top Trainers" by Dr. Ian Dunbar, currently owns and operates Urika Dog Behaviour Consultants and Forever Friends Dog Training School in Ontario

Currently shares her home in Kemptville with her Chihuahua, Chica, two German Shepherds, Callida and Drago and five cats, Laylah, Sundancer, Moonshadow, Clyde Spiritwalker and Mr. Doodad

Jessica O'Neill, Behaviour Consultant

Jessica O’Neill has been working as a professional Animal Behaviour Consultant for 3 years, and is no stranger to the Pet Care Industry. Recognized as an expert witness for the Provincial Court System, Jessica has boarded, fostered, bred, owned and worked with many different types of animals throughout her life. She worked along side Cheryl Smith as an apprentice for over 2 years, and previous to that completed an intensive 3 year theoretical online behaviour and training study program with the Companion Animal Science Institute. Jessica lives with her Potbelly Pig (Abby-Pig), and her four dogs Taz (Boston Terrier), Lyco (Boston Mix) and Nessy (Pug) & Benito (Chihuahua Mix). She has two human children, boys ages 7 and 9. Jessica provides behaviour & training boarding in her home.
She has been enlisted as an expert on CBC radio/online, Reader's Digest, CFRA radio, Canadian Living Magazine, The Ottawa Citizen, Dogs in Canada Magazine, Ferret World Magazine & others.
She also writes regularly for her local paper (EMC Record News) on pet behaviour.
Jessica has worked as an Instructor for Forever Friends Apprenticeship Program & their Service Animal Training Programs.
Check out her website: www.petbehaviour.net

Finola Pitcher, Senior Instructor

Finola began studying canine behaviour in 2003, mentoring with Cheryl Smith, owner of Forever Friends Dog Training Centre in Ottawa, and has worked with hundreds of dogs and their owners. Finola’s knowledge of canine obedience and learning theory manage and resolve common behavioural problems such as barking, jumping up, digging, mouthing and pulling on leash.
Finola has also studied a broad range of experts in the canine field, such as Dr. Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, Dr. Pamela Reid, Pia Silvani and Turid Rugas, and keeps current by attending seminars yearly and reading contemporary articles on dog and animal behaviour.
Finola’s approach is based on Dr Ian Dunbar’s lure-reward method and positive reinforcement techniques. She employs these techniques with compassionate but firm rules, limits and restrictions to help the dog learn appropriate behaviours for human society. Drawing on her experience and observation skills, Finola focuses on rewarding voluntary behaviours, and interrupting and redirecting inappropriate behaviours. Throughout her training, Finola works on calming and de-arousing dogs so they are able to think and learn, and not to react or become stressed.
Finola believes strongly in responsible dog ownership, and promotes this as the Coordinator of the Canadian Canine Good Citizen (CCGC) Certification Program, managed through RDOC (Responsible Dog Owners of Canada). Certification by the CCGC program signifies that the owner has taken the time and effort to provide their dog with basic good manners.
Finola is enthusiastically dedicated to the well being of all canines, and devotes much of her time to numerous causes and charities on behalf of our canine friends. Finola promotes, volunteers, and fosters dogs for local rescue organizations including Collie Rescue, Aussie Rescue and Bullies In Need. Over the past 3 years, Finola has fostered a dozen dogs, mindfully working with each dog to reinforce great behaviours for each of the new adoptive families.
Finola lives in Ottawa with her dedicated companion, Soda.

Meghan Scott, Senior Instructor

Meghan Scott apprenticed as an instructor with Forever Friends a year and a half and has now been instructing Basic and Puppy Family Pet Training classes for two years. Meghan is well immersed in dog rescue, and regularly fosters dogs in need. Clients have found Meghan to be a friendly and informative teacher.

Jamie Thompson, Senior Instructor

Throughout my childhood I have lived in a multiple dog households. Of course that's not including the cats, rabbits, birds, fish and reptiles.

Outside the animal world I have some great learning experiences. For six and a half years I was a medic in the Army Reserve. Presently I am an Automotive Technician at Turpin Pontiac Buick GMC.

When I was first seriously looking for my first dog in early 2002 I started researching dog breeds, training techniques, and dog behaviour. Thanks to Calvin and my questioning of him about our canine friends I found myself discovering Forever Friends and Cheryl Smith to help guide me through the training techniques, learning theories, and everything else I didn't know to learn about earlier.

Hope to see you in class!

Sharon Hobson, Agility Instructor

Sharon Hobson has been teaching agility since 2001. She had discovered the sport a year earlier when looking for something to do with her 18-month old rescued yellow Lab, Shiloh, that would help them bond. Agility opened up a whole new world to both of them. Not only did they bond closely, but they traveled around Ontario together, competing in different trials and meeting all sorts of kind and wonderful people who shared their love of the sport.

Shiloh was not an easy dog to do agility with – he was a social butterfly, often going off to visit other dogs and people instead of running a course! – but he taught Sharon that the joy of agility lies in achieving those perfect moments on a course when handler and dog are in perfect harmony and work together as one.

They attended workshops and clinics together to improve their proficiency and deal with the various issues that cropped up in learning how to communicate effectively while running around a complex course of jumps, tunnels and contact obstacles. Shiloh died in 2009 but he lives on in Sharon’s lessons because there is almost nothing that a dog can do in her agility classes that Shiloh hasn’t done! All the issues he presented over the years provided Sharon with the motivation to find a way to deal with them.

But most of all, he left a legacy of pure joy in the sport. Nothing makes Sharon happier than seeing students use their bodies to communicate with their dogs and succeed at something that had previously seemed impossible, giving them that “perfect moment”.

Sharon lives in Fitzroy Harbour with her husband, Jim, and their three horses, three dogs, and three cats. She does agility with her German Shepherd-Rottie cross, Tambo, and is about to introduce her new puppy, Sabra (also a GSD-Rottie cross), to the joy of agility.

Heather Laundry, Useful Trick Instructor

Heatheris a keen trainer having worked through the dog trainers program with the Karen Pryor Academy . Heather currently volunteers time to the Therapeutic Paws of Canada as the organization’s Secretary. She also provides support to the Australian Shepherd Placement Helpline rescue as a foster home with home visits, giving new owners a hand or doing transports. She has two Australian Shepherds who dabble in a number of sports, most recently taking up skijoring. Her most recent foster is a deaf Australian Shepherd whose life with Heather has further enhanced Heather’s training skill providing even greater awareness of the use of body language and effective reinforcement to communicate and build desired behaviors. Heather is a strong believer in expanding and refining skill and understanding and getting out there to have fun learning with and for your dogs. Heather has attended a number of seminars including topic specific seminars/classes by Cheryl Smith (aggression), Chris Bach (the Third way), Dr. Chris Zink (Peak Performance), and Connie Cleveland (Dogs are Problem Solvers), Don Hanson (Bach Flowers), Dian McTaggart (TTouch), Kim Cooper (Tracking). Canine Athletica (Balls, Boards and Balance), TAGTeach (Primary Certification) and Responsible Dog Owners of Canada (Walks 'N' Wags Pet First Aid course). Heather has attended multiday, multipresenter seminars hosted by IPDTA, CCPDT, Clickerexpo and the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine.
Heather is a graduate of the University of Waterloo ( B.Math) and Algonquin College with a certificate in Project Management. Heather’s non-doggy life is working in the information technology field.

Brad Martin, Instructor

I am a 29 year old mixed breed, Canadian-British, male. I spent six and a half years serving in the regular army (school of obedience… ha ha) as a mechanized infantry soldier and now plan to become a member of the RCMP. I hope to serve on an ERT team (emergency response team… a.k.a. SWAT) and of course on a K-9 patrol unit!

I have been a dog training apprentice since 2003. During which time I have learned techniques for training in obedience, Schutzhund, and protection work. In my spare time I have spent countless hours reading and learning as much as I can about canine behavior and the art that is dog training. Wanting to take my learning beyond personal interest, I enrolled in the ABC Basic Obedience Instructor Course, late in 2004. This course is based entirely on positive reinforcement training techniques and I am officially scheduled for completion in the coming months. Currently I am under the tutelage of Cheryl and Calvin and could not be more pleased with the effectiveness of the techniques which I am learning from them!!

Within my family, my position as pack-leader is consistently being challenged by my companion, Ruby; a female “Heinz 57”. Her mother is a Rottweiler-Shepherd mix and her father is a Bull-Mastiff. Ruby, the runt of her litter, is now just a bit over two and half years of age. We have been together since she was eight weeks old and although her stubbornness is comparable to my own, she has given me loyalty, fond memories, fun times, and love…

Brad is currently serving with our troops in Afghanistan and we look forward to his safe return to his family and new son.