Victoria

After a fulfilling career with the RCMP, I sought a change and found it in October 2012 when I adopted my first dog, a rescue Shepherd named Wally. This sparked my interest in dog training, and I immersed myself in learning  positive reinforcement methods.

In 2014, I started a group walk business, which grew quickly, leading to the creation of a private park on our acreage. That same year, we adopted Anna Banana, a rescue Pitbull/Collie, whose challenges as a reactive dog fueled my passion for supporting dogs with similar issues.

Having completed studies in Dog Training & Behavior Modification, and Michael Shikashio’s Aggression in Dogs master course, I am now pursuing a certification in Separation Anxiety and Trick training.

As the owner of Yes, Dog!, I lead a force-free, positive training approach alongside a dedicated team, striving to improve the lives of dogs and their owners.

Carla

From bed bug detection to birds, from narcotics to nose-work, Carla Simon has trained thousands of students worldwide since 1999.
She is a sought-after speaker who presented at the World Detector Dog Organization 2021 Conference and drew a sold-out crowd of more than 600 at UBC’s Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.
Carla is the owner of Hunter’s Heart Ltd., which breeds, trains, and deploys scent detection canines in Calgary, Alberta.
Carla Chairs the Working Dog Committee for the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and supports its Code of Ethics, including force-free, evidence-based learning.
She partners with Citadel Canine Society (Canada’s longest-running mission-specific PTSD service dog provider) to train medical service dogs for veterans, first responders, nurses, and 911 dispatchers. She has been a member of the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) for 23 consecutive years.

She served on the CKC Health and Genetics Committee and advised on the creation of national rules and scent judges’ accreditation as the Senior Provincial Representative for the Scent Detection Council. She is a peer reviewer, author, and supporting member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She trained teams for mantrailing and truffle detection for Power Dog Training Centre in Italy.

Carla was the Founder of Sniff Alberta, and judges scent detection for CKC, K9 ABC Games, and is a Certifying Official for UKC Nosework (the second largest kennel club in the world). She has conducted Behavior Assessments for the Calgary Humane Society, onboarding junior assessors. In her capacity as a Canine Good Neighbor Evaluator, she organized Alberta’s first CGN test and has evaluated therapy dog prospects, owner-trained service dog candidates, and pets at events such as Pet Expo.

Carla chaired the American Brittany Club’s Performance Committee (AKC) and was a Contributing Editor for the American Brittany Magazine. She was featured in the Pointing Dog Journal, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants Journal, and the Clean Run Online Learning Centre. Her learning materials have been adapted internationally and are used by several Search and Rescue groups.

Hunter’s Heart has trained detection trainers and handlers using diverse target odors, including law enforcement, human remains, bed bugs, birds, wildlife conservation, shed antlers, handler scent, narcotics, explosives, scent discrimination, lost items, tracking, trailing, truffles and pet dogs for scent detection and nosework competitions.

Carla currently trains in-person and online classes for scent detection, tracking, mantrailing, obedience and service dog training.

Visit our Scent Work page for more information on classes.

Sadie