MEET THE TRAINER
I'm Felicia, the owner of Wild Adventures!
I've been working in the pet industry for over five years, with experience working in doggy daycares, offering walking and boarding services, training, and even pet retail. I grew up around pets, my mother being an animal lover and passed that love onto me.
While always having some sort of family pet, I didn't get my first dog on my own until about 5 years ago - when I got Luna. She was an easy, typical puppy and dog and it wasn't too long after that I thought I was ready to take on another. That's when Balto came into the picture. He was the complete opposite of Luna and was the biggest challenge for me! I worked hard to learn and research as much as I could about training so I could become the best owner I could be, and to improve our relationship. We had so many break throughs in training once our relationship improved and I became better at communicating with him. Now he is a great dog who I've been able to compete (and title!) in sports with, he's able to be off-leash and run around (even with livestock!), and he is who I owe my passion for training to.
After over 4 years of working with dogs and studying dog behaviour and training, I decided to put my knowledge to use and help others improve their relationship with their dog. Thats when Wild Adventures was created! I've always continued to work hard bettering myself and my services and trying to learn more and further my education when it comes to working with animals. Learning never stops!
Dog sports in general, and specifically agility and herding, have become a real passion of mine and I love working with owners who want to dabble in the sport world. Sports add a whole new level to your relationship with your dog, and I find most owners benefit from trying some sort of sport with their pup even just for fun. While I am not offering any sport-related classes, I am happy to guide and advise on classes and to attend and what sports may suit you and your dog!
I also own my own photography business, Wild Coyote Photography where I offer dog photography services. Learn more about that here.
Qualifications & Experience
Doggy Daycare Attendant 2+ years
Dog Walker 3+ years
Apprentice Trainer 1 year
Veterinary Medicine 1 year
Agility Classes (various) 3 years
Pat Stuart NePoPo Seminar, Boston MA, April 2019
The Canine Paradigm Seminar, Ottawa ON, September 2019
International Association of Canine Professionals Conference, Colorado Springs CO, September 2019
Jas Whiting Prime Canine Seminar, Ottawa ON, February 2020
Volunteer SDDA Trial, Ottawa ON 2019
Janet Lundy Starters Level Intro to International Handling Workshop, Ottawa ON, October 2020
Volunteer AAC Trial, Ottawa ON July 2021 & October 2021
McCann Agility Workshop, Clinton ON August 2021
International Association of Canine Professionals Conference, Jacksonville FL, 2022
AAC Regionals, Orilla ON, 2023
Sports Competed & Titles
CKC Canine Good Neighbour
GRC SR
Agility (AAC & UKI)
Barn Hunt (RATS! Canada & BHA)
Dock Diving (NADD & CWC)
Sledding
Herding
I currently have three dogs living with me, and the fourth retired with my parents - Luna, Balto, Cove and the newest edition, Eerie. I have trained all myself, and they compete in a variety of sports. All have their own quirky personalities - read more about them below!
MY PACK
BALTO
CGN MBRH MBAR DN DS RATI RATN
Not too long after getting Luna, I decided I wanted another dog that was a bit more of a challenge. I knew a couple huskies from the dog daycare where I was working, and decided it was a breed I wanted. Well, be careful what you wish for - he has been quite the challenge! He has taught me so much and made me a better owner and handler. After overcoming health issues, anxiety, separation anxiety, and overall 'husky problems', he's turned out to be a great dog. Our relationship has never been better, and we are both happier for it! We live on a farm with horses, chickens and goats, where he is off-leash 100% of the time when outside. He is a testament that huskies don't have poorly behaved, and just need training, clarity and a good relationship with their person.
Balto has titles and competes in Dock Diving (PB 18'8") and Barn Hunt. He loves Lure, and running around 'hunting' on off leash walks. We are currently training for sledding, and have dropped into the LaRose club a few times to learn more about the sport.
EERIE
As my passion for herding grew, I knew I wanted a working bred border collie for my next dog - which is how I got Eerie! After lots of research and lots of waiting, I found a breeder who met my standards and gave me the perfect puppy.
Herding has been our main focus, but we have also worked on some agility foundations and she is showing a lot of promise in both venues.
COVE
CGN DS ADC SGDC SSB
I've always loved and admired Border Collies, and it was no question that they were the breed for me. Cove has been an absolute dream to raise, and is everything I wanted. She has a temperament to die for, and is stunning to boot! She is neutral with dogs and people, so she makes a great demo dog when needed.
Cove has trialed in both AAC and UKI and earned titles and placements in both venues. At her first AAC Regionals event, she qualified for Nationals and placed 27th out of 60 dogs. She's a loud but fast dog and I love being her partner in crime in agility.
We also dabble in Dock Diving (PB 19') and Disc, but herding is out other main focus. We have been training for about 2 years, but have really made it a priority recently. Her accomplishments in herding are:
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1st place Novice Novice, Bill Orr Memorial Stock Dog Trial 2023, Virginia USA
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3rd place Novice Novice 2, Handy Dog Trial, St. Agatha ON
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6th place Novice Novice 1, Handy Dog Trial, St. Agatha ON
This girl is down for anything, has traveled across the USA and within Ontario with me and never batted an eye. I'm very lucky she's all mine!