Off a country road, in the heart of a forest of mature trees, you might catch a glimpse of a 4-legged figure or hear barking. If you continue down the wooded drive that leads to Guides Canins, youâll come upon a 13,000-square-foot building dedicated to dogs. Out back, more than 75 acres of land are set aside and equipped for all sorts of training. The person in charge of this remarkable establishment is truly a committed Pawsie!
Responding to demand
The year was 1991. Julie Sansregret, a freshly graduated animal-health technician, was working at a clinic for small animals and horses. While fielding recurring questions about dog training, she realized that her own education was incomplete and decided to sign up for further training. Inspired by her teacher, who quickly became her mentor, Julie resolved to make a difference in the lives of both dogs and people.
âI started out by helping people select their dogâmaking the right match,â she explains. âI helped provide the right tools for new owners who werenât 100% ready to have a dog.â She also taught a few classes at the clinic on house training and mouthing. But as the puppies grew older, her clients wanted to carry on training. Because the demand kept growing, Julie decided to diversify her services and left the clinic to dedicate herself full-time to teaching classes. She bought the land in Saint-Lazare and had the training arena custom-designed and built. Julie Sansregretâs mission was to promote better communication and understanding between dogs and people, and help them be happy together.
Becoming better citizens
At Guides Canins, you can sign up for group or private classes, workshops (occasional classes for people who donât want to commit to a complete session) as well as guided practices (for dog owners seeking inspiration or who might have a hard time practising outside a group setting). You can also take part in outingsâdescribed as group âhappeningsââby bike, on foot and even on skis. Outings are open to all: free for people taking classes and $5 for all others.
Signing up for a session of training classes is the best way to get acquainted with Guides Caninsâafter all, their mission is to improve the human-dog relationship. Aside from classes and the 7 parks (3 fenced-in and 4 devoted to agility training and Frisbee), Guides Canins provides boarding and grooming services. You can sign up for 6 months or 1 year, but the establishment is open to all: non-members can practise harness sports on 5 km of walking trails for $5 a day per dog.
Midwife for canines
As if she isnât busy enough, Sansregret also breeds a small number of Vizslas. Counting on her teamâs support, and with her specialized veterinarian on call, sheâs helped deliver her bitch Ivieâs 3 litters.
Leading her merry pack of dogs, this accomplished woman continues to make room in her agenda for an expanding range of new projects. Weâre curious to see what the future still has in store for Julie Sansregret.
To find out more, visit guidescanins.com.
Photo credits: Personal collection
Thumbnail: Julieâs first Vizsla litter, born on September 1, 2015. At right: mom. At left: dad. In between: the entire litter, aged 14 months
Cover: Julie and Kiva during a training session
Photo 1 Kiva in action
Photo 2 Julie and Kiva competing
Photo 3 : Julie Sansregret helping Ivie deliver her litter in 2018; Julieâs holding a 1-minute-old puppy.