About

DogsUnlimited was founded by Mark McConnell in 1994 with a simple belief: successful dog training begins with understanding the big picture.

 

Opening Day 1994 - Photo credit to Belleville Intelligencer

 

Over the years, many owners called for help with specific behaviour problems:

"My dog pulls on the leash."
"My dog won't come when called."
"My dog barks at everything."
"My dog is aggressive in some situations, but not others. Why?"

The factors influencing behaviour are found in the dog's personality, daily lifestyle, communication patterns, routine, environment, social experiences, exercise levels, training history, confidence, and relationship with the people in its life.
Understanding these factors before developing a plan became the foundation of the DogsUnlimited approach.

 

Obedient Dogs are not Born in an Obedience Class.

 

Many dog training programs rely on a single method and obedience commands to either mitigate an undesireable behaviour, or teach a specific task. Walking on leash, control off-leash, sitting, downing, and staying are all commands we hope our dogs will learn in order to overcome or avoid behaviour problems. In reality, listening and control are what people really want, but they do not come from commands alone.

 
DogsUnlimited begins with understanding patterns, sequences and habits.

Rather than applying the same training strategy to every dog, the focus is placed on understanding the individual dog, the owner, their relationship, and the environments in which they operate.

This philosophy eventually evolved into The Lifestyle Process™, a highly personalized approach that recognizes lasting behaviour change is achieved when recommendations fit naturally into everyday life.

 

Dog Training Is Dog Raising™

The most successful dogs are not simply trained during scheduled lessons.
They are raised through consistent communication, structure, guidance, and everyday experiences.

DogsUnlimited helps owners understand how those daily interactions influence behaviour and how small changes can create meaningful, lasting results.
Training is not something that happens for an hour each week. It happens every day through the relationship between the dog, the owner, and the environment they share.
Experience Matters

Since 1994, DogsUnlimited has helped dog owners address a wide range of training and behaviour challenges, including:

* Puppy Development
* Obedience Training
* Behaviour Modification
* Leash Pulling
* Recall Development
* Reactivity
* Resource Guarding
* Aggression Concerns
* Separation Anxiety
* Multi-Dog Household Issues
* Rescue Dog Integration and Training
* Newly Adopted Dogs
* General Behaviour Consultations

Services are provided through private in-home and real-world training sessions, personalized consultations, Dog Problems 911™, The Happy Bus™, and ongoing support designed to meet the needs of individual dogs and their owners.

 

The DogsUnlimited Philosophy

Every dog is an individual.
Behaviour is complex and evolving.
Understanding the goal comes before developing a solution.
Training strategies and equipment are tools, not solutions.
Success is based on dog owners becoming experts on their own dogs.
Lasting success comes through continuous assessment, adjustment, and communication.
The best trained dogs didn't know they were being trained.

More than 30 years later, DogsUnlimited remains committed to helping owners better understand their dogs, build stronger relationships, and develop practical solutions that create lasting results.