Meet the top dog
Carefree Hounds has a leg up on dog training in Vancouver, and beyond.
Founded and run by Sheelah, Carefree Hounds specializes in training puppies and their owners. Why? Because even though new puppy parents are in for a treat, they’re also in for a few surprises, too.
Sheelah is a puppy specialist who has worked in Canada and the US training puppies and their humans for more than eight years. Now back in Vancouver, she’s thrilled to be considered the go-to person for new puppy owners. When you start your puppy’s life with Sheelah, you’ll raise a confident and happy dog who can go anywhere and handle anything. You’ll find that dog training is a fun, rewarding experience. You’ll gain critical understanding of canine development and behaviour. You’ll foster clear communication and a successful relationship with your dog.
Starting early
Decades of experience have proven that the optimal training time for puppy socialization and basic training is before your pup is five months old. Starting early builds on your pup’s natural curiosity to learn. This makes it easier for you to teach your dog the basic skills they need to live harmoniously in a human’s world: to follow commands like sit or stay, walk agreeably on leash, feel comfortable with distractions, and to navigate new environments and special situations.
There are packs of dog trainers out there and most of them focus on trying to solve problem behaviours. But what if you could prevent problem behaviours before they develop? At Carefree Hounds I specialize in early puppy training so you can avoid having to fix problems later.
Choice
I believe in giving dogs a choice whenever feasible because it teaches them to think and helps them learn. Pups love to be busy so when you give them something to do, you can motivate them to make choices that align with your training goals. This may involve praise and affection, toys and/or treats. Through these training exercises, your pup learns trust and confidence. It also accelerates learning and creates a stronger bond between dog and owner.
Expertise & Flexibility
Raising a puppy can be frustrating and exhausting. Sheelah has worked with hundreds of puppies of all breeds, building a deep knowledge of their developmental stages, and how to help their humans navigate those. With science-based training programs to suit every lifestyle and schedule, Carefree Hounds makes it easy to find the training style that fits you, wherever you live. You might even get to take a shower in peace.
Dogs Can’t Speak English
Body and voice signals are the communication interface between you and your pup. The earlier you and your dog learn a shared language, the more benefits you’ll see. They’ll adapt quickly and easily, they will become socialized, and they’ll be set up for a happy life as a carefree hound. You’ll secure your home, your sanity and reach the goals for how your new best friend fits into your world.
Sheelah’s Dog Cred
Sheelah’s two dogs enjoy scent work like detection and tracking.
There is currently no licensing system for dog training—that means it’s important to ensure a trainer is well-educated, experienced and insured. Always check credentials. Sheelah is a proud member of the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (USA). Her certifications and education include:
BC SPCA AnimalKind accredited (2024)
Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) - 2016 to current
Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) - 2019
Certified Family Dog Mediator (CFDM) - 2021
Certified Fear Free Animal Trainer - July 2023
Dog Behavior Consulting Certificate Course (APDT USA) - August 2023
Canine Conditioning Fitness Coach - 2018
Member of Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers (CAPDT)
Member of Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT USA)
Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (FDSA) Lemonade Conference 2021, attendee
Fenzi Dog Sports Academy Lemonade Conference 2020, attendee
Association of Professional Dog Trainers Conference, Portland, Oregon, 2019, attendee
FDSA Webinar: Loose Leash Walking, Denise Fenzi, presenter
FDSA Webinar: Walking with Reactive Dogs, Amy Cook, presenter
FDSA Webinar: Adding a Second Dog to Your Home, Michael Shikashio, presenter
FDSA Webinar: Control Unleashed Pattern Games, Leslie McDevitt, presenter
FDSA Webinar: Understanding Dog-Dog Greetings, Jennifer Summerfield, presenter
Pet Professional Guild Summit, Orlando, Florida, 2018, attendee
Pet Professional Guild Summit, Orlando, Florida, 2017, attendee
More on Sheelah, Founder of Carefree Hounds
It started with years of volunteering at shelters and dog daycare, but once Sheelah became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, there was no stopping her. She refined her skills training puppies and guiding their humans. She started Carefree Hounds in 2019 and she continues to help those venturing into puppyville, and those battling canine separation anxiety. Her Rhodesian ridgeback Jabu, and mixed-breed dog Skye, keep her learning, growing and staying fit with various dog sports.
Sheelah, according to Sheelah
Never stop chasing that ball
I’m proud of my many certifications, ongoing training and expanding repertoire of skills. It’s critical to stay up to date with the latest discoveries, science and developments in canine behaviour so I continuously upgrade my education at conferences, and in professional courses. My next challenge will be to become a certified Fear Free Trainer.
It takes a village to make a loud howl
The human-dog connection reminds us that we need one another. That’s why I’m grateful for my colleagues: a network of trainers and pet professionals who help me help my clients find special resources or skills. I’m happy to refer them special cases, because they’re top dogs in their fields.
My story
I believe my varied global experiences, working with dogs in multiple countries, has helped me build a solid foundation as a dog trainer. I have travelled the far corners of the earth from South Africa, to Miami, to Hong Kong, to San Francisco and back again. I’ve volunteered at animal shelters and I’ve worked for the Humane Society, the SPCA, and the SmartyPup organization (Puppies! Puppies! Puppies!). I’ve also interned as a trainer with Applause Your Paws, where I logged hundreds of hours and became an official Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed .
So how then did I get involved in separation anxiety training?
To answer that, we’ll need to take a step back to the beginning of it all when I lived in South Africa and fell in love with my first dog, Ruby. It was Ruby who inspired my lifelong love for Rhodesian Ridgebacks, an imposing, strong and muscular breed of hound from Africa. And since then, I have adopted two more ridgebacks, Zulu and Jabu, into my family. With Zulu, I was able to grow my skills and knowledge as a dog trainer. But it was the adoption of Jabu that forced me to face the daunting challenge of dog separation anxiety. I was determined to help him through it and studied any information I could find on the subject. Over time Jabu’s separation anxiety improved but I was still like a dog with a bone, so I immersed myself in specialized training and eventually became a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer. It felt good to be able to give Jabu a more fulfilling life free from stress. And for anyone searching out help with dog separation anxiety, it’s Jabu you can thank for my mission to help your dog, too.
I also continued teaching classes, training one-on-one, and developing a specialization in puppies (tough job, I know, but someone’s got to do it!) My experience with SmartyPup in San Francisco helped me focus on socialization and training of puppies under five months old; although, I can also provide training for adolescent dogs up to one year old.
Now you know my story and the inspiration behind why Carefree Hounds is focused on puppy training and dog separation anxiety. My clients tell me they love my attention to detail and the support I give them. It turns out that I love working with dogs, and the people at the other end of the leash, too. Helping to forge that sacred human-dog bond is more rewarding than a bag of liver treats or a peanut butter Kong.
Now, I’m offering Vancouver puppy training and puppy socialization classes in Vancouver. Some of my classes are in-person but I have also found virtual training to be very effective. Today, I continue to see great success with both dogs and their humans.
We’re all in this together
You love dogs, I love dogs, we’re all in this dog-loving world together. Carefree Hounds is committed to diversity and inclusion, and I invite you to improve the bond between dogs and humans with me, regardless of your gender, religion, ethnicity, ability, culture and whoever else you love besides your dog.
As part of this inclusivity, I acknowledge that the lands on which I live and work are the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh people.
Don’t pause with those paws.
Call or text me at (604) 785-9179, complete my online form, or click the button below to email me and get the tennis ball rolling.