Camellia Saunderson

Animals have always been an influential part of my life. As a child, I was more likely to be seen socializing with dogs than with people. As I grew, that natural connection strengthened. Today, owners that I consult with are often amazed at how well their fearful, reactive, or aggressive dogs take to me; this ability cannot easily be learned.

In 2010, I graduated from Saint Mary’s University, with a major in Psychology. Behavior has always been extremely interesting to me, and my studies help me connect with the human side of the leash.

In 2011, I got my first job in the dog industry, at a dog daycare, not long before acquiring my first dogs, Diesel and Buddy. In 2012 I opened Buddy’s Bully Rescue, specializing in pitbull type breeds, leading me to work with more difficult dogs. Later, I ended up with one with severe fear aggression toward humans and dogs, and after he bit multiple people and then caused one of my dogs to lose a leg, I knew he needed more help than I could offer.

In 2014 I was introduced to world renowned Master Trainer Duke Ferguson of Unleashed Potential K9. His trainer, Becky Herman, took my rescue for a board and train and returned him to me happy, confident, social and obedient. It was then that I realized that I wanted to become a dog trainer.

I spent the next number of months working at the city pound to get more hands-on experience with dogs of all kinds. It was during this time that I aquired my next rescue, Blitz. In 2014/2015 I studied under Duke Ferguson at the Unleashed Potential K9 Academy before setting off to open my own business, formerly known as Unleashed Potential K9 The Valley.

In 2017 I became a member of the International Association for Canine Professionals, and since then I have studied under numerous professionals in the industry, including Larry Krohn, Joel Silverman, Karen Laws, Tracey Franken, Ted Efthymiadis, Evan Doggett, Jay Jack, Erin Dibbin, Doug Teeft, April Saulnier, Jeff Gelman, and Tobias Gustavsson, as well as attended the annual IACP conference. In 2021, I obtained my Canine Emergency First Aid certificate through Maritime Dog Safety, and in 2023 I attended the Resiliency Rainbow seminar with The Behaviour Vets.

In 2023, 2 years after losing Blitz, I decided to foster as many dogs as it took to find the perfect one. I had a list, it was long, and it was high in expectations; my new dog had massive paws to fill. In walked Della, and after a few months of intense rehab and confidence building, she checked every box.

2024 left me heart broken with the sudden loss of Diesel, but it brought new life with the unexpected addition of Ouish(Wish), the softest, kindest, most gentle Rottweiler.

Today, I am the proud owner of Camellia’s Wild Dog Training, where we believe that it is just as important to train the owners as it is to train the dogs. While we do teach obedience, our focus is on the dog’s state of mind and getting the desired behaviors you are looking for.

Years of working with aggressive dogs has led me to take a hands-off approach to training. This means that I am a pro at training you to train your own dog, so while I am centrally located in Nova Scotia, you could train with me online and still get results.

Want to know more about Why I Became A Dog Trainer in the first place?
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