[althe]

I’d appreciate 1) any recommendations for Montreal area dog trainers or, 2) what to look for in choosing a trainer or, 3) if you have had any experiences with professional trainers that you can share.

My dog was adopted 18 months ago from a local “for profit” kill shelter. She was about 1.5 years old when adopted and her past was unknown; so she’s about 3 years old now. She had numerous serious health issues that have taken us all this time to deal with, this is the main reason we didn’t start formal training/obedience earlier. I don’t have a lot of dog experience, but my guess is that she was abandoned as a puppy and was never socialized: it took about 3 months before she would even acknowledge us; she doesn’t know how to play; she’s never shown any interest in interaction with other dogs. And her prey drive is off the charts...

Belle has a dominant personality. She’s a very calm dog, she’s never shown any signs of aggression (except towards critters), but she’s very dominant, alpha, very independent. It has taken me the past 18 months to teach her that she can’t touch my cat, but she still often presents what I think is anxiety and stress if she can’t “control the situation”, in other words, if she can’t “go after the cat” or go after the squirrels she fixates on through the window. She’ll whine and pace and it all makes for an extremely stressful environment for the entire household. And tiring her out by running is not possible because she has mild patellar luxation and recently had surgery for a paw problem (that she had before adoption).

I need the help of a professional and I do want someone with a lot of experience. Thanks to everyone for your help.

This is Belle ignoring me, and this is Belle fixating on a squirrel in a tree.