Pack Mentality Socializes And Trains The Dogs Of Fredericton
FREDERICTON— Zoe Hunter is starting a different kind of dog pack in Fredericton.
She is the owner of Pack Mentality, a dog training business that set up shop on Hanwell Road last March. There she offers classes like puppy socialization, trick training, and confident K9s. She also offers private canine training.
Hunter asks, “How can I help you help your dog?”
Hunter didn’t grow up dreaming of working with dogs, but when she got her Australian Shepherd Shepie that changed.
“Seeing the world through his eyes completely changed my perspective on animals and perspective on life,” said Hunter. “How an innocent dog sees the world and how you can help that dog navigate the world successfully so that they feel safe.”
She began by seeking out opportunities for him and kept on learning. She started by setting up training through her website and kept growing from there.
“I decided during the middle of a pandemic that I would go for it,” said Hunter.
She describes this as both exhilarating and terrifying. Hunter said that some passersby who don’t own a dog of their own will drop in to say hello and congratulate Hunter on her business.
“People really love to support local,” said Hunter. “That came really front and center when the pandemic started.”
When it came time to start filling her own shelves, Hunter chose to stick with products close to home.
“Last summer I started carrying a couple of treats,” said Hunter. “Local Canadian brands, brands that really stood out.”
Her website now offers a large variety of toys and treats. In addition to other brands, Hunter sells her own handmade snufflemats and tug toys. To use a snufflemat, the owner puts kibble at the base of the mat and the dog uses their nose to dig it out.
“They’re a really awesome item and great for crate training,” said Hunter. “Also good for having a positive activity to do if the dog is fearful, for example in the car.”
She said that physical and mental stimulation is something that dogs need every single day and people often underestimate that need.
One of Hunter’s go-to physical activities with her own dogs is running. A few years ago when she heard about a group of owners and dogs running together in Fredericton she decided to give it a try. Her dog Shepie can get nervous around other dogs and new people so Hunter took extra treats to the run and made an escape plan just in case.
“We start running and he just falls in line behind all the other dogs,” said Hunter. “He was loving life.”
Hunter was overjoyed to see him doing so well. The man leading the run said that it was his pack mentality kicking in. The run is one of Zoe’s favourite memories with her dog and even inspired a name for her business.
“And that’s how I see training with dogs,” said Zoe. “It’s understanding each other and building trust in your relationship.”
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Rachel Smith is a summer intern for Huddle. Send her story suggestions: [email protected].