Calgary dog trainers say public health restrictions unfairly target their business

Dog trainers feel left out of reopening Dog trainers say they don't understand why crowds can gather at Wal-Mart but they can only train one dog at a time. Bill Macfarlane reports.

CALGARY — A boom in new puppies with first-time dog owners has lead to big demand for training services — but current provincial health orders don’t allow for indoor classes.

Owners of some Calgary dog training businesses say the restrictions are applied unevenly.

“We’re only three blocks from Chinook Mall where over the course of the weekend there’s going to be 2,000 people,” says Joe Scorgie, owner of Clever Canines.

“Somehow 15 people in my building in a 4,000 square foot rooms is of greater concern to the health of Albertans.”

Scorgie says despite a built up demand for his services, revenue is down about 65 per cent.

Lauren Alexander, owner of Kayenna Training Academy, says it’s important to get not only early training, but the socialization that comes with a group class. Without it, problems can follow a dog through its entire life.

“The optimal time to get that puppy training done is 16 weeks and under,” she said.

“When puppies do get that you’re more able to set them up to be a bomb-proof dog and an ideal canine citizen.”

Health-care worker and first-time dog owner Melodie Totton says she understands the need for restrictions, but also says she’d be comfortable in an indoor group class with all the standard precautions.

“I didn’t know how to handle certain situations,” Totton says of her labradoodle puppy Gus. “I was pretty desperate to get in but I kept getting told, ‘it’s a delay, we can’t have groups.' You can line up in Walmart or any of those stores, and you could the whole time, but you couldn’t do these sorts of things.”

Under current restrictions, it appears indoor dog training will not be permitted until Stage 4 of the phased reopening.