CAPDT Blog & Updates
Why CAPDT’s New Professional Pathways Are Good News for Trainers
If you’ve spent years building your knowledge, helping dogs and their families, and growing the profession through ethical, humane training, you may be wondering what CAPDT’s new National Curriculum Standard and professional pathways mean for you. The short answer? Good things. These initiatives are not about starting over. They’re about
A Day in the Life of a Service Dog: Supporting Work and Well-Being
When people think about service dogs, they often picture a highly trained dog accompanying their handler through daily life. While that image is certainly accurate, it only tells part of the story. A service dog (also called an assistance dog in some countries) is a specially trained dog that performs
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly about Dog Parks
By Sylvia Koczerzuk There are lot of good and bad perceptions about dog parks. This article is intended as an educational source to address some of the most common myths and perceptions about dog parks as well as to highlight their positive aspects. I have visited many dog parks throughout the
Annual General Meeting 2026
Our Annual General Meeting brought together 76 attendees from across the country for an evening filled with updates, progress, and excitement for the future of CAPDT. Members received a comprehensive recap of the work accomplished over the past year, including updates to the complaint process based directly on feedback shared
The CVMA Supports Developing a National Certifying Body
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has taken a strong and clear position on dog training in Canada. They support the development of a national certifying body to establish consistent standards for dog trainers—standards based on humane, evidence-based, reward-based methods. Source Why is this important? Currently in Canada, anyone can
Member Feature: Kelly Crawford DEIB
Welcoming Our New DEIB Committee Chair The Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers is pleased to introduce Kelly Crawford (she/they) as the new Chair of the DEIB Committee (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging). Kelly brings a deep commitment to both animal welfare and community support, with a training philosophy
