About

We love the quirks that make our dogs and cats individuals.

We help you support their weirdly wonderful selves while helping them build skills, confidence, and resilience so that you can both live your best lives together.

Liz Flaming

Co-Owner (She/Her)

CSAT, PCBC-A, MPH

Liz is a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT), an Accredited Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A), a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), and a member of the Pet Professional Guild and the Alberta Force Free Alliance.

Liz is proud of her extensive rescue, training, and consultation experience as well as her experience leading community educational events. She enjoys mentoring new trainers and members of the force free community and collaborating with behaviour professionals locally and internationally.

Liz has successfully supported a wide range of dogs and their humans, working with puppies and potty training to dogs with aggression concerns. She has a special interest in separation anxiety and is obsessed with honing her skills to help dogs feel comfortable being home alone. Liz believes that a compassionate and light-hearted approach is essential for success for all learners—canine and human—and loves coaching you on how to feel comfortable supporting your dog!

She shares her home with 4 Little Weirdos: 3 dogs (Fritz, Gary, and Hawk) and one husband (Joe). She enjoys continuing her professional development and education through seminars, courses, and collaboration with other professionals. Liz is passionate about working with dog and human teams to discover the joy that comes with fully embracing our little canine weirdos.

Education and Professional Certifications

Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer, CSAT (Malena DeMartini, 2023)

Professional Canine Behaviour Consultant, PCBC-A (Pet Professional Guild, 2023)

Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed, CPDT-KA (CCPDT, 2021)

CBTMG (K9 Misfits, 2019)

Master of Public Health (University of Alberta, 2016)

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (University of Toronto, 2014)

Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy (University of Alberta, 2013)

Professional Experience

Founder and Co-owner, Little Weirdos Dog Training and Behaviour Consulting, 2023

Senior trainer, Naughty Boyz Dog Training (2019 - 2023)

Behaviour Team Volunteer, Humane Animal Rescue Team (HART) (2018 - 2020)

Continuing Education and Professional Courses

Chronic Pain Symposium - Canine Arthritis Management and Elearning.vet, (2024)

Exploring the Role of Arousal in Canine Aggression with Sarah Kalnajs (2024)

Using Patterns and Movement to Help Heal Trauma with Leslie McDevitt (2024)

Deaf Dogs: Your Route to Training Success with Terry Hayward (2024)

Animal Centered Education: Understanding Dog Needs and How To Do Freework with Sarah Fisher (2023)

Aggression in Dogs Conference (2023)

BAT 101: (Re)Socialization for Aggression, Frustration, & Fear with Grisha Stewart (ongoing)

Mission Possible: Separation Anxiety Training for Guardians (2023)

Aggression in Dogs Master Class (2023)

Aggression in Dogs Conference (2022)

Clicker Expo 2022 - Karen Pryor Academy

Control is an Illusion: Rethinking how we Teach for "Impulse Control" with Sarah Owings (2022)

Clicker Expo 2021 - Karen Pryor Academy

Vicky Brannan

Co-Owner (She/Her)

CPDT-KA, BA, B.Ed

Vicky is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), member of the Pet Professional Guild, International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC), the Alberta Force Free Alliance, and is in the process of adding cat behaviour consulting to her scope of expertise.

Vicky is proud of her extensive rescue, shelter, and private training and consultation experience as well as her experience as a force free day training and play group program creator and lead trainer. Vicky enjoys mentoring new trainers and members of the force free community and collaborating with behaviour professionals locally and internationally. In Vicky's more than 10 years of experience of working with a wide variety of behaviour concerns ranging from puppy basics to severe aggression and fear, she has taken a special interest in dog reactivity, extreme fear and shut down behaviour, supporting healthy and safe cat-dog relationships, and cat behaviour concerns. Vicky believes very strongly in the profound impact enrichment has on behaviour and in providing agency and choices appropriate to their skillset as we work to expand their skillset to achieve the goals of your unique family.

She shares her home with 6 Little Weirdos: 2 dogs (Lexi and TNO), 3 cats (Capone, Chia, and Molly), and one husband (Mike). She is an avid participant in professional development and ongoing education. She believes that training should be fun, enriching, and celebrate each individual as the wonderful little weirdo they are.