Virtual Coaches

Jessica O'Neill, Dip. Canine Behaviour Science & Technology 

Jessica O’Neill owns and operates three successful Ottawa-based, pet-related businesses (Pet Intel. Behaviour Centre, The Canine Habitat and JWalker Dog). From a young age, Jessica had big plans for her future and how she could make an impact on the world. Jessica has always had a natural affinity for and curiosity of animals coupled with a rational and analytical mind. As a mother of four, a multi-dog owner and busy business woman, Jessica has learned to think outside the box and never allows herself to be governed by imposed limitations. Her businesses offer unique products and services to dog owners, rescues/shelters, and businesses. Her passion and commitment has lead to groundbreaking achievements in all aspects of the pet industry.

Jessica’s training and behaviour philosophy and methodology is based on scientific principles and a true belief in and respect for animal emotional welfare. She utilizes all four quadrants of learning theory responsibly and provides comparable human equivalent behaviour to help people better understand dogs.

Jessica is passionate about public education and contributions specifically pertaining to bite prevention, breed discrimination, responsible dog ownership and service dogs. When asked or provided with an opportunity, she will engage in public education pro bono.

Jessica’s products and services focus on strengthening the human/animal bond. Her businesses are designed help owners work through the difficulties they are experiencing with their dogs. In many cases, without her services and support these dogs would end up in shelters or rescues or in some cases euthanized.

Jessica advocates for the rescuing and rehabilitating of animals and is a huge supporter of responsible dog ownership. She provides discounted services to rescues and rescued-dog owners.

Jessica advocates for human and dog mental health and wellness by providing effective, humane problem resolution and management strategies. Her service animal work focuses on helping people with invisible injuries to better function in society.

Consultation & Education

• Jessica provided education to private individuals as well as the public sector such as Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and other public workplaces. 
• Jessica successfully helps owners to understand and work with their dogs by providing clear instruction and guidance.
• Jessica is considered an expert witness for the provincial court of Ontario for dog- related litigation. Her contributions to these cases, specifically related to interpretation of canine behaviour and provocation as well as recommendations have been considered highly valuable. 
• Jessica’s service dog and therapy dog assessment/training services have been sought out by many healthcare professionals to better assist their patients. 

Program Development

• Jessica has streamlined Pet Intel.’s (the behaviour consulting division of the corporation) behaviour change protocols by creating an education workbook provided to clients on their first consultation with a coach. Jessica is constantly developing additional content and supplementary handouts. 
• Jessica recently designed and launched a variety of canine rehabilitation programs offered through her Canine Habitat boarding home. These programs include but are not limited to Puppy Bootcamp, Transitional Training, Baby-on-Board, Post-Op Respite, and Weight Management. 
• In collaboration with her esteemed colleague, Nicole Lapratte-Patry, Jessica launched The Family Dog Program and Stop the 77 with Pet Intel. These programs are designed to educate families and young children.
• Jessica is currently working with her team to develop canine nutrition consulting services. 

Product Development

• Jessica conceptualized, designed, tested and launched to market the only side attachment no-pull dog harness on the market (JWalker). 
• Jessica has protected her innovative invention by pursuing patent applications in Canada and the US. The product currently holds a patent-pending status. 
• Jessica encouraged customer feedback and in doing so was able to grow the single product line to include many others.
• By contacting local retailers and pitching the line on social media, JWalker Dog Products began being carried by local independent retailers. 
• Jessica auditioned for the Dragon's Den and made it to final cuts but not to air. 
• Jessica solicited the largest pet supply distributor in Eastern Canada to carry the product line, increasing her retail presence from 24 stores to over 300 across Canada. 
• To date, Jessica has sold over 10,000 product units and her line is now carried by Staples.ca and The Shopping Channel and is now independently distributed across Canada. 
• Jessica attends trade shows and speaking engagements throughout North America to teach the benefits of her products and the basics of communicating with dogs. 

Publication & Media 

• Jessica has made several expert appearances on local television networks such as Rogers and CTV. 
• Jessica’s expert publication contributions range from local to international resources. Her most recent contributions were made to Reader’s Digest and The Wall Street Journal. 
• Jessica is often solicited to participate in podcasts, blogs and online chat rooms. 
• Jessica maintains a strong social network following and provides advice and support to individuals seeking help. 

Infrastructure Development 

• Jessica established a private facility for a rehabilitation treatment and behaviour boarding (The Canine Habitat). She designed this home-based environment to operate as a professional multi-dog household, hiring a full-time qualified live-in attendant. She renovated this three bedroom, open-concept country home to cater to dogs of all breed and temperament. She provides a graphic wrapped van to allow for transportation services for her Ottawa-based customers. 
• Jessica developed a soft-goods product manufacturing site (JWalker Dog Products). She took an and empty warehouse and completely refitted it to become an operational workshop within one months time to fulfill production needs. The site houses product inventory, large work spaces, professional machinery and a staff lounge. This manufacturing shop provides local employment for individuals of minority.

Achievements

• Jessica won Ottawa Board of Trade's Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2018.
• Jessica has testified as an expert witness for the Provincial Court System as well as boarded, fostered, bred, owned and worked with many different types of animals throughout her life.
• Jessica worked alongside Cheryl Smith (Owner - Call of the Canine, and an internationally recognized Canine Behaviour Specialist) as an apprentice for 4 years, and in addition has completed several intensive theoretical behaviour and training study programs with the Companion Animal Science Institute earning her a diploma in Canine Behaviour Science & Technology.
• Jessica has worked as the Canine Behaviour Consultant at her local animal shelter where she assessed over 200 shelter dogs and provided staff and volunteer training. She created and implemented the "Meet Your Match" adoption program by screening individuals and pairing them with suitable canine matches
• She is also a professional member of the CAPPDT (Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers) and the AABP (Association of Animal Behaviour Professionals).
• Jessica was a Pet Behaviour Consultant Columnist for the EMC Record News distributed throughout Lanark County, Stittsville & Kanata. She has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Reader's Digest, Canadian Living Magazine, Ferret World Magazine and many more. She has been interviewed as an expert on CBC, CFRA, Rogers Daytime, CTV Morning Live, EZRock Radio Ottawa and more. 
• Jessica acted as the primary trainer and operator of the a 6 month pilot project funded by DND in Ottawa. She worked with active service members and veterans to train, evaluate and certify service animals to be teamed with injured soldiers and veterans. 

Nicole Lapratte-Patry, Canine Behaviour Specialist

Nicole Lapratte-Patry CBCC-KA, has earned her “Canine Behaviour Consultant” certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers® (CCPDT®). Nicole has joined more than 160 CBCC-KA certificants worldwide.

In her never-ending quest for animal-related knowledge acquisition, Nicole found herself irresistibly drawn to dogs. Gaining ever more canine-related knowledge is very much a focus and a daily happening. Lifelong learning is her goal as she truly believes that learning expands the soul as well as the mind. This passion for dogs as well as for teaching, education and sharing are the inner drives that motivate her.

Nicole has had the pleasure of sharing her life with many dogs, all of which have taught her something new along the way. Precious lessons they have been! Nicole presently shares her life with 4 dogs : (3) French Bulldogs, and a Miniature Wirehair Dachshund. 

Nicole’s CV

Nicole has been a French as a Second Language educator for the last 23years at Kanata Montessori School. Teaching, sharing and learning has been her way of life since her early school years when she accompanied her maternal grandmother, a teacher, to school in the morning. Nicole loved those days where she was allowed to pretend that she was teaching and sharing. Learning about and interacting with animals has been, and still is, a lifelong quest. Whether the animals are large or small, animals on land, animals in water, animals that fly, domesticated as well as wild animals, Nicole has interest, passion, compassion, admiration and respect for all animals. In her never-ending quest for animal- related knowledge acquisition, Nicole found herself irresistibly drawn to dogs. Gaining ever more canine-related knowledge is very much a focus and a daily happening. Lifelong learning is her goal as she truly believes that learning expands the soul as well as the mind.

This passion for dogs as well as for teaching, education and sharing are the inner drives that motivate her.

Nicole has had the pleasure of sharing her life with many dogs, all of which have taught her something new along the way. Precious lessons they have been! Nicole presently shares her life with 4 dogs that vary in age, size and breed: (2) French Bulldogs, a Golden Retriever and a Miniature Wirehair Dachshund.

Here is a compilation of Nicole’s canine related learning journey:

Training, Seminars, Workshops and Conferences

In the early stages of educating herself about the animal world, Nicole accompanied her adult daughter to Veterinary Technician Seminars and Workshops where she deepened her knowledge about canine health issues and then combined them with her own lifelong experience of dog ownership.

✓ Has 2 years of Apprenticeship under Internationally Recognized Canine Behaviour Specialist and Senior Instructor Cheryl Smith’s guidance from “Forever Friends Dog Training School”.

✓ Has assisted in many training classes at “Forever Friends Dog Training Centre” over the course of 2 years.

✓ Successfully Completed the Canine Handler Program at “Forever Friends Dog Training School” (2011).

✓ Successfully Completed the Canine Shelter & Rescue Worker Program at “Forever Friends Dog Training School” (August 2012).

✓ Has 4 years of Apprenticeship under Jessica O’Neill guidance.

✓ Has implemented a Canine Education Program within her French as a Second Language classes that led to her bringing her dogs into her classroom on a daily basis for the last 13-14 years. Students benefit from the soothing therapy that is offered by her dogs. Firm believer of dogs’ ‘power’ and ability to bring calmness to the students’ environment and inner peace to the students.

✓ On a volunteer basis, has welcomed dogs in need into her home and has helped in rehabilitating and rehoming them.

✓ Worked as Shelter Manager in a local No-Kill Animal Shelter where she continued deepening her knowledge of the canine and feline species. Performed canine evaluations on ongoing basis.

Was very conscientious in matching possible adopters with shelter dogs to ensure better retention of adopted animals.

Helped to implement “Open Paw” Shelter Program which was developed collaboratively with Dr. Ian Dunbar.

✓ Attended Professional Animal Behavioral Associates (PABA) Conferences in Guelph:

a) “Successful Canine Behavioral Therapy and Training” (May 3-4, 2008) Speakers: Dr. Andrew Luescher, Dr. Susan Friedman, Dr. Patrick Pageat, Dr. Sarah Heath, Pia Silvani CPDT, Gary Priest, MBA

b) “Canine Harmony: Developing The Perfect Companion” (May 2-3, 2009) Speakers: Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Dr. Sophia Yin, DMV, MS, Colleen Pelar, Kenth Svartberg, PhD

c) “Exploring the Dog’s Mind” (May 13, 2011)

Speakers: Dr. Andrew Luescher, Meghan Herron DVM, DACVB, Kathy Sdao, ACAAB, Pat Miller CPDT-KA, CDBC

d) “How to Reach Excellence in Dog Training” (May 24-25, 2014) Speakers: Dr. Ken Ramirez, Kathy Sdao, ACAAB, Dr. Andrew Luescher

✓ Chris Bach: “The Third Way”: The Three Secrets to Peak Performance (15-16 mai 2010)

✓ Ian Dunbar: “Dog Training with Feeling” (October 2011)

✓ Jane Madigan /InspiredK9s Workshop: “From Fear to Feeling Safe” (Jan 26 & Feb 2, 2014)

✓ Gayle Watkins: “Avidog’s Advanced Transformational Dog Breeding” (March 1-2, 2014)

✓ Suzanne Clothier: “You Had Me at Sniff: Dog-Dog Interactions” (October 11, 2014)

✓ Suzanne Clothier: “Practical Bones: Hands On with RCT Training Techniques” (October 12, 2014)

✓ Diann McTaggart / Holistic Canine Training: Introductory Class to TTouch (Jan 24, 2015)

Learning through Books and DVDs

▪ Pat Miller, CPDT-KA, CDBC

a) “The Power of Positive Training” b) “Do Over Dogs”

▪ Jean Donaldson

“The Culture Clash”

“Mine!” (Ressource Guarding in Dogs)

“Fight!” (Treatment of Dog-Dog Aggression)

“Oh Behave!” (Dogs to Pavlov to Premack to Pinker)

▪ Sophia Yin

“The Learn to Earn Program”,

DVDs:

a) “Skills for Handling your Reactive and Hyperactive Dog” Part 1 b)“Skills for Handling your Reactive and Hyperactive Dog” Part 2 c) “Pet Dogs, Problem Dogs High Performance Dogs”

d) “How to Greet a Dog”

e) “Perfect Puppy in Seven Days”

f) “How to Behave so your Dog Behaves”

▪ Chris Bach

DVD: “Reinforcement: Knowing and Using its Power”

▪ Temple Grandin

a) “Animals Make us Human”

b) “Animals in Translation”

▪ Kathy Sdao, ACAAB “Plenty in Life is Free”

▪ Raymond and Lorna Copinger

“Dogs: A new Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution”

▪ Karen Pryor

a) “Don’t Shoot the Dog!”

b) “Reaching the Animal Mind”

▪ Turid Rugaas

a) “On talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals” b) “ Barking: The Sound of a Language”

▪ Patricia McConnell

a) “ The Other End of the Leash” b) “Leader of the Pack”

c) “Love Has No Age Limit”

d) “Feeling Outnumbered?”

e) “I’ll be Home Soon!”

f) “The Cautious Canine”

g) “Feisty Fido”

▪ Grisha Stewart

“Behavior Adjustment Training; BAT for Fear, Frustration, and Aggression in Dogs”

▪ Brenda Aloff

“Aggression in Dogs: Practical Management, Prevention & Behaviour Modification”

▪ Suzanne Clothier: DVDs

a) “Relationship Centered Training” (RCT) b) “Arousal, Anxiety and Fear”

▪ Jane Killion’s DVD: “Puppy Culture: The Powerful First 12 weeks” Professional Member

✓ Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers (CAPPDT)

✓ Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)

Strengths

✓ Natural affinity with people and dogs

✓ Efficient communicator

✓ Compassionate, observant of dogs’ needs as well as of owners’ needs

✓ Fully bilingual, services offered in both French and English

✓ Dedicated to facilitating and improving the daily lives of dogs and their owners by

helping them to understand each other’s communication systems and to work towards attainable and realistic goals. Dog and owner are seen as a team that should enjoy the game of life together and to the fullest.

✓ Ability to help humans understand the canine communication systems, from the dog’s perspective, by using helpful analogies as well as to give them the necessary tools to communicate effectively with their canine companions.

✓ Has an open minded approach as there is always something new to learn and embrace from all experiences.

✓ Believes that preventative education is a key component towards better understanding the intelligent and emotional beings that dogs have been proven to be.

“Training an animal will meet with little success if the trainer has no insights into the animal’s feelings” (Source: “When Elephants Weep”)

In Closing...

Nicole would love to and is available to help you attain balance within your relationship with your dog and to plan out personal, realistic goals for you and your canine companion. She strongly believes in improving the human-dog relationship and working towards achieving balance between humans and their dogs, balance in which, both the human’s and the dog’s needs are met.

Last edited: May 23, 2015

Testimonial

"Good afternoon, Nicole!

Russ and I simply wanted to take a moment to let you know how fortunate we feel to have had the chance to benefit from your expertise and guidance yesterday regarding our puppy Forrest.

He really took to you!

It was a real pleasure to have you in our home.

We are grateful for how patient and open you were with us and for the active interest you manifested in our situation.

We explained our lifestyle, our concerns, our challenges and goals...and by the end of the session, we felt inspired, supported, and like you had not only listened but also heard us. Context is essential to correctly propose a way forward. We also had numerous a-ha moments which provided useful tricks and keys for immediate remediation and implementation.

And so, for your generous time, your genuine concern for both the dog and us as owners... for your willingness to share, ...a massive thank-you to you, Nicole!

We should be getting our J-Walk harness (thanks for inventing this, Jessica!) later today (Global Pet Food was getting a shipment in by noon!).

We will pore over the literature you left us with great interest and I will be in touch soon.

Thanks again for everything,- Sonia V."