The Team:
Sparky Smith MSST, ISCP.DIP.CANINE.PRAC., IAABC - CDBC, MCMA
Sparky's current career began early with life on a farm. At seventeen, Sparky had firmly established a very successful training method; creating trusted communication pathway to support animals during sudden, unexpected changes. At the time, this had not been seen before and was considered by many as foolish. Things changed slowly in recognizing the power of supporting performance animals emotionally. An early memory recounted a massive thunderstorm rolling in right in the middle of a horse show. Imagine for a moment, a young filly standing still and calm with pounding rain and thunder and lightning. Other competitors were prancing and vocalizing fearfully. Her show horse stood transfixed, listening intently to every word she spoke. Working with animals provided an opportunity to view things differently. Watching, participating and developing relationships with difficult to understand animals, offered a unique way to view problems; a way to see simplification within complexities. She became involved in business in 1988, continuing to find time to help human caregivers and their animals, horses, cats and dogs with progressively harder psychological challenges. Sparky credits the continued journey with animals, as she developed into a business woman. Patience, kindness, compassion and perseverance are not necessarily traits honed in corporations. Thus, animal care and training provided an odd yet valuable complementary experience. And nevermoreso when leading large strategic changes to 30,000 employees around the world. Employees who were each facing an individual journey to accept new ways of working. Sparky had the experience to simply focus on the sensitivities of sentient beings to help make change happen. Just like in the horse show all those years ago, she knew one needed to set a clear and trusted communication path, for those undergoing change, to rely one. To remain compassionate and patient, because sudden unexpected change is hard, and always be there to provide guidance to make the change stick. Her business life spanned 30 years, reaching the pinnacle of her career as a sought-after thought-leader and expert in complex global change initiatives. Her successes included being a top-level Executive Consultant, the Chief Strategy Officer for the Global Strategic Management Forum, and a board member of the Canadian Business Strategy Association. Sparky continued education included obtaining a Six Sigma Black Belt, a master level in Strategy & Systems Thinking, Big Data and Forensic Accounting & Fraud, all through top tier universities, including MIT. She was a public speaker for several global conferences, and invited by several Ivy League EMBA programs to discuss her innovative methods to rethink solving the toughest business problems. In 2015, Sparky retired from her corporate career, hanging up her pumps and power suits to finally focus exclusively on changing animals and their human caregivers. Today, Sparky Smith is registered with the Complementary Medical Association as a Canine Psychologist, accredited by the International School for Canine Psychology & Behaviour and the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants as a Dog Behaviour Consultant. She is set apart in the professional world of dog behaviourist, as her past lends itself to a deeply profound sense of how behaviour change occurs between and within humans and dogs. She is a master strategist and change expert and her practice improves and streamlines the way a dog changes, shifting the behaviours for life. Her innovative approach ensures the highest success possible found in today's professional dog behaviourist field. Her facilities in Huntsville, Ontario is the home to the Canadian Centre for the International School for Canine Psychology & Behaviour, providing the practical studies side of the globally renowned diploma courses, including Canine Practitioner. More about the schools and associations: The International School for Canine Psychology & Behaviour (theISCP.com) provides a network of world-class Vets, Behaviourists and Dog Welfare Organizations, delivering access to expert second-opinions should it be required. The International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC) is an international body who recognizing those with the highest education and experience in their field. The Complementary Medical Association (CMA) is not only the world’s leading multi-disciplinary membership organization for top, fully qualified practitioners. It is a multinational organization. 
Sunshine Smith - Specially trained to read and engage with all dogs of all sizes and breeds to help them overcome communication challenges, Sunshine is a special dog. She is Sparky & Martin's assistant and an essential and joyful member of the team.
|
Rosemary Holtz, CPDT-KA, is a professionally accredited dog trainer and provides additional expertise to our behaviour services in Toronto and across Canada. Rosemary is our Behaviour Tech supporting complex behaviour cases.
The complementary nature of Rosemary and Sparky has been commented upon by clients who enjoy the fact that here in Muskoka they are serviced by the best of dog professionals in Canada. Rosemary provides clients with hands-on techniques and methods, coaching them to achieve the goals of the behaviour program, while Sparky focuses on the interrelationship, environment and structures needed to make the changes stick for life. 
Martin Smith also works side-by-side with Sparky and has worked for over 15 years with all varieties of dogs and temperament, delivering insights and training. Martin is the co-author of "Deepening the Bond," a highly popular workshop for dogs and their people.
He specializes in building trust with your dog, creating a mind which is open to new ways of thinking. Martin is highly creative, meaning he develops activity strategies tailored to your pet. Martin is also a life-long student of Dog Obedience and Training and studies at the International School for Canine Psychology & Behaviour. |
See our Gallery for more pictures
|
