E-mail Today At:
shaggydogtraining@gmail.com
Creating Positive Relationships Two Barks and One Meow At A Time!
343-453-1400
Meet Victoria Blondin
Behaviour Consultant | Founder of Shaggy Dog Training
MSc, BSc, Cert. SAPT, ADTI, BVM&S (non-practising)
For over a decade, Shaggy Dog Training has been built on one core belief: behaviour change is not about control, it is about clarity, trust, and emotional stability.
What began as a professional pivot away from a traditional veterinary path has grown into a structured, science-based practice serving families across the Kingston and Quinte regions. Victoria's work sits at the intersection of behavioural science, practical application, and deep respect for the human–animal bond.
About Shaggy Dog Training
Where it all Began...
Victoria completed her Master of Science in Animal Welfare and Behaviour in 2011. At the time, her path seemed clear: deepen the academic work, pursue veterinary medicine, and continue building technical expertise.
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She moved to the United Kingdom to complete her veterinary degree, earning her BVM&S in 2015. Clinical practice sharpened her diagnostic thinking and strengthened her understanding of the link between health and behaviour. But even within medicine, her attention kept returning to something less tangible.
It wasn’t just the physiology of cases that held her interest. It was the relationships. The moments where confusion, stress, or fear disrupted the bond between an animal and the people who loved them.
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Behaviour was not a side interest. It was the part that lingered.
The Moments That Changed the Direction
Victoria’s path into behaviour was not abstract or theoretical. It was shaped by lived experience.
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Early in her career, while working in a veterinary practice, she encountered a case that stayed with her. The dog involved was, in many respects, an otherwise well-adjusted family companion. But the dog had bitten a child in the household more than once. The family was frightened. The child was at risk. The options available within the clinic setting were limited. Rescues were not accepting the dog.
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The situation was not unusual. It was a pattern seen repeatedly in veterinary practice across the world: a good dog in a difficult situation, a family without structured support, and few clear paths forward.
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Victoria recognised the gap.
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Medical guidance alone could not resolve the relational and environmental dynamics that had led to the incidents. The case clarified something that had been building for years: behaviour required its own structure, its own systems, and its own focus.
In 2016, she stepped away from traditional veterinary practice to build what would become Shaggy Dog Pet Services, a practice dedicated exclusively to behaviour consulting and structured training systems. As the work expanded and the focus sharpened, the practice evolved into Shaggy Dog Training, reflecting a clear commitment to specialised behaviour work across the Kingston and Quinte regions.
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If even one family could be kept safe, and one dog could remain in a stable home because of thoughtful intervention, the work would be worth it.
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That commitment shaped the direction moving forward.
Personal Insight & Separation Anxiety
At the same time, behaviour was unfolding within her own home.
Years earlier, she had worked through ongoing behavioural challenges with her cat, searching for answers and navigating frustration without clear guidance. The experience planted early questions about anxiety, attachment, and environmental stress.
In 2020, when her Bengal cat Leo began exhibiting distress behaviours that were ultimately identified as separation anxiety, those earlier questions resurfaced with clarity.
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Separation anxiety was not defiance or misbehaviour. It was panic. It was distress rooted in attachment and insecurity.
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Living through that process reframed Victoria’s understanding of behaviour. She pursued specialised certification in separation anxiety through Julie Naismith’s program and began developing structured desensitisation protocols designed to protect both the emotional welfare of the animal and the stability of the household.
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The personal and professional threads converged. Behaviour was no longer a secondary interest. It was the focus.
Why This Matters
Shaggy Dog Training was not built because of a trend. It was built because of a pattern seen across veterinary clinics, in homes, and in families struggling quietly without structured guidance.
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The mission became clear:
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To prevent avoidable breakdowns in the human–animal bond.
To reduce fear-based incidents.
To provide structured, science-based pathways forward when families feel overwhelmed.
Behaviour work is not about fixing “bad dogs.”
It is about understanding stress, environment, learning, and safety, and applying that understanding deliberately.
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For over a decade, Shaggy Dog has provided structured, science-based dog behaviour consulting in Kingston and the surrounding region. From separation anxiety training and behaviour modification to obedience foundations, cat behaviour consultation, and child–dog safety education, the focus remains the same: protecting the relationship between families and their animals through thoughtful, evidence-based guidance.
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Families seeking professional support for separation anxiety, behaviour challenges, or structured training in the Kingston area are invited to explore services and schedule a consultation.
