Your Dog Isn’t Your Adversary, Don’t Train Him Like One.
About Us
Fangs But No Fangs works with all types of behavioural issues involving you and your dog. While I specialize in aggression, I am by no means limited to that, and I am happy to work with you on everything from helping your new rescue dog adjust to your family to improving your friendly dog’s manners and everything in-between. I’ve worked with all breeds, mixes, and sizes of dogs including a few you probably haven’t heard of yet. If you want to help your dog, I want to help you.
In-Home Personalized Behaviour Consulting
Joan Weston, MA Ed., IAABC-CBC, FFCT
Canine Behavioural Consultant & Founder
Work With A Leading Canine Behaviourist
I’m often asked what my approach is to the consultation and training. The answer depends on you, not me. People learn in different ways and there are going to be different lines in the sand for different owners. The key to being successful is in our ability to work together to find a solution, not for me to bark orders at you in a ‘my way or the highway’ approach. The most consistent part of my training is that the same principals of ‘fear-free’ and ‘do no harm’ apply to both ends of the leash. I’m not coming to judge you or your dog. We’re all on the same side. A successful trainer or consultant is the person who can pick up on your strong points as an owner and use them to your greatest advantage. We work together.
Decades of Experience working with all types of Dogs
Hundreds of Success Stories.
Joan Weston
M.A.Ed, IAABC Certified Canine Behavior Consultant, Certified Fear Free Trainer
Joan grew up in Great Neck, Long Island, just outside New York City. After receiving her Bachelor of Science Degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Joan re-located to Toronto to pursue graduate research in Motor Learning and Sport Psychology, areas that would form the foundation for her career in training and behavior. She received her Masters Degree in Education from Central Michigan University in 2017, and was Certified by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants as a Canine Behavioural Consultant in May of 2018.
She is a head instructor at Scholars in Collars Dog Training located in Burlington, Ontario. The school, whose curriculum is based on science and positive training methods, has won the Readers’ Choice Award for best dog training school 21 years in a row, a remarkable testament to both the trainers and the methods.
Joan spent many years as a professor at Durham College, where she designed and implemented the Animal Behavior course for the Animal Care Certificate Program. An innovative and engaging teacher, she brought out the best in her students while upholding high standards for academics and learning.
She is also the author of The ITREAT Protocol: An Integrated Approach to the Assessment, Training, and Adoption of Shelter Dogs. This is a revolutionary tool for humane societies and animal shelters providing a unique all-in-one program to help increase adoption rates and improve animal welfare.
Joan has also been a regular presenter of seminars on behavior and training both for professional development programs such as the Association of Animal Shelter Administrators of Ontario and for pet owners and training school students at venues across Canada.
A talented and entertaining writer, Joan was honored to be nominated for the Dog Writers of America – Excellence in Journalism Award for her Dogs on the Couch column in the former Toronto monthly, Dogs, Dogs, Dogs.
A lifelong dog owner and lover, she trains her bulldogs in a wide variety of activities, including competitive obedience, agility, disc, freestyle, and hearing service dog assistance. If you’ve seen her performing in the past with The Superdogs with her bulldog PotRoast and more recently with the Woofjocks or the Canine Stars, then you’ve laughed along at their crowd-pleasing antics and seen the power of positive training in action! When she wasn’t performing with her bullies, she could be found on the ice, tending goal for her Stoney Creek Oldtimers’ team and trying to get them to a championship. She was honored with the Bronze T from the University of Toronto and represented the USA at the Inaugural Women’s World Hockey Championships in 1987.
Better Behaviour, Happier Dogs
