About Us
 First and foremost we are dog lovers! We are passionate about dog training and enthusiastic about working with people and their dogs! We are based in Northford, Connecticut but are happy to serve anywhere in the State of Connecticut.
Meet Britten G. Canida, M.S., the head trainer and behavior counselor for The Happiest Dog on the Block. Britten has always had a love for dogs beginning in childhood. One of her first memories was her mother rushing her home from Kindergarten class early so that she could witness her Dalmatian, Steckle, giving birth to a litter of puppies in her closet! As she grew older she was fascinated to learn about the unique abilities of dogs! She went on to college at Tulane University, where she fell in love with neuroscience and decided to dedicate her life to the study of brain and behavior. She continued her studies at Virginia Tech where she received her Master of Science degree in Experimental Psychology under the guidance of Dr. Albert Prestrude who is renowned for his work in training bomb detection dogs. After she earned her Master of Science degree, she accepted a position at Boston University as the project coordinator of several studies concerning trauma, drug and alcohol addiction. She was fortunate to work in conjunction with Harvard’s Brain Imaging Center and is a self-proclaimed “brain and behavior” junkie! After working for Boston University she accepted a position at Yale University working in research focused on stress, trauma and addiction as it related to changes in functional neuroscience and behavior. After working in the field for a few years, she made the decision to follow her heart back into the field of dog training and behavior modification! She is thrilled to be able to apply her knowledge of the neuroscientific principles of learning and behavior to dog training and behavior modification! She dedicates her life to helping dogs and holds a special place in her heart for dogs with aggression problems. She takes a personal interest in every case and hopes to make every dog’s life a happy one! She lives with her husband, two sons and two dogs, Booster and Barlee. She also volunteers at the Humane Society as a shelter dog trainer, to help abandoned dogs find loving families!
Our Philosophy
 We bring a fresh, unique perspective to dog training. We focus on obedience, communication and prevention. It is important to communicate not only what you DON’T want your dog to do, but what you DO want him to do instead. Through obedience, we will teach you how to effectively communicate your intentions. An important part of your relationship with your dog is your ability to comprehend what your dog is trying to say to you. Have you ever come home to the garbage strewn all over the floor? Does your dog “look” guilty as if he knows he was not supposed to eat the garbage but couldn’t help himself? He knows nothing of the sort. He is simply reacting to the stress he senses from you. All he knows is that you look upset and he is trying his best to calm you through his facial expressions and body postures. It has nothing to do with guilt. It has everything to do with him trying to calm you down because he senses you are upset. We will teach you how to interpret your dog’s body language and expel common myths. We will also teach you how to prevent some of the most serious behavior problems including aggression, resource guarding and separation anxiety. Common problems such as chewing, jumping, housebreaking and bite inhibition will also be addressed. We take the time to teach you because we truly care!
All of our training methods are based on the belief that great dog-human relationships are built on trust and confidence (not fear) based leadership. We do not use harsh corrective techniques! We teach your dog to perform behaviors because he wants to – because they are rewarding for him. This fosters a strong, loving bond based on communication and trust.
We are confident, dedicated and just a phone call away!
Benefits of In-home Training:
- Your dog learns in the security and comfort of his own environment.
- No distraction of other dogs
- No stress of being sent away to a kennel
- Efficiency – we make maximum use of the time we spend with your dog. As a result your dog learns faster.
- If you choose day training - we take care of the training for you and teach you how to maintain it.
- You learn how to communicate with your dog and understand his behavior.
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Master of Science degree, Experimental Psychology
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Professional Affiliate
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Member
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Professional Member
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Member
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Shelter Dog Volunteer
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Completed the Red Cross Pet First Aid and CPR Training
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