Yellowknife (Feb 11/04) - Dog owners in Yellowknife had a chance to really connect with their furry friends last weekend thanks to the expertise of Crystal Klatt.

Crystal Klatt, dog behaviour specialist from the Edmonton SPCA, diagnosed Zebbie with bad manners, but said she has the potential to be a well-behaved dog. - Colleen Moore/NNSL photo

Klatt, an expert dog behaviourist from the Edmonton SPCA, came to the city to share her knowledge on how to better communicate with your pet.

Saturday, a people-only session was held at the Yellowknife Inn and on Sunday, Klatt was booked solid as dog owners came out to Arctic Farms Nursery for a private sessions with Klatt and their pets.

Anne Gunn, owner of Beacer and Zebbie, said she learned more in the 20-minute meeting about her pets than she ever on her own.

"I learned to look at the very subtle signs," she said. While Beacer, a pure-bread cardinal, is well behaved for the most part, Zebbie, an American eskimo/collie cross seems to have some difficulties.

"She doesn't have an aggression problem. She just has bad manners," said Gunn.

"Zebbie is a little dominant."

Gunn partially attributes this behaviour to when Zebbie was just a puppy. A run-in with a jogger left her frightened and less than focused at times.

A visit with Klatt, however, helped her to understand Zebbie's behaviour, and learn simple ways to fix it.

Klatt said there are a number of different forms of aggression in dogs, but socializing them as puppies is most important to ensure good behaviour in the future.

She said some dogs act especially different when they leave the home to go for a walk, since they are out of their safety zone.

"In the home, there is often more confidence," she said. "When you go outside, the dog may lose some of that confidence. That is why you have to teach them."

Robin Weber, vice-president of the NWT SPCA, was thrilled with the turn-out for the session, and said Klatt is sure to be invited again.

"There is only one trainer in town so doing something like this is great," she said. "(Klatt) is amazing at what she can do."