Pet shop hosts dog expert for training Q&A

Last Saturday, Fins, Feathers and Fur Pets and Supplies hosted professional dog trainer Kristi Benson for a two-hour Q&A period. Dog owners were invited to stop by and direct their dog-related questions to Benson.
Benson said she got her start with dogs when she lived in the Northwest Territories. At the time she had her own dog, but it was just a pet. While in the NWT, a dog musher invited Benson and her partner to watch his dogs for a few months, and that’s where it all started.
After about a year and a half, she moved south and brought 12 retired sled dogs.
“Sled dogs tend to not be the same as just a normal pet,” Benson said. “They have some behavior issues, and they’re really energetic.”
That’s when she started reading more and learning about dog training.
Her interest in training turned into a passion, and she eventually took a two-year course. She said she loved the idea of helping both dogs and their owners.
Now she’s living close to Yorkton and has her own dog training company - Kristi Benson Dog Training. She works with dogs about half time, and she comes to Yorkton to teach classes and to work with private clients.
“The feedback that I get from the people that she has helped has been amazing,” said Karen Dunlop, the owner of Fins, Feathers and Fur Pets and Supplies.
Dunlop said she got the incentive to bring Benson into her store because of the work that she does with rescues at the S.P.C.A.
“In my opinion, many of these dogs are thrown away simply because nobody took the time, or knew how, to train them,” said Dunlop. “Someone like [Kristi] is saving lives.”
A number of people showed up to take advantage of the free advice offered on Saturday.
Benson said the work she gets to do is extremely rewarding, and she enjoys educating both dogs and people about what they can do to improve.
“It’s a great time to be a dog trainer,” she said.