Your pup is my passion.

I’M SAMAYA,

(it rhymes with papaya)

Mission Paws Dog School (formerly Mission Pawsable Dog Hiking) was founded in the late summer of 2020.

I no longer wanted to be confined indoors at a desk and when taking dogs out to adventure was so much more appealing.

I quickly learned as an off leash group dog hiker, that while society's expectation is for dogs to love their dog peers and love walks, many of them did not yet have the skills to do so confidently and without challenges.

HOW IT STARTED

The daughter of a single mother who was always coming home with another rescue from the SPCA, loving animals was a no-brainer. But thinking I could have a career working with animals outside of becoming a veterinarian was a reach. (I was not at all interested in sciences in school).

Fast forward to my mid 20's. I developed a strong interest in fitness and nutrition, and excelled in my Strength & Conditioning and Sports Nutrition certifications. Pair that with an aptitude to coaching humans through their mindset blocks in the gym, I helped clients connect the dots between the psychology of behaviour change and physical change they were hoping to achieve.

Dog training is much the same. In order to get a different physical result, we must first address the emotions and learning patterns driving the behaviour of the individual.

My inner geek keeps driving me toward immersion in continuing education of canine behaviour and cognition. The more I learn the more passionate I become for helping humans and dogs live and adventure harmoniously together.

As incredible my educators are, it’s always the dogs I learn from the most.

Credentials

  • Certified Pro Dog Trainer Level 1, 2, & 3 (Absolute Dogs)

  • Presently studying toward my Level 6 Ofqual Diploma in Clinical Applied Behaviour (Canine) with Canine Behaviour College

  • 5+ years experience helping dogs from “runaway rocket” to “off-leash angel”

  • Based in Victoria BC, training dogs in-person and online across Canada & USA

  • Relationship-first, reward-based, and rooted in neuroscience