Gaby Dufresne-Cyr
Dogue Shop CEO

My name is Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, and I founded the Dogue Shop in 1999 after professionally training dogs for thirteen years. In 2003, I started working with wolves and other exotic animals. Now into my thirty-eighth year as a domestic and exotic animal trainer, I can honestly say, it's been an amazing journey.

Science provides the foundation for training animals across all species because the principles of learning and training techniques are universally applicable, regardless of the species in question. As a professional animal trainer and behaviour consultant, my challenge lies in understanding the specific characteristics of each species I work with to establish the most effective training protocols, ensuring that the animal is set up for success.

My passion lies in teaching, but my true reward comes when I witness an animal demonstrating the behaviours I aimed to create or modify. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a dog or wolf grasp what I'm trying to communicate and adjust its behaviour accordingly. The joy of this process is not just in creating a conditioned response but in observing when an animal begins to autocorrect its behaviour on its own. 

We often assume that animals are intelligent, yet we sometimes harbour the belief that they are not as smart as humans. However, the cognitive abilities of any species stem from the unique environmental pressures they face. Is a dolphin more intelligent than a human? If you assess the marine mammal's intelligence based on its ability to use sonar to locate objects, then yes, it surpasses human capabilities. But if you evaluate it on its ability to write, then no, it does not.

Humans, without tools like arrows or guns, are neither at the top of the food chain nor the fastest, strongest, or most attuned to their environment. We share this planet with a vast array of animals, and their presence helps define our humanity. Without other species to compare ourselves to, our existence as a hominid species would lack meaningfulness. In this shared world, animals provide a mirror through which we can better understand our own nature and limitations.