About Us
The Pooch Partners Story
Founded in 2011 to help reduce pet obesity by providing fitness classes for people and their dogs, our services have expanded significantly to include life skills, trick and canine fitness training, behaviour consultations and modification programs, dog sports such as scent detection and canicross, hiking and pack walks, annual fund raising events and more! Pooch Partners is a client-driven business that takes a long term view of our relationships with all of our clients and business partners with whom we deal.Â
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We are committed to inspiring and motivating our human and canine clients to achieve their goals in a safe, effective and fun manner and we strive to provide the highest quality of service possible. Through games-based concept training you will be inspired when you see the transformation in your dog, and empowered to keep on playing!
Meet the Team!
Shelly Korobanik
Owner & Trainer
Since childhood Shelly has had a passion for fitness and dogs, but it was only in 2011 that she pursued combining the two to create Pooch Partners. As a personal training specialist with experience in a variety of sports and success competing in the World Tri-fitness Competition (finished first in her age category) and winning the 2005 B.C. Provincial Competition Figure – Masters (Over 35), she is better able to assist you attain your fitness goals!
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Shelly is also an experienced certified professional dog trainer that uses concept training through games to inspire you and your dog to not only learn, but have fun doing it! She believes learning is a life time activity and continues to enhance her education. She has achieved a Diploma in Animal Behaviour Science and Technology (Dipl ABST) and certification as a professional dog trainer through Animal Behavior College (ABCDT) as well as a Pro Dog Trainer, through Absolute Dogs.
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Shelly loves sharing her knowledge of positive concept-based training with people and their canines to help them achieve a healthier, happier and stronger relationship over the years!
Sila
Sila brings a ton of enthusiasm and energy to everything he does. He is a lot of fun to work with and it is always an adventure as he continues to learn. Canicross, agility, weight pulling, skijoring, kicksledding and scootering – Sila does it all, plus we are actively competing in conformance, obedience, tracking and scent detection. He has also earned his Working Pack Dog certificate, Trick Dog Champion title and is working towards his Skijor and Sled dog certificates too!
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Suka
Suka is my newest pooch partner, and is a joy to work with even though he currently has a shyness of strangers which we are working on resolving. He is very strong, fast and overflowing with enthusiasm no matter what I may ask of him. In his first year he has learned canicross, agility, weight pulling, scootering, tracking, scent detection, and more! He has already competed in conformance, obedience, tracking and scent detection. and has earned his Trick Dog Champion title. We are excited to continue on our journey with Suka!
Qilaq
I thought we’d have more time to spend, but it was not to be.
He’s now with his sister Sesi, forever seizure-free.
My soul’s filled with great sadness and my heart feels such great pain,
I will miss my sweet boy Qilaq, until we meet again.Â
Run free my boy…..
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Qilaq was an amazing dog. He was epileptic and despite being on daily medication, experienced 20-35 seizures over a 1-3 day period every month. It wasn’t always easy having an epileptic dog, but it was so worth it! I miss him every day.
Sesi
(In Memorium) Jan 18, 2007 – Jul 4, 2017
The decision was not easy, but because I loved her so,
Her pain has now been ended and I have let her go,
To be in peace and comfort, no more coughing, pills or pain,
I will miss my sweet girl Sesi, until we meet again.
Run free my girl….
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Sesi was an active participant in activities since Pooch Partners was created. Sesi tore her ACL at age of 1, but after a slow recovery period she was good as new! She also suffered from a breathing disorder which she was on medication for, and while it slowed her down, she always enjoyed her outings although less often in her senior years. Sesi was definitely the leader of my pack and kept the boys in line. Sadly, due to deteriorating health, Sesi departed on her journey over the rainbow bridge July 4, 2017. She is thought of and missed every day.Â
Giving Back
Pooch Partners believes in giving back to the community! Our annual Doggie Duathlon has allowed us to support animal related charities, including the Vernon and Salmon Arm SPCA branches, Sit Pretty Pit, Hug-A-Bull, Vernon & District Animal Care Society, the Okanagan Humane Society, Vernon Pet Soup Kitchen, the Road Home Safekeeping & Rescue Society, and the University of Guelph’s Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund.
