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.

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!

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.

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!

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

(In Memoriam) Jan 18, 2007 – Jul 4, 2018

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.

Run free my boy…..

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….

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.

Giving Back

Pooch Partners believes in giving back to the community! Our annual Doggie Duathlon and other fundraising events have allowed us to support animal related charities, including but not limited to 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, Critter Care Wildlife Society, Forever Home Sanctuary, and the University of Guelph’s Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund.

What Our Credentials Mean

Certified Dog Trainer

Animal Behaviour College - clicker training

Professional Dog Trainer

Absolute Dogs - games-based concept training

Diploma - Animal Behaviour Science & Technology (ABST) for dogs, cats, parrots & equine

Certified Canine Fitness Trainer (CCFT)

University of Tennessee, Veterinary Academy of Higher Learning (VAHL) - Assess fitness level and create fitness plans for dogs

Certified Dynamic Dog Practitioner

Dynamic Dog Practitioner Programme - intensive functional analysis resulting in a 2-page report for vets with accompanying photos and video

Certified Licenced Whole Energy Body Balance™ (WEBB) Bodywork & Energywork Practitioner

Dr. Edward Bassingthwaighte BVSc - WEBB is a healing somatic bodywork system that interacts with the entire physical body and energy systems of pets to relieves tension in the neuro-fascial network, that has a positive flow-on effect for the entire body. WEBB also has profound effects on mental and emotional issues, releasing and integrating trapped layers of trauma and post-traumatic stress

Certified SA (Separation Anxiety) Pro™ Behaviour Consultant

Julia Naismith’s program to help dog’s that struggle with separation related behaviours.

**Licenced Family Dog Mediator* (FDM)**

Kim Brophy, CDBC, CPDT-KA. Applied Ethologist -incorporating the L.E.G.S. (Learning, Environment, Genetics and Self) model into dog services to satisfy their ethological needs in training;

Treat/Retreat Certified Instructor

Suzanne Clothier - program to help dogs fearful of people

Certificate - Aggression in Dogs Master Course

Mike Shikashio – approaches to training and management when dealing with aggressive dogs

Certified Predation Substitute Training Instructor

Simone Mueller – a program developed to enable prey motivated dogs an outlet for their natural behaviours in a safe way

Certified Trick Dog Instructor

Do More with Your Dog – assist clients to achieve titles up to Grand Master champion recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club

Certified Canine Conditioning Fitness Coach

Do More with Your Dog – assist clients to achieve titles up to Grand Master champion

Trick Dog Evaluator

Do More with Your Dog – enables me to evaluate clients and their dogs for all levels of their trick dog titles

Stunt Dog Judge

Do More with Your Dog – enables me to evaluate clients and their dogs for all levels of their stunt dog titles

Certified Animal Actor Evaluator

Do More with Your Dog – enables me to evaluate clients and their dogs for all levels of their Animal Actor titles

Canine Good Neighbour (CGN) Judge

Canadian Kennel Club - enables me to evaluate dogs for their CGN title

Pet First Aid

St. John Ambulance and Absolute Dogs

Fear Free Certified Professional

Fear Free - works to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets by inspiring and educating veterinary and other pet professionals as well as pet parents and rescues.– provide support to pet

Grief Coach for Pet Loss

Certified Excellence guardians during preparation and loss of their beloved pet.

Personal Trainer Specialist

CanFitPro – personal trainer

What Our Clients Are Saying

"Shelly was amazing! She taught us basic games, boundaries and all the tools we need to be successful on walks! I highly recommend Pooch Partners."

-Ashley Browne

"Absolutely amazing! We learned so much and Moose is now a different dog! He understands boundaries, and has manners! Would definitely recommend."

-Candice Mikkelsen

"Shelley is very thorough and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend Pooch Partners for anyone looking for personal training for their dog or group classes."

-Alana Tkachenko-Shultz