St-Lazare-based guided walks an alternative for dogs
Twice a week, rain or shine, a pack of up to 30 dogs runs free through the woods alongside their owners at Guides Canins, a dog training centre in St-Lazare located among 76 acres of mixed forest.
Chelsea Du Jardin, an event planner and trainer at Guides Canins, said the hour-long walks are a great way to socialize dogs and practise recall.
“If you are in a group of dogs and they take off after a squirrel you are almost always assured they will come back,” said Du Jardin. While the 5-km trail network is not fenced, she said the trails are set far back from the road.
According to Geneviève Lachance, who has taken her 10-month-old “chug” (a chihuahua/pug mix) on the walks, the guided off-leash trail walks offer a unique alternative to city dog parks for energetic and social dogs.
“It’s insane. The dogs are running everywhere and jumping on each other and playing and walking. It’s crazy,” said Lachance. “Everybody needs a nap after, including the humans.”
Lachance said that although it may feel chaotic, there is a structure to the walks. While the dogs are free to run and play with each other, they always stay with their human. “Everyone looks out for each other’s dog to make sure they don’t take off, hurt each other, or leave poop behind,” she said.
Trail access is free for those who are enrolled in classes at Guides Canins, and $5 per day for dropin visitors. Monthly and annual passes are also available. The yearround guided group walks are on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. and Saturdays at 4 p.m., and are cancelled only in the event of extreme bad weather. Pet owners can choose whether to walk dogs on- or off-leash. Dog owners are also welcome to enjoy self-guided trail walks during daylight hours.
The trails are also used for canicross, bikejoring and skijoring, sports that involve running, cycling or skiing behind a harnessed dog.
In addition to the trails, Guides Canins offers dog boarding, grooming, agility classes, training workshops and other activities for dog-lovers. Upcoming events at the centre include a weeklong agility competition from May 13 to 28, featuring obedience, traction sports, Frisbee, rat sports and scent detection, and a dog breeding seminar on July 1-2. In June, Guides Canins will host a provincial dog agility competition at the Saint-Lazare sport complex.
“Our mission is really to create a better relationship between the human and their four-legged friends,” Du Jardin said.
Guides Canins is located at 1200A Montée Poirier in St-Lazare. For more information on events, visit guidescanin.com or call 450-424-1469.