© Copyright 2021 The Fairy Dog Mama
Fairy Dog Mama was founded by Courtney Faulkner in 2016 with the goal of creating a professional and accountable dog walking company for West Vancouver and the North Shore. Courtney’s career in the pet care industry started in 2013 while working at a positive reinforcement based daycare in North Vancouver and found working with dogs that had physical, mental, and emotional difficulties super rewarding. This led to the realization that there was a need for better care of pets in their homes and on the trail.
Courtney, otherwise known as The Fairy Dog Mama, is passionate about providing safe and force-free animal care. Her story begins when she started working at a Force-Free Dog training and daycare facility 7 years ago. She soon discovered there was a need for live-in care and private dog walking services for the dogs she worked with at the facility. She built close relationships with her clients and learned more about the force-free philosophy of dog training, and quickly began expanding her network of families who needed her. She also discovered the great need for force-free pet care services in North Vancouver, so she has made it her mission to ensure dogs and their families have access to exceptional force-free pet care that they can always rely on.
Courtney is dedicated to providing the best care she can, as well as educating people on the benefits of specialized live-in care for their animals. She tailors the care she provides to each family differently and in the most effective and force-free way possible for them. Her mission is to promote better standards for animal care while educating and supporting her clients the best way she can. She also ensures that anyone working for her company is passionate about force-free pet care and has the knowledge to provide exceptional care that is a standard at Fairy Dog Mama.
Courtney has completed her Walks n’ Wags Pet First Aid, Bravo Dog Get Dog Knowledge Level 1 & 2, and the Bravo Dog Get Dog Knowledge Puppy Essentials course, the Bravo Dog Get Dog Knowledge Dog Body Language course. And is Certified by Fear Free pets as a Fear Free Pet Sitter. She also attends the SPCA Animal Symposium annually. As of recently, she assists a local force-free trainer’s puppy classes, offering assistance not only to the trainer but to the families attending the class to help answer questions they may have and ensure they are practicing the exercises correctly. Currently, Courtney is enrolled in Doggone Safe, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating on safe human-canine interactions and to prevent dog bites- which can have serious and life-altering consequences. Most recently Courtney has enrolled herself in Catch Canine Trainers Academy to gain her certification as an R+ Dog Trainer.
In addition to this, her company is also a member of the Shock Free Coalition and the Pet Professional Guild. Both of these organizations are dedicated to working towards a ban of aversive tools and educating the public on the dangers and negative effects of forceful training. She continually updates her education and actively works with local trainers to better her knowledge. Courtney has worked with a wide range of dogs and can work on training plans you and your force-free trainers have set in place. She has cared for puppies as young as 10 weeks old, and dogs as old as 18 years of age! She can practice a number of skills with your dog such as, counter conditioning exercises (muzzle training, basic handling skills, etc), crate training, leash frustration, reactivity, working on developing strong recall skills, and monitoring appropriate dog interactions and play she is comfortable administering any medications with your animals (even insulin injections) and working with fearful dogs who require any specifically focused training. She believes in providing the best care she can, always.