Continuing Education

You care deeply about the animals you work with. But care alone doesn’t build a sustainable career.

Many pet professionals are pushed into entrepreneurship without support, systems, or realistic models for long-term success. Over time, this often leads to compassion fatigue, blurred boundaries, inconsistent income, and burnout - even when the work itself is meaningful and important.

Built to Last is a live, half-day workshop for pet professionals who want to build businesses rooted in ethics, advocacy, and sustainability without sacrificing their values, their energy, or their future.

This is not generic business advice. It’s grounded, real-world leadership from someone actively building and running successful pet-care and education businesses.

Built to Last is for pet professionals who:

• Want to build a real, sustainable career, not just survive month to month

•  Feel stretched thin by over-giving, under-charging, or unclear boundaries

•  Care deeply about animal welfare and ethical practice

• Want to advocate for dogs without burning themselves out

• Are tired of hustle culture, scarcity thinking, and comparison

• Want to build something steady, meaningful, and aligned with their life

This workshop is relevant for:

• Dog trainers and behaviour consultants

• Day school, care, and enrichment providers

• Walkers and pet professionals in animal care

• Solopreneurs and small teams alike

This workshop may not be the right fit if you’re looking for:

• Quick-fix business hacks

• “Scale at all costs” strategies

• High-pressure sales frameworks

• Marketing tactics without values

• A one-size-fits-all business model

Built to Last is about intentional, ethical, long-term growth, not urgency or hype.

By the end of this half-day workshop, you’ll walk away with:

• A clearer definition of success that aligns with your values, ethics, and lifestyle

• Greater confidence in setting boundaries around pricing, capacity, and visibility

• Tools to build strong, trust-based relationships with clients and industry peers

• Practical strategies for advocating for dogs without burnout or conflict

• A better understanding of how to design services that support both income and freedom

• Insight into where urgency and scarcity are showing up, and how to move away from them

• One clear boundary to implement, one decision to stop avoiding, and one values-aligned next step for the year ahead

This workshop is designed to support progress, not perfection.

Format & Details

• Live, interactive virtual workshop via Zoom
• Saturday, January 24, 9 AM - 12:30 PM MT
• $229 + gst ($179 + gst for Dogma Academy Students/Grads)
• Includes practical exercises, frameworks, and takeaways for your 2026, plus the full recording.

To support meaningful discussion and connection, space is intentionally limited.  Pricing reflects the depth, interaction, and real-world experience behind this workshop.

About the Facilitator

Megan Stanley is a behaviour consultant, educator, and industry leader with decades of experience building and operating successful pet-care and education businesses.

She is the Founder of Dogma Training & Pet Services and Dogma Academy, and currently serves as Chair of the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers (CAPDT).

Megan believes in abundance, collaboration, and raising the standard of care, not through hustle, but through thoughtful leadership, ethical practice, and sustainable systems. Built to Last is rooted in what she practices every day - not theory.

If you are looking to further your knowledge and confidence with dog to dog interactions, this workshop is for you. 

Join us for our most popular workshop! This interactive experience offers both auditing spots for observation and limited working spots for hands-on participation with a dog. The workshop will delve into setting up, managing, and facilitating dog-to-dog interactions, covering both one-on-one and group settings. We'll explore various types of interactions, learn safe conflict interruption techniques, and strategies for recovery post-conflict.

Participants will practice essential skills such as teaching, narrating, observing, and building confidence in dog-to-dog interactions, taking their knowledge beyond the basics. Whether you're seeking to deepen your understanding of canine behaviour or gain practical experience in managing dog interactions, this workshop goes above and beyond foundational training and is essential for anyone managing group play.

Where: Dogma Training (515- 70 Ave SW Calgary, AB). You can also join us virtually as we will live-stream this workshop!

When: Early Spring

Cost: 
Regular Ticket: $150 + gst

Dogma Academy Grads/Students and Dogma Members: Use code MEMBERGRAD for 25% off your ticket!

Are you with a rescue group and looking for training for your team and/or volunteers? Contact us for exclusive pricing or bring us in for private training with your team.

CEU's: 8 CCPDT 

Let us know with registration if you plan on bringing a dog. There are limited spots available. Dogs must be:

• people-friendly and dog-friendly
• be able to settle at the facility or remain in your vehicle between turns
• be fully vaccinated