Your Happy Dog Coach
Pet Dog Ambassador

Pet Dog Ambassador

Pet Dog Ambassador

Location to be determined. Cost of location rental will affect cost of service. 
Contact Your Happy Dog Coach to be put on The Waiting List. You will be contacted with details as they become available.
PDA Group Class (Four Pup & Human Teams)

Average of $275 (price will fluctuate dependent on rental space)
8 one-hour weekly sessions

What is a Pet Dog Ambassador?

I’ll tell you in my words first, then I’ll add the notes from the PPG and official lingo.Five level life skills Ped Dog Ambassador instructor assessor Your Happy Dog Coach Nova Scotia

Basically, the Pet Dog Ambassador program is a five level Life Skills program. Both levels one and two are entry level programs. Puppies under 9 months old would be in level one, any dog over 6 months old can start in level two. 
If you and your pup put in the practice, and pass the assessments (which I can also perform, with a helper present), you work towards the next level until you reach the “Champion Level”, level 5.

You will need to agree to The Guiding Principles from the Pet Professional Guild, as well as pay a small application fee directly to them when you register. You can learn more from their page: Pet Dog Guardians Get Started. You’ll be required to provide proof of vaccines or titers, complete a health form and include your veterinarian contact information. The PPG are very 

The reason that I chose to teach and assess this program above the more common Canadian based one is that it focuses more on life skills and less on obedience. It incorporates things like waiting to be invited into and out of the car, ignoring distractions on the ground during a walk, loose leash walking, recall, place, and more, but all in very practical and useful ways. There are video examples of a few levels that can be found at the bottom of this page as well as on the PPG Pet Dog Ambassador page.

I’ve been certified to instruct and assess this program for a while now, however, logistically I haven’t been able to offer it.
It’s time to stop waiting to find a spot, and start renting so I can bring this awesome assessment program goal to the communities that I serve… it turns out, I am the only Certified PDA Instructor/Ambassador in Canada (crazy, right?)
If you are interested in becoming a Pet Dog Ambassador, please contact me and let me know. Once I have enough interest in a general area (four pup and human teams), I will look at renting a community space and we will schedule our beginner levels (1 & 2).  The cost will depend on the cost of the rental spaces, but will average $275 for the 8 weeks.

Okay, now from the Pet Professional Guild:

As long as the assessment criteria have been met, the dog will pass. There are no first places for perfection.

The Pet Dog Ambassador (PDA) is a program for pet dog guardians to learn and grow together using positive reinforcement protocols. The program culminates in a test of knowledge and skills that demonstrate your ability to manage your canine companion in real life settings.

The program is suitable for pet dogs and their guardians who are currently comfortable around people and other dogs. 

Pet guardians who register for the program must be willing to review and agree to the PPG Guiding Principles which can be found on the website. These principles speak to how we manage, train and care for pets, ensuring the pets welfare is always at the forefront of our actions.

The Pet Professional Guild, firmly believes that pet dogs and their people also deserve training accolades.

The program consists of five training levels, each with its own set of skills, criteria and assessments. The levels build on each other, often covering the same skills but to a higher level of complexity and proficiency. The starting level is dependent on the age of your dog, with Level 1 being for puppies 4 to 9 months of age and Level 2 being for any dog over 6 months.

  • Improve your relationship with your dog.
  • Gain a better understanding of positive reinforcement-based dog training and its applications to everyday living.
  • Improve your skills as a socially responsible pet guardian.
  • Increase your knowledge and understanding of local laws within your local community.
  • Equip you and your dog with the skills to be out in broader community settings such as cafes and other outdoor eating areas, off-leash areas, busy streets, and beaches.
  • Demonstrate to the public the many advantages of having a well-trained dog.

Press Release for Pet Dog Ambassador Instructors/Assessors From The Pet Professional Guild:

Pet Professional Guild Appoints Lori-Lee Regimbald, owner and trainer at, Your Happy Dog Coach, as a Pet Dog Ambassador Instructor and Assessor.

PDA is an international licensing initiative focused on improving and strengthening dogs and their owners skills, both in a class situation and in the real world. It’s key aims are to acknowledge the hard work and commitment that dog owners and their pets undertake to make their shared lives enjoyable, and to encourage owners to continue training and developing new skills, abilities and knowledge. Specifically, PDA recognizes the efforts made by dog owners, starting from a puppy or new dog’s very early training. Designed as a progressive assessment, PDA is a five-level program with each level building on the previous, working up from “puppy/beginner” to “championship” level.
Qualified professional dog trainers are tested rigorously on the PDA program before receiving their license to instruct, while assessors are tested on both the program knowledge and their ability to test pet owners across all the assessment markers for each level.

The benefits of PDA include improving the relationships between pet dogs and their owners and helping owners gain a better appreciation of force-free, scientifically sound dog training and its applications to everyday life. By improving the knowledge of socially responsible pet owners, increasing their awareness and understanding of local laws in their locality, and equipping both dog and owner with the skills to be out in the wider community in public settings, through PDA we can demonstrate the many advantages of having a well-trained dog. I look forward to continuing to help improve the lives of pets and their owners throughout the tri-county region, and am delighted to be part of the PDA initiative.
“PDA is an assessment process that tests real life situations,” added Debra Millikan, PPG board member and PDA project chair. “PDA differs from anything else that is currently available in the sense that there is much more real life testing.”

About The Pet Professional Guild
The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is a 501(c)6 international member organization founded on the principles of force-free training and pet care. Its membership represents pet industry professionals who are committed to science-based, humane training and pet care philosophies, practices and methods. Pet Professional Guild members understand force-free to mean that shock, prong, choke, pain, force, or fear are never used in training, managing, or caring for a pet.

Part of PPG’s mission is to help make sure every pet is a valued member of their family. By providing the greatest value and highest quality, state-of-the-art, force-free, science-based pet training and pet care for each client, PPG members aim to improve the relationship and quality of life people share with their pets. PPG members pledge to demonstrate integrity, compassion, and an uncompromising commitment to excellence in the care and support of clients and their pets. Members will also continually expand their knowledge and improve their skills to best serve their clients by providing the most innovative pet training and pet care possible.

About Pet Dog Ambassador
The Pet Dog Ambassador program is a five-tier pet manners training program for dogs of all ages, whereby owners can teach their pets essential life skills in a fun and supportive environment to help them become the Ambassador they deserve to be in their family and community.

Poster from PPG Pet Dog Ambassador Instructor Assessor Your Happy Dog Coach Nova Scotia Canada

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3