Get to know more about Shannon Malmberg
As an avid runner, Shannon began her dog training journey in 1988 by volunteering with Project Safe Run, a personal protection-dog organization for women athletes, while she completed degrees in journalism and political science at the University of Oregon.
Upon graduation Shannon moved to Vancouver and worked as a civilian decoy with the Vancouver Police Dog Squad from 1991 until 2003: a “hired bad-guy” to assist in the training of young patrol dogs in tracking and criminal apprehension. Hiding in dumpsters, running down dark alleyways, and getting bitten by German Shepherds gave her an insight into working with high drive dogs and dog aggression.
It was here Shannon truly got the dog training bug.
She founded her company Zen Dog Canine Training Ltd. in 2002, teaching dogs and their people across Vancouver and the lower mainland. To date she has worked with close to 10,000 clients on a broad range of issues from puppy raising to behavioural cases, and all things in between.
As a professional dog coach, Shannon is enthusiastic and creative, committed to teaching in a way that is positive for both humans and dogs. She has a gift for bringing dogs and their people closer together while meeting the needs of each client she works with. Shannon stays current with science-based methods and is a lifelong student in all things dog.
My Great Dog Story
She tirelessly attends multiple seminars and on-line coursework a year, getting the opportunity to work with some of the world's leading dog trainers in developing her own craft. Shannon is driven by her passion to learn more and do better by the dogs she lives and works with. She also has a keen interest in building relationships through toy/tug play, and understanding canine nutrition, fitness and body conditioning, rounding out her understanding of dogs' needs.
Shannon is recommended by breeders, veterinarians, rescue organizations and related industry peers for the work she does. She currently shares her life with two amazing border collies and can be found in the agility ring or out in nature.
About the company
The company targets specific classes and personal coaching for rescue dogs, as well as reactive dogs, puppies, adolescent and adult dogs, honouring their unique stages and transitions in life. Zen Dog is committed to positive reinforcement-based strategies when working with clients and their dogs and seeks to engage the learner with effective game-based methods so that learning is fun for all.
What do Dog Owners think?
Overwhelming positive experience
Very thankful for Shawn Housman’s/Zen Paws behavioral training with Lillie. We can now take her for extended walks without confrontational behavior. If you’re looking for someone to train your dog, I would highly recommend Shawn. I would without a doubt use her services again if necessary.
I’ve adopted and fostered multiple dogs in the past 20 years and taken them all to training classes, from many different companies. Shannon and Zendog are by far the best. Shannon’s decades of experience and incredible talent as a coach and dog trainer make her classes a joy to take. I learn so much every time and I know I can trust Shannon to meet every dog and handler wherever we are. She leaves nobody behind, provides twice ad much information as any other classes I’ve taken, and somehow ensures neither dogs nor humans get bored. I’ve done everything from puppy classes to advanced obedience to reactive dog classes to private lessons with Shannon, and referred many friends there over the years. Shannon gives an outstanding experience and excellent value every single class. It is especially important to get early training and socialization right with young puppies, and Shannon’s puppy classes are by far the safest and best place I've found to make sure that happens.
We did Puppy Kindergarten and Grade 1 with Shannon at Zen Dog Training. Kindergarten was really fun and informative. It is more focused on training skills than socialization. We learned some key skills like sit, middle, heel, down, on your mat and touch. We also learned more important life skills such as practicing holds for when we go to the vet, learning back foot awarness, and leaving food alone if its on the floor. Overall it was a really great way to bond with our lab puppy and learn together.Grade 1 was outside at PW Mini School. There was about 7 other dogs in the class. We worked on recalls, loose leash walking, and built on some of the skills we learned in Kindergarten. It was so fun being outside and continuing to learn with some of the dogs from Kindergarten. All us dog parents connected and are in a group chat sharing the highs and lows of puppyhood.Overall, Shannon is incredibly knowledgable. She has a really great approach to training that is focused on connection with your puppy over discipline. She shows how practice, dedication and repetitive training can lead to a calm well behaved pet.Our puppy is almost 7 months old now and he is happy to come with us to park hangs, walks well on his leash, plays well with other dogs and is very bonded with us! Overall 10/10 would recommend Shannon and Zen Dog Training, you need to be ready to work hard!
The "kindergarten" is an excellent course: thoughtfully designed, thoroughly prepared, and effectively delivered. Our puppy learned a lot while enjoying herself beyond belief. We did too, because Shannon teaches the owners how to work with their dogs. We will absolutely take our puppy to other courses offered by Shannon.
Excellent, highly knowledgeable trainer that constantly stays on top of current research in dog training. Highly recommend
It was so calming for my dog!
I can't say enough about Zen Dog training and Shannon herself. She really exudes sheer knowledge, wrapped in a comforting layer of reassurance and fun. My dog now behaves so well and is so much calmer in situations that used to be stressful. Thanks so much!
Wonderful Training Experience with ZenDog
I adopted Benny, a rescue Husky-Border Collie mix, when he was about a year old, and as my first big dog, I knew I needed support. Working with Shannon and Isabelle at ZenDog has been such a gift. They are incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and kind, offering thoughtful guidance not only for dogs but also for people learning how to support them. They’ve helped me learn how to communicate clearly with Benny, set healthy boundaries, and reinforce positive behaviours in ways that really work for both of us. I’ve gained so much confidence as a dog guardian thanks to their guidance. Right now, we’re taking their Rally-O classes, which are so much fun, not just for Benny but for me too. I highly recommend ZenDog to anyone who wants to build a stronger, more connected relationship with their dog.
Zen Dog Canine Training is one of the best I experienced with my reactive dog. Shannon is a great trainer, knowledgeable, patient, and very supportive. Her classes are always fun for dogs and their people. I learned a lot from the training sessions as well as from the private classes. . I can always count on the constructive feedback from Shannon, and support in sometimes hard reality owning a reactive dog. I am very happy that I found the Zen Dog Canine Training and will continue to work with Shannon.
My husband and I recently had the pleasure of working with Shannon at Zen Dog Training to help our dog Apollo with reactivity issues and making better choices. Her experience was transformative.Shannon provided us with a set of practical and effective tools that have made a significant difference in Apollo’s behavior. She took the time to understand the specific challenges we were facing and tailored her approach to suit our needs. Her expertise and patience were evident throughout the training sessions.One of the most valuable aspects of Shannon's training was her focus on positive reinforcement and clear communication. She taught us how to create a structured environment where our dog could thrive and learn to make good choices independently. The techniques were easy to understand and implement, and we have seen immediate improvements.Shannon’s guidance has been invaluable, and we feel more equipped to handle any challenges that come our way.We highly recommend Shannon at Zen Dog Training to anyone looking for a knowledgeable and compassionate dog trainer.
Remy and I love coming to Saturday classes! Shannon is knowledgeable and kind. We trust her expertise. Saturdays are a wonderful way to supplement our own training and stimulating for my dog :)
I have been taking my two dogs to classes with Shannon and the other great trainers at Zeno Dog for a couple of years and am loving it. We are currently enrolled in the Nuts and Bolts class with Shannon. Her classes are challenging, and she makes you work, but her program is creative , practically helpful and very fun. One of the things that makes Shannon such an engaging teacher is that she is constantly taking courses and incorporating new ideas into her teaching. There is nothing stale or repetitive about Zen Dog! One of my dogs could be reactive towards other dogs but has done so well in Shannon's classes. It makes me proud to see her so focussed and relaxed around other dogs. I think that we were so busy and concentrating so hard during class that my dog forgot to worry about other dogs and I forgot to worry about her. At the end of the day, I leave Shannon's classes with tired and content dogs and a really great feeling about my relationship with them. I highly recommend Zen Dog.
We have a rare breed, a Thai Ridgeback, which is known to be a challenging breed. But our Cooper is just like any pup, friendly interactive and now well trained. Shannon and Jen that we have worked in private and in classwork are extremely knowledgeable and use most current and best practice in their training methods. Highly recommend.