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?
Shannon is AMAZING - friendly, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, thorough, flexible, and responsive - everything I could want in a trainer for my sweet little potato! Reggie responds to her immediately!I could not recommend Shannon and Zen Dog Training with any more fervour than I already do! Thanks Shannon - already looking forward to Puppy Grade One!
Very happy with the training, tools and help that Shannon provided during our one on one sessions. She gave me so much info on behaviour and was very patient with every question we had. I feel like I have so much more confidence with my reactive Daisy , and slowly we will be able to influence and correct her behaviour issues. Highly recommend , her follow-up with emails/ videos and website were all excellent . Thanks Shannon!
Set up for success!
Working with Zen Dogs completely changed my dog for the better and greatly improved our relationship. Thanks to Shannon, I build the dog of my dreams! My dog is focused, driven, calm and confident. He now gets along with all sorts of other animals, listens to me immediately and is brave enough to try new things!
Wonderful positive reinforcement instructor. I have taken puppy classes and all the way to rally obedience with Shannon and my pup and I have enjoyed it so much!
Shannon is a great teacher and we learned how to train our new puppy! We did kindergarten, grade one and grade two and we highly recommend. It allowed us to connect more with our puppy, set boundaries, reinforce behaviours and learn how to keep training him as he grows. It’s amazing how fast our puppy learned new concepts. Shannon is also available for advice and recommendations, which was very helpful as first time dog parents. Thank you, Shannon and Zen Dog training!
Shannon is hands down THE BEST! We just completed Puppy Grade 1 - not only was it fun but we learned a ton of tricks to keep our pup safe and engaged! This is the third class we have taken with Shannon (two different dogs!) and we just love her practical approach to training - 10/10 highly recommend. Archie agrees!
We went through puppy kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 with Shannon and cannot recommend her classes enough! Her patient and positive approach to training has absolutely helped us through some growing pains as new puppy parents. We left each course with the confidence to build on our pup's training and navigate ongoing behaviour with a supportive approach that truly has enhanced our relationship with our pup.
I am so happy we chose Zen Dog Training with Shannon!! We did the puppy classes, grade one, grade two and now we are moving to skills and drills! It’s so exciting to see where my pup started and where we are now. Shannon is very knowledgeable and she does not only teach commands and obedience, but also how to bond with your dog. Not only I really enjoy the classes, but I feel supported as a first time dog owner. Thank you Shannon!
We can’t say enough about Shannon and Zen Dog training. Earl of Oxford has successfully completed Puppy Kindergarten and we have now moved outside for more in Puppy Grade 1. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, patience and tips with us. The other added bonus of working with Shannon for puppy school was you get access to the Simply Natural shop and the expertise from Charmaine, Elizabeth and Caroline. We had first hand thoughts and tips on nutrition, grooming, vet visits and more. All made easier if you needed anything after the class from what we had learned, you could buy before heading home. Win Win. Shout out to all! Earl has many more classes ahead, as we - thanks!
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.
We are so grateful for Shannon and have learned so much from her!! We originally reached out with our fearful border collie puppy and Shannon has helped us build up her confidence and given us great advice as we work through the teenager phase of our girl’s development. Highly recommend Shannon - you can tell how knowledgeable she is and how she adapts the training to your individual dog.
This is my second time attending classes with Zen Dog. I trained with them for my first Golden Doodle named Konah. I also gave my god-son a gift certificate for Zen Dog classes for his new puppy back in 2018. Zen Dog creates a safe secure environment to learn training skills for your dog. I can't say enough about the owner Shannon. I first met Shannon almost 25 years ago and she has been working with me for all my pets. I am truly grateful to know her and to be apart of her program. Thank you Zen Dog and a huge thank you to all of the amazing staff working on the team!!
