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?
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.
I have worked with Shannon at Zen Dog Training for many years with my dogs. Shannon has been and continues to be an incredible support for dog training as well as anything else doggy related! Shannon's classes are so much fun and my dog enjoys them just as much as I do. Shannon is always willing to answer questions and provide resources. I would highly recommend Shannon and Zen Dog Canine Training for any of your dog training needs.
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 have learned so much with Zen Dog, so happily. The classes are effective, with an outstanding trainer (Shannon) guiding our dogs to learn very happily. Everything is based on positive reinforcement and it all works so well. You will enjoy the training and your dog will thrive.Our Aussie Mountain Doodle puppy came home at 5 months. She is our first dog so we were a bit anxious about how to get it right. We quickly gained confidence with the Zen Dog JumpStart programme. It was astonishing on the first day to find that Indy could do so much already... when Shannon worked with her. Then we took over and things fell apart. It dawned on us that Shannon was actually training us, not the puppy! We applied ourselves, began guiding Indy better, and saw really rewarding results. Grade 1 was a great experience, too. We have made notable progress and, most importantly, now have considerable confidence as to how to proceed. We'll be back for Grade 2 with Zen dogs!
I had the opportunity to take puppy kindergarten classes with Shannon several years ago with my border collie Savvy. The class was well structured and the content was very informative. We got to learn basic obedience, tricks, even a little obstacle course all while interacting carefully with other puppies. We learned about nutrition and grooming and got some cool goody bags. Would definitely recommend this class!! I actually drove over an hour from Langley to attend this class every week and it was well worth it!!
I started train my high energy mixed breed puppy with Zen Dog Canine and love their approach...Both Shannon and Christine are very knowledgeable and equip you with several tools how to deal with your dog's behaviour.. and I can't wait till the next course..
Shannon is amazing! Gave us a real insight into the what and why with our 16 month old Aussidoodle Murphy and how we as puppy parents could adjust to make us love him even more! ❤️ Thanks again Shannon! Mike, Murphy & Ryan
Just completed a Rally O class with my 10 month old terrier. It was so much fun! We experienced challenging courses, constructive training and great support from Shannon. I would highly recommend this course to dog owners with good training basics.
Shannon is great, and I love that she offers drop-in options for ongoing training as well as package deals. Monique has made so much progress since we've been working with Zen Dogs!
Shannons Saturday morning group classes are engaging & fun & i find the exposure to other dogs in this controlled environment are really helping my reactive dog. He is becoming calmer, more focused & happy & I’m confident Shannon’s training methods & exercises we do are helping to achieve this.
Puppies are so cute but also so challenging at times. Shannon’s courses provided both me and my puppy with the necessary foundation and skills required to develop a happy, confident and well behaved adult dog. Each of the courses offered are very informative while being fun at the same time. Shannon’s extensive knowledge and kind approach brings the most out of any owner/dog combo.
Shannon was an amazing trainer for me and my rescue pup Rosie, my pup and I were both anxious and Rosie was very reactive with other dogs. Shannon taught me how to deal with stressful situations and create a positive environment for Rosie to be more comfortable / relaxed on our walks when encountering other dogs. She has a wealth of knowledge and is great at passing it on during sessions as well as following up by sending really helpful training exercises to work on at home. I recommend Shannon for anyone looking for help creating a more harmonious relationship with their dog.
