About

From Sparky Smith.

How can one describe the moment in space and time, when everything drops away, and the connection between two beings is made? And though different in so many ways, like how they walk, see, and smell ... there is a dialogue created in these moments of safety, trust and care.

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When in these moments, it is not lost on me that I am being watched closely, and one part of me recalls later, having heard concerned dog parents murmuring to one another, "I can't believe what I am seeing" or some other wonderous expressions. 

I began as a teenage animal behaviourist,  engaged with any animal who came into view on our farm.  I would watch the animal and then place myself in the role of a teacher.   I met and engaged with many working line dogs who were tasked with gathering up the cows, chickens, ducks and horses. Ah horses. Like many teenage girls they were my heart calling.  I learned how to speak to them first. Whispering in their ears all the secrets of youth, until simply the sound of a whisper had them coming over as if to hear more.  Quite the friendships were gratefully made by a lonely kid and remembered to this day. 

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Between being a teenager and my move into full-time dog psychology and behaviour, I became a strategy expert for big business.  I consulted at the pinnacle of global finance world, leading strategic market share growth, new product lines, innovation project and customer loyalty program. I was a thought-leader, panelis and speaker at many industry conferences and ivy league schools, focusing on shifting the behaviour successfully and repeatedly to  hundreds of thousand employees. You may ask; How does this business woman connect to the now canine psychologist and behaviourist? I connect through a life-long passionate curiosity of wanting to know how animals think, feel and behave. Over 40 years now, I studied scientific journals on neurobiology, neuroplasticity, animal-swarm-based optimization, systems thinking for organizational, coaching,  and social change and animal (human, dog) change and psychology.  The curiosity and knowledge gathering has never stopped allowing me to stay current and up-to-date on all breakthroughs on human and dog psychology, how to make changes stick, and how to make relationships strong,  grow and sustain across species.  Professionally certified in dog psychology and behaviour in 2016 & 2017,  I took the lifetime of varied experiences into the dog field.  Between my early years and today, I've become artful in transferring capabilities, knowledge and skills to elevate what I've been taught about dog psychology and the often overlooked part of the behaviour system, the human caregiver, or, as I like to call it, the dog parent.   

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As I grew PivotalChange.ca, I needed to personally trained dog behaviour professionals in my methods, as there is little taught about human psychology, the way human's change, and the implications of parenting a traumatised dog.  I feel confident in saying my team is able to more completely see complex behaviour issues and the brain-body-behaviour paradigm for dog parents and dogs.

Today, we work across Canada, offering dog parents online and in-person (selected areas) and do-it-yourself options. We are singularly unique in our methods, focusing on traumatised and rescued dogs with serious behaviour issues. 

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I hope to meet you soon.

Sparky

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