About Cathie…

Hi! I’m Cathie Wheeldon! Our family includes my husband, Simon, our daughter, Etta, and 3 dogs who are of course as important to us as your dogs are to you! We know what dog ownership (and love) are all about!! As a longtime dog trainer and dog sport enthusiast, I have many years of experience working with dogs and can provide an enriching and positive environment where they feel safe and relaxed. We love to have fun with the pups!

I have been involved with animals, and focused on dogs, for most of my life. We currently have our 3 dogs, a flock of Runner Ducks, a senior Cockatiel, and even a Hermit Crab! All three dogs are Border Collies - the eldest, Switch, is almost 17, and the younger two, Zoinks and Retro are 6 1/2 and 6. We’ve been lucky to share our lives with many dogs (and many other beloved animals) over the years and miss all of our previous family members. Our dogs who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge include Maggie, a tiny Pomeranian; our “big dog”, Oakley, a Lab mix; Flash (my heart dog…), our first Border Collie and mom to Switch; Booster, a Jack Russell/Border Collie mix; and Jessie, a Lab/Beagle who became the BEST dogsitting buddy for many of the visiting dogs.

Over the years we have also been a foster home to many Border Collie Rescue Ontario dogs. Our quiet country location has been a great place for our foster dogs to reset, and have a new start with some training before moving on to their permanent homes. Check out BCRO here to learn more about my friend Cindy and the rest of the BCRO group!

A little more of my backstory if you’d like to read it! I tend to be a little long-winded… lol

Having grown up with dogs, birds, and various small animals, I started on my path of animal care early! It all started by tagging along with my dad on dairy farm calls around Stratford (he worked on the milk coolers while I played in the barn with all the cows, cats, dogs, chickens, etc!), then to my first volunteer position at 12 years old with the local veterinarian, where I later transitioned to a part-time job at the same office.

During high school, I worked in a small pet store for a few years. I then moved to Hamilton to attend Mohawk College where I achieved my Diploma in Applied Music (my only “stray” from animals!!). I spent a number of years breeding cockatiels and had a nice group of birds for many years. While in college, I was hired at Ryan’s Pet Food, a pet supply store, and became the manager for several years for the busiest store in the chain. And then I found dog training...

Looking to further my dog training interest, I became an apprentice at McCann Professional Dog Trainers. While at McCann’s I became a full-time Head Instructor and fell in love with dog training, teaching, and dog sports. Besides teaching, my dogs and I performed as part of the McCann Dogs at their Agility and Flyball performances at various venues including The Royal Winter Fair, Ontario Place, All About Pets, and The Sportsman Show. I worked at McCann’s from 1997 until the birth of our daughter, Etta, in 2008. I’ve continued to further my dog training education over the years, and have embraced a game-focused, positive reinforcement approach that I just love! Relationship building is so very important when working with dogs, and I work hard to develop trust and a connection with each dog I work with.

Both my husband, Simon & I have been active in Flyball and Disc Dog, and I have done extensive training in Agility, Obedience, and Herding. Dog sports became a family activity when Simon also became involved in Disc Dog, and later Flyball. He even became a Canadian Disc Dog Association Judge, and he and I were on the CDDA executive. Our girl Flash was at one time the CDDA’s top pointed dog in Canada!

I’m now also a Pet Photographer and am able to use all of these skills and years of experience to create artwork of your beloved pets. I love this new venture and am excited to see where it goes! Check out Wheeldon Photography to have a peek at my work!

I first began Hug-a-Pup by agreeing to look after a dog or two from my McCann classes, and then it snowballed to the business it is today. We’re now celebrating 20 years in business!! Providing personal dog care for dogs of all ages (with puppies being a specialty) from my dog room located in our home became my full-time focus in 2002. We moved to the Hagersville area in 2003 and found a great spot to grow our business. We outgrew our Hagersville property in 2010, and are now located near Cayuga on a lovely 20+ acre wooded property! We’ve worked hard to renovate the former traditional kennel to be more suited to our style of Dogsitting, and become a Dogsitting Facility instead. Personalized dog care continues to be the priority, as does providing a safe and structured, yet fun environment. Our visiting dogs become family, and I am honoured to be a part of their lives.