Games-based dog training to grow calm, confident dogs.
Virtual sessions and packages to get ready for puppy or grow household manners.
Why FIKAdogs?
At FIKAdogs, we believe in using concept training and management to help your dog be prepared for the world and everything they might encounter. In simple terms, we train for the situation, not in the situation. Making it a safer, kinder and more effective way to train. Read more about this approach as well as the story behind our name.
Meet Your Trainer
Charmaine Swan, absoluteDogs certified PDT has had dogs her whole life. From her first dog as an 8 year-old girl, to her heart dog as a 20 year-old, to her current (and most challenging) dogs Shadow, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and Bernie, a 1 year-old Standard Poodle. Her mission is to make dog-training as easy and pain-free as possible, especially for busy families, and to make training part of something you do everyday, just like families in Sweden take time every day to share “fika” with friends and family. It’s about developing relationship, slowing down for a moment of connection and finding the joy in the small moments.
There’s a saying that “Dogs become what they do.” Meaning, if you want a dog to be high energy, go-go-go, all the time, then let them practice or “rehearse” high energy behaviors. The opposite is true, too. If you want a dog who is calm, confident and happy to just observe, we need to encourage and curate their environment so they practice those behaviors. At FIKAdogs, we believe that any dog can be taught calmness, it just takes 3 minute “FIKA Breaks” and consistent reinforcement.
What People Are Saying
“Working with Charmaine at FIKAdogs really helped us get ready to be first time dog owners. We’re so glad to be raising our puppy with games from the start!”
— Regina B.
“Charmaine is great to work with. She’s all about the dog’s perspective and developing strategies to work with their way of thinking. We recently welcomed a new dog into our household and he is very timid. She helped us understand that his life shaped his behavior—because he hasn’t had a lot of good experiences, he doesn’t trust that good things will happen. She demonstrated several games to subtly teach him that his life can be good here. She’s also encouraging us to be very patient with him. Slowly but surely, he’s coming around. I look forward to working with her more, and learning to be a better companion to our dog friends.
— Philomena K.
“With Archer's history as a stray and the long stretch he was in the shelter before we adopted him, we wanted to try to teach him manners in a fun way and build on his natural sweetness and intelligence, rather than use punitive methods to train him. The different games work really well for him and he's catching on quickly. Charmaine did a great job working with his individual strengths and needs.”
— Lori C.
See if FIKAdogs is the right fit for you.
There’s no commitment, pressure, or obligation.