City of Montreal offers free canine workshops amid calls for breed restrictions

Nicolas Tremblay says his husky Pina never had behavioural issues until she was attacked by a pit bull when she was just a puppy.

"She's scared of other dogs, so she can [exhibit] bad behaviour when she attacks the other dog, of course," Tremblay said in an interview.

Now, Pina's owners say some breeds should be restricted from public places, particularly if they're not well trained.

"If you don't do the work, some really bad things happen," he added. "Like what happened with us. Because the dog was not on a leash, and he didn't have any recall."

"It happens a lot that a lot of people are walking their dogs without a leash," said Mariana Badier, Pina's other owner.

The City of Montreal is taking a different approach. Instead of bans or restrictions, it's hosting free workshops led by a canine behaviour expert.

"The problem doesn't come from the species or race of the dog. It comes very often with the way you're training your dog," City of Montreal spokesperson Philippe Sabourin said.

He admits the workshops can't fix all problems. 

"If you're looking for general information or you have general questions then the workshop is for you…but if you have a specific behaviour you want to correct, it's better to go with a specific trainer."

The city says there has been a 40 per cent increase in dog ownership since the COVID-19 pandemic. With that comes more concerns about canine conduct. The city has been holding workshops since 2018, which take place year-round.

Several dog owners told CTV News they didn't know the resource existed, and they plan to participate in the future.

"We're working on behaviours as well, so I'm always open to learning more about etiquette in the dog park," said Tamar Merdkahanian.

"It would be great to have the trainings," added Nizar Kacimi.

The next free workshops are on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. at Parc Beaubien, at 7:00 p.m. at Parc du Pelican and on August 31st. A calendar can be found on the city's website.