Adrian Wichert CPDT-KA FDM
Adrian is a positive reinforcement-based trainer who specializes in service dog training and adventure-based boarding in East Toronto.
Adrian’s professional certifications include CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed) and FDM (Family Dog Mediator). They are currently working towards their Atlas Certified Service Dog Trainer certification (Atlas CT).
Adrian graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Critical Equity Studies and Psychology. They worked for years with children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and found the switch from education to dog training very logical. Adrian applies what they learned as an educator to help dogs tap into their strengths and build confidence.
Adrian spent two years as an instructor at Alliance Service Dogs before creating their own service dog training program. During their time with Alliance, Adrian launched and facilitated service dog puppy classes, public access-specific group classes, ran final evaluations, helped redesign Alliance’s program structure and policies, delivered presentations in schools and veterinary clinics, mentored other trainers new to the industry, and logged hundreds of hours of service dog instruction with owner-trainers.
Adrian lives in East Toronto with their working service dog Figment. Adrian and Figment train in many dog sports and explore the outdoors together year-round.
Outside of work, Adrian loves socializing with humans (including children), backcountry camping, cycling, film and digital photography, pottery, painting, gardening/landscaping, and starting ambitious home improvement projects - ideally multiple at once - that require them to learn entirely new sets of skills.
Gochee's Fantastic Notion (Figment)
Figment is Adrian’s personal companion, sport dog, backcountry adventure buddy, client demo dog, and working service dog.
Despite lacking the confidence and resilience that a service dog prospect should have as a puppy, Figment pushed through many significant fears and crushed a Public Access Test with two different organizations at the ripe young age of 17 months. Since then, Figment has been on over a dozen national and international flights, helped deliver presentations, and logged over a hundred different doctors’, specialists’, and Emergency Room visits as a working service dog. Figment often accompanies Adrian to client lessons as a demo and “distraction” dog. He is a fantastic (and well-paid) helper and sets a good example for younger and less experienced service dogs in training!
When he is off-duty, Figment lives a very full and enriched life as a beloved pet dog. He loves hiking, backcountry camping (he is a perfect canoe buddy), visiting his friends, playing tug, and training in dog sports.
Smash the Patriarchy & Traffic on the 401
Smash and Traffic are Adrian’s feline training associates. They are both extremely dog-savvy cats and have helped socialize and train dozens of boarding dogs and puppies.
Traffic is a working line dog in an orange cat’s body. He would walk through fire for a singular kibble, has a strong drive to learn and work, picks up new tricks fast, and is absolutely tireless. He is pushy, independent, vocal, and extremely snuggly.
Many people who meet Smash claim there probably isn’t much going on behind his giant eyes, but everyone agrees that what he lacks in the intelligence department, he makes up for in the vibes department. Smash is the poster child for what a child- and dog-friendly cat should be. He loves cuddling and playing with boarding dogs, and always runs to the door to greet them, purring, when they get home from hiking or training.