CHASE THE LURE

Get ready to discover a fresh, thoughtful approach to your dog’s wellbeing with The Farm Pet Retreat. They’re all about understanding the whole dog—how movement, enrichment, and recovery come together to create calmer, more confident companions. At BarkFest, we’ll be offering interactive demonstrations, personalised advice, and the chance to learn about their tailored services including enrichment sessions, structured exercise, and recovery-focused care. You can also take part in hands-on activities such as scent games, enrichment challenges, guided movement exercises, and even let your dog chase the lure, all designed to engage both you and your dog. Expect an engaging overview of what we do, the difference it can make in your dog’s life, and a glimpse of what you’ll experience when you connect with us. Come curious, leave inspired, and start seeing your dog in a whole new way.

Understanding the Dog Changes Everything.

The best version of every dog begins with understanding their needs. At The Farm Pet Retreat, they’ve built their philosophy around a simple principle: when dogs are given healthy opportunities to move, think, explore, and recover, they don’t just perform better—they thrive. Every experience they offer is intentionally designed around the whole dog. Join them at BarkFest for an interactive experience where you and your dog can discover how purposeful outlets can help create calmer minds, greater confidence, stronger relationships, and make learning easier.

The BarkFest Experience

• Bring your dog and explore activities designed around their natural instincts.

• Chase the Lure Experience – Let your dog experience the thrill of the chase in a safe, controlled environment.

• Confidence Course – Discover how simple obstacles encourage curiosity, body awareness, and confidence.

• Brain Games & Scent Work – Easy enrichment activities that engage your dog’s mind and can be recreated at home.

• Live Demonstrations – Learn practical ways to use healthy outlets, including our Ball-on-a-Stick exercise, and discover how these activities can make learning easier.

• Recovery Matters – See why helping your dog settle after excitement is just as important as the activity itself.

Throughout the Day They’'ll Be Sharing

• Why fulfilling natural instincts creates calmer, happier dogs.

• Simple enrichment ideas anyone can do at home.

• How movement, play, scent work, and problem-solving can be used with purpose.

• Why recovery is one of the most overlooked parts of a dog’s wellbeing.

• How this philosophy is woven into every service we offer, including our Board & Thrive programs, Luxury Boarding, Park Zone & Pool Rentals, and our premium one-on-one Grooming & Spaw services.

Whether you’re raising a puppy, living with a high-energy companion, or simply wanting to better understand the dog you love, we’d love to meet you. Come watch, ask questions, let your dog explore, and discover a different way of thinking about canine wellbeing.

About Rachelle Dion

Raised on a farm and working with animals throughout her life, Rachelle Dion is a certified dog trainer, certified canine hydrotherapist, and the founder of The Farm Pet Retreat. Her greatest teacher, however, was Bella—her purebred working-line German Shepherd.

Bella reminded Rachelle that experience doesn’t end the search for understanding—it deepens it. Determined to understand the dog she had chosen to bring into her life, she pushed beyond what she already knew, learning not only from Bella but from every dog that followed.

That journey shaped The Farm Pet Retreat Philosophy.

While many owners feel pressure to have a dog that behaves a certain way in every situation, Rachelle believes our responsibility is not to force every dog into the same expectations, but to understand the individual in front of us and build a life where they can truly succeed.

Rachelle believes every dog, every owner, and every trainer brings different experiences, and that by remaining curious and continuing to learn from one another, we all grow. She simply shares what her own journey has taught her in hopes of helping others better understand the dogs they love.

 The best version of every dog begins with understanding their needs.