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A Retreat in Relationship
The Living Connection Retreat is where relationships form through experience
Located in Hudson, Quebec, The Living Connection (TLC) retreat is built around meaningful interactions with dogs, horses, and wolves. Each experience is guided with care and grounded in science, allowing clients to form lasting, healing relationships with the animals. These programs bring something different, yet they are all rooted in the same foundation: connection, respect, and the healing power of animals.
The dog, wolf, and horse programs are designed for individuals seeking meaningful, lasting support through interaction with animals, buiding on real relationships between people and the animals.
The AALs are for people those seeking change
TLC is for those who experience:
Learning difficulties
Relationship issues
Mental health challenges
Recovering from trauma
TLC programs are anything but conventional
During your retreat you will:
Interpret and train behaviour
Explore attachment and relationships
Apply your skills to your life situation
Problem-solve and make decisions
The highly trained animals are eager to work and help you achieve your goals; with guidance and clear instructions, you will learn to create meaningful changes in your life and depening your relationships.
Dog-Assisted Learning
Dog-assisted learning (DAL) offers a gentle, supportive space for emotional growth.
Working with our trained dogs, students often find it easier to relax, open up, and express themselves.
The presence of a calm, trustworthy dog can ease anxiety, improve communication, and help teenagers build self-confidence.
Whether someone is struggling with fear, sadness, or social disconnect, the dog’s steady companionship and social skills offers a safe path back to trust and connection.
Dogs are truly man's best friend!
Equine-Assisted Learning
Equine-assisted learning (EAL) sessions are based on social cognitive animal training.
Horses respond honestly to how we carry ourselves, they sense our emotions and mirror them back to us.
Through quiet interaction, clients begin to develop emotional regulation, patience, and presence.
Without ever needing to ride, participants experience the grounded, empowering effects of simply being with a horse, reading their body language, and learning to move in harmony with them.
Wolf-Assisted Learning
Wolf-assisted learning (WAL) offers something rare and deeply transformative. Wolves, unlike domesticated animals, challenge us to be present.
The sessions focus on building boundaries, trust, and self-awareness, all within a safe, and structured environment.
The wolves choose to engage, and in doing so, they invite us into a relationship that is honest and unforgettable.
A rare and profound experience in trust-building, boundary, and self-awareness, is a guaranteed success.
I'm Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, a behaviour specialist, educator, facilitator, and animal-assisted learning practitioner in Hudson, Quebec. I work alongside trained dogs, horses, and wolves to support people on their path to personal growth and well-being.
With 40 years of experience in domestic and exotic animal behaviour and training, I help individuals tap into the transformative power of cross-species relationships. If you're an individual seeking support, I invite you to explore a new kind of healing, one that’s grounded in empathy, trust, and science.
I believe healing begins with connection, the kind of deep, non-verbal understanding that only animals can offer. When you open yourself to the possibility that an animal can foster growth, resilience, and unconditional love, we become better versions of ourselves.
Book titles are available in e-book and audiobook formats
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Superstars Change Teen Lives
2023
Explore the transformative power of animal-assisted therapy in the lives of at-risk teenagers. The story unfolds in a unique setting where dogs, wolves, rats, and horses become facilitators in the journey toward healing.
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Superstars Change Teen Lives Dyslexia Edition
2023
This edition contains the same text as the Animal-Assisted Therapy version, but with the official Open Dyslexia font.
The book is nearly 500 pages to accomodate the extra letter space and shape of the font.
Social Cognitive Animal Training
2026
SCAT introduces an approach to animal training that moves beyond lure and punishment training and into the realm of relationship and trust. Rooted in learning theory, this book offers a comprehensive look at social cognitive learning in animals.
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