Toronto based dog trainer, Deena Cooper, was happy to host her weekly radio program, “Deenaspeaksdog,” on 1050 CHUM. Deena Cooper's program, which was broadcast Saturdays at 11:00AM, was one of her favorite methods of interacting with dog owners due to the large audience that could be reached over the airwaves. Deena Cooper (with many celebrities and prominent businesspeople as her clients) would conduct interviews and do editing ahead of time, then hand in the CD to the station and go in to do a “live-to-tape” show.

Deena Cooper’s show included a “Deena’s Top Ten” segment and an “Ask a Vet” section, in which a veterinarian would discuss various subjects related to canine health. There was also a “Breed of the Week” portion where Deena Cooper would interview a different breeder along with a rescue group that focused on the particular breed featured in that show.

Deena Cooper’s favorite part of her radio show's weekly format was her call-in, “Ask Deena,” segment. “I can talk, and talk about everything I think is important in the world of canine obedience, but that would not guarantee that I am addressing the issues people have,” Deena Cooper explained.

By including a call-in element in the show, Deena Cooper was able to reach out and address the specific issues the callers were dealing with. Deena Cooper drew this idea from the way she structures her classes, saying, “In my classes, I make a point to give personal attention to each client who is there. That way, their individual issues are addressed and we can work around the quirks their dog brings with them.”

Deena Cooper ran her radio program with great success. She even included a weekly call-in giveaway for those who could answer a trivia question correctly. Deena Cooper has a number of certifications and over a decade of experience as a dog trainer. The vast amount of knowledge that Deena Cooper possesses came in handy as she answered questions live on the air.

Deena Cooper knows that “Deenaspeaksdog” helped increase the reputation of her dog-training studio in the Toronto area. While word of mouth advertising and commercial spots were useful, few things could match an hour-long weekly program in terms of exposure and memorability.