About Rain Coast Dogs
Hey there, my name’s Hunter Johnson, I’m the founder of RainCoast Dog Hikes. I was born and raised in Vancouver, and my family has owned a plot on Ruby Lake since 1966, where the original cabin still stands to this day. For as long as I can remember, I knew that the Sunshine Coast would one day be my home. We used to spend our entire summers up here and not a Labour day weekend went by when I didn’t beg a plead with my mom to leave me to live at the cabin. You can say making my home where my heart is was a passion of mine from a young age. Speaking of passions, My gosh have I been in love with dogs for a long time. I loved them SO much, I would walk my friend’s dogs when I went to their houses as a kid. See, I never had a dog growing up, (I came from a “cat family”) so of course as soon as I could, I got a job dog walking. My first job was in Vancouver in 2007. Aside from liking dogs, I had no experience, and I was thrown into the proverbial lions den. 8 dogs, no training, just a list of addresses, a handful of house keys, and a prayer. Despite this, I kiiiinda nailed it.
From that day forward I knew, no matter what jobs I worked here and there, my career was with dogs. In 2010 I applied to Animal Behaviour College, and was certified as a Dog Obedience Trainer in 2011. between 2009-2013 I managed a dog daycare, as well as worked as a dog walker and trainer for another company, and most importantly in 2010, by sheer chance, my little man Strummer came into my life. Strummer is my Red Heeler, and my entire heart. He passed away suddenly in early 2022, but his spirit lives on in every interaction I have with dogs today. Today, my girl Bean, a shepherd mix from the Sechelt SPCA, has helped mend our hearts and continues the legacy that Strummer left behind.
One thing that really struck me through my years working in the field, and that was that there were wonderful dogs who were falling through the cracks of the Dog Care industry. Dogs that don’t do well with idle minds, as can sometimes happen with daycares, and dogs who just needed more than just a 1 hour walk. I realized I didn’t know any companies offering a mix of training and hiking, and I set out to fill that void.
In the summer of 2013, I founded Rain City Dogs. With my years of experience in both dog training and walking, I was able to create a business that stood for leadership, compassion, honesty and integrity. For 7 years, I built a loyal clientele and an exceptional reputation within the Vancouver dog community. With the sun setting on my time living in Vancouver, and plans already set in place to move up here in 2021, I was halfway through training my Padawan in the ways of the jedi Compassion based, mentally engaging dog walking when Spring of 2020 hit. So here we are, I’m settled into coast life, knowing that what I have to offer has, and will continue to change the lives of dogs and their people with compassion and understanding, exercise, and trust.
