Hi Donna, it sounds like you have a great rapport with dogs. But I'm the father of three that you harassed on the beach today for being here without a dog. We sit where we sit on the beach in Cadboro Bay because when my partner shows up with her dog we want her to be able to join us. The dogs off leash don't bother us unless they're rooting through our stuff, and we don't bother them. My kids were pretty upset because they thought that we weren't allowed to sit in the same spot we always sit on the beach. For your reference this isn't a dog beach, it's a public frontage where dogs are permitted, under effective control or on a leash. We would be very happy to refer our friends to your business, if you stop harassing us on the beach. The image attached is from the Saanich Municipal Website. You mentioned this was one of the only parks people could bring their dogs. In fact of the 170 public parks in Saanich, only 6 have any restrictions. read more

Hot Diggity Dogs - Pet Training Near Me

If anybody is looking for a patient,assertive, friendly and passionate dog trainer, contact Donna. I called Hot Diggity Dogs because I was desperate, and having a breakdown over my dog with behavioral issues. She picked up the phone right away and listened to my situation and managed to squeeze me in the same day despite her busy schedule. When she arrived I was very impressed by her calm, confident energy and her warm smile put me at ease right away. She brought a stack of study notes for me and for the first 30 minutes or so we sat down while we talked and got the dog familiarized with Donna. After the 30 minutes was over, we spent the rest of the time training. I noticed that she is all about positive reinforcement, and does NOT use any form of punishment. I feel like Donna went the extra mile because I did not feel like just another client..having her over was like having a friend. I was not rushed and even stayed to answer my questions. I was contacted a week later or so to follow up on my dog's progress. Not only is she fabulous with dogs but she also has great interpersonal skills. After the session was over she never mentioned about booking more sessions with her;Instead she encouraged me to read the notes she gave me. Thank you so much- it was lovely meeting her 2 lovely dogs Blossom and Angus as well. read more

My puppy and I have been going to Donna's classes since he was twelve weeks old to her puppy class, now five and a half months attending basic obedience. Donna uses positive reinforcement training and understands dog behaviour. She is quick to spot ways to improve your body positioning when training to improve how you communicate with your dog. She also understands the needs of different breeds, reactionary behaviour, and how to train to the needs of that particular dog. She draws on not only her formal training but years of experience in the industry. She can also provide recommendations on boarding and dog walking services. She always makes herself available after class for you to ask questions and discuss other issues you maybe having at home. Her assistant, Alison, is excellent and also clearly understands positive reinforcement training. It was very helpful to have her there as you got more one-on-one time with a trainer during the group classes. My dog is always excited to attend Donna's classes, is relaxed during the class, and gets bouncy with excitement when he gets to do a demo with Donna. My dog has definitely benefitted from attending Donna's classes and I would recommend this class to anyone with a puppy, or dog. I believe, these classes were critical to helping me develop the more balanced, confident puppy that I have now. read more

We've had a private lesson with Donna and have attended one of her group classes. She gives personalized, realistic advice. She motivates you to stick with the training by keeping it upbeat and varied. The group classes are small so she can give everyone enough attention. Her endless patience with the dogs and their people is impressive. And the insight into our dog's behavior and training methods has been invaluable. read more

If it weren't for Donna, I'm not sure my magnificent furry friend and I would have made it through his puppyhood. I adopted a 10 week old Tazmanian Devil (aka Austrailian Cattle Dog Cross) and was in way over my head. Just before I tore every last hair out of my head I called Donna and in just two home visits she had both Dexter and I working well together and most importantly gave me hope that I could find a way to live in harmony with the wild beast I'd brought into my home. I also attended her puppy classes and the guidance and socialization did us both a world of good. Fast forward 7 years and Dexter is an almost perfect gentleman. Thank you Donna for giving me the hope and confidence I needed to get through the early years of training. Dexter says "Two Paws Up!". read more

We have been taking our fur baby, Molly, to Donna's classes since Molly was 12 weeks old. We have completed her puppy class as well as her basic obedience class. The classes are well priced and we definitely got our money's worth and more! The classes are suppose to be an hour long each but Donna shows up early to give the pups a chance to have a playtime and stays late after classes to answer any questions we may have. Donna is truly a dog whisperer! You can see that she really loves the dogs in her class and they love her very much. She brings her dog, Blossom, to the classes to use as demo of the end result and she uses the puppies from the class to show how to get to that end result. Blossom is a sweetheart who is very well behaved and good with all the pups. Donna not only teaches the dogs but also teaches the owners how to understand your dog and understand they're needs. She give you the tools you need to be able to go home and continue your training with your pup. If you run into any troubles at home she encourages you to reach out to her by email or phone for help. We would definitely recommend her classes to anyone who is interested in training their dogs! We will definitely be taking more of her classes! read more

We have taken both of our dogs to Donna for training - actually OUR training in how to deal with them. She is fantastic, and has been instrumental in helping us to learn how to deal with both dogs. Both of them are rescues and had history and issues, but with her thoughtful, relevant, and kind observations we could adapt our behaviour to change the dogs behaviour. We now have two very happy dogs, and two very happy owners, Thank you Donna! read more

Taking puppy and obedience class with Donna was the best thing we did for our dog. She taught us a lot about dog socialization and behaviour. It nipped a lot of OUR bad habits in the bud and helped us train our dog to be a pleasure to be around. read more

We had Donna give us a private lesson with our entire family and our two very busy beagle puppies. Like other reviewers, I too, was feeling a little desperate. Even though I had read a pile of dog training books with limited success, within a hour or so Donna showed us how to get what we needed from the puppies and helped us understand what we were doing wrong. I would highly recommend a private class if you are at your wits end. read more

Donna (owner of Hot Diggity Dogs) was our second dog trainer that we hired for our then, 12 week old puppy Eiger. The first trainer suggested that we put a shock collar on him for jumping up and we were quite taken back that anyone would even do that to a puppy let alone ask us to do that to him, needless to say we didn't hire him back. That is when we found Donna and got to see a more humane and positive way to train our puppy. Donna's training, care, and love for your puppy does not end with the end of the training course. And yes, there is a serious danger that your puppy might drag you mercilessly through the streets, so eager to get back to the training session. That certainly was our experience. We took a series of invaluable training courses with Donna and our puppy, mainly because there was allot to learn as first-time dog owners, and also because our puppy really enjoyed the training exercises. Donna's knowledge, along with her calm and kind way of working with both the puppy and their owners, were very effective in teaching our puppy basic manners and discipline, tricks, and, in effect, how to become an overall good canine citizen - all this while at the same time having lots of fun at it. Five years latter, Donna still helps us when we have a question or two. She genuinely cares and has always been generous with her time as she continues to share her knowledge and advice that goes far beyond the call of duty. Thank you Donna, Jana, David, and Eiger the doggie - previously known as the rascal, but who is now almost perfect! read more

The owner, Donna has now helped me with two rescued dogs. I had rescued Shaeyla from a shelter she had been transferred to from another shelter. When she first came home with me she just hid from me trying not to make a sound. Eventually she gained confidence but was still fearful so she would bark and growl at people that would try to approach her. I had two trainers give their advice which ended up making the behaviour worse. Luckily I found Donna Hall with Hot Diggity Dogs. She helped me train Shaeyla using positive reinforcement and we had great success. Two days ago I heard of a young female dog whom was being mistreated and was hours away from her "owners" euthanizing her because she had nipped a few people with no apparent warning. She was deemed a lost cause at 14 months. Keeping her locked and shocked and punished as directed by "professional trainers" wasn't working for her "owners". After taking her home I immediately called Donna Hall, she now lives on Victoria Island so she helped me via Skype- it has only been a couple of days and we have a long road ahead of us but today I was able to introduce this young dog to 3 adults and 2 dogs before we all went on a walk together without incident. In two days Donna has helped this dog successfully do things she had apparently been "incapable" of - The other owners and trainers tried to force this dog to act a certain way with shock collars etc. Their final solution was euthanasia. Donna is teaching me how to help this dog gain her confidence and behave by using positive reinforcement. I feel like she's a psychologist for dogs. I am so thankful for her. She has not only had success in changing the dogs behaviour but she also has helped change the dog and my relationship with them in a positive, loving and trusting way. Donna Hall, owner of Hot Diggity Dogs is an amazing trainer I highly recommend. read more

Donna is great with dogs and their humans. She gives practical effective advice and practices positive training with both the dogs and their people. My little guy runs up to her and sits every time he sees her. read more

We are very lucky to have Donna as our trainer. Donna is very experienced, patient with our bouncy+social butterfly golden retriever puppy. As a first time dog owner, we need someone to help us handle our exuberant golden retriever puppy (now a 14months 55lbs big puppy). She listens to your concerns and truly care about the owner (of course our fury kid Tobi as well) and offered very effective solutions. We attended her intermediate obedience, Rally-O (outdoor) and ain't misbehaving (outdoor on different locations) classes. All classes have very good content and are fun for both human and dog. We are so sad to hear Donna and Blossom are moving to Victoria BC. Lucky people in Victoria - make sure you check Donna's classes!! read more

If you get a rescue dog that's formed habits, please avoid this business. Our dog was excluded from taking part in classes due to her lack of experience in working with dogs that require more socialization. She doesn't address the problem, she merely provides broad stroke "advice" that does not help either party. Her professionalism was called into question when she was confronted about how she dealt with an issue, in which she refused to take ownership for her actions and passed the blame to the dog and client without offering any support. read more