I found Katie through a Facebook group. She was a happy discovery since I had been actively looking…read morefor a dog trainer for my anxious dog. She practices positive reinforcement techniques which was my no. 1 criteria in a dog trainer. When I contacted her, she was very prompt to reply, very professional and informative. Even though she doesn't service my neighbourhood, she offers one-on-one training from her location so I booked an assessment with her. She was very thoughtful in taking a history of my dog and in taking him out and seeing how he acts. She sends summaries of each session to you via email which is very helpful and she is very communicative. I just completed my first official training session with her and I feel more confident about tackling my dog's issues. I will see her again often so that I can be sure to learn as much as I can in order to help my pooch! Stay tuned for updates :)

Katie was extremely helpful with our young dog who was having some fear/anxiety issues walking at…read morenight. She also helped us with general training and improving our dog's recall. Her training methods are all positive enforcement-based, but not necessarily food-focused, which is what we wanted, as treats were not helping our dog to get over her fear issues. She is so great at what she does, and Pam loved her. She is also very affordable compared to many other dog trainers in the city, and would provide us with a detailed email after every session explaining step-by-step the exercises we had gone over during our session. She is also very communicative and was always available if we had questions between sessions. I would highly recommend Katie to anyone looking for behavioural modification or training services for their pup, and I'm sure we will use her again in the future.

After recently rescuing a Coonhound mix from Costa Rica (with no training whatsoever), we decided…read moreto register both of our dogs for the Basic Obedience Course at Gemini K9. Yesterday, both of our dogs graduated after completing the course and the difference is night and day. Our dogs listen, and obey even when there are noticeable distractions in the environment. Our trainer (Joseph) was patient and answered ALL of our questions (we had a lot). He had a big job-as much as the dogs needed training, he also had to train US to be proper handlers. There is a time commitment involved, and he was upfront about us putting in the work outside of our actual training time. It made a difference and we are pleased. Looking forward to continuing on in the spring with scent training and potentially Trick training. Highly recommend Gemini K9 for owners and pets :)

My and my best friend are into our second round of training here and we're gonna keep training here…read morefor the foreseeable future. The one on one aspect of the training is amazing and very efficient. Mark is amazing to work with; intuitive and sensitive to your dog and what they need. Worth every penny.

I have a 14 month old miniature schnauzer who made it very difficult for me to allow people into my…read morehome, and to walk by people on our walks, as she is very people reactive. It was embarassing daily when she barked and lunged at people for no apparent reason. I had my first 2 hour lesson with Jason last night, and the difference I can see in my Teeka already has made me enjoy our walk this evening, instead of me feeling uneasy of her reactions towards people we pass on our walks. I would highly recommend Jason as he was able to assess my dog's unwanted bullying behaviour as "guarding me" in my house and in public. He showed me how to take control at home, and and on our walks. I look forward to our next 3 sessions and a calmer and socially graceful pup.

Jason is the puppy whisperer. It's as simple as that. He understands dogs and dogs understand him…read more My puppy is my first dog and I had no idea what I was doing. My fear of doing the wrong thing was affecting my dog and was making me an ineffective dog owner. Jason corrected my behaviour so that we could correct my puppy's behaviour. She's 6 months old right now and is a very relaxed and well adjusted pup. Nobody ever tells you just how much work having a puppy is and Jason put my mind at ease and gave me the confidence to take her out and not over react to situations because now I KNOW that she will come when called. With Jason's help I learned to enjoy my puppy and everything that comes with being a puppy. I realize that her puppyhood is short lived and I am enjoying every minute of it. Within my first meeting with Jason I learned the basics of what to do and what not to do, what dogs need in order to thrive, (and no, it's not just bones and love) and how to properly communicate with my dog to let her know what I want from her. Trust is key in a relationship with your pet and I wouldn't have learned that without Jason's help. No amount of reading puppy books or talking to other dog owners will give you the in depth knowledge and hands on experience that Jason will provide. If you're doing something wrong, Jason will tell you and understand that this is what's best for your pet. Mango and I both love Jason and would highly recommend him to any old or new pet owners. Thanks Jason, see you at the dog park!

Very happy with how they handle the training and how good they are to take extra time and explain…read morethings. You can tell this is a generational skill set because of how easy and instinctual the dog training is for them. I'm a contractor and I'm passionate about what I do and I can see the passion and effort that comes from how they conduct their services. Most importantly, they're trustworthy and they care. These are people that know what they're doing and they're easy to deal with. I had to do a lot of searching and researching before I settled on them because I have a dog with a lot of issues and I love her to death. I'm very happy I settled on them. It ended up being the right choice.

THANK YOU! Thank you Mellow Vibes…read more We were referred here by a friend of ours who had a dog with aggression issues so we saw first hand what Mellow Vibes could do! Our dog, unlike most the dogs that I've seen in the reviews, is on the other end of the spectrum. Kaia is a 5, almost 6, year old husky/shepherd mix who has anxiety and fear and had zero socialization with the outside world and people. We adopted her at 4 years old and at that point, she was terrified of people and the world. Zero aggression, terrified of the world and a consistent flight risk. She would shut down when she saw people. If she could, she would make herself disappear from the world. Cowering, shaking, bolting, tail permanently tucked. Anything to get away. She couldn't function. We were having trouble bonding with her in the full year we had her because she was just so scared. Walks with her were full of dragging and bolting. She's pulled myself and my boyfriend over before when she was in a panic. She was incredibly stubborn with her commands. We eventually bit the bullet and contacted Mellow Vibes. They were the first trainer (and people in general) we talked to that did not judge what we did. The amount of times we heard from other trainers and people that we should not do this or that with our dog out of our desperation to build a bond with her (like letting her sleep on the bed with us or on furniture). They were the first trainers that understood where we came from and why we let her get away with certain things. We didn't feel judged for the first time or like we were being scolded. Instead, we got understanding and compassion. Paul spent 6 weeks with her. Let me tell you this, the amount of care and time he spent with her is astounding. Our dog was scared of EVERYONE but especially men, children and the elderly. Yet somehow, on our first meeting with Paul, she was calm. Paul kept us updated with her progress, pictures, videos, answering any of our questions or concerns. When it was finally time to pick her up, Paul trained us on his techniques of dealing with our dog's issues. We were met with a dog that listened to commands and when we did our walk with Paul, holy moly we were able to walk through the busy busy streets of downtown. Later that day, we were able to walk her through a busy park with so many screaming kids. We. Could. Never. Do. That. Before. EVER. She seemed to adore Paul, always looking back at him for reassurance and a bit of confidence. I almost felt bad taking her home haha. You could tell she was at ease with him and she was WELL LOVED in her time there. YOU DO NOT HELP A DOG LIKE OURS BY "BREAKING THEIR SPIRIT" OR ABUSING THEM. Now, I don't think our dog will ever be a people dog but we were taught how to manage her issues and she, herself, was slowly learning that people, objects, etc would not hurt her. At home now, she is generally a happier dog. More smiles, more tail wags, more following us around (she never wagged her tail or followed us around like this before). Mellow Vibes truly has helped her come out of her shell. They continue to follow up with us with messages, phone calls for more tips or to answer any of our questions. The rest is now up to us to keep up with the training and to continue to develop our relationship with her. You do not rehabilitate a dog like ours with anything but love, patience (oh so much patience) and compassion.

THE MOST AMAZING DOG PERSON IN TORONTO!…read more Caryn is the most passionate dog lover and dog expert you will meet. Her involvement in our dog's life began before we even adopted! She gave us advice and support through the adoption application process, was one of our references, and even accompanied me on the trip to meet and decide on our Malik. She's always there for advice, and she is amazingly well-read and educated on the subject of dogs. Her own dog, Parker, lost a leg in an accident before being rescued and adopted by Caryn. You can tell as soon as you meet Parker that he has the most wonderful life a dog could have. He, like Cesar Millan's Daddy, has a magical effect on other dogs and often accompanies Caryn's clients on walks. Whatta Pup! is the business born out of a tireless dedication to and deep passion for dogs. You can't go wrong if you're working in a field you adore! Caryn offers walking, let-out and visiting services, obedience training, behavioural consultations, selected grooming, and special programs such as dog-safety for children. She's also a great resource to speak with about therapy. And... don't tell anyone I told you, but word on the street is that she's going to start offering canine massage therapy sometime in the future... shhhhh! She will guide you to the best of the best in the doggie universe - "phodography" (pet photography), Martingale collars, wicked cool Whatta Pup! merchandise, as well as her own all-natural, homemade shampoos and treats! Visit the Whatta Pup! website to see all the wonderful ways you can involve her in your doggie's life!

I chose WhatAPup to help socialize my 8 week old basset hound. I was able to enrol in the Puppy…read moreSocialization class which was an incredibly easy process. Caryn makes it possible to pay for classes online as well as manage your schedule online. So the flexibility of the courses was a really great feature for us as our schedule is very inconsistent. We're graduated now but our experience here was memorable to say the least! The puppy social class offered exactly what it stated. The room was very clean and well organized. The instructors were very helpful in answering our questions about my puppies behaviour issues I had been experiencing. Caryn is extremely sweet and you can tell she really loves what she does! The male instructor (Sean I believe his name was?) was one of our favourites! He always seemed to have the perfect treat for our puppy that made her pretty much grovel at his feet!!!!!! Something I thought she'd never have the attention span to do! All instructors had a very pleasant demeanour and seem knowledgable even to your specific breed (impressive)! They gave me a great feel on what to expect when my basset was able to go into the real world and how to encourage good behaviour. The only complain I would make would be about the facility itself.. It's very industrial and I'd like them to be able to expand their business into something maybe more inviting? (The building is a bit sketchy on the outside) but the experience was more than I could ask for. I will be enrolling in more classes in the future thats for sure!!

I took a previous dog to Trimark and was quite happy with the classes. So, when I got my next dog I…read moredecided to go back. Unfortunately, they had hired a new trainer. He spent 75% of each class talking about himself and his dog. It wascquite obvious that his dog was well trained but I was there for my dog. There was little to no actual instruction and even less in class practice time. My dog actually developed behavioural problems during these classes which mysteriously went away after the course was over. I really enjoyed my first experience here. It's unfortunate to see how far downhill its gone.

We have just finished getting our crazy yet loveable pointer through level 2 of obedience training…read more What a difference it is to have a dog that you connect with and can confidently control. Linda's courses have been instrumental in ensuring that our Daisy will heel, sit, stay, all the stuff I need so that I am in control, and not the dog. This is the second dog we have trained at Tri-Mark, both have had similar successful results. I highly recommend Tri-mark for anyone who needs to connect with and get control of their dog, whether it is for basic obedience or up to show training. Tri-Mark shows you how to do it with their easy to follow steps, and training your dog in a class environment will keep you on track to ensure success. Thanks Linda and Robert!

I was very happy with Dorothy's training. I came here after I had a recommendation from a…read morecolleague. While it was hard at first for my little shorkie to get into things, the trick was really practice. And that's what Dorothy had mentioned. You need to practice at home. We are constantly getting compliments about how our dog, Pasta, is very obedient and well trained - thank you Dorothy. Prices are incredibly reasonable. Dorothy is adorable and has been doing this for many years. She definitely has an old school technique, but it works. Not everyone may like it, but it's the same with children - not everyone parents the same way.

Malik graduated from the first level of obedience here two months after we first adopted her! Our…read moreadoption agency recommended we take her to some sort of obedience training as soon as possible. Make it part of her transition... I think they were right! It was a great bonding activity to do with a new addition to your family, and it lays out some simple ground rules right at the beginning that you can continue to build on forever. At $135 per six-week course (one hour long, once a week), it is one of the most inexpensive obedience schools in the city, but still one of the best! Class sizes are small - there were 10-12 dogs in our group. Our classes were held at College & Bathurst, at College United Church. It's a convenient location to get to from just about anywhere, and there are about six free parking spots in behind the church. Dorothy Avery, the instructor and owner (presumably the mother in "Mother Knows Best"), is sooooo funny. We decided she would be the perfect character for a recurring SNL sketch. Dorothy's dog for demonstrations in class is a bright red stuffed thing she calls "Fido". It's hilarious. She is a great subject to do an impression of, and her one-liners are PRICELESS! All joking aside though, she is certainly a dog expert, and a no-nonsense trainer. Her own dogs do shows. The Mother Knows Best website is fantastic - something sorely lacking in a LOT of dog obedience places in the GTA. I have no idea why!!! We found it very useful to read through the handouts available on the website before taking classes, and we have gone back and used them as reference points since finishing the classes. I think it's useful information whether you take a MKB course or not! Check out all the sections - there's a pretty cute photo gallery of Dorothy's clients as well. We plan to continue on and take Dorothy's agility classes with Malik. She'd be awesome at the crazy obstacle courses, I think! She's too small to really do the frisbee stuff at 5 1/2 pounds! The Martingale collar recommended by Dorothy changed our lives. Walks are a very enjoyable activity now, as opposed to being pulled along and Malik being choked by a collar or pinched by a harness because she's pulling so hard! Dorothy's classroom helper/teaching assistant's name is Ola, and she's amazing too. Much younger and much more intimidating, all the dogs in the class were completely submissive to her - a la Cesar Millan -it's nuts! She DEFINITELY knows what she's doing, and is great at one-on-one tips if your dog is a little slower to catch onto something. At the last class, if you and your puppy pal are successful (which no doubt you will be), you participate in a graduation ceremony. Your dog walks up and receives a handshake and a diploma. I added a pic of the certificate - obviously we brought it home and framed it. It's definitely one of the most adorable moments of my life so far, and the photos are priceless. If your pet is essentially your child, it's a moment filled with pride and joy. Our little girl's all grown up!!!

went to the Etobicoke location. I won't be going back!! I was in a cold sweat. I felt nauseous…read moregoing home.

We booked a private in-person training session that did not go well. It was pretty much a…read moreconsultation. Overall bad experience for a hefty price. Meanwhile we found someone committed at a tiny fraction of the price that actually brings value to a session.