Hearts & Hounds Dog Training

From the moment I came across Alison's website, I had a gut feeling that her positive, affirmative training approach was going to work for me and Ripley. After enrolment in Puppy Kindergarten and through private coaching - I'm pleased to say this is very much the case.

After every class, I could see growth and learning on Ripley's part - and I was constantly amazed at how much content Alison was able to integrate into each hour, without ever making it feel rushed or overwhelming.

I credit her training with helping me set-up Ripley for her best life as a dog - and can not wait for our next round of Life Skills classes. I would not hesitate to recommend this training to any dog owner.

We brought our puppy Boson to Alison's classes (Puppy Preschool, followed by Puppy Kindergarten), and loved every second of it. Boson went from a scared-cat hiding and shaking under our chair the first class, to a confident and happy puppy with excellent social skills within the first few classes. Going to Alison's puppy class has been our and Boson's favourite Sunday ritual for the past few months. Alison is wonderfully experienced with puppies (and I'm sure older dogs too) of all sizes and breeds. Every class we focus on one or two specific topics to work with, and she gives us really useful tips on how to use positive reinforcement to teach the puppies good behaviour. I absolutely recommend the series of puppy classes to any new owner of a young puppy. Wonderful learning experience for humans and canines alike!

We brought our 12-week-old puppy to Puppy Start Right Preschool with Alison and it was fantastic! Our pup was a lot smaller than most of the dogs in the class, but Alison did a great job of supervising the dogs' play interactions and always making sure our pup was still having a good time (i.e. not pinned down or scared). It was a great safe setting in which to socialize our puppy. I highly recommend it!

Alison, the owner of Hearts and Hounds, led a fun and effective life skills training course for our corgi and two of his friends. She was always well-prepared, on-time, and full of positive vibes. The dogs loved working with her and so did we! Alison skillfully attended to the different needs of the dogs and humans in the group. She is very knowledgeable on dog behavior and had lots of great information to share with us. Alison is a great advocate for animal welfare and is fully committed to positive reinforcement training for dogs. It’s clear that she loves what she does and we fully recommend Hearts and Hounds!

Roxy and I were struggling. She was a sweet, affectionate, incredibly energetic 15 month old Labradoodle, and I was a senior with bad knees and an unreliable sense of balance. The enthusiastic leash-pulling and reactivity made our daily walks difficult for us both. A recommendation from our puppy care director led us to Alison, and our lives have completely changed. Alison's approach is consistent, positive and gentle to Roxy and equally so to me. Her philosophy of working with dog and owner as a dyad was the method we had been waiting for. Appropriate cues, positive reinforcement, and the right equipment have totally changed the way we walk each day. And the one on one lessons have enabled a tailored approach that fits with both our personalities. Alison has been the right fit for us both!