Dogs on a Mission

charles
the german shepherd

My dogs get SO excited in our car, as soon as they realize we're headed to Alex's place. They absolutely adore her, and don't even glance back as we leave (how RUDE! At least feign disappointment that we're leaving you?). She keeps them busy and engaged. We know they're never bored, or neglected. They're either out bombing around the yard, getting muddy in the pond, working on brain games, or getting snuggles on the sofa. We know this, as we get photos and video updates- not to mention, our energetic boys are well worn out for at least 2-3 days after we get them home. (Actually getting to sleep in is THE GREATEST.)

We have so much love for Alex in our house. She has made all the difference in our big challenging rescue boy's life. And in ours. She has helped us learn to handle and manage his behaviour in a way that keeps him safe, and us sane. She's amazing. And I love that we can keep it consistent—she is our dogs trainer *and* we do boarding and daycare with her.

I cannot even begin to sing her praises enough — and I recommend her to all of my friends with dogs. I've grown accustomed to the texts and phone calls, raving about this amazing woman, and the thanks for putting them in touch. Trust me when I say that Alex is the best thing you'll do for your dog (and your self.)

Hoss
The Bernese Mountain Dog

When people buy a pet, in our case a dog, they become more than just an extension of their family. There is literally nothing they wouldn’t do for these animals.
This definitely applies to Alex. She cared for Hoss like he was one of the family. She trained him, socialized him, and at times when the kennel was full Alex would find room in her home. We can’t say enough about her professionalism and her passion for dog care.

We stumbled upon Alex 3 years ago and are still with her. If you are fortunate to find Alex, make sure to recognize what you have in front of you. You will find no one better to look after your family member. Hoss is a beautiful, well mannered, well behaved member of our family because of Alex’s involvement in his life.

Charlotte
the Doberman

When I got Charlotte from a breeder she was 5 months and had apparently been with a prior owner but returned to the breeder. She was a bit shy initially but I quickly realized that something had happened to her in her first 5 months that had made her extremely skittish, nervous and constantly anxious. When I got her I had no idea that she would be such a very challenging dog but I immediately realized she needed help and I needed help as well.

Charlotte is my third Doberman so I know the breed very well, they are lovely, intelligent, highly loyal and great family pets. But we had to do something about Charlotte’s extreme and frequent reactivity with people and dogs or any new stimulus. She was nervous and on high alert about everything and had developed defensive mechanisms to cope.

I found and worked for a short while with two trainers and they were well meaning but unable to help Charlotte make any meaningful progress. The 3rd trainer I found was Alex. I could immediately tell she was more knowledgeable, more understanding of what was happening from Charlotte’s perspective and more experienced than the other trainers. She was able to tell me right away what she and I could do to help Charlotte, what Charlotte’s limitations would likely be and set out a plan we could pursue to help Charlotte become a more well-rounded, less reactive dog and me a happier dog owner. Alex started by establishing solid foundations, setting Charlotte for success with realistic goals to modify behaviours using positive reinforcement and building more wanted behaviours from these foundations.

Alex is a highly experienced and knowledgeable trainer and she is truly passionate about working with dogs. She has always been very generous with her time and has been very patient both with my dog and me. I have learned a lot about dog’s behavior from her and how to better read my dog and become a better guide for her.

Charlotte’s progress with Alex has been amazing. She is a lot more sociable and the defensive mechanisms she had earlier are much reduced now, she goes to daycare every week and plays well with a sizeable group of dogs and she is a lot more comfortable around people. Charlotte has come a long way since we started training with Alex. We feel very privileged to have Alex help Charlotte and me!