Chavi
We rescued Chavi, a female 14 month old terrier mix, over the holiday break. She was timid and afraid of everything that moved. After our first session with Caroline, it became clear to us that with some intense training we could give Chavi a permanent home. After asking key questions, Caroline followed up with a plan specifically tailored to our needs and emailed and called as required.
Now, Chavi walks confidently and is no longer afraid of bikes, strollers, shopping carts, canes and other new objects and sounds. She is socializing very well with other dogs and we could not be happier. We continue to reinforce Caroline’s lessons with every walk, but we now enjoy being with a much happier and well adjusted dog. She has now become an active part of our life and we would not have accomplished that without Caroline’s help.
We cannot express how grateful we are for having met her and used her services. She is not only caring and knowledgeable, but extremely aware of how important it is to listen to the needs of the dog and the entire family. Caroline, thank you for giving us hope and the tools we need to have a happy family!
Alex, Angie, Chorri and Chavi
BOO
Dachshund/Terrier Cross
Boo settled into his new home remarkably quickly after his adoption from a local rescue organization at the age of six. Unfortunately, the honeymoon was short-lived and Boo started reacting badly to the presence of other dogs even when they were some distance away. Raising Rover was recommended by my vet and by one of my neighbours and I am so happy that I called. I signed up for the 3-lesson Tune-Up and saw results immediately. Caroline’s affection for dogs and her humane approach to modifying their behaviour made her easy to trust and respect. She was remarkably diplomatic in pointing out the human dimensions to the problem and her timely e-mail support was a wonderful supplement to the in-person lessons. With our confidence boosted, we signed up for Pint-Sized Play Dates. Boo blossomed as he learned the greeting behaviours that had escaped him before. Fewer than three months later, Boo can often be seen at our local off-leash park sprinting about happily when he’s not busy practising his social skills with the other dogs he meets there. I wholeheartedly recommend Caroline and Raising Rover to anyone who wants help with unwanted behaviour in their dog.
Liz and Boo
CALI
We enrolled our yellow lab, Cali, in both the Puppy Manners course and the Life Skills courses. Puppy Manners was a fantastic way to get Cali started off on the right foot, but most importantly we found that we ourselves learned a lot about how to raise a young pup. Caroline was great at teaching us how to properly teach Cali new tricks and manners that we continue to use as she gets older. We thought that after Puppy Manners we did not need anymore classes. We were wrong! As Cali passed 1 year and became full-grown she developed new unwanted behaviours that we didn’t know how to fix so we decided to enroll her in the Life Skills course. Our biggest issues were that Cali was jumping on people, biting hands, and not walking well. With only a few short classes, some great coaching from Caroline, and a lot of hard work, Cali got over all of those issues and is now a very good girl. We couldn’t be happier with the results!
We recommend Raising Rover to anyone with a new puppy.
James, Lyndsay & Cali
JASPER
Jasper and I first enlisted the help of Caroline when he was a puppy and needed basic puppy training. Caroline coached both Jasper and I in private lessons in and near my home in a park. He responded well to her gentle and effective training manner. I enlisted her help again when Jasper hit adolescence to deal with enthusiastically mauling people who came to the door, coming when called and most importantly, ‘drop it’ as he had a dangerous habit of running away with things in his mouth. Due to my hectic schedule at the time, Caroline suggested Day Training and came to work with Jasper one-on-one while I was at work. I noticed the improvement almost immediately: he could sit and stay on his bed longer, was more attentive, and was quicker to come when I called him. The most satisfying day was when we were up north in the woods and Jasper came upon the most disgusting deer bone that I could barely look at let alone get it out of his jaws. When I said ‘drop it’ I could tell he was struggling with deciding what to do but it worked! He finally dropped it very slowly and came over to me. I will not hesitate to call Caroline for a refresher for Jasper whenever necessary.
Noreen &Jasper
BLUE
Through Raising Rover, Caroline has worked with us and our puppy, a Border Collie/Black Lab mix. Blue is a sweet, loveable, and challenging puppy who requires a lot of structure in order to feel safe in her environment. She is also an incredibly smart dog who learns things almost the first time your teach her something; however, as Caroline impressed upon us, smart dogs can learn the wrong way as easily as they learn the right! Caroline has helped us provide the type of home that Blue has flourished in. Caroline has helped us to solve walking issues, time management issues, and socialization issues. While Blue is still a puppy, she often impresses people with her obedience, especially in the off leash parks around town. In one off leash area, a man on an electric bike drove by and Blue started heading after it; I immediately told her to leave it and called her back to us, and she returned to my side and a sit position – that was the moment when all the hard work we’d done in classes with Caroline and in our one-on-one sessions with really paid off, and I could see the connection we had built with Blue. Caroline has been generous with her time, answering emails and working with our schedule. She has contributed so much to the well being of our dog and eased Blue into our home. I recommend Caroline to everyone I meet with new puppies!
Megan Brandon & Blue
PHOEBE
Thea and I wanted to let you know how much we, and our puppy Phoebe, enjoyed the advanced puppy manners class. This was the second class that we took with you, the other being your puppy manners class for younger puppies. Through what we learned in the classes, followed up by our “homework” assignments, we saw Phoebe move from being a wonderful companion to a truly great dog. Every class was fun for Phoebe and for us as well as being instructive
One of the things that impressed us in both the classes was your ability to look at each of the puppies as individuals, tailoring the training to the personalities of each of the dogs in the class. There couldn’t have been a wider variety of dogs but you ensured that each puppy, and owner, got the most out the classes. All three of us look forward to taking further classes with you.
Henry, Thea & Phoebe
CASEY
We were having trouble with Casey, an 8 month Springer Spaniel. Not only was he pulling us around on leash but he was fearful of strangers which was worrisome. Caroline gave us specific tips for getting Casey to walk properly and generally to be more obedient. Her lessons for teaching Casey to Heel and to Stay have made life better for both of us. She also gave us a plan for whenever Casey meets new people and he’s really coming along. The best thing about her visit is that she demonstrated the tools she would give us – we could see that they worked and that Casey was amenable. I never thought a brat – I mean a puppy – like Casey could learn so fast. I recommend Caroline’s in-home lessons. She’s patient with the dog – but, best of all, she is REALLY patient with the human owner! I heartily recommend Raising Rover.
W. J. Smart & Casey
SKY
Separation Anxiety (could not leave the dog for any time without it barking and howling non-stop) was a huge problem when I got my 6-month-old Nova Scotia Duck Toller. Basic training was also needed. Caroline was recommended by my vet and came in for an assessment. She took a complex problem and broke it down into baby steps that I could follow. She went through the steps with me to make sure I was going to be practicing the right way and then gave me the full program in writing. It took many weeks of work and practice with Caroline providing phone/email support along the way whenever I ran into problems. A caring and knowledgeable trainer, she helped keep my confidence up. It was hard work but it finally allowed me to enjoy my dog and have a life too.
Kingsley & Sky
PARKER
We contacted Caroline to help appease our 3 year old cockapoo, Parker’s, anxiety issues, After moving into a new house and a new neighbourhood, Parker was just not settling like we had hoped. Often wary of strangers, Parker warmed up to Caroline very quickly and has done very well with the changes she recommended. The biggest change we had to make was in how we disciplined him; some of the old school techniques Josh had learned from popular television shows combined with my hesitance to discipline at all was not only sending confusing signals to an already stressed out dog but some of the more intimidating approaches were making Parker literally afraid of Josh. They have now bonded well and are great buddies. Parker is no longer nervous and anxious when I am out of the house. We have learned to control Parker’s fearful aggression towards other dogs when on leash and he even stops to say ‘Hello” politely to some dogs now!
Caroline is very timely in returning phone calls and emails and not only is she polite and very well-informed but her capacity to express her information in a friendly way made the training sessions both valuable and fun!
Sarah, Josh & Parker
CHARLIE
We learned a lot and so did Charlie. Definitely a worthwhile investment. Having played a lot of sports I’ve been around a lot of instructors (some were amazing and some were amazingly terrible) and you definitely have a great ability to teach and share your knowledge. Teaching a puppy can be tough but I assume that teaching people how to deal with puppies may be even tougher. Your patience is incredible. Thanks again for everything and we look forward to your advanced class.
Brian, Erin & Charlie
KAYLEE
I wanted to thank Raising Rover very, very much for helping us get off to a good start with Kaylee. The Puppy Primer, Puppy Manners and Advanced Manners were so helpful. Caroline’s kind, humorous approach to teaching made it fun for our family. Whenever we were unsure of what to do, Caroline was always available and always had more than one suggestion of how to handle the problem. We are so pleased with our puppy’s manners! And, at just 6 months old, we are starting to receive compliments at how well behaved Kaylee is.
Sue, Luke, Ben & Kaylee
HENRY
Labrador/Miniature Poodle
Caroline has made training fun for all of us! She always had time for our questions, even between lessons, and you can see that she truly cares for each and every dog that she trains. Henry absolutely adores her and has become a very obedient and friendly dog thanks to her! We would recommend her to all of our friends with dogs!
Ryan, Liisa & Henry
CEILIDH
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Caroline has a unique ability to find the individual approach that will work for each dog in her class, providing great practical tips for successful learning while making each week a fun event that Ceilidh really looked forward to.
Sheila, Don & Ceilidh
MARSHMALLOW
Yellow Labrador Retriever
We were first time puppy-owners and really didn’t know how to begin training. Caroline tailored the training to our needs, making it easy, fun, and most importantly, effective. She has a truly special gift with animals. We trust her entirely with our little Marshmallow.
Florence, Tuan & Marshi
ROCKY
Cairn Terrier
Caroline was always a pleasure to work with. Her training technique was positive, professional, realistic, and accommodating to our entire family’s needs. Caroline truly cares about both her client’s and their dogs. Thank you for helping us understand Rocky’s world.
Sandra, Harry & Rocky
COOPER
Miniature Schnauzer
Caroline is a pleasure to work with. She is professional and friendly, and we immediately felt at ease with her. She really listened to the specific issues we were having and addressed them with training techniques that are easy to follow. We really appreciated her support by phone and email between sessions as well.
Chris, Laurie & Cooper
MUTTLEY
Rottweiler Cross
Muttley is a big, cheerful goof of a dog but his size and affability startle quite a few people and he is much stronger than I am. Caroline has coached me on establishing and maintaining suitable behaviours, on Muttley’s part and mine, which have greatly reduced the strains and increased the pleasure of our relationship and the reception we receive from others.
Melanie & Muttley
JASPER
Chocolate Labrador Retriever
We have been working with Caroline since Jasper was a puppy. Not only does Jasper absolutely adore her but she has a huge impact on how well trained he is. Caroline is prompt in returning phone calls and emails, polite, efficient and knowledgeable, in other words all the things that you look for in a trainer. She is, however, more than this – she is able to convey her knowledge in a kind and friendly way that makes training sessions both fun and worthwhile. We have recommended Caroline to our friends in the past and will continue to do so without hesitation.
Derek, Martha & Jasper
