Testimonials

Tucker

Caroline came highly recommended by our neighbours and we are so pleased that we chose her to work our family. Tucker (our Golden Retriever) first met her at 8 weeks – 2 days after we brought him home.  Since then, he has taken her Puppy Head Start and Terrific Teen online programs. Caroline’s approach to working with Tucker took into consideration everything that was unique to our family: from our in-home set up, the first car ride home, the first night of crate training, the first visit to the backyard, interactions with young children and meeting his extended human family. Everything was so thoughtfully explained and organized by Caroline to help us navigate being new puppy parents. Additionally, the flexibility the online platform provided to our family was significant. Not only were we able to consume content based on the unique needs of our family and the additional support Tucker needed, but we were able to do so in a way that aligned with our schedules. We highly recommend Carolines online programs to our new doggy parents!

Karen and Tucker

Kenzo

Over the past few months I have been working with Caroline focusing on fear aggression in one of my dogs. I have had my miniature golden doodle for over 2 years now and never had it occurred to me that my dog could be experiencing fear aggression! He showed signs of being timid and nervous, but I could never have imagined that it would lead to any aggressive behaviour.  But when my son brought his 8 week old puppy over to my home and my dog lunged at him, I knew that there was a serious issue that needed to be addressed. I immediately got in contact with Caroline and we started working on the problem right away.  Caroline offered tips, pointers and tools that allowed me to feel in control and allowed my dog to feel safe.   We worked hard, and we worked often. Now, 4 months later I can proudly say that I have seen massive improvements in my dog and his temperament.  No longer does he bark at other dogs, nor does he growl when my sons dog comes near.  There is still work to do, but I am both glad and grateful for having had Caroline’s guidance and expertise through these times.

Marilena and Kenzo

Mylo

Arin,  Josh and Mylo

Bowie

Milo

I am so thankful that I got in touch with Caroline. We rescued our 2 year old boxer mix Milo not know much about his past training. He was a lovable dog but extremely hard to walk and had no recall at all. After just one lesson with Caroline, Milo had already learned a ton and I noticed an improvement in his walking. After 3 weeks he is a much more enjoyable dog to walk and we have a solid foundation of coming when called, along with other commands I wasn’t sure he could learn.
Caroline is a great person to work with. She’s very easy going and so easy to talk to. She has a great way of dealing with both the human and animal clients. I appreciated how thorough her notes were after every lesson and will keep referring back to them. I would recommend Caroline to anyone looking to to start out with a young puppy or brush up on commands with an older dog.
Melissa and Milo

Beau

My dog, Beau, had been through basic obedience training. But at 2 years old, I was finding him generally reactive on leash, both to strangers and to certain dogs.After trying all the techniques I had learned in our puppy classes, I hit a wall. I was becoming more nervous when we walked, feeling like I needed to be hyper-vigilant all the time and to notice anything Beau might react to before he did.

I reached out to Caroline who in our first session equipped me with clear techniques and followed-up with detailed notes we used to practice. I noticed a huge change in Beau during the very next walk. We began enjoying longer walks, with less pulling, better focus and far less reactivity. I also feel like we developed a stronger bond as Beau seems more confident and he looks to me now instead of reacting.
Caroline was warm, patient, clear and available. It really felt like she approached me and Beau as a unique case, rather than following a rinse-and-repeat formula. I felt that her assessment and advice were highly personalized for both me and Beau and that she really cared about setting us both up for long-term success. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her for any challenge you’re having with your dog, whether it’s a minor tweak or a major correction!
Jane and Beau

Tucker

I can’t believe the six weeks have flown by. The weekly sessions have been amazing. We have told many of our dog friends about you. Tucker is our third dog and your puppy socialization classes have been the best. We and Tucker have learned so much!

Bruce, Lori and Tucker

Pepe

Pepe and I attended Caroline’s Puppy Class this past fall. As a first time dog owner, I had a lot of apprehension in attending any sort of class. My fear that I was doing everything all wrong was overwhelming. But Caroline put us both at ease immediately. She is kind, calm, nurturing and most importantly, 100% knowledgeable in her craft and skills in all things dog-related. You get a wonderful and informative packet you can read at your leisure at the first class, and as long as you are as obedient as your dog in practicing what you learn, you and your dog will be very happy clients like Pepe and myself.
– Jennie B.

Jennie & Pepe

Luna

My son and I attended Caroline’s beginner and advanced training for our Maltese Poodle puppy, Luna. We also attended the Puppy Play classes to improve Luna’s socialization skills. Luna was a shy puppy and was very nervous about many things when we started. She hid behind my feet for the first few weeks. Luna’s personality has blossomed under Caroline’s supervision. Caroline is exceedingly knowledgeable, competent, organized, personable and compassionate. She always has Luna’s best interests at heart. Luna has bonded with Caroline and Caroline is Luna’s favorite person.
As a first time dog owner, Caroline has expertly advised and guided us through the stages and issues associated with a new puppy. We investigated many dog trainers and went with Caroline because our vet recommended her. We could not have done this without her vast expertise.
Daria, Paul and Luna

Zack

Zack is my first puppy in over 30 years. There were many days, and nights, that I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Then, through my Vet, I found Caroline’s “Raising Rover” and signed up for “Puppy Life Skills”, Zack and I have never looked back. The class was a real confidence booster for me and got Zack off on the right paw. We then signed up for the ever-entertaining “Pint Sized Play Dates” which was great for Zack’s socialization.
Zack is now 7 months old and is a graduate of the “Advanced Life Skills” class. I’ve received many compliments about how well socialized and behaved Zack is from the other dog owners we’ve met. Over the holidays the compliments continued when we went to visit various friends in their homes. I was even impressed with how well Zack settled down, quite happily, on his mat beside me throughout the evening and was never under foot.
Zack adores Caroline and his time with her. I’m so thankful that we found her.
Bronwyn and Zack

Kaalan

I don’t think we truly knew what we were getting into when we rescued a day old puppy from a mushroom patch in Southern India. We lovingly hand reared Kaalan and brought him back to Toronto at 10 weeks old.
He thrived and grew but started to exhibit behaviours not unlike a feral street dog. He became territorial and aggressive with other dogs and started biting us. Asserting dominance did not help. It did not feel natural to me and it seemed to make his behaviour worse. Along came Caroline. She interpreted his behaviour for me and patiently worked through positive reinforcement techniques with Kaalan and I. Kaalan loved when she came for “school” and responded very quickly to the exercises she gave us. I invested a lot in treats. I am consistent with all of Caroline’s techniques. In just one month our life together has drastically improved. I know his limits and respect him and in turn he looks to me now when we are about to enter a situation he is not comfortable with. Priceless.
Jessica and Kaalan

Tank

Our chihuahua puppy Tank attended ‘puppy manners’ class. During the classes Caroline’s instruction on how to adapt our training methods to work with having a small breed dog was extremely helpful. She was also very attentive during puppy play to make sure Tank only had positive experiences when playing with larger breed puppies. The classes were great and I would recommend them to all new puppy owners.

Madeline Martins, Registered Veterinary Technician and Tank

Rudy

Our adorable Australian Labradoodle puppy, Rudy, had a strong personality and could be extremely stubborn and standoffish when he didn’t like something.  He especially hated to be brushed and would growl, snarl and snap when we came anywhere near him with a brush.  It was so bad that the groomer warned that she may have to sedate him in order to groom him.  I was getting a lot of advice from family and friends, some of which seemed questionable, and most of which was not working. Caroline met with Rudy and me and, in one session, taught me how to use positive reinforcement to teach Rudy to relax while being groomed.  Within no time, we went from not being able to approach him with a brush to being able to brush him completely.  He has now been groomed twice and the groomer can’t believe it is the same dog!  She said he was a dream to groom and he even seemed to enjoy it!  As a first time dog owner, Caroline has given me the skills and confidence to be able to train my dog and the results are incredible.  I highly recommend her.

Jackson

We met Caroline with our nine week, nine pound ball of nipping fury, whom she lovingly dubbed, “Action Jackson”. We needed help and we immediately signed up for Puppy Socialization and followed that with Life Skills. We were impressed with her academic knowledge, her recommendations for resources (including a kennel we use) as well as her demeanour with all of the dogs. Six months later we found out how important that early training is – our pound puppy developed extreme fearfulness. He shut down to the point where he would not go for walks and became afraid of the backyard. He even became extremely agitated if anyone tried to leave the room. We turned to Caroline once more to help us better understand Jackson’s needs. She advised us of a range of options for working with not just anxious dogs, but specifically with Jackson. We appreciated that her approach involved multiple players including our vet. In fact, our vet commended us in our choice of trainers. She believed that the socialization and positive reinforcement that our dog had received in the early months had lessened the potential depth of Jackson’s anxiety. Jackson is now 14 months old and after three months this husky mix is enjoying his morning runs as well as appreciating his settle mat (and quiet time). We can not stress how important Caroline has been for us with such a high needs dog. She has known our dog for almost as long as we have and has acted as his ambassador, helping to facilitate his support and plan his training. Jackson has always come first for her.”
Mike, Kristin and Jackson

Maple

We lost our nine year old Golden in January and to partially fill that hole we found a beautiful six month old Golden.   She was held back from the litter for breeding but the Breeder changed her mind and we felt like we had won the lottery.  What we quickly discovered was the fact she was not house-trained, would panic when left alone, wasn’t crazy about her crate and seemed to love our living room rug for all the wrong reasons.  Within a few days our rugs were at the cleaners, the kitchen hardwood was curled and we were exhausted and discouraged. We seriously considered giving her back. Then in came  Caroline who gave us a plan and gave us the tools and encouragement to make Maple a happy and well-behaved part of our family.  We could not have been successful without her knowledge and caring.
PS-  Maple says thanks because she really likes the cottage
David, Susan and Maple

Annie

Our three-year old Shih Poo Annie is a delightful dog, but we came to realize that she had begun training us!  So, when I set about doing some research to find a trainer that would be able to help us tackle some of Annie’s more complex behaviours, Caroline’s name kept coming up.  Now, having worked with Caroline, I understand why everyone gives her such rave reviews – she truly is a remarkable trainer!
Caroline’s approach to training is gentle and highly effective.  She immediately ‘got’ Annie and Annie just loved working with her.  I was continually impressed with her ability to perceive what was going on in Annie’s mind and then develop a solution that would tailor to her sometimes quirky personality.  Her training approach is simple, creative, and positive in nature, and as a result, I am happy to say that Annie is responding our commands more consistently than ever!  I didn’t think that our energetic, enthusiastic young dog could get any happier, but it’s clear that she has been notably happier since working with Caroline, and we’re happy to have control over our dog in a way that’s not dominant or negative.  Our dog behaves because she wants to, and although I know that she’ll never be perfect, we’re thrilled with the results from our time with Caroline and have been highly recommending her services to all our dog-owning friends and family!
Michelle, Kevin & Annie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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