Kristina Rapson

Providing The Best Dog Training Toronto

Kristina is an award winning dog trainer and behaviourist in Toronto who recently won best dog trainer for the Canadian Choice Awards 2024. She has also been listed in the top 6 on 5 different lists. With a specialty in behavioural issues and rescue dogs, her methods are different than most other trainers with a focus first and foremost on improving the human / dog relationship and communication. If you think you’ve tried everything, it’s likely that Kristina has some new methods that will help you get you and your dog to where you want to be.

For more information on Kristina’s background, philosophies and services, please navigate through the menu

We Specialize in Behaviour Issues

Having some trouble with your dog's behaviour?
We can help with anything including but not limited to:

Leash Reactivity / Aggression

Does your dog react by lunging, barking and growling on the leash towards people, dogs, small animals or fast moving objects?

Aggression

Is your dog struggling with aggressive tendencies towards other dogs or people? Are they insecure or fearful? Are they resource guarding or possessive?

Over-Excitment / Hyperactivity

Does your dog have a tendency to be hyperactive or over-excited? Are they constantly jumping up on people, pulling on the leash and barking or whining?

Nervous / Fearful Dogs

Does your dog have anxiety or fear towards people, environments or stimuli? Does your dog need some major confidence boosting?

Rescue Dog Rehabilitation

Rescue dogs often come with some baggage and specific behaviour issues that need to be addressed. We specialize in rehabilitating rescue dogs and street dogs.

E-Collar Training

E-collar training can be an invaluable tool for specific behaviour modification or obedience training. It is especially helpful with recall and resource guarding.

Trusted & Certified

See what people are saying...

I was so grateful when I received a referral to Kristina after we adopted our sweet pup from Redemption Paws. It has been so wonderful to work with Kristina throughout our pups training journey. Kristina is clear in her communication and instructions. Everything was always explained clearly which helped me to understand my dogs behaviors. After each session Kristina would send a summary and homework for us to practice. It really helped me to be able to reference back to these emails throughout the training process. I've contacted Kristina anytime a new concern or behavior comes up, and each time she has supported me to quickly address it. I feel empowered and prepared to deal with any challenge that may arise in the future with my pup. Thank you Kristina, you have helped me to become a confident dog owner! If you have found Kristina don't hesitate to book- I know you will also feel grateful you found her!

Courtney Nunn
As far as first impressions go, our initial consultation with Kristina could not have been better! She's not the first (or second) trainer we've met for our anxious 21-month-old shih-poo, Mochi....but she's already the best! You can tell how much experience she has because of how quickly she was able to correctly assess the roots of Mochi's behaviours and, more importantly, the causes. Kristina explained a lot of helpful techniques to help with Mochi's nervousness without making it feel daunting (or unattainable). I look forward to future sessions with her but the way things have started....they may not be needed!

J Rosales
Kristina is like a medium for dogs. As a first time dog owner, I've spent hours reading, scouring the internet, and working with other trainers to try to teach my lil dude, Schnitzel. Alas, his guarding, reactivity, barking, and at times — aggression, has persisted, causing major stress and concerns for his happiness and safety. Cue Kristina — my goodness! Kristina has given me so much insight into lil guy's psyche, and the tools I need to communicate with him. Even after our first session I saw progress. A lot of trainers will apply one philosophy to all dogs — whereas Kristina takes everything you've told her about your dog, and combines it with her extensive knowledge of different breed's psyches/needs to come up with a plan that will work for them — lemme tell ya, it HAS! She just gets them, and makes the training process so much more comprehensive for owners. Thank you so much Kristina!

Miya Strauss
Kristina was a wonderful help with our rescue dog. The best thing we did was book a session with Kristina BEFORE we got our dog. That way we were able to start out on the right foot immediately, and Kristina also had great recommendations for products/equipment to buy. We booked more sessions afterward as well, but booking an introductory/prep session before getting a dog was a game changer. It really helped us create good habits from the get-go. Kristina helped us with many things, including (i) our dog's reactivity around other dogs and people, (ii) loose-leash walking, (iii) setting up healthy boundaries and establishing leadership at home, and (iv) crate training. Kristina was easy to work with, accessible and very knowledgeable. She also sent us fulsome notes after every session, which were really helpful. Could not recommend her more, and we're clearly in good company looking at all of these five star reviews!

Rebecca Cochrane
My sweet girl is 5 years old and I've had her for 4 years. In that time, she's developed quite a few bad habits that I was not aware I was encouraging. I learned so much in my first session with Kristina, not only about my dog but about my own behaviors that needed modification. I am very excited to continue this journey because after our first session I am certain I will come out of this smarter, more informed, and with a beautifully behaved dog.

Fatima Q
My family adopted a rescue this past February who was quite leash reactive. We heard about Kristina through a friend of a friend who hired her as a trainer. Kristina taught us the foundations to teaching our dog that we are his protector. From there she taught us how to redirect his reactiveness. Today he is walking by my side beautifully and rarely reacts to another dog. I have even had people come up to me saying how well behaved my dog is.

Lorraine Webb
I have been working with Kristina 5 sessions so far, and I have nothing bad to say about her. I can say that Kristina is a friendly, caring person not only towards her clients but also to their animals. She is an active listener, and she assesses your problem and your dogs behavior/demener to come up with the best and ultimate plan that works for your dog. I highly recommend her and have recommended other clients to her.

Tania Golding
We are very thankful for all the useful advice that Kristina has provided to us! We were really struggling with some behavioural issues with our dog, particularly around leash reactivity. After just one session, we have noticed a huge difference! Walking the dog had become really stressful and now we have concrete solutions to help with training that have worked wonders! Thanks Kristina!

Anne Stephenson
I highly recommend Kristina. After just two sessions to work on leash reactivity, there’s been a significant improvement. I now have the correct tools and techniques to work on our relationship. Thanks to Kristina, I feel confident in my ability to understand my dogs needs so we can live our best lives together!

Trisha Hough
My 1 year old Chihuahua has been working with Kristina at Hairy Tales Training for just over a month now. It's incredible to see the progress he is making though practicing his clearly listed homework duties that Kristina provides for us. She is quick to respond to any questions I have had throughout my dogs training and is true pleasure to work with.

Michelle Demeulenaere