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 backgroundphilosophies and services, please navigate through the menu

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

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

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

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?

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

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

Trusted & Certified
  • Kristina is a very experienced trainer who also provides thorough notes after each session, which is one reason I find her fee very good value. After just one session, I was able to make substantial progress with my two-year-old rescued terrier. She also checks in between sessions, which I appreciate. Overall, she obviously has a deep love of dogs and is very conscientious about helping their humans understand their pets’ behaviour and how best to change it where necessary. Call me and my dog very satisfied customers!

    Issa Avatar Issa
  • Our rescue stray dog had a lot of behavioral issues when we first started training with Kristina, but after just one class, we already noticed an improvement. She provided us with practical tips and techniques that were easy to follow and made a big difference in our dog's behavior. Kristina often checked in on us to see how things were going and offered additional guidance and support whenever we needed it (and we needed quite a lot of it!). The homework assignments she provided were also very helpful in reinforcing the training we received in class.

    Ina Z. Avatar Ina Z.
  • 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 Avatar Fatima Q
  • After just one session I noticed a huge improvement in Lima and her reactivity and behavioural issues. Kristina provides detailed feedback after each session and helpful tips tailored to your dog’s needs. Without Kristina’s observation and guidance I would not have been able to identity all the things that could be causing the behavioural issues. Super happy with the sessions. Would definitely recommend!

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    Sandra Santi-Espi Avatar Sandra Santi-Espi
  • Kristina helped us with our extremely sensitive dog when he was having some aggression issues. It gave us such peace of mind to actually feel like we had control over our dog.

    Delaire Nicholson Avatar Delaire Nicholson
  • There's a good reason Kristina has 82-now 83- five star reviews here. My partner and I have been with her for just one session with our two rescue doggos and already she has helped us more than all the googling and unsolicited advice possibly could. She offers clear, concise instructions without shaming you for not knowing this as some trainers can. She is always paying close attention to the pups without making you feel ignored and uses those small moments that occur in sessions as only a professional like her could pinpoint as a learning experience for us, and teachable moments for the furry ones. We are absolutely thrilled and are looking forward to continuing this with her!

    Gideon Ruttimann-Hoskins Avatar Gideon Ruttimann-Hoskins
  • A perfect trainer to fit our needs as we raise our beautiful Bouvier

    Myriam and Roland Levasseur Avatar Myriam and Roland Levasseur
  • Kristina did a wonderful job with my dog, Simon. After just one session I have already noticed a difference in his behaviour. His anxiety has noticeably gone down, and he is much more calm than before. She also gave me some great tips to potty train him and get him to stop pulling on his leash when we are out for walks. She really understands dogs and how they think and she knows how to get to the root of the issues you're having with them.

    Shir Zisckind Avatar Shir Zisckind
  • Working with Kristina on our dog's reactiveness to new visitors entering the home, and her comfort level with her walker, has been massively helpful. She's armed us with confidence and the right training tools to work on these specific issues. Our dog has completed multiple grades of obedience training, but we were missing guidance on what to do in specific circumstances that trigger our dog's anxiety. Having the ability to have Kristina over to our home to replicate the problems we're having in our home environment has been invaluable. We are grateful for the progress made to date and look forward to our future sessions!

    Kim Elliott Avatar Kim Elliott
  • Simply put, Kristina and her training plan changed our lives. We had limited dog experience and rescued a pittie mix last November. He's a wonderful pup, but working through lots of trauma. When we first came to Kristina, we couldn't get our dog to go on walks, eat from his bowl without growling, or play with toys safely. Now he's the happiest pup and we feel empowered to handle any training curveball thrown at us. All I can say is thank you - and if you're thinking about booking a session, just go ahead and DO IT. It will honestly be the best thing you do for YOU and your PUP.

    Caitie Drewery Avatar Caitie Drewery

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When clients follow my recommendations, there hasn’t been a dog I have not been able to help yet!
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Want to speak directly with the trainer before committing to book? We offer free 15 minute phone consultations to make sure we are a right fit for your dogs needs.