Hairy Tales Specializes in Behaviour Issues

Not all trainers are able to help with behaviour issues effectively. So what makes Hairy Tales so successful with behaviour cases?

What Kinds of Behaviour Issues Can You Help With?

Behaviour modification involves training to get rid of already existing behaviours that are unwanted. These can include things such as (but not limited to) the following issues:

  • Dog reactive or aggressive
  • Incessant barking
  • Biting, nipping or mouthing
  • Potty training issues
  • Low confidence

Eradicating a behaviour that is already present is vastly different than teaching a dog new behaviours.

When dealing with behaviours that we want to get rid of in dogs, your average dog trainer will often not be well versed enough in dog psychology and behaviour to help completely get rid of the problem. This is especially true when we are dealing with more intense reactivity and / or aggression issues.

Eradicating a behaviour that is already present is VASTLY different than teaching a dog new behaviours. This is why basic obedience will often not be the answer when it comes to solving your dogs behavioural woes. 

It will often take someone who is highly specialized is understanding dog behaviour issues in order for you and your dog to get the results you are looking for. 

Dog Training Toronto | Hairy Tales | Award Winning Dog Behaviorist

When I am working with a dog that has behavioural issues, I am always looking at the entire picture to see what could be causing the problem, and how WE can change to help THEM. The key word here is "WE" meaning; it's up to the owner to make changes to how they interact with their dog in order for their dog to change. 

Kristina Rapson
The Hairy Dogmother

The first most important step to any dog training, is improving the relationship with your dog. Dogs, like all social mammals (including humans), practice dominance hierarchy. Anyone who tells you otherwise has absolutely no idea about how nature works, and how social mammals cohabit.

Because dog packs are not stagnant family units like wolves, it means that they are constantly looking at the pack members around them all the time to see if they need to take a leadership / protector role in that moment. Dogs communicate primarily with body language and space, and for this reason, many people do not realize that they are sending the wrong messages to their dog all day long that the dog should be the leader / protector. When this happens, your average happy go lucky dog will likely just not listen as well to commands because, well, why should they? They are the boss not you! 

The major problem occurs when we have dogs who have fears and insecurities about things in our human world. If you have unintentionally told them that they are the leader / protector, they will be reactive and sometimes even aggressive towards the things that scare them.

This is where I come in, to help you understand what you might be doing to send your dog these messages, and to help your dog understand that it is not their job to protect themselves or you, in fact, you have their back and you are their protector. 

Dog Training Toronto | Hairy Tales | Award Winning Dog Behaviorist
Kristina Rapson The Hairy Dogmother

So what does behaviour modification look like?

01

Improving Communication & Relationship

Through teaching you how dogs communicate, Kristina will be helping you how to clarify your interactions with your dog so you are sending them the right messages.

02

Learning Techniques

You must learn from Kristina how to communicate what is and is not acceptable. Then you must apply this and teach your dog the rules and boundaries clearly and consistently. 

03

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Once you have the knowledge, skills and tools from Kristina to improve your dogs behaviour, you are to practice every single day. Practice makes perfect!

The Science Behind Leadership In Dogs

Learn more about the science behind the importance of leadership with dogs.

This is often very different than what most other trainers will try to use to get rid of behaviour issues, which is generally obedience training, corrections or counter conditioning. Without a change in relationship, none of these methods will get rid of the root cause of the behavior issue. If you have already been to other trainers, this might be the missing link. 

What kinds of training tools do you use?

This really depends on the dog and human involved. Again, we don’t use a one sized fits all method, and so each dog and human duo will need something different depending on the behaviour and how intense they are. What is for sure, is we almost always need to switch from the current tool, as most dogs come in completely desensitized to their current walking tool (harness, collar, halti, or whatever else they are on).  By switching the equipment to something new, it allows the owner to have more communication for a few days while the dog is not used to the sensation of that new tool. It’s like getting new shoes. We are always a little weirded out at first because it feels funny, and we aren’t used to it.  We always try to use the least aversive tools possible that gets the results we need to improve the behaviour.

***PLEASE NOTE: Do not switch equipment before meeting your new trainer as this could cause your dog to become desensitized to the new tool if you are not using the right methods and techniques to make sure this doesn’t happen.

Do you use e-collar training for behaviour modification?

We can, however this is not the first go to tool of choice when we are working with unwanted behaviours. E-collar training requires a lot of time and work before you can actually use it as a corrective tool for unwanted behaviour.  If its something you are interested in, it will take some time before we get there to use it in this way. More information on e-collar training can be found here.

  • Remember that no behaviour issue can be completely resolved in just one session. It takes time and practice to get over these types of issues. 
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See what people are saying...

  • We've been working with Kristina for about one month now and completed two sessions. After our first session, we've seen so much improvement in our little rescue's confidence and obedience. Dobby is really reactive to other dogs and people outside, it was becoming increasingly difficult to manage him when we had to take him out for walks because he would bark or try to lunge at dogs or people even if they were across the street. He was also barking and protective of the home. Kristina has been really helpful with providing us with the tools to help us succeed and build a stronger relationship with our dog. She is really knowledgeable in dog behaviour and not only provides you with the training tools, she explains why the dog is behaving or reacting a particular way. Our relationship with our dog has become so much stronger since we've started, he really is much happier and less anxious. Kristina also provides detailed homework that you can refer back because there are so many things you need to remember. I highly recommend her! She is our second trainer we've worked with and we probably learned more in one session than we did in our previous 3 sessions with our last trainer. We plan to work with Kristina for as long as we can. Thank you!

    Tiffany Avatar Tiffany

  • Had 2 sessions with Kristina for my reactive dog. So far so good! Seeing lots of improvements. Kristina is very knowledgeable and professional. Would recommend

    Steven Lu Avatar Steven Lu

  • My 2 yorkies used to love each other, but two months ago they started fighting every day, it was a stressful situation at home. Kristina was the second trainer to try to fix this dog agression situation. She solved 70% of my problem in ONE DAY. Check the picture of my yorkies, they are together in the same room without killing each other!!!!! It happened literally 2 days after we started doing what Kristina told us to! I am looking foward to the next session, I am really confident that they will become the most polite dogs in the world

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    Nicoli Ueta Avatar Nicoli Ueta

  • Working with Kristina has done wonders for my dog’s on-leash reactivity to other dogs. Before meeting with Kristina, my dog was very reactive - barking and becoming very anxious at the sight or sound of any dog. Taking my dog out in public had become a stressful and anxiety inducing affair for both me and my dog. Across three sessions, Kristina showed me how to set up more consistent boundaries at home for my dog and manage my dog’s behavior on leash. After each session, Kristina shared detailed notes and was available for follow up questions - she was always considerate and approachable. My dog showed a ton of improvement after two months of consistently applying Kristina’s lessons and now, at the three month mark, has virtually no signs of reactive behavior. She can calmly pass by other dogs on the same sidewalk, is unfazed by other dogs barking at her, and confidently enjoys herself at the dog park. My relationship with my dog is so much better after working with Kristina. Thank you very much Kristina!

    Henry Choi Avatar Henry Choi

  • I have a super reactive dog that has so greatly improved through working with Kristina! Now we are able to pass other dogs where she does not react (except for the very few times, but we’re still working on those lol). So happy to have found Kristina to help me and the family have a much more happy and fulfilling life with our love Muffy ????

    Said Saffarini Avatar Said Saffarini

  • Before we consulted Kristina about our rescue dog Stella’s leash reactivity, we couldn’t take her for a walk without her barking/lunging/snarling at LITERALLY EVERYTHING. We’re talking — we leave the door of the condo building and it was non-stop snarling at everything she could see. People, cars, bikes, dogs. If you could name it, Stella was trying to bite it. After just the initial consultation session with Kristina and being given homework on relationship building/the correct tools (and being taught how to use said tools), we saw a considerable improvement in Stella’s leash reactivity and her leash walking manners. It’s been 3 weeks since our first session, and today Stella walked so casually in a loose leash position, I thought I must’ve brought the wrong dog home from the groomer. She does not bark at people and cars anymore (sometimes she’ll tense up at cars, but we can redirect her now). Her threshold for seeing dogs without reacting has considerably improved and we can even walk by many of them on the sidewalk without issue — a massive improvement from seeing them even across the street and reacting. I don’t feel scared to take her on walks anymore and my confidence as a handler has also greatly improved. AFTER ONE SESSION!!! Aside from Kristina’s expertise in training, my partner and I are extremely grateful for how gracefully Kristina communicates with us. Kristina never shamed us for not knowing better or not already seeing Stella’s signs of guarding (which is related to the reactivity issue). She never made us feel badly about Stella’s behaviour issues. She teaches in such an easily understandable way. We have another session with Kristina booked soon, and I imagine we’ll sign up for more in the coming weeks/months to continue to help Stella live the best life she can. I can honestly say that it’s probably the best money we’ve ever spent. Highly recommend!!!

    Taylor Medeiros Avatar Taylor Medeiros

  • Kristina is very knowledgeable and takes her time to get to the root of the dogs behavioural issues. My dog has become a lot less reactive to on walks since the two sessions we have had with her. Very much enjoyed the sessions and listening to the philosophies of how she approaches dog behaviourial issues. Very helpful in helping me understand my dog better too.

    Aimee Yoo Avatar Aimee Yoo

  • A perfect trainer to fit our needs as we raise our beautiful Bouvier

    Myriam and Roland Levasseur Avatar Myriam and Roland Levasseur

  • After only 2 sessions with Kristina, the owner of Hairy Tales, my 3 year old 'COVID' dog is well on his way from being a hyper, anxious, reactive leash-tugger to a loose-leash, non-reactive, well mannered dog. Let's be honest - most training is 'training the owner' on how to take control and manage their dog but the benefits I see in my own dog is amazing. I could not have come this far without Kristina's guidance. My dog is now calmer, less reactive to squirrels & other dogs and is well on his way to learning how to behave when visitors come into our home. It's about consistency, having the right tools and having a great teacher. Kristina takes the time to understand you and your dog; explains and teaches how to modify their behaviour (and your own) so that your dog can be a dog and not a pest. Every day, the improvements are amazing and I couldn't be more impressed. My only regret is I didn't know about Kristina earlier. Thank you Kristina for changing my life with Finnegan - AND Finnegan thanks you too!

    Catherine Smith Avatar Catherine Smith

  • Highly recommend Kristina as a dog trainer. We have only done two private sessions and seeing immediate improvement with our 6 month puppy. Already we are seeing big improvements with his obedience, loose leash walking, mouthiness, jumping, reactivity, and overall manners. Kristina works hard to understand who you are, and who your dog is, and works to strengthen your bond and relationship with your dog first and foremost. She is attentive, calm, and very knowledgeable, and has pointed out things that I didn't know were contributing to certain behavioural issues, and more importantly, what I can do to address them. She sends detailed homework which was extremely helpful, and it includes tips and step by step guidance on how to address certain problem areas. Kristina's training philosophy is balanced and works to strengthen the relationship between you and your pup, establish your role and teach you how to better communicate with your dog. This was incredibly important for us, since we tried other training schools and approaches, and dedicated a LOT of time, and it still wasn't working. I'm so glad we found Hairy Tales and Kristina, I am enjoying seeing the positive changes, and most importantly I know I will have a well mannered dog who I can keep safe and happy.

    Christina Chaaya Avatar Christina Chaaya
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