Professional, positive dog training on Vancouver Island

Our dog Dewey is a rescue from Mexico and came to us with some behavioural issues. Aviva the owner of Baby Dog training is the best trainer we’ve encountered. She uses the principles of psychology including desensitization and positive reinforcement. Aviva is kind and patient and has a sense of humour. Dewey has improved and we will definitely recommend Baby Dog training!!!!!

Aviva was an excellent trainer. My dogs are walking better and becoming less reactive to other dogs. I have noticed a real difference

We signed our dog up for puppy socialization class and Mojo loved Tara so much we booked her for individual training sessions. We learned so much and got excellent tailored help for Mojo's needs, plus there is lots of ongoing support if we need more help later on. Highly, highly recommend individual training with Tara!

I emailed Baby Dog as a desperate new puppy parent. The private training gave me confidence and tools to connect with and train my dog. Aviva is so personable and patient, really taking the time to help you understand why each step she teaches is important. My pup was troublesome at Puppy Socializations but it was invaluable in teaching him the right and wrong way to behave around other puppies. We also joined a small group for a 6 week intermediate training course. Dog trainers don't magically fix everything, the biggest piece of the puzzle is the owner. I am SO grateful for the tools given to us by Baby Dog and it's trainers.

Dave is great to work with and really knows how to train the human and your dog with understanding, compassion and patience. He is a great resource for how to's, and really went above and beyond when I messaged with an SOS in between training sessions. Thank you again and I highly recommend!

No one else does puppy socialization like Baby Dog. What does this mean? It means more staff on hand to curate the socializations, astute groupings of the dogs according to temperament (e.g. shy, boisterous), and ongoing commentary from staff describing dog behaviour in action (!). This last point is especially helpful to listen to, as you will begin to recognize the many signals/cues your puppies demonstrate for fear, aggression, modes of play, etc. Can't recommend Baby Dog highly enough. When we invite another puppy into our lives, we will return to Baby Dog. Note: to this day, when our dog sees Ruth and Aviva, she is so excited. They are some of her 'top' humans, as far as those she considers her 'pack'.

I've had my rescue dog now for about five weeks...and have found the drop-in group obedience classes, and outdoor group socialization walks invaluable in learning to communicate with my loving pooch. Aviva (and her other trainers) highlight the need to reinforce positive behaviours in the training process. This is a far cry from the "NO!" and "Bad DOG!" comments that you hear from owners who are not aware of the positive behaviour modification skills that you learn through Baby Dog training. I invited a friend of mine and her dog to join Samson and I on one of the pet socialization walks. She was amazed how much you could learn on just one walk, and how it opened her eyes to the training that can yield so many positive results. Thank you Aviva and Baby Dog..!

Meg was great with our goldendoodle Enzo! He caught on quick thanks to Meg's clear and kind instructions during the Level 1 obedience group classes, and we're making progress between classes too. We will be joining Level 2 group classes or consider private classes in the near future for sure! Meg was also super empathetic not only with the dogs but with us, the humans, and provided great feedback and tips!