Professional, positive dog training on Vancouver Island

We moved to the island in December with our 2-year-old Italian Mastiff, Reese. Due to the stress of the move Reese became reactive around all dogs and some people. Given that he’s a big boy (110 lbs of muscle), walking Reese around the dense spaces in the city of Victoria filled us (and Reese) with anxiety. Walks with Reese became a stressful chore rather than a fun, bonding activity with our pup. Thankfully we found Ruth at BabyDog! Ruth was so kind, patient and knowledgeable that by the end of our first session Reese was going belly up to get Ruth to scratch him. With Ruth’s excellent guidance, we practiced our new skills at home, parks, trails, and wherever we could go to learn and get better at managing Reese’s anxiety. The hard work paid off and Reese is now a very happy boy who’s a pleasure to walk around the city or wherever we choose to go. He’s by no means perfect, but after having worked with Ruth we know we have the tools and the skills to help Reese live his best island life. Thanks for everything Ruth! Marc and Chris (& Reese)

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!

I highly recommend Dave and Tomey K9 Services! I knew my 6 y.o. Yorkiepoo Benny wanted to please, but I didn't know where to begin to help him rein in all of his energy around people and reactivity around other dogs. Dave taught me how to use redirection and positive reinforcement to help Benny become more obedient and calm. Benny now looks to me to see how he should react when another dog or distraction is coming our way, and I know how to help him through what used to be anxiety provoking situations. I couldn't be happier with the outcome. Thanks Dave!

we did our first 4 sessions with Danica. We have a stubborn breed and are very happy with the results we got. So rewarding!

I had the opportunity to see Emma in action at her socialization class for shy/tiny dogs last Saturday. I brought along a timid foster dog and couldn’t believe how calmly and skilfully she managed a class of 10 dogs and their owners. She was quickly able to organize the pups into appropriate small groups and guide us through introduction exercises. I learned so much as a participant, and while observing the other groups too. Emma set each dog up for success by ensuring everyone had a safe space to move through the instructions at their own pace. I’m thrilled with the progress my dog made in just one hour! We’ll definitely attend the class as often as possible, and I’d recommend Emma to anyone looking for a dog trainer.

I have been taking my puppy Daisy to baby dog training classes for a couple months and they are amazing! I have learned so much, and Daisy is much better trained since we started! Daisy recently had an accident and we were not able to go to classes for a while, and the trainers at baby dog made some great suggestions to prevent her from getting too bored, and extended our time to attend the training classes. If you have a puppy, I highly recommend baby dog training and socialization classes!

We have thoroughly enjoyed both the puppy socialization classes and the obedience classes. The trainers are excellent with dogs AND people - always on time, professional, and knowledgeable.

Dave is a great trainer. My Staffordshire Terrier - Blue loves seeing Dave and does everything Dave asks of him. Dave is easy to talk to and understands what I would like to work towards being able to do with Blue. Blue and I will continue training with Dave. I highly recommend him.