Kristina Rapson

Providing The Best Dog Training in Toronto

Kristina is an award winning dog trainer and behaviourist in Toronto who recently won best dog trainer for the Canadian Choice Awards 2024 & 2025. She is also on the finalist list for 2026. She has also been listed in the top 5 on 6 different lists, and has over 160 five star Google reviews. 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 Modification

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

Obedience Training

Dog obedience training is the process of teaching a dog to follow basic commands such as sit, stay, come, and heel. While it’s a valuable tool for managing behavior in specific situations, obedience training doesn’t always address the root causes of behavioral issues.

Kristina is professionally trained in obedience training at the National K9 Learning Center and takes a well-rounded approach to dog behavior.

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Puppy Training

Not all puppy classes teach you how to stop bad behaviour. Most puppy parents struggle with potty training, destructive chewing and nipping and biting.

We focus on the most important aspects of raising a puppy that unfortunately most puppy classes don't teach: proper socialization, people / house manners & potty training.

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OFF LEASH RECALL

Training your dog to have a reliable off-leash recall is not just about obedience; it’s about ensuring their safety and allowing them the freedom to explore the world responsibly.

Kristina teaches the two most effective methods for achieving a reliable recall: traditional long line method and e-collar training.

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Leash Reactivity & Aggression

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

Reactivity and aggression are extremely stressful to deal with. Hairy Tales specializes in helping reactive and aggressive dogs become calm and confident companions.

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RESOURCE GUARDING

Resource guarding refers to when a dog displays protective or aggressive behaviour in order to defend or control access to a particular resource. This resource can be food, toys, treats, bones, beds, furniture, people or any item the dog perceives as valuable.

Since resource guarding is almost always a relationship problem, the first most important step to any dog training, is improving the relationship with your dog.

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Over-Excitement / 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?

The vast majority of dogs that appear to be hyperactive are actually not like that naturally. This behaviour is almost always created by attention and affection at the wrong time. Hairy Tales can help!

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Fear & Anxiety

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

Confidence building can only begin once a dog has learned that they can trust you to be their leader protector.

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RESCUE DOGS

Rescue dogs often come with some baggage and specific behaviour issues that need to be addressed. Oftentimes, these behaviours will not show themselves until about 3-4 weeks after arriving in the home.

Some common behaviors that we see in rescue dogs include, but are not limited to : reactivity, aggression, fear / low confidence etc. We specialize in rehabilitating rescue dogs and street dogs.

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E-COLLAR TRAINING

E-collar training can be an invaluable tool for specific behaviour modification or obedience training. It is DEFINITELY NOT an abusive tool when used correctly.

If used correctly, e-collar training can be an extremely gentle and effective tool. I have rehabilitated even some of the most traumatized and fearful rescues using e-collars.

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Trusted & Certified

See what people are saying...

We had our first session with Kristina today. She is incredibly knowledgeable on dog behaviour and helps you understand why certain behaviours are happening and what they really mean. The corrections she suggested really helped our dog in the first 90 minutes and we are looking forward to our next lesson and Marley’s progress! Thank you Kristina!

Yvonne Yhap
We just had our first session, and it was great! Kristina really took her time getting to know our dogs behaviours and tendencies. We definitely learned a lot!

Kathleen Donovan
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!

Sandra Santi-Espi
I am so happy with Kristina. My previous dog trainer retired and found Kristina by Google reviews. The Google reviews are correct - Kristina is excellent and perfect energy for us. Supportive, kind and fantastic at explaining things. We are making huge progress with Gwenny already. Highly recommend Kristina

Rossi Ayres
I honestly cannot recommend Kristina’s services enough. As an experienced dog owner, I did not anticipate the issues of anxiety and aggression that showed up early in my chihuahua-mix’s personality. Kristina is the third or fourth trainer I have consulted with over the 2 years I have had Banjo, and I am feeling so much relief over our progress after our first 3 sessions. Kristina listens, she understands our issues, she has validated my concerns, and most importantly has given me clear, practical and actionable instructions for helping Banjo become a more confident and calm little dude. To be clear, this is WORK, but she has given me so much confidence and direction, and I’m clearly seeing it in my dogs behaviour. I have texted her between sessions with specific behaviours or concerns, and she has come back with real solutions that I can incorporate into our training plan immediately. All the stars for Kristina! She has made me feel confident for the first time in 2 years that Banjo has a much happier and calmer future ahead - and that I don’t have to live my life walking on egg shells.

Katie Pitts
We had our first session with Kristina and it was very eye opening, she is very professional and knowledgeable. We feel confident that our rescue dog will be able to overcome his anxiety and we already have homework to do, so now we feel that we know how we can start to communicate better with our sweet little guy.

Karen Azuara
I had my first web session with Kristina yesterday, and I can assure you, she is worth the wait! We are working together on improving my relationship with my dog, which Kristina explained was the underlying reason why my dog seems like he has "a short fuse" around other dogs. Kristina is articulate, to the point yet also very kind and understanding. It felt like chatting with an old friend. There was zero judgement when I confessed all of my mistakes to her, for which I am very grateful! (lol). I feel confident that my dog and I are going to get to a much better place with her guidance.

Kali Holz
Kristina has been a huge help with both our dogs, including our rescue who has a lot of anxiety and trust issues. We’ve only had a few sessions with her and by implementing her advice have already seen some remarkable changes. She really understands the psychology of dogs. Always responsive and professional, as well. Can’t recommend her enough.

Francine
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
Love training with Kristina. Very informative and educational. We still have a long way to go, but it's been very positive so far.

Jenn Baldado