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. 

Kristina holding a street dog puppy that lead her to start dog training in Toronto and starting her award winning dog training business Hairy Tales

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. 

Kristina holding a street dog puppy that lead her to start dog training in Toronto and starting her award winning dog training business Hairy Tales
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...

  • 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

  • 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.

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    Katie Pitts Avatar Katie Pitts

  • Kristina has been very helpful training me by helping me understand my rescued street dog's motivations and perspectives. I have seen daily improvement in my pup's behavior following Kristina's guidance.

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    Hans Feldmann Avatar Hans Feldmann

  • I called Kristina shortly after bringing home my new puppy, a 9 month old rescue from Egypt. When I felt overwhelmed, she helped me to better understand his behaviours (and their underlying motivations) in order to help us live a happier and more balanced life together in a new environment. I really appreciate her check-ins and detailed "homework" to keep us on track and continuing to work on our bond. Kristina's guidance and expertise has transformed my relationship with my dog.

    Valerie Avatar Valerie

  • 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

  • Kristina is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in training dogs with all kinds of issues. We have already made great headway with our rambunctious three month old golden retriever puppy, after only two classes. She follows up with notes and assignments in between sessions which is very helpful. She has also provided many helpful tips and invaluable advice. We highly recommend her.

    Susan Ungar Avatar Susan Ungar

  • My husband and I had an excellent first meeting with Kristina., with our two dogs. She gave us valuable additional insight and recommendations with how to respond to certain situations. Already, within the first week after the visit we are experiencing significant improvement with both dogs, in their respective areas of need i.e. better walking with one, and less reactivity in the other. Thanks Kristina for a great start, and we will be coming back for follow up sessions!

    SA W Avatar SA W

  • We have a 1 year old rescue dog who was very reactive to people in our home and especially to other dogs on the street. After just two sessions with Kristina, and applying the strategies and tools that she has given us, we have already noticed significant improvements in our dog's behaviour. She is much less anxious, which of course has lessened our anxiety too. We still have much work ahead but Kristina has got us off to a great start and set us on a good pathway. She's an excellent trainer: professional, knowledgeable, compassionate and effective. She understands dogs and people.

    Richard Turner Avatar Richard Turner

  • Today was our first day of training for Lucy the boxers e collar it was great ! She loves Kristina as we do ! Kristina trained us all when Lucy was a puppy 2 yrs ago and today Lucy came in with a waggy boxer wiggle !

    Judi Frost Avatar Judi Frost

  • 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
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