Board & Train Programs
18 July 2026
Why You Probably DO NOT Want A Board & Train / Doggy Bootcamp Program For the vast majority of dogs,
Obedience Training
Why it's not necessarily going to lead to having a well behaved dog.
What Is 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 or a dog’s emotional state. It can help you gain control in the moment, but it may not lead to long-term change or help your dog feel more confident and secure. For true behavioral progress, dogs often need support that goes beyond commands—support that helps them make calm, thoughtful decisions on their own without constant direction.
Kristina was professionally trained in obedience training at the National K9 Learning Center and takes a well-rounded approach to dog behavior. She combines effective command techniques with a deep understanding of canine emotions and motivations. This balanced method not only teaches dogs to follow basic commands but also helps address the root causes of behavioral issues. By focusing on both obedience and emotional well-being, Kristina ensures dogs develop trust, confidence, and lasting good behavior, making life easier and more enjoyable for both dogs and their owners.
Kristina Is Certified In Obedience Training From One Of The Top Schools!
Why Obedience Might NOT Be The Answer To Your Dogs Behaviour Problems
Many people look to obedience training when their dogs are misbehaving. The problem is that obedience training alone does not always address the root causes for your dogs behaviour issues.
Example 1: The Place Command
The “place” command in dog training teaches a dog to go to a designated area—like a bed, mat, or raised platform—and stay there until released. As a form of boundary training, it can help dogs build impulse control, patience, and calm behavior. However, while the place command is useful for managing a dog’s actions in the moment, it doesn’t always help them learn how to cope with triggers such as excitement, stress, or fear.
By directing the dog to avoid these situations instead of engaging with them, the underlying emotional response may remain unchanged. For example, if a dog gets overly excited when guests arrive, sending them to “place” may prevent jumping in that moment—but it doesn’t teach them how to greet people calmly when not given that specific command. Long-term behavioral change requires helping dogs develop the ability to make appropriate choices even without being told what to do.
Example: A guest enters your home, and your excited dog is sent to “place” to prevent jumping. It works in the moment, but once released, the excitement returns. The dog didn’t learn how to greet calmly—just how to avoid the situation. Effective dog training should help dogs make better choices, not just follow commands.
Example 2: Responding to "Come"
The “come” command is a key part of dog recall training, and for many dogs, it works well—until a distraction shows up. Owners often report that their dog has a great recall at home or in calm environments. But when a trigger appears—like another dog, a squirrel, or a sudden noise—the command is ignored. This is a common issue, especially with reactive dogs.
Recall built only on treats or repetition often isn’t strong enough to compete with instinct, excitement, or fear. For truly reliable recall, your dog needs to feel that coming back to you is safer and more rewarding than chasing or reacting. That requires more than practicing the word “come”—it means building emotional resilience, trust, and communication under real-world pressure.
Example: At the park, your dog Max has a solid recall—until he sees another dog. His body tenses and he bolts, barking. You call him, but he doesn’t respond. This isn’t stubbornness; it’s reactivity. That’s why effective dog recall training must go beyond basic commands and be tested in real-life, high-distraction scenarios.
For decades, obedience training has been the foundation of dog training. And while teaching commands can be fun and useful for keeping your dog safe, I’ve learned through years of experience that lasting behavior change starts elsewhere. Before obedience, dogs need to understand respect, clear communication, and consistent rules and boundaries. These are the keys to building a calm, well-behaved dog—not just one that follows commands.
The Hairy Dogmother
While obedience commands can help teach respect and enforce rules, relying on them alone often misses a crucial piece of dog training. Communication with your dog happens in many ways—both verbal and nonverbal. These signals tell your dog whether you are a trustworthy leader and protector. Unfortunately, most dog owners unintentionally miscommunicate in “dog language,” which can lead dogs to believe they are the leader instead. When your dog sees themselves as the leader and protector, it creates a leadership mindset that makes daily life harder. Your dog may feel responsible not only for their safety but yours as well, causing behavior challenges that go beyond simple obedience issues.
Should I Take An Obedience Training Class?
Ultimately, while obedience training has its place, it should not be mistaken for the full solution to behavioral issues. Teaching commands like “sit” or “place” can certainly help manage a dog in the moment, but true behavioral change comes from building a relationship based on leadership, trust, and mutual respect. If your goal is a calm, confident, and well-adjusted dog who makes good decisions on their own—not just when told what to do—you’ll need to go beyond commands. Start focusing on the way you communicate with your dog every day, the boundaries you set, and the leadership role you fulfill. That’s where real transformation begins.
- 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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Kristina helped us with our extremely sensitive dog when he was having some aggression issues. It gave us such peace of mind to actually feel like we had control over our dog.
Delaire Nicholson
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I had a wonderful first session with Kristina. She understands a dog's body language and helped me with some tools I could start using immediately. Highly recommend her.
Kim
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Our experience with Kristina was awesome. Within minutes of meeting us and our dog, for an in-studio consultation session, she was able to provide such valuable insights on his personality and tendencies. She later gave us the proper training approach and techniques to correct an issue we were having and we've have already started to see a difference in his behaviour in such a short period time. We look forward to continuing to work with her.
Tim Ritcey
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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
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I was so grateful when I received a referral to Kristina after we adopted our sweet pup from Redemption Paws. It has been so wonderful to work with Kristina throughout our pups training journey. Kristina is clear in her communication and instructions. Everything was always explained clearly which helped me to understand my dogs behaviors. After each session Kristina would send a summary and homework for us to practice. It really helped me to be able to reference back to these emails throughout the training process. I've contacted Kristina anytime a new concern or behavior comes up, and each time she has supported me to quickly address it. I feel empowered and prepared to deal with any challenge that may arise in the future with my pup. Thank you Kristina, you have helped me to become a confident dog owner! If you have found Kristina don't hesitate to book- I know you will also feel grateful you found her!
Courtney Nunn
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We rescued an anxious possessive hound mix. We knew we were out of our depths and needed help. We turned to Kristina and have not regreted. Kristina is very knowledgeable and pragmatic in her advice. She listens well and tailors solutions. She is available to us between sessions. I have hope that we can train our dog to be a great dog
Anne Hayes
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We loved our first session with Kristina! Calm, extremely knowledgable and practical - we are looking forward to working with her to resolve our dogs nervous reactivity!
Mel Schembri
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My husband and I, and our 15 month old Miniature Schnazuer Pyper are working with Kristina towards Pyper's certification (and us as owners!) as a visiting therapy dog. We could not be happier with Kristina's guidance and expertise as together we take this path and work towards this important goal.
Barbara Drake-Land
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Kristina is the dog whisperer. I started working with her when I was at wits end with my golden doodle puppy -jumping, biting, leash pulling, barking. Over a few sessions she helped us curb the undesirable behaviors and make him an obedient calm puppy. Results were immediate and her follow up helped make sure we were making continued progress on our own. I"m so so so glad I worked with Kristina. My pup turned one today and he's a really well behaved guy,
Kristine Coco
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Kristina is a wealth of knowledge, her experience with dog psychology (especially rescue dog) is immense and she provides a lot of detailed homework between sessions to keep everyone on track and get the most from your sessions. Highly reccomend!
Kendra Nicholson
Contact
(416) 320-8710
Mt. Pleasant & Eglinton Ave.
Toronto, Canada
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