Private Resocialization Sessions

A safe, controlled way for current clients to help their dog be social around other dogs.

What Are Resocialization Sessions?

Many dogs miss out on positive experiences with other dogs, or have had bad ones. Unfortunately, many dogs have not learned respectful social skills, which leads to many dogs learning that their space will not be respected by stranger dogs.  Over time, this can turn into fear, avoidance, barking, lunging or aggression. Resocialization rebuilds your dog’s confidence and social skills one step at a time, using calm, stable dogs who know how to handle a nervous or reactive dog without escalating.

These private sessions are for dogs who struggle around other dogs, whether they are fearful, nervous, reactive or aggressive. Your dog gets to practise real dog-to-dog interactions with Kristina’s experienced helper dogs; Foxy and Balto, while Kristina’s expertise guides you and your dog each step of the way.

Every session is private and planned around your dog’s needs. Depending on where your dog is at, what you and your dog will learn can include:

What You Will Learn

  • How to properly introduce your dog on a leash to another dog.
  • How to recognize your dogs body language to mitigate potential reactive or inappropriate behaviour.
  • How to communicate with your dog that you have their back during dog to dog interactions.
  • How to read other dogs body language to make good choices about which dogs you should allow your dog to interact with.
  • Understanding what polite and impolite dog interactions look like.

What Your Dog Will Learn

  • How to greet another dog politely.
  • How to give or get space from another dog (mutually respectful ineractions).
  • How to be calm and neutral near another dog.
  • How to build thier confidence around other dogs.
  • Reading and responding to another dog's body language politely.
  • How to play with another dog politely and safely.

We never rush. Your dog’s comfort and safety come first, and we only move forward when your dog shows us they are ready.

***You must be a current client and be approved BEFORE booking this session. At bare minimum, your dog must have completed 1 private session with me first. This lets me assess your dog’s behaviour, body language and triggers so I can decide if this session is the right fit, and when. There might be some work we need to do together first before this is even something we can consider. If you have not worked with me yet, please book an initial consultation first (a follow up session in a package can be used towards these sessions when your dog is ready). Muzzle training is required for bite-risk dogs – this training would be covered in your session prior to booking your private socialization session. 

Perks of Booking a Resocialization Session

With consistent practice, most dogs begin to feel more confident and relaxed around other dogs. They recover faster after seeing or meeting another dog, and bark, lunge and growl less on walks. They get better at reading other dogs’ signals and responding appropriately, and they greet dogs more politely and calmly. Most of all, they start to enjoy walks, parks and outings more, and so will you.

Most dogs just need to feel that their space is being respected to build confidence around other dogs.

Meet the Helper Dogs

A helper dog is a calm, stable, socially skilled dog who works alongside a trainer to help other dogs learn how to feel safe and behave appropriately around dogs. Helper dogs know how to stay neutral when another dog is barking, lunging or nervous, so they don’t add fuel to the fire. They also “speak dog” fluently, using clear, polite body language like turning away, sniffing the ground, moving slowly and giving space. This shows an anxious or reactive dog that there’s nothing to worry about. Many dogs learn more from a good helper dog in one session than they could from weeks of seeing random dogs on walks, because every interaction is controlled, predictable and positive. That’s exactly why Foxy and Balto are such an important part of these sessions.

Foxy

Foxy

Foxy is a 4-year-old, 15lb street dog from Barbados. She can be a little shy herself, but she has a very good sense for dogs who are nervous or unstable around other dogs. Because of this, she has an amazing way of showing calm, non-threatening body language. With young, over-exuberant (and sometimes rude!) puppies, she’s excellent at teaching them some respect for their elders in a motherly but firm way. With smaller, fearful dogs, she’s excellent at bringing them out of their shell and getting them to play.

Foxy is also a allergy alert service dog for Kristina and detects dairy in food.

Foxy’s Specialties for Dog Resocialization Sessions Are:

  • Bringing fearful dogs who won't play or socialize come out of their shell.
  • Teaching young over exuberant (rude) dogs to give space.
  • Helping dogs learn to be neutral and relaxed around another dog.

Balto

Balto

Balto is a 1 1/2-year-old, 70 lb neutered Husky, Lab and Shepherd mix from a native reserve in Northern Ontario. More than anything, he wants to make friends with everybody (human and dog). He has a really amazing way of helping dogs, big or small, feel welcome and safe.

When Balto isn’t helping dogs, he’s also a scent detection sport dog: he passed his SDDA Started trial on his first try with a perfect score and now competes at the Advanced level.

Balto’s Specialties for Dog Resocialization Sessions Are:

  • Teaching dogs who are intimidated or reactive towards bigger dogs that big dogs can be respectful and gentle.
  • Teaching reactive dogs about non confrontational dog body languarge
  • Helping dogs learn to accept their owners can pet and pay attention to other dogs.

In a city as dog-packed as Toronto, one of the most important things these sessions teach isn't just for your dog, it's for you. When you can read dog body language, you can spot stress early, recognize when another dog isn't friendly, and step in before things go wrong. Once you can read your dog, you can help them navigate this busy city safely and confidently.

Kristina Rapson
The Hairy Dogmother

Ready to Book?

If you are a current client and think your dog could benefit, send Kristina a message or bring it up at your next session. Kristina will let you know if your dog is ready and send you the booking link.

Not a client yet? Start by booking an initial consultation (follow up package sessions can be used towards socialization sessions when your dog is ready).

  • You must be a current client and be approved BEFORE booking this session.

Still Not Sure if Your Dog Is Ready for a Resocialization Session?​

I offer free 15 minute discovery call to answer any additional questions you might have.

Book A Free Discovery Call
Back To Main Services Page

See More of Kristina's Specialized Training Services

Adolescent boxer puppy running wild. Hairy Tales helps dogs and owners navigate the challenging teenage phase effectively.

Doggy Teenagehood

12 December 2024

Doggy Teenagehood When your perfect puppy suddenly starts acting out. Why do you feel like everything you taught your puppy

Read More »

See what people are saying...

  • 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.

    media thumbnail 0media thumbnail 1
    Hans Feldmann Avatar Hans Feldmann

  • Simply put, Kristina and her training plan changed our lives. We had limited dog experience and rescued a pittie mix last November. He's a wonderful pup, but working through lots of trauma. When we first came to Kristina, we couldn't get our dog to go on walks, eat from his bowl without growling, or play with toys safely. Now he's the happiest pup and we feel empowered to handle any training curveball thrown at us. All I can say is thank you - and if you're thinking about booking a session, just go ahead and DO IT. It will honestly be the best thing you do for YOU and your PUP.

    Caitie Drewery Avatar Caitie Drewery

  • 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 Avatar Barbara Drake-Land

  • I have tried other dog trainers to work on my dogs leash reactivity and have not had much success. After the first session I saw changes in my dog and gained the confidence and skills to continue to work on this! Kristina has been extremely knowledgeable and kind throughout the process!

    Katie Mccormick Avatar Katie Mccormick

  • I had a great experience working with Kristina to train my puppy Alfie - she was thorough, king, patient and incredibly encouraging! She was flexible with the spring weather and sent extensive follow up emails to help with my training at home. She could even check in on how things were going in between our sessions, and always answered my random questions as well. Couldn't recommend her more! Such a great help to me.

    Julia Bennett Avatar Julia Bennett

  • Kristina offered really practical and useful advice for training our 3 month old sheepadoodle puppy. More importantly she was able to explain how a dog may actually interpret our attempts in preventing unwanted dog behaviours. This "dog thinking" has proved to be key in his (and our) ongoing training.

    Kathy Bleyer Avatar Kathy Bleyer

  • Kristina is a very experienced trainer who also provides thorough notes after each session, which is one reason I find her fee very good value. After just one session, I was able to make substantial progress with my two-year-old rescued terrier. She also checks in between sessions, which I appreciate. Overall, she obviously has a deep love of dogs and is very conscientious about helping their humans understand their pets’ behaviour and how best to change it where necessary. Call me and my dog very satisfied customers!

    Issa Avatar Issa

  • Working with Kristina has done wonders for my dog’s on-leash reactivity to other dogs. Before meeting with Kristina, my dog was very reactive - barking and becoming very anxious at the sight or sound of any dog. Taking my dog out in public had become a stressful and anxiety inducing affair for both me and my dog. Across three sessions, Kristina showed me how to set up more consistent boundaries at home for my dog and manage my dog’s behavior on leash. After each session, Kristina shared detailed notes and was available for follow up questions - she was always considerate and approachable. My dog showed a ton of improvement after two months of consistently applying Kristina’s lessons and now, at the three month mark, has virtually no signs of reactive behavior. She can calmly pass by other dogs on the same sidewalk, is unfazed by other dogs barking at her, and confidently enjoys herself at the dog park. My relationship with my dog is so much better after working with Kristina. Thank you very much Kristina!

    Henry Choi Avatar Henry Choi

  • My 1 year old Chihuahua has been working with Kristina at Hairy Tales Training for just over a month now. It's incredible to see the progress he is making though practicing his clearly listed homework duties that Kristina provides for us. She is quick to respond to any questions I have had throughout my dogs training and is true pleasure to work with.

    Michelle Demeulenaere Avatar Michelle Demeulenaere

  • We recently had our first 90-minute session with Kristina for our new puppy, and we couldn’t be more grateful. As second-time dog owners but first-time puppy parents, we were feeling pretty anxious—our pup is 6 months old and hadn’t had any formal training yet, so we felt like we were playing catch-up. Kristina immediately put us at ease. She provided practical, easy-to-implement tools and tips that we started using right away—and we’ve already seen noticeable improvements in our puppy’s behavior! Her approach is clear, direct, and tailored to our needs, which made a huge difference in our confidence. Both of our dogs have now been trained by Kristina, and we wouldn’t trust anyone else. We’re feeling much more optimistic and excited for our next session. Highly recommend her to anyone looking for a knowledgeable and experienced trainer!

    Amanda Gergis Avatar Amanda Gergis
Jack Russel Dog beside a kids telephone toy to signify free phone consultation

FREE 15 Minute Discovery Call

Want to speak directly with the trainer before committing to book? We offer free 15 minute discovery calls to make sure we are a right fit for your dogs needs.

Book a discovery call now