Helping rescue dogs and street dogs integrate with their new families.
Most rescue dogs come with baggage that causes them to have some behavioural issues. It is common that these dogs need specific rescue dog rehabilitation.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know what your getting when you adopt a rescue. Oftentimes it takes at least 3-4 weeks before a dog will start to come out of their shell and show their true colours. This period is called the “decompression period”.
During this time, most dogs will not test the boundaries as readily, as they are just getting to know you and their new environment.
Many new rescue dog adopters are shocked when their new rescue dog starts exhibiting new unwanted behaviours at the 3-4 week mark. (Some of the more fearful rescues can take longer than this since their decompression period is usually elongated). This is why it is absolutely crucial to start working on your relationship and leadership / protector skills with them from day one.
Due to the common backgrounds of rescue dogs (shelter dogs and street dogs), there are common behavioural issues that tend to pop up when these dogs are integrating with their new families. Some of the common unwanted behaviours we see in rescue dogs include:
Having personally adopted and fostered my own rescues (before I became a dog trainer), I have experienced going through extreme difficulties with behavioural issues and feeling completely lost and hopeless. Because of my personal experiences, I not only have the knowledge, but the understanding of what it's like to be going through difficulties like these. This helps me provide new rescue dog parents with the help and compassion they need to succeed with their rescue dog rehabilitation.
Batuk His story and rehabilitation When it comes to dogs, I’m not really very good at planned parenthood. Like most of the best things in life tend to be, Batuk was unexpected, and helping him with his rehabilitation was incredibly
Nash’s Rehabilitation Story He came to us because he had no where else to go. When I first met Nash I was asked by Redemption Paws to go visit him at his foster home because they were having problems with
Finding Xela On a trip to Guatemala, I did not expect to come home with a puppy. In 2007, I traveled to Quetzaltenango (otherwise known as Xela), Guatemala to learn Spanish and volunteer at a El Nahual Language School and
Kristina saved our dog Gigi’s life. Being a first time dog owner we were very overwhelmed with our dog’s aggressive behaviour. Kristina gave us the skills and tools we needed to work through the behavioural issues. Through our training sessions we learned how to care for Gigi so that the aggressive behaviour was avoided. Thank you Kristina for all your help and professional advice. We cannot thank you enough!
Joe AvarinoWorking 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 ChoiKristina is an absolute gem to work with!!! She gave us very helpful tips to work with our rescue dog and followed through whenever we had additional questions! We felt very at ease at her studio and loved the walk through sessions outdoors as well. She catered exactly to our needs in working with our dog and with her help we've made SO MUCH progress. Our dog no longer pulls during our regular walks and his reactivity has gone down significantly since working with her. We will continue working with her to help build our doggo's confidence and to allow him to be comfortable in different settings and cannot wait for our next sessions ahead 🙂
Hyeyoon BooKristina 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 CocoKristina 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!
IssaWe are so very happy to have found Kristina, for us and our very exuberant boxer puppy Lucy ! Walking her has been a challenge because of her endless energy and love for everyone. Kristina has helped us correct our reactions to her and encouraged us how to respond correctly ! After two sessions we have seen a huge improvement with Lucy, even with the 2 week quarantine after her spay. ! Her professionalism shines, she is a competent and most reliable trainer, I would and have highly recommended Kristina as a dog trainer .
Judi FrostI 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 NunnKristina was super knowledgeable and helpful in working with me and my dog to concur her resource guarding and reactivity. Her clear homework instructions were easy to follow and she was always available to help whenever I needed it. Forever grateful for her expertise!
Kayla CarsonKristina is a knowledgeable trainer and resource. From the video call that I had with her, she was able to provide multiple training exercises to help with leash reactivity, setting home boundaries, and teaching 'settle' to my rescue dog. At the end of the session, she provided a detailed email covering the training exercises we had discussed during the call. She even followed up a few weeks later to see how we were doing! I would recommend her services to anyone!
K CI highly recommend Kristina. After just two sessions to work on leash reactivity, there’s been a significant improvement. I now have the correct tools and techniques to work on our relationship. Thanks to Kristina, I feel confident in my ability to understand my dogs needs so we can live our best lives together!
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