My dog Bruno is now so much more focused on our relationship. It's mutual.
– AARON P.
Alison is amazing! I have a newly adopted 5 year old chihuahua with a heart of gold but lots of behavioural concerns. We did a 5 session private course with Alison called Life Skills 101. Alison was so kind and compassionate & my little dog LOVED her! Alison was a wonderful teacher, and sent super helpful follow-up emails with step-by-step about everything we had worked on in the class, and helpful links too. The classes were super fun for both me and my dog. THANK YOU ALISON!! You are the best!!!”
— CLARE D.
Took our 8 month old excitable lab mix to the Life Skills Class. Alison was a wonderful trainer, and created a positive and inclusive environment. We feel much more equipped to manage our pup, and both us and him are happier for it. Would definitely recommend!”
— NESS P. & TOM K.
Getting a puppy can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but our time with Alison doing the puppy start right program made a world of difference, not only for our puppy’s behaviour, but also for our confidence. It helps so much to feel like we have tools and such a knowledgeable resource like Alison to support us in these first important months. She was also great finding ways to include our six year old when she was able to join us for training!”
—DAVID V.
My husband and I attended all three (levels)… with our dog Marlowe….We loved these classes so much, they were the highlight of our week. Alison is great at teaching you… how to effectively shape your dog into a great home companion. She covers a different core skill each week and teaches in a way it’s easy to practice and apply yourself at home. The puppy classes also provide great socialization opportunities. Alison facilitates the play sessions carefully, ensures all the puppies feel comfortable and shows you how to also facilitate positive play sessions outside of the class. Our dog absolutely loved coming here too!… I highly recommend all the courses, it’s a great springboard for you and your dog to learn how to relate to one another :)”
—EMILY C-L & NEMO L.
We thoroughly enjoyed Puppy Kindergarten class with Alison - our 4 month puppy Lucy thrived in this course and our confidence as puppy parents also increased greatly thru Alison’s coaching and support. The class sizes were just right and Alison always made sure the pups were thoughtfully matched for playtime. The tips she provided were practical and useful. We highly recommend her classes!”
—SYLVIA L. & SPIRO R.
We did some private training sessions with Alison. She was a pleasure to work with – punctual, knowledgeable, and friendly. We tackled quite a few issues in our sessions and Alison was super helpful with answering all of our questions. We learned a lot in each session and she also provided us with detailed notes to refer back to. Highly recommend Hearts and Hounds!”
—JUSTINE & DANNY O.
Alison provided outstanding training / coaching for our family to help with our high-energy dog. Alison’s deep understanding of canine behavior and her personalized approach led to remarkable results. Her patience, professionalism, and genuine love for dogs made the sessions effective and enjoyable. Within weeks, our dog’s behavior improved significantly. We highly recommend Hearts & Hounds for anyone seeking top-notch dog (and human) training.”
—DARRYL L. & LIANNA P.
Alison is great with our pup, and all pups from what we’ve seen. Knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating. All round positive experience.”
—ABHIDHEYA W. & WADE B.
Alison is great with dogs and their owners. She taught me how to teach George. He is very food oriented and the treat based training worked really well with him. I would recommend a few private sessions with Alison after the classes. She worked with me one on one and it solidified everything George and I learned in class. All and all a great experience for me and George.”
—JANE M.
We really enjoyed Alison’s classes. Our pup was shy when we first brought him and she adapted the play and tasks to make sure it would be a comfortable environment for him.”
—AIDEEN B. & DANIEL M.
We really enjoyed taking our 3 month old puppy to Puppy Preschool. Phoebe loved to socialize with the other puppies and my husband and I learned so much from each class....despite having been dog owners for years! Alison is a great teacher!! We have now enrolled in Kindergarten!!”
—MARGERY & ROBERT H.
My puppy Cocoa and I took Alison’s preschool and kindergarten classes and thoroughly enjoyed them. Alison is a very knowledgeable and skilled trainer, and the classes were a lot of fun. Alison was always happy to answer my questions, both during and between classes. I highly recommend Hearts and Hounds Dog Training!”
—BARBARA S.
Alison’s preschool classes were exactly what our family and new puppy needed! As well as a safe space for puppy socialization and training, tailored to the group’s needs, we enjoyed having the opportunity to ask questions and benefit from Alison’s generosity and experience. Looking forward to puppy Kindergarten next!”
—LUCY & JONATHAN C.
I did private training with Alison for me and my rescue dog and it was so much fun. Alison is very knowledgeable and highly skilled at what she does, and I learned so much in only two sessions. I was a bit nervous to start, especially since my dog is a rescue and can be quite shy, but Alison has such a nice energy and I think that really helped to put us both at ease. I would highly recommend her!”
—MARJA LEENA C.
Alison’s training sessions are both informative and fun for owner & pup. My puppy benefited from the small group environment and the ability to interact and learn with other dogs in a safe & mentally stimulating way. Would highly recommend Hearts & Hounds for group training!”
—KRISTINA B.
We did some private sessions with Alison in our home. She’s so professional and genuine, kind and bubbly, and we’ve already seen results with our little guy who is/was really fearful of strangers. She uses up to date, modern research to guide her training and she uses all positive reinforcement which was important to us. Thanks Alison!”
—STEPHANIE K. & JEFF F.
Attended a puppy class as well as private training and highly recommend- Alison is incredibly warm, positive, approachable for the humans as well as dogs! I truly looked forward to the classes and trainings and even after one training session our issues improved by a great deal. I have already recommended her to other people and I would highly recommend it to any friends of dogs!”
—AMANDA W. & ASHKAN R.
I’m so glad I found this place. My puppy is very nervous and really needed some socialization in a safe environment. The classes were engaging and we learned some great techniques for best practices at home and for going out. Would definitely sign up for another program in the future.”
—MICHAEL E.
Alison has been amazing! She has helped me tremendously with my two rambunctious rescue pups. Highly recommend her!”
—ALISHA T.
Alison was a life saver for us with our new pup. Her home visit and quick responses between classes at moments of desperation were so helpful as was the time to socialize and practice at the classes.”
—KIRSTEN O.
We had a great experience with Alison’s preschool and kindergarten classes for our golden retriever puppy. He absolutely loved the classes and we learned a ton! Alison is very knowledgeable and the course material provided was very useful.”
—JENNA K. & MICHAEL O.
We did two private coaching sessions with Alison for our 10 month old English bulldog. There was an immediate improvement in his behavior and we can’t be more grateful to Alison for her expertise and guidance. She is very loving and kind towards our dog and it has worked wonders. Alison follows up her verbal instructions with helpful emails and attachments, and is available to answer questions. So glad we found her.”
—ANGIE K.
Came to our house to help train our puppy privately and she had great insights and was wonderful to work with! Now I just need to keep working on all the great things she taught us.”
—ERIN H.
We just graduated from the Puppy Start Right programme and Alison was fantastic. Jax, our golden retriever came a long way following all the at home training and loved the puppy play time at the in person classes. You can see how good Alison is with all of the dogs and she is super knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. Would definitely recommend taking classes with her!”
—LUKE S. & ROXANNE S.
Training with hearts and hounds was one of the best experiences ever. Highlight of my dog and I’s week! I’m really going to miss classes and Alison’s perfect approach to dog training.”
—TARRA M.
Alison is very good at reminding us of the dog’s interpretation of our behaviour in the classes. I really appreciate her dog-centred classes and her obvious love of dogs. I also like the small class size as the dogs became friends too! Thank you Alison”.
—LAURA M.
Alison’s puppy preschool is excellent and really informative. Lots of puppy play time and small class sizes. Highly recommend.”
—HANNA D. & IGOR M.
I had 4 private coaching sessions with Alison for my two dogs. My dogs behaved really well every time under her instructions (they didn’t seem like my dogs when Alison is here), and she taught us a lot of useful skills and explained all the essential knowledge about dog training. Both me and my dogs definitely learnt a lot from her and I highly recommend her for anyone who wants dog training 👍🏽”
—MEIXIU P. & PHOEBE G.
Alison’s classes are excellent; she provides such great practical advice and ability to practice during the classes with her feedback. We really appreciated having small classes to really focus on the skills each week. Alison also provides access to online resources which are very informative. We have taken our first new pup through one set of classes and are keen to start training sessions with our second new puppy. I highly recommend Hearts & Hounds!”
—SANDY C. & PETER A.
These classes were perfect for our puppy. Alison is clearly very knowledgeable about positive dog training techniques and has an obvious love of dogs. The amount of material covered each session was perfect to allow the pups to have time for socializing as well as giving us just the right number of things to practice between classes.”
—PAULA D. & AL G.
My four month old puppy enjoyed the class and learned some great manners!”
—MING-MING G.
My puppy and I attended Puppy Kindergarten. I was impressed by how quickly my dog learned to respond to commands using Alison’s methods. It was a lot of fun and we both learned a lot. The small class size was great as it allowed individual attention when needed.”
—JEAN M.
Alison was a great trainer. I put my puppy through two levels with her. She explains things thoroughly and is very positive and pleasant to learn from. I will definitely sign up with her in the future.”
—PAIGE G. & YOUYI B.
We loved working with Alison!!! My pup loved attending the classes both the Puppy Kindergarten and Life Skills class. I would definitely recommend training here :)”
—ERIN S.
Alison’s training is thoughtful and effective. I learned more from her in 3 sessions than I did with my previous group classes and feel well prepared to continue my training and improve my relationship with my dog. Most importantly, I can tell she genuinely cared for my dog and wanted her to feel safe in her presence. Highly recommend!”
—KRISTINA M.
I found the classes to be very good and very practical. I’ve had dogs pretty well all my life but I still find it very useful to go to puppy classes. I attended puppy kindergarten. I will be going on to the next class. She was able to demonstrate what she was teaching very well with our pups and the drills were simple and easy to follow.”
—JANET M.
Alison is a great trainer who took extra time to give us specific direction and extra information. She made us feel comfortable, and the classes were super enjoyable. Our dog started being pretty shy at 9 weeks but slowly became the most confident puppy. Playtime was really fun and we learned lots from her. We ended up taking three courses with her.”
—ALEJANDRA R. & JEREMY H.
Alison’s classes were well run and I really like how the class sizes were small. Typically 4-6 different puppies. Alison is attentive and always knew the appropriate solution for any problem we would have with our puppy. At a minimum the socialization in her classes was a game changer and we always get comments on how well behaved/calm our puppy is. I’d highly recommend any of her classes. We did both preschool and kindergarten with plans on doing more classes in the future.”
—TERRAN H. & AIRA A.
We did her Puppy Training and Life Skills classes with Charlie and it was awesome! I love Alison’s method of teaching with positive reinforcement, it really worked with Charlie. She is very patient, experienced and knowledgeable. I would go through periods of frustration training my puppy but with her classes it helped understand how to communicate with Charlie through commands, patience, consistency and a reward system.”
—MICHELLE M.
We really enjoyed puppy kindergarten, our puppy got over her fear of other dogs in this safe environment.”
—DANA & WENDY M.
Alison has been an absolute pleasure to work with. We recently completed puppy preschool with our golden retriever, and further enrolling him into Hearts & Hounds kindergarten program was a no brainer. Alison is super knowledgeable, friendly, patient, and has done wonders towards our puppy’s early development & socialization. Look no further if you’re searching for a great trainer!”
—KEVIN T. & JENNY S.
Our puppy transitioned from a group course to private coaching to help with his reactivity. He’s made great progress so far. Alison is a great doggy coach and trainer, very patient and ensured that my concerns were addressed and a plan was formulated. I only wish we found out about her sooner!”
—YAO L.
We enrolled our mini schnauzer puppy in the Life Skills and Takin’ It to the Streets classes. Alison is a wonderful instructor, who trained us to be empathetic partners to our puppy, and gave us a great foundation to growing our bond. Highly recommended!”
—MICHELLE L. & SCOTT L.
Alison is a top tier dog trainer! My pup and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for dog training classes. We took the “taking it to the streets” class. Despite all the distractions and challenges that come with being outside, the classes were well structured with specific locations chosen for the learning objectives of each class. Alison is really good at explaining the reasoning behind the training techniques in a way that helps owners understand the ways that dogs think and learn. YouTube is great but it’s really nice to attend a class and get real time coaching for both yourself and your puppy in a controlled environment with an expert. Totally worth it!”
—AMANDA & ARTHUR N.
Alison is fantastic. Took both her Puppy Preschool and Puppy Kindergarten courses with my new pup, and cannot recommend them enough as a great place for young puppies to socialize and practice working with you in controlled, safe, and still higher distraction environments. My puppy was ecstatic to go to class every week, and Alison really helped us both troubleshoot some trickier parts of learning and puppy care.”
—JAY P.
My puppy was very comfortable in this environment! Friendly and patient trainer :) We enjoyed our experience at Hearts and Hounds DT!”
—ALYSSA T. & WENDELL B.
We enrolled in the puppy start right preschool followed by the puppy kindergarten. Our puppy Linus had lots of socialization opportunity and learned basic commands/manners. Alison limits each class to 4 puppies which allow for more attention for each pup. We also booked 2 private lessons taken place at our home where Alison gave us training methods tailored to our living style. She is very patient and never rushes on time. I can definitely tell how much she cares for the pups!”
—EMILY O. & ANGUS T.
Alison is knowledgeable and compassionate. The program is thorough without being too overwhelming. Very appreciative of this program!”
—ERIN D.
We really enjoyed taking classes with Alison! She is knowledgeable, patient, and my puppy absolutely loves her! :)”
—ELENA C.
I cannot say enough great things about Hearts & Hounds. Having a new puppy is so exciting but also overwhelming at times. Alison, the instructor, interacted with the puppies confidently, casually and with patience which, as a new parent to a pup, is so helpful to see and to try to emulate. Each class was packed full of excellent information and teaching techniques. I am so happy that my pup and I went to pre-school and we are looking forward to going to Kindergarten.”
—LORRIE M.
Alison was fantastic at helping us work on some frustrating behaviours in our 1 year old high energy border collie mix. She was punctual, friendly, hugely knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and had affordable pricing. Conveniently she came right to our apartment for the training sessions. We loved that the training is all about positive reward and not being harsh or punishing your dog. Our dog has been responding well to training so far and I would highly recommend Alison to any puppy or older dog owners needing support.”
—HONOR W. & BEN D.
Highly recommend Alison’s course for socializing puppies and teaching owners the basics of proper training! Hearts and Hounds provides a safe and controlled environment for your puppy to learn to be around other dogs. Despite being a very small breed and having some initial shyness, our puppy learned to play with other dogs in his Hearts and Hounds course. He is now a social butterfly who confidently approaches other dogs multiple times his size without fear. Thank you Alison!”
—ISAAC W. & MAE M.
We loved taking our puppy to Hearts and Hounds. Alison was super helpful and accommodating. Her Puppy Kindergarten class was great for socialization.”
—CLAIRE M-C. & ANDREW R.
We initially brought our 5 month old puppy, Parker, to Alison’s Life Skills Class with the goal to nail down basic obedience (which he was pretty good at already) just in a group setting with lots of distractions. We got so much more. Alison brings so much knowledge and expertise to the table. She is extremely patient, positive, funny and helped point out how my partner and I can do better on communicating on basic commands even our pup knows well. Our class had a broad range of skills and backgrounds and she was able to work and adapt to each dog very well so that each family felt like they made progress each week. Thanks so much Alison!”
—SONIA S. & DEREK B.
I couldn't recommend Alison's classes more highly for any new puppy parents looking for practical and accessible tips and to socialize their puppies in a safe and controlled environment. Alison is very professional and non-judgmental in her guidance to families. She makes the classes both educational and enjoyable for both puppies and parents. Our puppy has come away from these sessions much more confident and social, and we are definitely more informed puppy parents. Thank you Alison for your kindness and patience with both us, and our cheeky pup!”
—RACHEL G. & FAISAL M.
We really enjoyed our time in the Hearts & Hounds Puppy Preschool classes. A ton of resources are provided as part of the class and it was a great way to reinforce skills we were teaching our puppy in a new environment. It also provided a safe and controlled way of socializing with other puppies (very cute too!). Alison was great at monitoring puppy play sessions and teaching us what to look for in good play, addressed common behavioural issues, and spent time with each puppy as they practiced their skills.”
—MARINA M. & BRENT D.
I rescued my dog a few months ago and attended Alison’s Life Skills class. Benji and I learned lots of new skills to practice moving into the future together and it put me at ease knowing we had a patient and kind trainer like Alison. You can tell her classes are very well thought out and that she puts 100% of her effort into making sure you and your dog feel comfortable during class. Highly recommend her classes to any and everyone.”
—SHARINA R.
Mac was very shy about meeting other puppies when we started Alison’s Puppy Start Right Preschool and now he is happy and confident making new friends. Trainer Alison is so sweet, you can tell she adores all the puppies and loves holding the classes. She is knowledgeable and very experienced and takes the time to answer lots of questions and explains the importance of the training and socialization topics each week so well. Mac absolutely LOVES seeing her every week and getting cuddles! I highly recommend Hearts and Hounds, especially if you are a first time puppy parent.”
—MADDIE H.
From the moment I came across Alison’s website, I had a gut feeling that her positive, affirmative training approach was going to work for me and Ripley. After enrolment in Puppy Kindergarten and through private coaching – I’m pleased to say this is very much the case. After every class, I could see growth and learning on Ripley’s part – and was constantly amazed at how much content Alison was able to integrate into each hour, without ever making it feel rushed or overwhelming. I credit her training with helping me set up Ripley for her best life as a dog – and cannot wait for our next round of Life Skills classes.”
—BRIAN P.
We brought our puppy Boson to Alison’s classes (Puppy Preschool and Kindergarten), and loved every second of it. Boson went from a scared-cat hiding and shaking under our chair the first class, to a confident and happy puppy with excellent social skills within the first few classes. Alison is wonderfully experienced with puppies (and I’m sure older dogs too) of all sizes and breeds. I absolutely recommend her puppy classes to any new owner of a young puppy. Wonderful learning experience for humans and canines alike!”
—YILIN W. & ANTOINE B.
Alison’s Life Skills classes are a must for any pup! I’ve seen how our pup has improved with certain issues we started with. I’ve also learned a whole lot about how to continue training our pup even outside of official training lessons. Would definitely recommend.”
—CARISSA T. & BRANDON K.
My fiancée and I worked with Alison when we adopted our puppy, Tony. Tony is a rescue who came with a few quirks. Working with Alison was so incredibly helpful for his development. She gave us the confidence and resources we needed as first time dog parents. Tony has come so far since first starting training - we cannot recommend her more. We plan to continue working with her as Tony grows older. Thank you Alison!”
—IAN Y. & ANA W.
Roxy and I were struggling. Her enthusiastic leash-pulling and reactivity made our daily walks difficult for us both. A recommendation led us to Alison, and our lives have completely changed. Alison's approach is consistent, positive and gentle to Roxy and equally so to me. Appropriate cues, positive reinforcement, and the right equipment have totally changed the way we walk each day. Alison’s tailored approach has been the right fit for us both!”
—JUDY N.
We had such a wonderful experience with Alison! Both Charlie and I learned so much from our Puppy Start Right One-on-One weekly training sessions. Charlie has made fantastic improvements and we are very proud of her progress. Thank you Alison for all of your positivity, support and guidance!”
—JENNA L.
I am very grateful to have found Alison as she has helped me put the final touches on the training of my 2 year old Golden Retriever, Lily. I learned to stop her incessant on-leash pulling in the first session I attended—with a powerful dog who is incredibly strong when focussed; that has been a game changer.”
—ANDREA W.
Alison has a keen sense of what is required to successfully train our dog, Sugo. She is extremely knowledgeable and genuinely cares about his well-being. She is very patient and approachable when it comes to sharing her extensive wisdom on the needs of both dog and owner.”
—SHIRLEY H.
I was referred to Alison when my dog Whiskey was just 2 months old and I never looked back to search for another trainer. Whiskey is quite nervous, shy and gets distracted very easily but Alison gave me tools, skills and confidence to support him. Alison's 1:1 sessions as well as “Out & About” classes were amazing. Both Whiskey and I look forward to more.”
—LAURA F.
Alison is fantastic. She worked with us since Brodie was a wee pup, and her patience and kind determination helped us immensely. Her “Out and About” classes were especially useful, setting Brodie up for good behaviour out in the real world. Her methods are 100% positive and always encouraging. Brodie absolutely adored her, and I deeply appreciated her rock of support. Sadly we've recently moved back to Scotland and I haven’t yet managed to persuade Alison to hold weekly classes here too – I'm working on it!”
—GEORGIA P.W.
Alison’s approach to dog training is so gentle and positive and the results we have seen with our Golden Retriever have been like magic. With Alison’s patience and skill, we watched our girl become a more confident and happy dog. Her classes taught us how best to work with our dog using only positive reinforcement. (Alison only used positive reinforcement with us too, as we learned!)”
—SHAWN H. & ANDREW vO.
