The Dog Mamaa
Toronto Dog Training
Our Walk & Train program is designed for Toronto dog owners seeking expert guidance to improve their walks. Choose from two tailored options: Loose Leash Manners or Reactive to Calm.
"Gabrielle is an amazing dog trainer. I have a Chow Chow and needed help on his loose leash walking and disengagement skills. Her expertise, empathy and patience really helped me as a first time dog mom. I appreciate the time she took to explain the exercises and made sure I knew how to do them properly so that I could train my dog on my own. She’s incredibly responsive to any questions I had and was a a phenomenal resource. I can’t say thank you enough for empowering me to be a good dog mom!"
- Lena & Bao
Our 4 session Loose Leash Manners package focuses on practicing essential leash skills that will improve your walks together. The training focuses we cover include :
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Improving Focus
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Leash Pattern Games to build default behaviours such as automatic sit & eye contact
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Choosing to Heel
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Touch (Hand Targeting)
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Navigating Around Distractions
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Engage Disengage (Reorienting attention back to you from distractions)
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Polite Leash Greetings
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Recall Games
Reactive to Calm - Resolving Reactivity on Walks
Struggling with barking & lunging on walks? Our 5 session Reactive to Calm package specializes in resolving leash reactivity to help Toronto dogs navigate the city calmly & on a loose leash.
"Highly recommend! Gabrielle's personalized approach and intuitive guidance in reactive dog rehabilitation have greatly boosted both me and my pup Momo's confidence during our walks. With her kind support and extensive knowledge of dog behavior, Momo has made remarkable progress. After completing five sessions, her training was able to significantly reduce his anxiety around triggers and decrease his overall reactivity. Thank you again for your exceptional training services!"
- Nat & Momo
We are highly experienced with these two main types of reactivity :
Frustration Based - The dog is over excited to greet other dogs or people, which may result in frantic leash pulling and vocalization.
Fear or Aggression Based - The dog feels negatively towards their triggers and may growl, lunge or have a freeze or flight response to create distance.
We utilize science based behaviour modification to address leash reactivity by working to change the dog's emotional response to seeing their trigger, & teaching valuable skills & replacement behaviours. Here are some of the methods you will see us utilizing :
Counter Conditioning - Pairing the trigger with something your dog loves to change their association to more positive
Desensitization - Always working below your dog's threshold & gradually building tolerance to ensure your dog is in calm state of mind for learning and engaging with you.
Decompression - To avoid overwhelm & keep learning enjoyable, we ensure there plenty of opportunities to reset by providing mental enrichment & chances to engage in natural dog activities.
To learn more about leash reactivity, check out our blog Resolving Leash Reactivity for more information & free training tips!
What is Included?
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Loose Leash Manners 4 x 1 Hour Sessions
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Reactive to Calm 5 x 1 Hour Sessions
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Virtual follow up session to maintain your progress
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Initial Behaviour Consultation available either in person, virtual or a phone call
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Option to join for the training walk sessions, or have us take your dog & transfer what we learned to you when we return
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Comprehensive Training Plan customized to you and your dog
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Client Email Support for any questions, updates or video feedback
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Summary Write Up of each session with training exercises to practice
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Video resources and exclusive handouts
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Ongoing support available during and after training together
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Access to The Dog Mamaa Club for ongoing training support, exclusive offers & connecting with other clients
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The Dog Mamaa certification of completion
Shay & Norman
Had such an amazing experience with Gabby! She taught us the magic of clicker training and re direction and it has completely changed our walking experience! My dog can move through the world with much less anxiety and reactivity. She also provided many exercises that help my dog re direct his energy in many environments! Would highly recommend! We love you gabby 💜
Wendy & Loki
Gabrielle helped my pup and I with her Walk & Train package. After three sessions, I had little exercises and tricks in my toolkit for more engagement with my pup to improve his focus, making walks less stressful and more enjoyable for us. Gabrielle is very responsive and helpful even after the sessions were over.
Lena & Bao
Gabrielle is an amazing dog trainer. I have a Chow Chow and needed help on his loose leash walking and disengagement skills. Her expertise, empathy and patience really helped me as a first time dog mom. I appreciate the time she took to explain the exercises and made sure I knew how to do them properly so that I could train my dog on my own. She’s incredibly responsive to any questions I had and was a a phenomenal resource. I can’t say thank you enough for empowering me to be a good dog mom!
Walk & Train Clients
Ready to Get Started?
The first step to embarking on our training journey would be a to book a behaviour consultation held via phone call, virtual or in person. This allows us to gather all important information & get to know you and your dog in order to offer valuable training tips & create the most effective training plan. It is $70 for the phone call or virtual, or $100 for in person. The fee is then credited towards your training package if you choose to proceed working together.
Package Rates : Loose Leash Manners $500, Reactive to Calm $600 + HST