Nurtured Canine

We adopted a three year old dog named Holly in November 2022. When we got her home we found out how much anxiety she had and did not settle at all or like our other two dogs. We contacted Melissa a few days later after and she did a home consult to assess Holly and give us some advice. Some of the key areas of concern we had over and above the anxiety were the dogs fighting with each other, resource guarding and biting at us when frustrated. Melissa established a training program for Holly and she did lessons over a two month period and very quickly we could see positive changes in her behaviour and she started to calm. It’s now the third week of February and Holly is a much calmer and loving dog and now gets excited to see the other dogs. This would not have been possible if it was not for Melissa’s training expertise and caring for Holly. We would highly recommend Melissa and her team if you have a dog that needs training. Our experience was a total success!

Where do I start! There is not enough words to describe Melissa and her team with what she has done with training our German Shepherd Bear! They did what I thought to be near next to impossible. They gave Bear and I the confidence and taught me the necessary tools I needed to learn to make sure Bear would be successful intragating into our rather large dog family. Best part is he loved going for training! He loved his people at Nurtured Canine too.

Melissa has helped us through thick and thin with our puppy. Training him was a breeze with her because she offered us real life situational support, tips and tricks, and ensured we stayed on track. She responds quickly to any requests we have and she is truly passionate about her work with our puppy. We couldn't have picked a better trainer to support us through this journey. I couldn't recommend Melissa more as a trainer both for her professionalism as well as her love of dogs. Thank you, Melissa!

We adopted a one-year-old yorkiepoo named Kali two years ago. Upon bringing him home, we noticed that he had major issues like window barking, stubbornness, and biting. We enlisted the services of two other trainers prior to Nurtured Canine but did not get the results we were looking for. In fact, after the second trainer, Kali got worse. He continued to aggressively bite us when we groomed him as well as ignore our commands. Finally, after he gave my husband a severe bite, we knew we either needed to re-home our dog or get serious help. At our wit’s end, we contacted Melissa with Nurtured Canine. When we met up with her, she immediately made us feel comfortable and heard. We could tell right away that she loves dogs and is passionate about training them. We chose the board and train program for Kali and it was probably the BEST DECISION we made for him. Kali came home a new dog! Overall, our home has become more relaxed and peaceful. Instead of stressing over grooming his poodle fur, we are able to brush him without incident. In fact, he seems to melt into his brushing sessions. During our meal times, he stays calmly in place instead of nipping at our feet or stealing our slippers. When we have guests over, he can contain his excitement on command and knows where to decompress. He no longer barks at people and dogs passing our home and when the doorbell rings, he knows that he needs to go to his place. Our walks have also been great! He focuses on us, walks beside us, and does not mind people and dogs passing by. As a bonus, his picky eating has been resolved! He now eats his kibble without complaint. And with all his good behaviour and habits, he is still the same playful and happy boy he was. Kali has indeed become our dream dog! We cannot thank Melissa and Damon enough for taking him on and transforming him into the dog he is today! We could tell that they put so much into training their dog clients and do not employ a one size fits all technique (like our previous trainer did). If you are looking for trainers who will seriously help you and your dog, look no further! Of course, it will also take work on your end, but it is totally worth it! Kali has been home with us for a month now and he’s only getting better and better as the days go. - Justine