Parlee Beach, New Brunswick, 2019

It Takes a Village

To Train a Service Dog

Come Change Your Life

Client Intake is Currently Closed

Suggested Resources

Control Unleashed: Reactive to Relaxed for all arousal issues such as lack of settling, anxiety, hyperactivity, fixations, reactivity, etc.


Crate Games as an online class for crate training, self-control, and arousal issues.

KikoPup on Youtube for self-help videos by a world renowned trainer.


Service Dog Training Institute YouTube for free resources or Service Dog Training Institute's website for paid courses.


Need Specific help?

I am still able to help you find resources to train your own service dog, and do advocacy or educational work! I am not taking new clients for virtual or in-person training sessions.

Need specific help?

Hello Handler!

Are you upgrading your dog from best friend to life-saving service dog? You've come to the right place!


Several years ago I became disenfranchised with training regimens that required me to always anticipate the next time Bo needed a correction; all I seemed to be waiting for were the mistakes he made, rather than focusing my energy on what motivated him to do the things he did.


I dug deep into dog training, which lead me to pursue a full education in teaching people to train their dogs humanely and effectively, using fun, up-to-date methods that focus not only on what goals we want to achieve, but how we achieve them, and how to ensure our dogs are enthusiastically saying YES to everything we ask of them.


Do you want to have the best relationship while training your service dog? Keep scrolling; I promise it'll be worth it.

VIA Rail Kitchener station, 2024

The Village Method

The first tenet of my training plans is to uplift the power of learning through play. In many species, play has been proven to increase learning retention and decrease stress levels. Making your training a game instead of a chore not only makes it more enjoyable, but makes it more effective! Drop your frustration off at the door and turn endless repetitions of behaviour set-ups into games instead!


The second is to always fulfil the dog's needs first. Like you, unless they are fed, watered, comfortable, and safe, your dog will not be able to perform at their best capacity. Fulfilling their species- and breed-typical needs is a requirement, not an option. We achieve this by developing an enrichment plan for your dog, including activities like sniffy walks, foraging, and exercise.


The third is to motivate your dog. We do not work in the corner of coercion, suppression, and discomfort here. There's no need to take away a service dog's autonomy while training them. Attempting to avoid negative repercussions does not teach a dog what to do, only how to feel about you, and we want them to feel nothing but good vibes when they work for us!

Defiance, Ohio Walmart, 2022

Service Dog Training

I divide my program into 3 modules. We will discuss what your needs are and what in your training journey you need help with, and then address those skills specifically.


Transitional Training and Public Access Training are available year-round. Obedience & Life Skills is also available virtually or a combination of virtual/in-person where scheduling permits. Remote training opportunities exist, however, no completion of training letters will be provided without an in-person public access test being performed.


All modules run at a cost of $50/hour session. Discounts may be available for long-term commitments.

Obedience & Life Skills

3 classes for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced skills, with a focus on building engagement, walking skills, and duration behaviours.

Transitional Training

The spaces in between; get guidance and plan how to take your existing skills out to pet-friendly public spaces to capture success!

Public Access Training

Guidance and observation by a specialist to help turn your dog from trainee to full-time medical assistant.

VIA Rail train leaving Toronto Union Station, 2024

More About Me!

I'm Amber, an AbsoluteDogs certified Pro Dog Trainer, Do More With Your Dog! Certified Trick Dog Instructor and Canine Conditioning Fitness Coach, and Dognostics Certified Enrichment Technician. I have taken numerous individual classes and attended multi-day conferences in the training of behaviour cases and sport/working dogs.


I am a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and a founding member of the new Service Dog Committee. As a committee we strive to educate the public and decrease barriers to access services such as federal transport. I am obligated by my memberships and personal ethics not to work with aversive tools; if you are using them, we will work together to reduce that use.


I have been partnered with a service dog since 2013. Bo is my second, an American Village Dog from Jamaica, and the inspiration behind my entire ethos. Yes, I am a disabled person, just like you! I understand the struggles in navigating the medical system, our inaccessible infrastructure, living in poverty, and demanding social requirements. I am personally diagnosed with C-PTSD, OCD, ADHD, fibromyalgia, and am on the spectrum.

Ohio State Reformatory, 2024

It Takes a Village Dog Training is LGBTQA2S+ friendly, disability accessible, inclusive, owned by a disabled woman. I do not tolerate expressions of bigotry. The land on which I work is the unceded traditional territory of the Audenosaunee, Mohawk, Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat peoples.

Cornwall Indigenous Peoples Day, 2022

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