Client Reviews
“Alecia has been a huge part of mine and my dog's life since the day I adopted him. She helped us with basic puppy training and as he got older and I began to notice reactivity issues developing with him, she was there. She not only provided techniques and tools to help with the reactivity, but educated me on how and why my dog may be perceiving non-"threatening" things as threatening to him. She taught me the importance of making sure my dog felt safe, secure and mentally stimulated as well as physically exercised. She also provided support for me, having a reactive dog is a lot for a person and can make us feel like we've let our dogs down, but she made sure that I always felt supported too.
I am grateful to have had Alecia come into our lives and know that she will always be the first call I make for anything dog related!”
— Sarah Anderson
“My partner and I are so grateful that we connected with Alecia. Alecia was amazing at getting our puppy off on the right paw right from the day we adopted her! Her enrichment ideas were awesome and we are having so much fun training. I get so many compliments when we are out and about, about how well trained Ursula already is and it is all thanks to Alecia!”
— Taryn Walker
“Alecia has been such an important part in helping us to strengthen our relationships with our dogs, and make life with them so fulfilling. She is incredibly patient, and her methods are spot on - meaning, they work!! For a quick example: one of our dogs was exhibiting pulling/excitement behaviours when we saw rabbits out on our walks. Alecia gave us the skills to change that behaviour, and our pup no longer even cares when we see a rabbit! Alecia takes the time to really listen to you, and provides incredible feedback. My spouse put it perfectly: Alecia tells you what you need to do to change the behaviour you're seeing, but she does it in this amazing way where she doesn't make you feel bad about what you have been doing. I will recommend Alecia over and over!”
—Sarah Steinbring
“As a local dog trainer it is essential to have other professionals to network with and refer to, I have 100% confidence sending clients to Alecia with Muttlife!
Alecia was one of the first trainers I learnt from and many years later am thankful to have her as a peer. She is passionate about helping not only dogs, but their owners.
I am excited about her work with reactivity clients and the Muttlife support group, which provides clients with on an ongoing network to continue progress with their reactive dogs.
You won't regret hiring Muttlife.”
—Freedom Dog
“I was feeling increasingly frustrated and hopeless with our little pup because of her dog reactivity, but after one training session with Alecia [MUTTLIFE Behaviour & Training], I feel a whole new world has opened up with endless possibilities of how to engage with and support my dog to be more confident and calm.”
— Mitch Fournier
“A wise trainer once told me, “You don’t end up with the dog you want, you end up with the dog you need.” That trainer was Alecia. As a first time dog owner you can imagine my disappointment when my newly adopted adult dog Arlen, bit is dog cousin Gus right on his wrinkly head. Not to mention the daily fear I had for my cat’s life and the impending problem of my housemate getting her own dog soon. I was on the verge of taking him back to the shelter in which he came. Lucky for me I happened to live across the street from Alecia and she offered to help me with my newly labeled “reactive” dog.
After learning to work with Arlen using force free methods, he is an integral member of my house hold. He shares a bed with the cat, a yard with his dog-housemate and tolerates the company of a few other dogs. Arlen will always be reactive, but with the Arsenal of tools that Alecia has taught me, I have a fun, loving, and fulfilling relationship with my mutt. I shudder to think what may have happened if we didn’t seek Alecia’s expertise.”
— Breanne Price
“When my fiancé and I adopted our adult dog who hadn’t been socialized much, we became very discouraged when we couldn’t understand his behaviour. Talking with and working with Alecia we regained our confidence in understanding what our dog needed, and how to set him up for success.
She is so easy to talk to and she really helped us, would totally recommend her services!!”
— Taylor Tanghe
“As first time dog owners, the lessons we have learned from Alecia have been invaluable for training and building a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with our dog.
Our puppy had a number of resource guarding issues develop around three months of age, which our inexperience as dog owners only compounded. Alecia came to our home and talked us through how our dog was reacting to her stress triggers and gave us a training plan and tools to mitigate and manage her reactions. Alecia is realistic in her training, making it clear that our work will be a lifelong commitment, but that with diligence and buy-in from the whole family, our relationship with our companion will only grow stronger.
Almost a year later, our progress using the tools Alecia gave us has been remarkable and we will continue to use them to set our dog up for success. Thanks, Alecia!”
— Jyllian Park
“If you are in Edmonton, THIS is the dog trainer for you! Alecia is friendly, knowledgeable and provides a perspective that is unique and refreshing. Her strategies are effective and she is creative when finding solutions. Alecia isn't your average dog trainer and she genuinely cares about the well-being of canines. Your pup/dog will benefit from her expertise, caring and consultation.”
— Nicola Gunter
“First off I would like to say a big thank you to Alecia. I first met her when I took my dog Kali to day care. I was super nervous and hesitant, because although my dog is the sweetest and gentlest girl around me, she can be a little aggressive with other dogs especially when on the leash. Walks with Kali were stressful and hard. Dog parks became a danger zone we had to avoid. Alecia was always kind and reassuring. Giving me great tips on how to keep Kali’s mind busy and active.
After we left the day care we tried out multiple trainers. They never really felt right with me, purely because of the methods they used. My poor dog was “baaaahed” at, choked, shocked, sprayed, had loud bean bags thrown at her heels, she wasn’t allowed to walk in front, she wasn’t allowed to stop and sniff, she wasn’t allowed to be a dog. All because I placed my trust in so many wrong methods that promised fast results. Any trainer we met, Kali would cower, she wouldn’t come out, she would hide and she would look terrified.....
Until we met Alecia. When she first visited out home for our assessment, she took the time to get comfortable with Kali, to get to know her, to gain her trust. Kali willingly came and acted as though her and Alecia were the best of buds. The entire encounter was foreign and extremely emotional for me. I was horrified and embarrassed that I willingly put my dog through so many unnecessary and horrible experiences. Alecia is amazing. And I can’t say it enough. She taught me how to gain back the trust of my dog. How to make walks fun again. How to bring the most out of training at home. How to keep the busy mind of my dog occupied. I thank Alecia and all she’s done for us and I can’t wait until we are ready to go on some pack walks.”