Diamond in the Ruff Inc.

Thirteen years ago, Colleen taught my family the importance of training our then 10 week old golden retriever the emergency recall. The training was like a game with amazing treats for our puppy, so it was fun for her. Over the years, we had to use the emergency recall twice, in very different situations and it worked perfectly both times. To say we were so grateful to Colleen is an understatement. We had 12 and a half wonderful years with our golden and we now have another golden retriever puppy. The emergency recall training was first on our list to start training her. That, and to reach out to Colleen again for more of her puppy training wisdom. We are enjoying reconnecting with Colleen, it's just over Zoom this time!

I took my dog to puppy classes and then to therapy classes, I can’t even tell you how amazing the experience was. Colleen has a wealth of experience and knowledge and is so supportive. The whole experience was so very helpful and I am grateful. I have my new puppy enrolled and can’t wait to get him started. The emergency recall is truly a lifesaver!
Thanks
Lianne

Colleen at the helm of Diamond in the Ruff is an amazing dynamo package of expertise and ability! I've seen her sooth a reactive dog in minutes, I've seen her train my spirited puppy in seconds! I've had the pleasure of home visit training sessions with Colleen twice for my mini dachshunds (stubborn by nature) and she's got the theory to get what we need out of the breed all with positive training tactics! Colleen has also volunteered countless hours for the rescue For the Love of Danes and we get dogs that have issues into the rescue. She has given time and suggestions and made herself available; she makes sure the dog is the priority and truly cares that we get them the best help to ensure a forever home that sticks. The rescue is so appreciative of Colleen and the trainers she has at Diamond in the Ruff. If you want a trainer with actual hands on talent and an innate way of "talking" to your animal; you need Diamond in the Ruff. Whether you have a piglet, a lion or a dog, Colleen not only has experience; she delivers.

An amazing company and team of people. They do not use force training in any way. It's all very positive. Colleen is very kind and respectful. She has excellent training ideas and they work. Even my senior dog is able to learn things. And I have learned a lot!

The Emergency Recall method is excellent. She truly understands dog behaviour and holds a wealth of knowledge and expertise. I have had private sessions and also group training for my puppy from Colleen. I have used 3 other trainers in the past for two other dogs that are now passed. These places were good too. But to compare, Colleen takes it up that extra notch to excellence. Great with my dog family and my husband and me. Happy dogs and happy customers!

Started with Colleen McCarvill by training with my Dog this past year have been extremely happy with our progress. I now am enrolled in her academy to become certified trainer.and am having a well informed understanding of material and explained In plain English highly recommended.

I signed up for the Dog reactive course 2 months ago. The course was every Sunday which worked with my schedule as I have every Sunday off. Two days after I signed up and paid the deposit the course dates were changed to every Tuesday. Due opening up 2 new facilities and having to combine classes. Which is completely understandable. But something like this would of been known months in advance and having some kind of heads up to the dates changing before paying the deposit would of been nice to know as I couldn't commit to the new schedule. So they bumped my classes to the next month that was guaranteed every Sunday. But unfortunately it was not possible to wait another month to get behavioral training for my dog. Which they understood and refunded me my deposit. The reason why I give this one star is because Jordan Hossack from administration was a struggle to communicate with. He seemed like he could not understand when I was asking for a refund and when I was trying to explain how the schedule change did not work for me. Even after I got the refund I was still receiving emails after the next class. When I asked to be removed from the mailing list Jordan was perplexed and still thought I was in the class for May 26. I'm not sure if he is under a lot of stress or just skims emails. But I found it hard to communicate with him. Organization skills were poor at best.

Poor organizational skills. Training was all over the place and mainly focused on Colleen's stories of success and what not to do. People who I meet post-training with my puppy are surprised she has received any formal training. And none of the training was breed specific. And yes, we practiced a lot! Colleen scared us away from choke collars and strongly recommended a harness. It is more humane we were told. Well I have found a new trainer and my puppy has reduced 60% of unwanted behaviour in 2 days using the choke collar and getting rid of the harness. Did you know harnesses have one purpose? To train dogs to pull heavy loads. We were getting dragged around by my 7 month dog because we were told to give her equipment for the opposite purpose of what we were aiming for. I am now on a path of bringing out the sweetest parts of my puppy. She is calm, loving and happy.

Colleen is amazing! Patient, kind, caring and attentive. Took the time to listen and narrowed it down to what we NEEDED. Can't wait for the rest of our sessions!

Brought our rescue to a puppy class with Colleen. We showed up to the incorrect class, but she let us stay anyways.

We were having a few behavioural issues with the dog, and Colleen was available via text with support.

After having the dog for a week, there was a bite incident which required us to return the dog to the adoption agency. Not only was our money refunded, but Colleen called to see how we were doing and offered to connect us with some other resources for a new puppy when the time comes.

When we do have a new puppy, we will be returning.

My pup Indy and I just finished the in-depth Therapy Dog classes. I LOVED the positivity and constant encouragement from Colleen towards us dog owners. I appreciated all the “most likely” scenarios covered that a therapy dog may encounter such as wheelchairs, walkers, food temptations, etc. The absolute best was having our graduation class at a seniors home! The constant support and question answering between classes was second to none. We have taken both of our dogs through Diamond In the Ruff’s puppy classes and were so impressed that making the hour long drive for us each week never even came into question. If you want a quality program, an insanely knowledgeable trainer, and long lasting support, this is the place for you! Thank you Colleen!

When I came to Diamond in the Ruff I had a very fearful puppy. I grew up walking dogs with a choke chain and until I met Colleen and her team I didn't know any different. Despite my dog running out the door on the first class, I was reassured this behavior can be resolved. Using positive reinforcement, my dog Becky has overcome so many obstacles related to anxiety, overall fear of the world, resource guarding and allowing me to cut her nails.
I recommend DITR to anyone that genuinely loves their dog and those who can understand that animals have feelings too. In order to get the most out of this training you must put yourself in the pets shoes.
Colleen and her team care about their clients. Despite your frustration and anger towards your pets behaviors, they will walk you through it and give you tools for success.

We had the best experience working with Colleen! We took our dog (border collie x australian shepherd) through one session of private training, puppy class, and therapy class all with Colleen. She, and her wonderful helpers during the classes, helped our family to learn how to train our puppy effectively and with all positive behavioural modifications. The classes are just as much about teaching your dog to be a good canine citizen as it is about training you to be a good and responsible dog owner. Before starting training with Colleen, I was unsure about whether I would be able to handle such an energetic and hyper dog. After leaving the classes, I am confident that I can redirect any negative behaviours into positive ones. I could not be happier with how my dog training has turned out and would recommend anyone and everyone to bring their dog to train with Colleen.

If you are looking for instructors and staff who truly care as much about your puppy’s well-being and successes as you do, Diamond in the Ruff is for you!
Right from the moment we emailed Jordon to inquire about classes, we knew this was the place for us. The customer service has been amazing, and our little pup is thriving in Colleen's class—we are constantly asked by strangers on walks and by friends where our puppy classes are! Colleen’s instruction is unique, kind, and extremely clear and easy to follow!
Through our “ rough n’ tumble “ classes with my 4 month old puppy, I have felt we truly have learnt at least 16 cues and any puppy concerns or unwanted habits we had were also addressed. I also felt the love from Colleen and all instructors as they individually spent time with my puppy and I during every single class. We can’t wait to continue our training and learning with Colleen and her staff!
I mean at the end of the day, any place with an instructor who greets my puppy every week by exclaiming “ hi, boo-boo! “ in the most loving tone imaginable, is where I want my pup to learn!

Colleen is a world class trainer! Her passion for animals and knowledge is like no other! I have had the wonderfully experience to have Colleen work with myself and my dog. We struggle with some confidence issues and reactivity. From our first session with Colleen we have seen results! She has provided us with the tools to use to be able to practice and build skills with my dog. She was able to know exactly what my dog needed from day and was able to help me build my skills to work with my dog. I would highly recommend her and any of her trainings or classes!

Colleen is so skilled and passionate about her work, her enthusiasm is boundless. I love having a positive training method, not only because I believe it’s better for the quality of life of my dog, but because it’s more effective. I thought I wouldn’t be able to find a trainer let alone such a great fit, because I live in a rural area, but we have been able to work successfully over video chat.
My pupper learned the emergency recall skill quickly, exactly as laid out in the training guide, and I feel much more secure knowing that my girl will always come charging back to me when it really matters. If you want to forge a better relationship with your furry family then this is the trainer for you!

My husband and I recently just adopted a 4 month old golden labradoodle, and we were searching for puppy classes that could accommodate us. We were looking for classes that focus on positive reinforcement and that would teach US multiple cues. What we got out of Diamond in the Ruff, far exceeded our expectations. Colleen’s extensive knowledge on our particular breed, but as well as many others, helped us in the learning process. We highly recommend this puppy class (Ruff n’ Tumble) to anyone who wants to learn with their pup in a loving and friendly environment. Thank you Colleen and Diamond in the Ruff for this wonderful experience.

L & A

Colleen is wonderful to work with! She is extremely knowledgeable and professional, while being warm and approachable. She gave us all the tools that we needed to work with our dog and encouraged the positive steps that we had already made. She treats both humans and animals the same: with kindness and respect. 100% recommendation!

We had used other companies for puppy training classes but this one is superior in their style and the education background of the trainers. The most important thing they taught us was the Emergency Recall which can be used in the event of an emergency and when we have had to use this it's flawless. Our dog comes sprinting back towards us no matter what and we can't thank the team at Diamond in the Ruff for the amazing skills Enni has learned and the training techniques she taught us. HIGHLY recommend! We are going to sign up for their therapy training when our puppy is a little older. THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING!:)

Colleen completely saved my home life! I lost one of my pups to cancer at a very young age ad his sister (litter mate) was struggling hard. I knew she needed a companion, but when I adopted a pug, we had so many challenging integrating the two, who were struggling with pack hierarchy and dominance. It honestly got so bad between them that I was terrified I wouldn't be able to keep my rescue pup, but Colleen came in and after two private sessions, my whole life changed. Almost a year later, my two girls are best friends and their bond is stronger every day. Can't thank you enough, Colleen! I honestly don't know where we'd be without you!

Colleen was wonderful with my fearful dog Stella! I learned so much being her client that I eventually started working with her!

I am half way through the course I am taking and really enjoy Colleen and her style of teaching and course material.

The first week in our class we learned how to teach our dogs an Emergency Recall. After practicing this for 2 weeks I had to put it to the test with my 13 month old Golden Retriever off leash in the river valley when a coyote was up ahead about 40 feet away from us just on the edge of the trees. I used my emergency command and my dog, who was about 20 feet ahead of me, turned around and came running back to me immediately. I got a leash on him while rewarding him with repeated rewards as I continued saying my recall phrase. Meanwhile the coyote come out of the woods and crossed the path in front of us and went up the other embankment. I'm not sure if my dog saw the coyote or not but I was extremely relieved my dog returned quickly and was safely on a leash. I felt that learning that one command and successful having it work was worth the cost of the entire course.

Then just a few days later again off leash in the river valley, my dog was more interested in playing with another dog (with owner) who we passed on a heavily wooded trail. I continued walking and when my dog didn't eventually break away and catch up to me as he normally does, I started using my typical "soft" commands to have him join back with me. Meanwhile the other owner continued walking further in the opposite direction and I could not see my dog anymore on the wooded trail. After several tries of my various soft commands and even whistling, I eventually decided to use the Emergency Recall. My Golden came running back to me immediately and was rewarded repeatedly as I continued saying his recall command.

I highly recommend Colleen and her courses to help you train your dog.
Karen and Burkley ️

If you're looking for force-free training for your dog this is a great place to start! Our emergency recall is amazing after taking the recall rover classes, and they were fantastic with our dog who is slightly reactive around other dogs. I've had many dogs in the past and I wish I'd known about this place sooner!

We just completed out puppy training, being a brand new dog owner I had no idea what to expect, I have to say I was so impressed with Sharon our trainer and how Sharon taught our whole family how to enjoy our puppy and to always be aware on how to make sure we are safely taking care of our new family member. Thank you to Diamond in the Ruff and especially Sharon. I recommend this course to everyone, great value, fun and learning for all.

Colleen has been working with me and my rescue dog to overcome his separation anxiety. I really wish I had hired her sooner! After trying very hard to help him on my own (and also using the advice of 3 other trainers), we have made significantly more progress with Colleen in a couple months than I made by myself in over a year! Colleen is very knowledgeable, experienced, and compassionate. I feel very supported by her as she carefully guides us through this difficult process. She also gets as excited as I do when we make progress! I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for help or guidance with their dog.