"I brought my young Boxer, Lila, to train with Emma after being told by a prominent local trainer that Lila might be too stubborn to train. Lila was quite nervous when in public, and was having difficulty greeting other dogs appropriately.

Emma was positive from the first meeting about ways we could help Lila be more confident and learn to handle her interactions with other dogs better. I noticed significant improvements in Lila after every session.

Emma broke down the training plan into manageable pieces, and each week’s session built on the ones before. At the end of five sessions, Lila was able to confidently walk downtown with four other dogs – unimaginable before we started training! Lila has really flourished under Emma’s guidance. I recommend Emma’s training services highly."

- Emma Bell

“Since Emma has come into our life, we feel completely secure and more over delighted with the care that our puppy has received. We have been amazed at how loving and skilled Emma is with our dog – she is very intuitive with our dog and has been quick to teach us how to manage any challenges we experience with our now 9 month old Ridgeback. Emma has become more than our dog walker – she is a valued and trusted member of our family because she has always treated our dog like a member of her pack! We do not hesitate to give Thumbs Up our wholehearted endorsement. There is no puppy or dog, big or small who will not thrive under Emma’s care.”

– Nan Campbell & Sheldon Gale

"My pup Odie and I found Thumbs Up Dog Training on Facebook and decided to head out to a pack walk. Odie was pretty reactive and would just lunge and bark at everyone and everything. Emma made us feel welcome and slowly Odie got less reactive. I decided to enroll us in the group class and he made a ton of improvement - so much so, we decided to enroll again.  We still go on pack walks every month and Odie is a different dog!  Thanks again Emma for teaching me!  We continue to practice all we learned in your classes and I see improvement in Odie every day!  😍🐶"

- Tammy

"I have been a weekly customer of Emma since March 2011. My dog is an English bulldog who suffered of mild separation anxiety last year. Our work hours can be very long on some days so I needed someone to help keep Max company, feed him at times and get him to walk. We first met up to discuss the general bulldog issues such as being prone to overheating, general aloofness, and stubborn character. She has more than succeeded at handling Max making sure that he gets enough exercise without overheating and he absolutely loves Emma. He bows and does a full body wiggle to greet her and is always very calm when I get home. In addition, Emma has been very accommodating with our schedules which gives me full confidence that my dog is well looked after even when I have a last minute change in my work schedule. I highly recommend her. "

- Lenka and Ryan

"Emma…The best dog lover who is always there when we need her! Every time we call, email or text, which is usually always last minute, she is there for us. Charlie absolutely LOVES her. She is beside herself with excitement whenever Emma arrives.  We swear she hears Emma’s car coming down the road. We never worry when Charlie is with Emma and feel so comfortable and happy that she is in such loving hands. Emma is a natural when it comes to pets… I see it every time she interacts with Charlie. She always brings a smile to our face when we see her pulling in the driveway as we know Charlie is off to have a darn good time!!! We would not hesitate to recommend Emma! She is truly the best and gives it her all.  Thanks Emma for all that you do and for taking such wonderful care of Charlie! We feel so blessed to have found you!!!!"

- Christine, Iain, Mary Anne and Charlie

"I met Emma when she was a trainee at Connective Training, and shortly after, she recognized me – or rather Bessie, my Springer Spaniel – down at the beach. At that time, at my request, she offered to take her walking one afternoon a week, and has been doing so ever since. She has also taken care of her in my home when I had to go away. Bessie adores her, and Emma continues her training on the walks. She is with other dogs and comes home completely exhilarated and exhausted. I recommend her to anyone who wants a reliable, happy, loving yet firm dog walker."

- Jocelyn Steedman

"...Emma has proven her ability to consistently (and much to my surprise) tire out my very high energy dog. I know her varied walking locations and environments are also a huge success with Shylah because she is as excited to see Emma as she is anyone else in my family (and that’s saying something!). When I leave for work every day feeling bad about my poor dog home all alone I can be comfortable because I know how happy she’ll be and how much fun she’ll have as soon as Emma opens the door. Emma has also consistently provided me with educated observations about my dog’s health and behaviour and been able to provide well thought out, healthy, and effective solutions that fit my needs. This is a huge benefit of leaving my dog with someone who both cares deeply about animals and is properly educated (and continuing to educate herself) in animal care and training.

Finally I have been thoroughly impressed with Emma’s flexibility in accommodating my shifting schedule, even making last minute changes to ensure that Shylah is taken care of. This is very important to me as my schedule can shift suddenly and without warning. Knowing Emma is usually available to assist means I can make plans more flexibly to accommodate my own requirements with confidence that my dog is taken care of... This level of care, along with all of the above, is my consistent proven experience over the last two and a half years. Because of all this the only person I trust to care for my dog is Emma Tucker."

- Matthew Casiro