Diamond in the Ruff, Calgary Dog Training

Testimonials

We first heard about Colleen through our Vet when we went for our puppy shots. That
same week, 2 of our friends recommended her. Within the next couple of weeks, we had
heard rave reviews about her kindness and success with dogs and puppies from several
people at the dog park and on our walks as well. We had to call. Our wonderful but very
challenging puppy needed help, or was it US who needed Colleen's expertise? After speaking
with Colleen on the phone, we were convinced that she knew what she was talking about and we
decided we owed it to ourselves and to our puppy DEVO to book a private session. We had a
laundry list of "issues" that we wanted to address and we were assured that we would be able to
cover all of it, and then some, in our session. We needed proof, and proof is what we got!
The moment Colleen arrived, we saw what everyone had been talking about. From her
initial greeting to her gentle, calm approach while working with my large family and
rambunctious puppy, we were blown away. We were shown not only how to respond consistently
so that our puppy learns quickly but Colleen also spent time showing our 4 children how to get
our puppy to listen to them as well. We were amazed at how enthusiastically our pup responded
but also how he obviously understood what was being asked of him. FINALLY! Colleen left our
home after just 1 two hour session and completely restored our excitement in having a puppy and
faith that we can handle everything as it comes. One of the most important and valuable tools that
Colleen taught us was the EMERGENCY RECALL that we desperately needed when our puppy
got out an open door just 1 week after we saw Colleen. It worked like a charm, just as she
promised it would. We're convinced that if we had not had that command to use in just such an
emergency, we may have lost our puppy that day. Thank you Colleen for teaching us how to
properly communicate and train our puppy. Devo is so well behaved that people are now stopping
us on the street and believe me, we recommend you with as much confidence as other owners
did when we first heard about you.

The Conner family, kisses from Devo too.

We had the wonderful experience of meeting Colleen just weeks ago when I was at the
end of my patience for our golden doodle "Buddy". We have a very busy household with
three kids and unfortunately were not fully equipped with knowing how to train and handle
him. As a result, his behaviour became unruly (no fault of his). I called Colleen really out
of desperation as I didn't know how to exist in my own home with our dog anymore
because he was driving me and my family crazy. Within minutes of Colleen arriving, his behaviour
started changing and we learned ways to train him effectively and for his specific problems
related to being in our home. By the end of our session, we were totally overwhelmed with
information and totally blown away that he was responding to commands!! Wow, was that our
puppy? She left us with the confidence we needed to properly train him and with her ongoing
support we felt that things might just be okay. Things are good now, as we are still a work in
progress, but at least we are equipped with the right tools to help us train him and best of all, we
are finding peace in our house where before we felt we would never have any! Thank you
Colleen for making it possible for our dog to be happier in our home and for us to help him be the
best dog he can be! We are grateful to you for giving us your guidance and we are forever
changed!

The Mitchell Family including "Buddy"

We met Colleen in January 2009, when we registered our boxer Relic into her puppy
kindergarten class. We had a blast the first couple of classes and then one day Relic
would not settle down during class, he was very vocal, was pulling on the leash, and
overall was very disruptive. I remember breaking down and crying because I couldn't’t
control my dog. I was so embarrassed as everyone in our puppy class just sat and stared
at us. Colleen came over with some reassurance and explained that puppies are just like
humans, they can have good days and bad days. With a little bit of work the rest of the
classes went very well. We took so much away from puppy Kindergarten that I couldn't’t
wait to continue with Relic’s training. When I contacted Colleen to register for the next
class I voiced some concerns we were having with him on walks. He would bark, lunge and
pull as we walked near people and other dogs. It was almost to the point where I didn’t
want to take him out for walks because he was too hard to control. We ended up doing a
couple private sessions with Colleen and all I can say is what a difference. Relic is like a
whole new dog, he has so much more confidence and he is so happy. We work with him
every day to build that confidence and obedience. Colleen is great, she is so supportive
and encouraging when you have set backs or when you just want to brag how good your
dog is doing. I call her on a weekly basis to update her on Relic’s progress. She has been
such a help to us as we try to get through all our puppy issues. I would recommend
Colleen and Diamond in the Ruff to anyone who is looking for an amazing trainer.
Thank you Colleen for making our little family happy again
Relic, Brittany and Ryan

BOOMER
"I had the fortunate experience of meeting Colleen through a mutual friend, and shortly
thereafter, registered our new puppy Boomer in her Ruff n' Tumble classes. Our
experience over the next six weeks was an extremely positive one, due largely in part to
Colleen’s great spirit and obvious passion for her profession. Using positive re-
enforcement within the instruction process allowed for very effective training and handling
results, as well as created an inspiring learning environment for myself and Boomer.
Colleen was always quick to educate us on the rationale behind her training methods, and
was able to bridge the gap between the canine language and our own. She is an
excellent resource, has a keen understanding of dog body language and behaviours, and
is always willing to share her experience and knowledge. We have since enrolled in agility
classes and are continuing to reap the benefits of Colleen’s expertise. I would highly
recommend Colleen’s services to anyone seeking to have a better relationship with their
dog."
Sarah – Calgary, AB

In both a classroom, and private setting, Colleen has been extremely helpful as we
continue to train and teach Roxxy the behaviors we want to instill. Clearly, her passion
and love for dogs has shown through her devotion to the proper treatment of dogs
throughout Calgary. She has a ton of experience, and we continue to refer her to anyone
who has a dog with a few behaviors they want to correct.
Andy Newsome - Calgary

I took my first puppy kindergarten class with Colleen several years back. My Veterinarian
had recommended her. It was so fun and I learned so much that it sparked a major
interest in dog training. My previous dog training experience was in the seventies before
positive training. I couldn'tʼt believe how different the positive methods were. My dog loved
it! Since that time I have gone into breeding and have taken Colleenʼs classes with all of
my dogs. It became such a passion that I took a course through the Animal Behavior
College and became a Certified Dog Trainer. I did the apprenticeship portion under
Colleen. I now am an assistant trainer with Diamond in The Ruff. I am so thankful that my
first training experience was with Colleen. She is always positive, informative and fun. This
is not the case with all trainers. I have the utmost respect for her and I continually learn
from her. She has a passion and caring that shows through in everything she does. Her
slogan is training with our hearts and minds, not our hands. She lives by that every day
with her own dogs as well as teaching others how to train their own dogs in that same
fashion.

Paula Campbell

Diamond in the Ruff Inc.
Training with our hearts and minds,
not our hands