We are here to help you and your dog start over by educating, coaching and supporting you to have the best dog possible. We teach your dog to have a calm, balanced state of mind and we proof that in our home and the real world so you will be able to go anywhere and do anything with your dog. With solid obedience and a calm mind the sky is the limit for what you can do with your dog!

We offer an in home board and train program which builds a foundation with your dog. This foundation consists of new commands, structure, concepts and relationship building. We teach your dog with what we call a balanced approach.

Our balanced methods teach “yes” and “no” concepts through a gentle pressure on/off technique where we create a language of communicating to your dog in a way they understand. We use a wide variety of tools to do this so the transition can happen with anyone, especially you, the owner. We not only train your dog but also spend a significant amount of time training you. Your training is about becoming a stronger leader and obtaining the same results as us.

Our permission based programs teach your dog to look to you for guidance versus reacting impulsively. We teach dogs to be calm and make better decisions. I have worked with hundred of dogs/owners and would love to chat with you about how I can help bring balance back into you and your dog’s life.

Our Goals

Dogs are members of the family and when the dog struggles, the whole family struggles. Our goal is to build a relationship between you and your dog based on leadership, structure, respect and love....in that order. We do this through training, education and life-long support.

While your dog is here with us you will have homework of your own. You will be able to watch your dog’s progress through photos and videos posted daily to Facebook and Instagram. You will be attending multiple training sessions so that you are comfortable and confident with what your dog has learned and how to effectively apply it at home. Once your dog has completed their board and train you are entitled to one free session a month for life; as long as you are continuing to work with your dog at home. You are also welcome to use The Structured Canine for boarding and daycare. While your dog boards with us we will continue working on calm crating, place, structured walking and socialization.

We are committed to you being successful with your dog once you take them home and we pride ourselves in building a strong relationship with the families that come to us for training.

Our Principles

We believe in training the whole dog; both the body and the mind. We not only focus on solid obedience but we also focus on a calm, healthy state of mind. These two things go hand in hand and a dog will continue to struggle if they have one without the other.

Being able to communicate effectively with your dog creates a sense of calm in your dog, and calm dogs make better choices!

We believe in balance which means we teach and reinforce what we like with food, toys and praise but we also stop unwanted behaviours with tools and effective/humane techniques and methods. This is a big piece of the equation that is often missing when trying to stop our dogs from doing things we don’t like. You will never stop a behaviour with positive reinforcement. When you actively stop the behaviours you don’t like or want, and reinforce the ones you do, that’s when the magic happens.

With effective communication, state of mind awareness, relationship building and accountability; we begin to develop a happier, more confident and more dependable dog! Our training program teaches your dog to want to work for you and to look to you for leadership so you can enjoy your dog to their full potential. Let us help you pick a program that suits your goals so you can enjoy on and off leash reliability in the real world.

“All dogs are different. They come in all different shapes, sizes and colours. Not only do they look differently to us they all learn differently. All dogs learn new skills and behaviours at a different pace. They all have different thought processes from one another.”

Askal

Nicole's Structured Canine program is PHENOMENAL. Our dog Askal spent 6 weeks with her last summer and completed her most in-depth board and train curriculum. Our sweet rescue dog who we've had the privilege to be with for 6.5years came with a lot of reactivity. As do most rescue dogs from the shelter system. She is quite afraid and insecure. She would express this by barking aggressively at everything and everyone, especially during our walks. She is a worrier and often exhibit stranger danger - to people and places. We usually dread walking her because it takes a lot to manage her behaviour. 

We are so glad we found Nicole. She has given us so much and more. Her training has been so educational for the whole pack. We learned how our positive reinforcement strategies and our constant coddling were not completely effective with her issues. 

Nicole taught us how to be good, capable and competent leaders. Being a good advocate for your dog's safety meant having healthy and firm boundaries. We learned what our dog needed the most is a balanced approach that she can trust. And the trust required a mutual exchange of consistent expectations. She gave us the tools and the language to help Askal get over her fears. And as a result, we have fostered a new level of trust between us and her. Even our senior dog who did not get trained is benefitting from everything we've learned from The Structured Canine. Nicole also remains to be available for questions and pack hikes after our training. Which we are so grateful for. The best thing about the whole experience is that her methods are so effective. Askal is literally not the same dog. Her issues are all gone, it's almost unbelievable. Askal worked so hard and as a result, we also did. Everybody put in a lot of work and it paid off in spades! 

Overall, my family HIGHLY RECOMMENDS Nicole's Structured Canine program. Worth the time and investment for a happier and more balanced dog. Thank you Nicole!

Yeemi Tang

Falco

Nicole is probably one of the best behaviour modification trainers in the province. The results she gets are clear, consistent and she does an amazing job of translating the complex nature of training to the average dog owner, which is essential for success. I have been working through her "Freedom at Last" off-leash program and have been thoroughly supported by her throughout the process. If you are committed, then she is committed. I recommend her to everyone I know that is struggling with a behaviour issues; I only wish she could clone herself so she could help more people! She works tirelessly to problem solve for your dog, doesn't give up easily, and is always learning new methods and ideas to bring the best of the dog training world to her clients. I can't recommend her enough.

Jenna Hlady

Easy

The work Nicole does with not only your dog but with you as the owner as well is unbelievable! We have had only 4 private one on one sessions and my German Shepherd is a completely different dog and I am learning how to be the best dog mama for him to thrive as well! I highly recommend training and/or boarding with The Structured Canine!

Maggie Joyce

Moose

Nicole literally changed our life with our dog. For anyone who's ever had an unbalanced, anxious, or reactive dog (let's face it, that's why you're here looking at this review) you know exactly how frustrating and helpless it can be day to day. Managing my 80lb, stubborn bulldog was a nightmare and Nicole's board and train transformed him into a gentleman.
The program itself is designed to MAKE PROGRESS. Not only with your dog, but with you as an owner and the mindset you have with your dog. Our behaviour is what needed the most training and after struggling for over a year with other training and seeing the results after a couple months with Nicole, it was clear that was absolutely true.
Zero ego, very client based, and extremely transparent and honest. We had a "what would Nicole do" rule before and after our training around the house because she's inspiring and very passionate about her work.
If you get the privilege to work with Nicole, you won't be disappointed. Professional, patient, supportive.

Meagan & Laura

Beesly

Our dog spent four weeks with Nicole at the Structured Canine and it was truly one of the best things we could have done. Our dog went primarily for dog reactivity but the change in her whole demeanor is amazing, she's happier, calmer and more confident! Our world with her is so much bigger than it was before. Before training we would walk around the same block at the same times everyday, now we have the confidence to walk her wherever we want and we no longer worry about walking near another dog. We've also been able to discover off leash trails with her where she can enjoy the freedom she's earned and really be a dog! Nicole taught us how to provide the best life for our dog, and she brought out the very best in her. We can't recommend Nicole enough to any dog owner!!

Laura Doornekamp

Kobe

I just want to say The Structured Canine made a huge difference in our lives as dog owners . The two weeks of board and train transformed our very smart stubborn Airedale to where he became a delight to be around. Nicole taught us how to handle our dog in a way that brought not only freedom for him but joy and pride for us. We now enjoy incorporating him to most if not all of our family activities.He will be participating in our daughter’s wedding this summer! A thought I would never have considered prior to his training.I just wish that we found Nicole sooner and extended his training longer. Nicole is a gold standard trainer who we recommend very highly .

Mildred Laraya

Quinn

“I have a had two German shepherds previous to Quinn with no problems. I knew Quinn was different from very early on. She was very timid and shy and I was a lost as to how to help her. I took her to Nicole for some advice and that's where our journey began! I had no idea about balanced training and Nicole had to start from the ground up with us! She was always patient and understanding and took to the time to really teach not only the commands but what they actually meant in relation to how a dog thinks. I'm so thankful to Nicole for everything she's done for Quinn and I. I now have a well balanced dog with impeccable obedience training that we can enjoy to the fullest. On a personal note the two most valuable things I was able to teach Quinn with Nicole's guidance is the "place" command and the other is the amazing recall and off leash skills she has.

We, as a family, highly recommend Nicole!”

Teresa Sutton-West

Soyer

Before deciding to send Soyer away, we felt we had a pretty well-behaved dog at home but wanted a solid recall as nothing excites him more than a forest. Soyer is a GSP, by nature a very energetic dog, and we had no ambition of achieving off-leash control in the city, or calmer behaviour in the house. When we watched Nicole’s videos training other dogs, we would often laugh and say “no way she can do that with Soyer”. Well we were wrong. She did everything we had hoped for and more.

The transformation is life changing. It’s difficult to summarize in a few words how much the world opens up for a powerful dog that doesn’t get distracted by squirrels and other dogs but suffice it to say that life with him has become pure pleasure.

The handler sessions we did while Soyer was still in training certainly set the foundation for a smooth transition back home, ensuring we knew what to do, and for Soyer to learn that the same rules would apply with us as did with Nicole. We never would have achieved the same results on our own.

Today was the first day with Soyer at the cottage and he went swimming, to the Farmers Market and ran in the forest. All off-leash. It’s amazing!

Christian R. Albrecht

Carma, Creed & Cullen

We can’t even begin to express how grateful we are for having The Structured Canine in our lives. All this time we thought that the care, attention & love we gave Cullen, Creed & Carma was exactly what they needed. However we came to accept that we were only enabling unhealthy & unbalanced state of minds within each of them. This was a truth that was very difficult to accept at first. However the sessions we’ve done, all the videos posted during our dogs time with them & the support they continue to provide when they all returned home was nothing less than exceptional. They gave us the understanding & confidence we needed to properly care for each member of our pack. If we are going to live as a pack we needed to acknowledge that we can’t manage things only to meet our own emotional needs. We needed to learn how to be be responsible dog owners.

It’s been a month since our pack returned home from the 6-week board & train & we are now able to love & live in a home where our dogs state of minds are calm & balanced. We know that there will be continue to be challenging moments but we now have the tools, resources & support to overcome them.

Thank you The Structured Canine for everything you have done to help us & most importantly our dogs. In truth, this has been the BEST INVESTMENT of our lives !!!

♥️ The Sabanal Family ♥️

Hugo

Hugo our Rottweiler pup is no longer the head honcho of the house. We still have a long way to go but we are super excited to put in the work and dedication to have a well balance member of the family. Hugo struggled with Leash Pulling, Bullying everyone in the house, and Lack of confidence. His Fear of everything made taking him out in public a complete hassle. Hugo used his size to bully us in and out of the house.

Nicole taught us the proper tools, and techniques on how to handle and manage him, she takes her time, and her passion for training your dog does not go unnoticed. not only does she teach your dogs proper state of mind she will teach you how to be the best dog owner there is. We cannot say enough good things about Nicole and her program. She was an absolute dream to work with.

Hugo is no longer a chore and hassle to take out on walks, and in public but he is an absolute PLEASURE to walk and we constantly get compliments about how well behaved he is. We just love showing him off!

Finella Episcopo

Valkyrie

I read a ton of books, watched all the videos imaginable, and I still couldn't get my dog Valkyrie to listen to me. Walks were a nightmare, and although she was responsive to me at home, she challenged me wherever she could. I needed my 80 pound long-haired German Shepard to be respectful and obedient and knew that I needed some professional support.

I was very hesitant to opt-into a 4 week board and train but saw outstanding results immediately. Nicole completely changed my dynamic with Valkyrie. I learned so much about my girl's state of mind, what makes her anxious, and how much excitement is acceptable vs. detrimental. I learned more about my dog's language, and that saying no is a good thing because it gives her positive direction. Investing in Valkyrie's training didn't just get me a more obedient dog, it salvaged my relationship with her so that we could both be more confident with each other.

If you are looking for a trainer who is invested in your dog's long-term care, then Nicole is the right person for you. She will call you out when you are in the wrong, and she will give you the tools you need to be successful on your own. Don't hesitate to call her right now because I can't imagine someone better suited to train your dog than her!

Mariaveronica Sayewich

Stella

As of today, 4 days back from Stella’s Board and Train, there’s no running around aimlessly, no barking at every person that walks by, no shadowing me with every step I take. Just a chill Dog mind and body. This is the goal we are always striving for with her.

I can put her on place, making sure she’s relaxed, go take a shower, get ready, make a meal, enjoy time with friends and family, all while having her within close proximity but not on top of us!

Beyond incredible results from Nicole Mann at The Structured Canine! This woman knows what she’s doing people! She is no nonsense but cares deeply for everyone’s well being and success! She strives for nothing but THE best results! Organized, clean, clear and concise.

She’s my dog’s whisperer and our hero!

Stella and I are fur-ever grateful

Janet Carroll

Bella

When my husband and I got our puppy in early February we were certain we would be able to train her on our own. After about a month it became clear that we definitely needed assistance. We tried to maintain routine in the home but Bella was not having it. We started to slip and give her too much freedom when she wasn’t ready. She is such a smart dog and became extremely demanding and took over the house. She was consistently having accidents inside multiple times a day, whining in the crate, pulling on walks, jumping on people and things. She didn’t know how to be calm and was always going.

I followed Nicole on social media for about a month before I reached out to her for help. Nicole was able to sense through our phone conversation that we were desperate and she so kindly took Bella in as soon as she could.

We originally booked the two week board and train but soon after realized how valuable Nicole’s program was/is and quickly asked if we could add an extra week. This was such a great decision. I cannot express how wonderful Nicole is. Not only did she do an outstanding job with our pup and made our home life and Bella’s life more relaxed and healthy, she made herself fully available to us- our concerns, questions and fears. We really enjoyed that Nicole documented all of Bella’s training on social media and it was so wonderful to follow the progress daily.

Bella has now learned to be calm in the house even when she’s not tired. Bella has had 0 accidents since returning home and walking her is such a breeze now for both us and Bella! Bella is flourishing in the structure and routine just as much as we are!

We cannot recommend Nicole enough. She is the real deal and we are pleased with the type of calm, healthy and happy dog she shaped Bella into! Thank you Nicole!

Ilana Davis

Cique

Words cannot express how much I appreciate all the things you have taught us. “The Freedom at Last” Program is just amazing. Once you do it you’ll understand how much commitment and work it takes, but the reward it priceless. I’ve learned a lot about training and it’s not as easy as people might think. Patience, Sacrifice dealing with Challenges as they come, was and is the key to Success; the confidence I have in him and knowing he is a well balance dog is amazing. We’ll be looking forward to joining you and your pack for a hike in the near future. If anyone needs to know more about their dog and is willing to put the time and work this is it right here! Nothing else....

Harold Navarrete

Kiya

I don’t have anything but the absolute best to say about Nicole and the work she does. We took our 7 month old Lab / Boxer X for a 2 week Board & Train. Before working with Nicole, Kiya was all over the place with crazy uncontrolled energy. When we got her back, the results were AMAZING!! She is a completely different pup! It worked so well that we are also sending my other pup (5 yo Lhasa Apso) for the 2 week B&T in Oct along with boarding Kiya for those 2 weeks. I will use Nicole for every dog I have going forward, and will board with her when ever possible! Nicole is a miracle worker!

Mike Armes

Riley

Almost two years ago we welcomed our mini golden-doodle Riley. She is the cutest, loveable dog, who can also be independent and a tad spoiled. We were struggling with a few issues with Riley including walking, reactiveness while in the car, zero recall, and Riley having to be the centre of attention (e.g., barking, roaming, constant motion etc.)

We enrolled Riley in puppy school twice, hired a hefty personal dog trainer, did research online and in books seeking guidance and we still couldn’t get Riley to behave the way we wanted. We wanted to have Riley off leash at our cottage, comply to recalls and not have her rule the household.

Through a family friend, Kristin H., we heard a success story of a boarding training facility (@thestructurecanine) who transformed her golden-doodle Oliver.

We did some more research and followed @thestructurecanine on Instagram and were very impressed with the framework of the program.

We decided to enrol Riley in a three-week program and watched her transformation through Nicole’s many Instagram stories and posts. We learned a lot about Riley's state of mind in the process. Nicole focused on calm exercises, structured walks, commands like “place" and “down", changing Riley's state of mind and attitude, implementing impulse control and respect with obedience drills.

This is been an amazing journey for the whole family, Riley has been home for nearly three weeks and she is a different dog, her recall is much improved, she is a pleasure to walk, she is calm, fun and still our lovable Riley.

This shift in mindset is still a work in progress, and we will continue this journey that Nicole started us on. We’re confident we now have the tools and skill sets needed to train Riley, and are committed to practicing what Riley has learned through the program every day to reinforce her learning. We also have Nicole's support and guidance throughout this journey. Nicole, words can't describe the amazing foundation you have built with Riley, We THANK YOU from the bottom of our heart!

For all Dog lovers who are looking for a training facility to improvement your relationship with their dogs, we strong recommend, Nicole Mann who will help you through your journey.

Marie Carrotte

Lexus

“I give Nicole 5 stars, she did an amazing job with Lexus. She built a great connection with my dog and big improvement in behaviour. Lexus learned structure and is more calm, confident and a totally different dog now. I followed Nicoles training and still do. I have a dog that respects me and we have such a better connection. It was totally worth it and so glad I sent her for training. I strongly recommend Nicole as a trainer!”

Frank Farkas

Henry

“A dog that bites is a dead dog.” This is the advice we received repeatedly after our 1-1/2 year old Great Dane bit a family member last summer.

We were horrified – we couldn’t believe our rambunctious but loveable dog had bitten anyone, and also heartbroken, because we were sure the only option for Henry was euthanasia.

We hit a few dead ends: one expert suggested we keep him in a locked room; another suggested Prozac. Then we found Nicole, and her calm, thoughtful, and highly structured method resulted in seemingly impossible changes.

Our dog now listens to all his commands, looks to us for leadership (instead of trying make his own terrible decisions), Although he will always be a bit of a nervous guy, he is a pleasure to have in our home.

Nicole can handle any dog, and its problems, no matter how big. She is calm, confident and exceptionally knowledgable in her field. We would unhesitatingly recommend her to anyone looking for help with their dog.

Thank you, Nicole!”

Sarah & Mike Boddy

Tucker

“Nicole has done miracles for Tucker & our family. We utilize the Place command for a good portion of the day. By having Tucker lay in place, it allows our family to carry on with our own business and not worry about what the dog is getting into. We can actually sit as a family, but still enjoy our dog!

Tucker has gone from out of control, to a very calm and obedient dog. Nicole is amazing and I would highly recommend her training program to anyone who is struggling or wants some normalcy back into their lives.

Our lives have changed so much - we love our new calm dog! We do small training sessions every day and outdoor playtime, where we get to have fun with him.

Thank you for your amazing training, Nicole!”

Blair & Melissa Fedyszyn

Oliver

“Forever grateful to Nicole for her incredible work to help us with our boy Oliver. At 2 years old and 85 lbs, Oliver was too much for me to handle. I was pulled down the street on walks, he was stealing things around the house, jumping up on people, and most dangerous, he had zero recall.

As a last resort we registered him for 3 weeks of board & train with Nicole. Immediately upon meeting her I knew he was in good hands - Nicole is very confident and extremely knowledgeable about what a dog needs to get to a calm state of mind, and how to help them understand their place in your pack.

After 2 weeks we had a training session and I was nearly in tears of happiness and shock at the change I was seeing in Oliver’s behaviour. He was a new dog! He understood how to heel both on and off leash, and even with distraction he would come when called. He had learned manners and how to remain calm in place until told otherwise.

When he came home after 3 weeks with Nicole, we were given very clear instructions on the importance of continuing his training at home. It is an ongoing process to keep his training top of mind in our home but Oliver is a much happier boy, and so are we!

I feel a great sense of trust in talking him off leash in the woods which is his favourite way to spend a afternoon, and he is now well behaved in our home, with my son and with visitors alike. I am forever grateful to Nicole for her skills and commitment to teaching both us as owners, and Oliver, what behaviours are expected and how to maintain the consistency he needs!

Thank you Nicole!”

Kristin, Kai and Oliver

Isla

“Nicole is a truly talented and passionate balanced trainer.  I am in awe of the results she has achieved with my lovable yet very energetic Vizsla.  People are constantly commenting on how well trained she is!  Nicole expects a lot from her dogs and the result is a very well-mannered dog.  I must admit that I was skeptical at first about sending my dog away to be trained, I thought that half of training was about training the owner.  Now I recommend Nicole's Board and Train to everyone I meet!  The process was seamless from start to finish.  Nicole really took the time to thoroughly explain all aspects of training before we signed up (over multiple phone calls!).  We received great updates about our pup before our first visit.  Over multiple visits Nicole guided us through the equipment, commands, on and off leash work as well patiently answering our many many questions.  When it was time to take our dog home we were armed and ready to continue the training at home and enjoy our much calmer and well-mannered dog.  Transitioning home has been seamless with Nicole's constant availability.  Her theory is to communicate - fix any problems right away.  And if I don’t check-in regularly, she is quick to check in on me to ensure all is well.  She can easily troubleshoot issues and provide solutions over emails and phone calls.  We return monthly for touch-up training sessions and she can quickly spot and fix any issues.

I aspire to have the same relationship with my dog as Nicole developed with her in such a short period and I know it's possible by continuing with the at-home training program.  Their relationship was built on respect, accountability and solid leadership.  I see improvements daily in my relationship with my dog.  The Board and Train gives an incredible platform and provided us with the tools to be the leaders our dogs need.”

Holly Maybin

Bear

“Nicole Mann was truly a lifesaver for us. We have a South African Boerboel. A Mastiff breed. After waiting a year we finally had our boy Zuri Bear. A few months later my partner had a heart attack and needed a bypass. Our schedule was totally changed and Bear started acting out. I could not have a 160lb dog (now 195lbs) jump up on my partner after his successful surgery. So we had Nicole board and train him. The results were nothing short of incredible. He was a different dog, balanced, controlled and extremely obedient. It was the best thing we had ever done. My 4 year old niece could handle and walk him. We would recommend Nicole for anyone having issues with their furry family member. Our Bear is healthy and happy and has a great personality that we can trust with anyone thanks to Nicole.”

Jim Brewer

Jaime

I have recently completed the Shadow Program with Nicole and it was worth every penny! She took the time to teach me about every aspect of owning your own dog training business and there was a bunch of hands on experience with her current Board and Trains as well. She was constantly encouraging me to move in the right direction with my own business that I am just starting out, laying out many small details that I would have never thought of! She was also very helpful in critiquing my handling techniques with the dogs, helping me work through little things that I didn’t even know I was doing myself. I am feeling much stronger as a handler & business owner since completing this program. I will be back for another one later in my career!

Jaime Wagner

Kate

 I did a shadowing program with Nicole during the beginning of October. My first compliment about Nicole would be how quickly she ensures to respond to everyone who inquiries about her services. When showing interest in her shadowing program she always responded to me within a matter of minutes. I looked around for a long time and never came across any trainers in Canada I was interested in Shadowing with but when I found Nicole I was instantly excited. I learned ALOT in my 5 days with her. I learned exactly what I was doing wrong with my own pets, and what I was doing right. She was so good at explaining every little detail of why we did what we did. I had the chance to see two sessions with the owners and she makes it so simple for them to ensure success with their dogs. She takes the time to answer any questions from the owners, and never rushes the session. She had no problem answering my million questions even though I’m sure I drove her crazy haha. We worked very long days..and the progress I saw within 5 days from each dog was unbelievable. Nicole has helped so many families be able to enjoy their dogs more, myself included. I couldn’t wait to get home and apply everything I had learned to my own dogs and I’ve already seen an incredible difference. I HIGHLY recommend Nicole!

Kate Saltarski

Taylor

Nicole has been inspirational to me! I shadowed Nicole at The Structured Canine for one week and she transformed the way I looked at my relationship with my own 2 dogs, both of which I struggled with. She inspired me to embody the work she does and as a result my relationship with my dogs has transformed for the better. I hear endlessly of how well behaved my dogs are now. I refer everyone to Nicole and she deserves all the praise she can get for the work she does. She is supportive, intelligent, confident, and is someone you can trust. I cannot thank Nicole enough!

Taylor Thompson-Harry