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.

Quinn

“I have 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 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 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

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 Nicole’s 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 to 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 on 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 training 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 training 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 training 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 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

“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.”