Leadership, Calmness, Connection
Canine Crew is dedicated to the best interests of dogs. Your dog - and you - are both our clients.
The word Crew represents a team working together toward a shared purpose, in relationship. Dogs thrive under clear, calm leadership. When that leadership is present, a strong human–dog team can be created — one built on trust, communication, and purpose. At Canine Crew, we work as a crew: your dog, you, and us, partnering together to help you train and understand your dog.
Honest communication is not always easy, but it is essential. Often, what a dog truly needs is leadership and the removal of chaos. In our experience, when clear leadership is provided, most dogs relax quickly and willingly accept direction. Clarity in communication from the handler is what is usually missing.
It can be challenging to explain to owners that certain behaviours have been unintentionally taught through a lack of structure or consistency. When you allow a behavour to be repeated, it is being learnt and taught. For example, an owner’s frustration can erode a dog’s trust, babying a dog can erase respect or allowing free roaming can create dangerous territorial behaviours. These conversations are common. Owning a dog is personal — but when you address your own behaviour and mindset, you can truly enjoy being with and teaching your dog.
We will always be honest about the dog in front of us and transparent with the owners we work with. Integrity is central to our work, and our priority is always the welfare of the dog. If we choose to work together, our role is to educate you to become your dog’s trainer — not just for this dog, but for any dogs you may share your life with in the future.
Nikki and Mark along with their pack and their clients are Canine Crew. We love our community of knowledgable dog lovers.
Our experience is broad, practical, and continuously evolving. Over the past 15 years, we have worked and volunteered in kennels, shelters, and a rehabilitation centre. Mark has volunteered extensively in dog rescue, handling hundreds of dogs, and has worked in a rehabilitation centre gaining hands-on experience with complex behavioural cases. Nikki has handled dogs for as long as she can remember, owned a particularly challenging dog that shaped her learning journey, and went on to become a centre manager for a behaviour, training, and canine wellness centre for over 4 years.
Together, we have handled thousands of dogs. Our knowledge is rooted in real-world application, observation, and learning — not theory alone. We have worked together as Canine Crew since 2017.
We are often surprised that clients don’t ask more about our experience or how we developed our skills. In truth, your dog will show you our experience. That said, if you would like insight into our background, we are always happy to talk about dogs — the many dogs we have seen, handled, rehabilitated, and trained over the years.
A little bit about Canine Crew
Since forming Canine Crew in 2017, we have continued to develop our skills in dog handling and training while mentoring and coaching owners. Training pet dogs and educating humans is our passion. When we work with you, we offer guidance, support, and continuity for the lifetime of your dog.
Expectations
What we expect from you as a client
It takes work, dedication, commitment, patience, creativity and a lot of personal reflection to train a pet dog. Any dog behaviour can be "fixed", but the fix is not like replacing a car part, or pressing a button. The fix is in creating a clear relationship and communication pathway with your dog, and then providing that clarity every time his/her eyes are open. Right off the bat, we may not be the right trainers for you if you are not willing to:
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Be open to SEEING your dog - your own dog can teach you an awful lot of what you need to know, so being able to see, hear and understand your dog is an essential
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Be open to receiving information and asking questions
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Be open to changing yourself - simple changes in how you interact with your dog can bring massive changes in your dog's behaviour
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Be able to follow simple guidelines consistently to teach your dog how to live with you
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Be willing to make training with your dog a priority over your wants
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Willingness to put in the work for the good of your dog