🐾 New Puppy & Therapy Classes Starting January 11th! 🐾 Limited spots available!
Certified Dog Training and Behaviour Modification
in Edmonton and Area
Fear Free Certified Professionals
Positive Dog Trainers and Animal Assisted Therapy Providers serving Edmonton, Morinville, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Onoway, and surrounding communities.
Register today for November and December training dates!
Providing Gentle, Effective Dog Training for All Aspects of a Canine’s Life.
Private Online Force Free / Fear Free Ethos Dog Training
Diamond in the Ruff Inc. is led by highly sought-after dog trainer and behaviour specialist Colleen McCarvill. We provide industry-leading dog training services in Edmonton and surrounding areas. As one of the first force-free trainers in western Canada, Colleen and her team have helped thousands of dogs become well-behaved, happy pets.
Virtual Private Training Sessions
Specializing in behaviour issues, Separation Anxiety, Resource Guarding, Reactivity to people and/or dogs (Aggression), and other challenges that require professional help. Our techniques never involve pain, fear or intimidation.
Virtual Puppy Comes Home
We use the science learning theory and force-free & fear-free current behavioural modification techniques when working with every dog and every issue. Our commitment – Training with our Hearts and Minds…Not our Hands.
Group Classes
Group Classes are a fantastic learning tool for dogs and owners alike.
Puppy Classes and Therapy Dog Classes are available!
Private Dog Training
Private Puppy Training
Online Force Free / Fear Free Ethos Private Dog Training Packages
Flexible options for you and your family to train from the comfort of your home.
Proudly serving Edmonton and around the GLOBE
Need Help with Basic Obedience and Good Manners?
Would your dog benefit from a refresher on basic commands and good manners? Our virtual dog training can help!
Self-Instruction Not Working As Expected?
Does your dog have bad habits? Is he reactive? If you don’t have the time or knowledge to train your dog, our sessions are for you!
Just Welcome a New Puppy or Rescue to Your Family?
Nobody will argue that training a puppy is tough work! Colleen and her team have a very high success rate and can help you train an obedient dog.
Want To Develop A Closer Bond With Your Canine?
Dogs are incredible and loyal creatures. Our sessions will help you develop that desired bond with your dog.
Training with our Hearts & Minds, not our Hands
Internationally Certified Edmonton Dog Trainer with over 30 years of Experience
Meet Colleen McCarvill
Internationally certified professional dog trainer, behaviour specialist and Animal Assisted Therapy provider, sought after by dog handlers and dog trainers across western Canada.
Colleen has been training animals for over 30 years and lives with 12 of her own, feathered, furred and hoofed family. Many of her own critters are Animal-Assisted Therapy trained. She is certified in Service Dog training, Therapy, Canine Good Citizen, Canine Good Neighbour, and has worked with everything from pet store Beta Fish to zoo Elephants.
Colleen and her team are here to handle all of your dog training needs in Alberta and since introducing the new digital format option, we have made this training accessable internationally via extremely effective live online video conferencing classes in Zoom
Our methods produce reliable, permanent results.
FORCE FREE, FUN AND EFFECTIVE!
Certified FORCE FREE Dog Training in Edmonton and Area
We’re proud of our high success rate and the level of satisfaction our clients, and their pets, come away with every time – guaranteed.
Positive Reinforcement
Force Free Dog Training
We do not use prong/pinch collars, choke chains, physical or verbal punishment.
Certified Mentor Trainer
Edmonton Dog Training
What Our Pet Parents Are Saying!
Please tell us how we’re doing by sharing your review.
So happy with Diamond in the Ruff! She helped us tremendously with our dog. Not only did Coleen help teach us about behaviour, she made it quick to learn clicker training for our dogs reactivity and basic obedience. Combining positive reinforcement with veterinary prescription has changed our lives. She also helped us with our dogs separation anxiety. I had never had her calmly lay in her kennel and not bark when I left for the day. Highly recommend Diamond in the Ruff!!
So amazing and great to work with. She goes above and beyond for her clients and is all around an amazing person who I'd recommend to anyone. She has helped our rescue and soo many animals in need when others wouldn't give us the time of day. She's super busy but always tries to be accommodating. She truly is a diamond in the Ruff.
I highly recommend Diamond in the Ruff for all training. We started our Golden Shepherd, Bear, in the puppy classes with Colleen and Jenna. We continued with advanced training, private sessions to work on dog-dog reactivity, and have just completed Therapy dog training. The techniques DITR uses and the support they give their clients has made a huge impact on Bear and I and I am so excited to start our adventures as a therapy dog team! It would not have been possible without the foundation DITR has given us!
I have nothing but amazing thigs to say about DITR/Colleen. We went to her almost 9 years ago with our first dog and she helped strengthen our bound with our dog and teach us so many things! Now I have gone back with our two newest pups, and a reactive program for my Aussie. She has taught us with genuine patience kindness and love. She is with us for every up and down. 10/10 I would recommend DITR any day, whether it is a new puppy, or an old dog they will help you reach your goals!
Colleen cares more about animals than anyone I have ever met. She helped saved a life recently and has become a vital part of our future. This organization is beyond incredible Dillian
Update. After having an open and honest conversation with Colleen, the owner. I would like to amend my review. 4 stars is a better representation of what you get from her. I was angry in my initial review and acted in haste. Colleen is an absolutely wonderful trainer and I did truly have a wonderful time in her classes! She is kind and attentive and works so well with the dogs and their people. I reacted in frustration over the price. As I did find other classes that gave the exact same lessons for less cost. I did feel that there is better value out there. This however, does not mean that Diamond in the ruff was bad in any way! The emergency recall is priceless and has saved our dog. Colleen is loving, caring and easy to work with trainer. In the end it is a high quality class, with a high quality rate.
We would definitely recommend Diamond in the Ruff Inc. CDBC, cpdt-ka. We had both Colleen and Jenna as trainers. Both were excellent. Always willing to answer questions and help solve any issues we were having with our puppy. We took both the puppy class and the therapy dog class and can highly recommend both classes. We now have a much better behaved dog that we enjoy taking out with us. I was very happy with the force free methods they used for training. Our Australian labradoodle responded very well to the force free methods used in class.
Hiring Diamond in the Ruff was the best decision I have ever made. We started with private training at my home for some behavioral concerns I had regarding him losing his mind going through doorways. Her training had him waiting nicely and listening attentively for his commands. He was exiting the door in silence without announcing his presence to the neighborhood lol. He still requires guidance with treats but we've noticed such a big difference in him after just a couple weeks. Even his general demeanor was more calm just from the little bits of regular training. We had some credits leftover and DITR let us use them towards therapy dog group classes. We are about halfway through and so far they have been fantastic. He's learning lots of new tricks, he's been desensitized to crutches, wheelchairs, crowds and other distractions. We're very excited to continue working with our pup so hopefully he can bring others as much joy as he brings us ❤️
