From “Am I ruining my puppy???” to “I’ve got this”

Raise a dog who handles city life like a pro.

“Alissa has made the overwhelming experience of raising a dog feel SO much easier.”

— JENNIE G.

How you imagined it: Dog parks, puppy kisses, relaxing walks, and cozy couch snuggles.

How it’s going: Piranha teeth, ruined rugs, and a creeping fear you’re doing it wrong.

You’re afraid to say it out loud, but here it is: You’re not enjoying puppy life. You’re exhausted, stressed, and secretly worried you made a huge mistake. 

You’ve tried every “simple training trick” on TikTok, chanted NO like it’s going out of style, and even tried your best at a few group classes. But you’re still stuck whisper-screaming “leave it!” while your pup eats something unspeakable off the sidewalk and your neighbours give you side-eye.

You don’t need more training advice. You need a teammate.

Enter: City Smart Puppy Tutoring

Private, done-for-you training that gives you a (well-deserved) break AND gives your puppy the head start they need.

Imagine a dog trainer who swoops in during the workday, teaches your pup what they need to thrive in the city, provides a mid-day potty + zoomie break, and then hands you the cheat sheet.

That’s City Smart Pup: 1-on-1 support and personalized training so you always know you’re doing the right thing for your pup.

  • Wake up after your puppy does (yes, really)

  • Step onto the sidewalk with a loose leash and zero dread

  • Understand exactly what your dog is trying to tell you, no meltdowns required

  • Know when to let your dog say hi and when to advocate for space without guilt

  • Prep for the real-world stresses of a city environment, like sidewalk chicken bones and surprise skateboards

You get a confident puppy ready to take on city life. They get a pro-level education. 

All you have to do is show up for a weekly coaching session and nod like a genius while your dog crushes it.

How I’ve helped others

  • Boxer dog in forest posed next to flowers

    Alissa is fantastic! Since starting with her, we’ve noticed a huge improvement in our dog’s recall.

    — Ford T.

  • close up of brown and white puppy - Small Munsterlander

    Alissa has helped my partner and I through the trials and madness of raising and training a puppy, with kindness, dedication and a love for pets and their people that always shines through.

    — Jared W.

  • Miniature poodle puppy in tall grass with flowers

    We enrolled in the 6-week City Smart Puppy Tutoring and it worked brilliantly. Our dog had to fit in to a household of 5 people who all thought they knew how to train a puppy! I would highly recommend Alissa!

    — Gail A.

How I can help you

A golden retriever puppy lying on a carpeted floor next to a white wall and blue wall, with plush toys near its paws, looking at the camera.

City Smart Puppy Tutoring

Your shortcut to a calm, confident dog

You don’t have to become a full-time trainer or obsessively practice with YouTube videos to raise an incredible dog.

With City Smart Puppy Tutoring (aka day training), I show up three days a week, teach your pup the most important behaviours, and hand you back a calmer, more city-smart dog—plus the know-how to keep it all going when I’m gone.

Your puppy gets:

→ A daily potty + play break (read: no more lunchtime accidents or chaos energy)

→ Professional training that sticks, without the time + frustration of DIYing it

→ Early socialization that helps prevent future disasters

You get: 

→ A dog who’s motivated and excited to listen to you

→ Real handling and dog-reading skills, not random tips from the depths of Reddit

→ Professional backup before all those annoying puppy habits are cemented into a full-grown dog

A happy golden retriever sitting on a sidewalk with a floral leash, looking at the camera with its mouth slightly open, parked cars and residential buildings in the background.

Private Training for Adult Dogs

When “he’s not usually like this” doesn’t cut it anymore

Maybe you just brought home a new dog (congrats!). Or maybe your sweet puppy hit adolescence and forgot everything you ever taught them. Now, you have to psych yourself up to go on walks, and you’ve unlocked new levels of “how do I handle this???” stress.

Here’s the fix:

We’ll work together 1-on-1 to build a plan that’s made for your dog, your life, and your goals. No shame about any training tools you’re using now. I’ll teach you positive, force-free strategies that help you and your dog feel calmer, safer, and more in sync.

A dog and a cat sleeping together on a bed.

Multi-Pet Integration

“They’ll work it out” is not a training plan

Adding a new pet to the family sounds like a great idea… until your senior dog starts giving the new puppy death stares, your cat moves into the ceiling, and your living room turns into No Man’s Land.

I’ll teach you how to:

  • Reduce tension and confusion from day one

  • Avoid long-term issues caused by bad first impressions

  • Feel confident managing space, play, and boundaries

I’m Alissa, Toronto’s Positive Puppy Pro

A smiling woman with sunglasses on her head, wearing a black t-shirt and dark leggings, squatting on the grass with a brown curly-haired dog, holding the dog close with a leash on its collar. The background features trees and a cloudy sky.

I’m a certified dog trainer with nearly 10 years of experience in animal behaviour. I’ve raised a service dog, trained exotic animals, and helped a lot of tired, teary-eyed humans fall back in love with their dogs.

I started The Dog Next Door because I kept seeing good people spiral into shame and panic over what was totally normal puppy behaviour. No one taught them how to listen to their dog or socialize them properly to prevent the awkward teenage/early adult years when the REAL problems can begin. And they certainly didn’t focus on the skills a city dog needs to thrive.

As a service puppy raiser and lifelong animal behaviour nerd, I’ve seen how quickly things can go sideways when early experiences don’t go well (or get ignored completely). Today, I bring behaviour science, judgment-free coaching, and a personalized training plan to every puppy parent.

All you have to bring is your dog.

Seal of the Companion Animal Sciences Institute with a silhouette of a dog and a woman in profile.
Colorful graphic text that reads 'Puppy Start Right for Instructors' with a blue circle background.
Logo for CPDT-KA, featuring bold black and orange text with a stylized design.
Two dogs, one brown and white and the other black, playing in a pile of fallen autumn leaves in a park on a sunny day with trees in colorful fall foliage.

Rushing traffic. Loud noises. Dogs and people everywhere… Cities can be a lot for our dogs

Raising a dog in downtown Toronto is not the same as raising one in the suburbs. You’ve got sirens, skateboards, off-leash dogs, apartment elevators, and that one guy who thinks your dog “just needs to say hi” despite your clear body language.

Most training programs aren’t specifically built for city life. The Dog Next Door is. 

I don’t just teach your dog to “sit” and “stay.” I help you:

  • Raise a calm, confident puppy in a chaotic environment

  • Build your confidence alongside your dog’s

  • Understand what your dog is really trying to tell you

  • Stop feeling like a failure when things don’t go as planned

  • Survive the emotional rollercoaster of raising a dog

In-person and remote options

We offer in-person services to clients within a local service radius. If you're outside the area, we’re still here to help—virtual sessions are always an option!

In-person Services:

  • East York

  • Danforth

  • Upper Beaches

  • The Beaches

  • Leslieville

  • Riverdale

  • Corktown

  • Rosedale

Whether you want a dog who:

  • Treats walks like fun adventures and not a tug-of-war

  • Greet your friends without destroying their clothes

  • Comes when you call, not just when they feel like it

  • Shares space with your other pets without needing a referee

  • Is fun to live with, not just cute in photos

… Make me your first phone call.