Testimonies

Riki was a lifesaver for our family. She boarded and trained 2 dogs during a family crisis and was a huge factor in why we were able to keep the dogs. She is firm but fair and she turned their problematic behaviours around quickly. You can tell she has an affinity and passion for animals, something we really responded to. I would recommend Riki in the highest terms possible.
-Jennifer B.

"Last year, we adopted our 1 year old dachshund, Stanley. We immediately learned he had high anxiety which was causing him to hide from us most of the time, have accidents in the home, and even be destructive at times. Marieke came to our home and took the time to get to know Stanley and gave us strategies to help him build more confidence to reduce his anxiety. With very simple methods that Marieke taught us, Stanley improved significantly within weeks after just one consultation. We are very pleased with his progress. Thank you Marieke!"
-Pamela P.

"Marieke was a huge reason for the success of bringing our dog Mac home. It was obvious right away that she cared so much about our dog and cared about his well being after he came into our care. 

She was so helpful with all of our many questions and took her time to help walk us through all the training she had done with him before we took him home and the areas to really focus on to ensure the best experience for both us and Mac. 

Even after bringing him home she was more than willing to answer questions that came up while we were all getting used to each other. 

I will always appreciate that care and love that Marieke put into Mac and our transition to bringing him home"

-Ria M.

"After having dogs my entire life my first experience in rescuing a dog was absolutely amazing. From the minute I met Marieke who was fostering my dog in her home to the adoption of Bella my experience was flawless.  I was impressed with Marieke's academic knowledge, her recommendations for resources (including lead walking and what type of leash) as well as her demeanour with all of her dogs. In the short period of time we spent with Marieke, she was able to teach Bella basic behaviour foundations that made our transition effortlessly.  Marieke's approach to training is gentle and highly effective.  She has an unique ability to find the individual approach that will work for your dog and will provide tips for setting up for long term success.  Marieke's devotion, energy, enthusiasm and knowledge is exemplary to say the least."
-Gail S.

"Marieke was so helpful, and accommodating agreeing to bring “Porcena” (we changed her name after we adopted her) for our first visit, and it was love at first site for all of us!  Cena was so well behaved, thanks to Marieke’s firm but loving training this adorably cute dog with all her wrinkles won over all our hearts. For a new dog to be fully house trained, and immediately warm & comfortable with new people was impressive, Marieke had managed to accomplished all this training in a few weeks time.  

As the weeks passed, Marieke walked us through the entire adoption process making it very smooth & enjoyable. Her sweet and kind disposition is so genuine, as is her love for dogs and wanting it to be a truly good fit for all of us. Marieke provided information & guidance all the way along that was invaluable. The transition of bringing Cena home was a real adjustment for everyone & there were moments of thinking I’d made a huge mistake  - Cena was more energetic than she had been when Marieke was around, not listening to me, and impolite when she approached other dogs while on our walks. I didn’t really trust her, she would lunge & seemed aggressive towards other dogs. During this Marieke again provided to be a wonderful resource offering tips and encouragement. After a very short adjustment period we all started to get along just fine, learning to trust each other and building bonds of love. She is truly a wonderful animal, our baby girl & we are so blessed to have her."
-Kara M.

"Marieke came into our home shortly after Acorn arrived. Acorn and I immediately responded to her calm and enthusiastic manner. Her instructions were clear and easy to apply. Her follow-up, in terms of a written summary, was useful and allowed me to be more consistent. Acorn's transition to my home has been eased by Marieke's instruction. I am much more able to manage her energetic personality. I enjoy her moods when I am able to be the one in control."
Debbie S.

"We adopted Jasper in September from Taffy's Lagacy Canine Rescue. When we brought him home we were happily surprised with just how calm mannered Jasper was. We figured he would settle in our new home soon and open up to be that crazy energetic husky puppy we were expecting - he is still our calm and wise pup. When we picked Jasper up, Marieke was super informative and demonstrated Jasper working/training for his food. At 3 months old, his training had already surpassed the puppy training classes I originally was going to register him for. Jasper was crate trained and potty trained. We had no issues with him staying in the crate overnight! Everyone who meets Jasper constantly tells us how well behaved and mannered he is - we have Riki Rescue Canine Consulting & Training to thank for that! I would highly recommend Marieke for any dog inquires, training, or consultation you may have!!"

-Jocelyn K.

"I couldn't have asked for a better beginning to my little Rory's training and human interaction experience than what she had with Marieke. While part of what makes Rory so wonderful is her personality, her experiences and corresponding trust of humans built by strong training was truly a blessing. First of all, Rory is a wonderful traveler. She sits or sleeps quietly and is extremely calm the entire ride. Marieke's work to expose her to longer car rides was definitely a blessing being able to bring her home with me in Kingston. She came knowing sit, stay, and place, which, beyond the initial utility, gave her the building blocks to be able to learn other skills quickly. She was also largely house trained and crate trained which made it so much easier when transitioning to my normal schedule. Marieke's dedication to her pup's was evident and her training techniques obviously effective as she gave Rory the best beginning to her life journey a little pup could ask for!"
-Nicole G.

“We worked with Marieke to adopt our rescue dog, Jetta, who Marieke was fostering. Not only did she answer all of our questions with incredible insight, ability and knowledge, but she went out of her way to drive Jetta to our home (about an hour away!), so we could see how she fared with our kids and cat. She explained some best practices for integrating Jetta into our family, and met with me again to transfer Jetta into our care. I found her to be incredibly professional, smart and passionate about dogs and their wellbeing and I would definitely work with her in future when introducing another rescue to our home.”

-Mary S.