Who the ruff are we?
Dawg On It is a professional dog walking and training service proudly serving Windsor–Essex County. We work with dogs of all ages, breeds, and experience levels.
Founded in 2020, Dawg On It began when our founder, Ryan, noticed a recurring concern while working at a local pet store: many dog owners felt their dogs were “unwalkable.” Owners were overwhelmed, frustrated, and unsure how to properly manage their dogs on leash. Ryan began offering guidance on effective walking techniques, appropriate equipment, and structured routines tailored to specific breeds and energy levels.
The results were immediate and impactful. Customers returned to share their success stories, expressing relief and confidence in their dogs’ behavior. Encouraged by this positive response, Ryan officially launched Dawg On It as a professional dog walking service.
As demand grew, Ryan expanded his expertise by mentoring under local professional dog trainers and attending multiple workshops. This growth allowed Dawg On It to expand into training services, now offering basic and advanced obedience training, puppy manners, and engagement classes.
What truly sets Dawg On It apart is our home-based training philosophy. The majority of our training takes place in the client’s home or directly on their property, where dogs feel most comfortable and where real-life behaviors naturally occur. We are excited to offer a training session at headquarters where dogs can train with our demo dogs.
By training dogs in the environments they live and learn in every day, we create practical, lasting results that transfer seamlessly into daily routines.
At Dawg On It, our mission is to build confident dogs, empowered owners, and stronger relationships one walk or one training session at a time
Meet the Team
Demo Dogs
Retired Demo Dogs
Ryan is a Windsor-Essex native, third-generation dog handler, and lifelong animal professional with extensive hands-on experience in dog training, behavior, and animal welfare. As the Founder and Head Trainer of Dawg On It, he specializes in obedience training, behavior modification, and real-world training for dogs of all breeds, ages, and temperaments.
Ryan brings a strong professional background through his work with Humane Societies, where he has served as a Pet Behaviouralist, Animal Protection Officer, Adoption Counsellor, and Animal Care Specialist. His experience includes animal intakes, behavioral assessments, emergency response, rehabilitation of aggressive and fearful animals, community outreach, and collaboration with veterinarians, behaviorists, and law enforcement agencies.
In addition, Ryan has formal education in animal medicine and holds an Advanced Diploma in Business and Marketing from St. Clair College.
Ryan believes in a balanced training philosophy that combines proven traditional methods with modern, science-informed techniques to develop confident, reliable, and well-mannered dogs while strengthening the bond between dogs and their owners.
Kodiak and Lainey are Dawg On It’s demonstration dogs, each bringing their own unique strengths and personalities to the training team while showcasing the intelligence, versatility, and working ability the German Shepherd breed is known for.
Kodiak, Ryan’s second dog, has taken on the primary demonstration role within the company. Calm, stable, and level-headed, he works alongside clients to demonstrate proper handling techniques and training methods in both basic and advanced obedience. Kodiak also plays an important role in working with reactive and nervous dogs by modeling balanced canine behavior and helping owners understand the value of confident, consistent leadership.
Lainey brings a different kind of energy to the team. As a high-drive German Shepherd mix, she is enthusiastic, vocal, and always eager to work. A former stray who began her life in a shelter, Lainey’s journey highlights the resilience and potential of rescue dogs when given proper structure, guidance, and consistency. Her playful nature and intense drive make her an excellent example of how high-energy behaviors can be redirected into focused obedience and productive engagement through clear communication and reward-based training.
Together, Kodiak and Lainey help clients see the importance of adapting training methods to different temperaments, energy levels, and personalities while building confident, reliable, and well-balanced dogs.
Rowdy was Ryan’s first dog and lifelong partner. A highly intelligent, high-energy Border Collie, Rowdy excelled in agility and herding and played a key role in shaping Ryan’s training approach. Throughout his life, he helped demonstrate canine body language and worked alongside clients learning to manage high-energy breeds.
Although Rowdy has since passed, his memory lives on in the training we do every day. His love for herding, agility, advanced obedience, and toy-based rewards continues to influence how we build engagement and drive in our dogs.