About Balanced Canines

Family-focused training in Alexandria

Balanced Canines is a dog training business in Alexandria founded and owned by Nicole Hitch. Its stated aim is teaching families how to positively relate with their canine companions to produce a balanced and more fulfilling relationship. Sessions are by appointment.

The trainer

Nicole grew up on a farm working with many kinds of animals, trained as a teacher, and began studying dog training seriously over a decade ago with her first Golden Retriever, Kya. She started Balanced Canines after her rescue dog Athena showed her how few local resources existed for dogs with behavioral baggage, and after finding no local puppy groups focused on teaching puppy parents to relate positively with their pups. She is a CPDT-KA, a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, a Mentor Trainer for CATCH Canine Trainers Academy, an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, a Relationship Assessment Tool Certified Instructor, a Family Dog Professional Trainer, a Stop the 77 Presenter and a Dial Guide.

Classes

Upcoming events include a six-week Puppy Socialization, Manners, Parenting and AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Class for puppies from 8 weeks to 11 months old, meeting on Tuesdays. There is also a Puppy Partners program and help for dogs with behavior struggles.

What to ask

Ask about private sessions for behavior issues, class pricing and where classes meet.