Calmer Canines

I have been working with dogs and doggy professionals for five years and have never met someone as knowledgeable, understanding, and helpful as Kate. She is a true example of what a trainer should be: honest, caring, and ALWAYS puts the dogs needs first. She explains things in a way that makes sense and is easy to remember, she really understands (and will help you understand) why the dogs are doing what they’re doing, and she solves your problems (both human and canine) without placing judgement or blame. My family has a reactive bully breed mix, a hyperactive Husky mix, and an insecure Heeler mix, and she has helped me immensely with all three of my dogs. I’m also getting a puppy in about a month and have already reserved a spot in her class so that this time we can do it right from day one. Over the past year that I’ve known her, she has become my go to person for not only trainings and behavior advice but also advice on nutrition, vet care, supplements, and grooming. I promise you will not regret calling Kate for any behavioral need, and that regardless of your situation you and your pets will benefit from her expertise.

We had our dog Lily (Chihuahua and Dachshund mix) for 2 years and we trained her when she was little and thought we did a pretty decent job. She is a pretty well behaved dog and we had no problems with her, that is until our baby son was born.
She became hostile to our son and would not get close to him and would snarl and even snapped at him a couple times when he tried to pet her. We had no idea how to even go about training her to be comfortable to be around him.
My wife found about Kate through a referral and after an initial assessment determined that our dog Lily was anxious and had lot of fears. This translated into why she was hostile to our son, she was simply anxious and afraid of him.
Kate worked with Lily for 5 sessions and slowly but surely Lily’s behavior began to change. Soon after the training she would snuggle with our son, let him pet her, and even hold onto to her. Her behavior has changed so much since the training sessions, and her attitude towards our little boy had completely changed.
Now they play well together and we don’t worry about Lily snapping or growling at our little boy anymore. Kate did what I thought was almost impossible in a very short time and she geared the training with Lily’s needs in mind.
We highly recommend Kate for dog training of all types, and would definitely go to her again if we get another dog.

The only reason my dog and I attended 5 different courses (6 classes each) is due to the outstanding instructor, Kate Connell.
Her technique with each dog is one of positive reinforcement, gentle persistence, and a calm patience, with lots of praise when a dog does a command correctly. Each and every dog in all of the classes adored Kate. When she would go to each dog to show the pet parent how to correctly do a command she was met with a wagging tail by the dog, and an eagerness to learn the command. Kate Connell has a magical and gentle way about her as she begins teaching a dog a specific command. She is a real dog whisperer in my opinion, and due to her outstanding instructions and my follow up after class I have a well behaved dog.
I simply cannot say enough great things about Kate. She is the best !!!

We previously had dealt with a more aggressive-​style trainer who, after torturing our dog, told us our dog was a lost cause and that we should get rid of him if we wanted children. This was not an option for us, we hoped there was a better solution as we had just rescued him from the pound.
We found Kate through Thumbtack and immediately liked her style: «no shock or pinch collars» was in her description and the vibe was more a positive, healing one which we knew our dog needed from his troubled past.
Her approach to our Fear Aggressive dog was one of love and patience which we are able to easily carry out with others who encounter our dog after Kate’s thoughtful training plan. Thanks Kate!

We got Casper from a broken home, he is kind but has his own character, Kate help us to know more about him and educated us on how to treat him, he improved a lot.
Training with her was a precious time for me and Casper.
Thank you so much Kate for all your help!

Kate has been working with me and my over reactive German Shepherd Max. She has dramatically improved a behavioral issue with Max and other dogs that at times I felt was hopeless. She has accomplished huge results in a short period of time with kindness and patience. Her knowledge of dog behavior is very impressive and she is a pleasure to work with. Max loves her! She is a true professional and really cares about you and your dog. I have no doubt Max would not have made the progress he has made if it weren’t for Kate!

Me and my wife started training with Kate for 4 years now. She is not only a very knowledgeable trainer but also a very nice and caring person. Our little pug loves her so much and and is always super excited when we go to her classes. She has helped us solved so many daily «pet problem «and made our lives so much easier.

You will not find a better trainer. I have worked with Kate for several years. She is very knowledgable of anything related to dogs. She is great at what she does. If you are looking for a quality trainer for your dog she is the one to go to.

My dogs started training with Kate about a year ago when bf and I enrolled our newly adopted pup in a puppy obedience class. Kate is always upbeat, knowledgeable, and passionate about dog behavior. She’s adept at training dogs and teaching their humans. When she started her own business we decided to continue with private lessons, Reactives Anonymous, and Country Club for both dogs.
From underlying behavior issues to nutrition she connects the dots to form a holistic view of dog behavior. I like that she does not follow only one school of dog behavior training. She constantly learns and applies techniques that work well for you and your dog.
Without getting too off track from this review, I will say she has changed the way I think about my dogs, even as someone who has raised and worked with animals for much of my life. She is so so insightful, always learning and excited to share her knowledge. Just follow her on Facebook and you’ll learn something new!

Kate is a very smart trainer! This women really knows her stuff! She has excellent training techniques, and She’s an absolute wizard when it comes to nutritional recommendations for your pet. There is no one else I would trust more with my dog then Kate! She has a big heart and you know she cares for each and everyone of her clients. Her love for animals goes above and beyond. Your not only hiring a great dog trainer but your gaining a animal advice life saver!

When I got a dog, I tried training her myself. I soon learned that I was over my head and there were some behaviors I needed help training. I found Kate when one of her clients that I met at a dog park wholeheartedly recommended her. I attended her «Country Club», where my pup and I were able to practice training in a distracting, positive, and fun setting with other dogs. My dog loves Kate! I signed up for some private sessions and my overly-​excited dog is becoming a better behaved every day. It is clear that Kate is knowledgeable, a great teacher, and cares about her clients. She is responsive to client concerns and has great recommendations from nutrition, harnesses, training methods, and more! My only regret is not bringing my dog to Kate earlier!

I have been working with Kate for close to 2 years now and she is probably the only trainer I would ever trust to work with my dogs. I first met her when she trained me to be a dog trainer at PetSmart, and immediately put my puppies into her classes. One dog was able to complete a Puppy class, Intermediate class, and a Trick class and the other dog was in private sessions with her for his anxiety and over-​excitability on-​leash around other dogs.
I am so glad she’s out on her own now and she has been so incredibly helpful these last few months. She has been coming to my apartment to work with my dogs on their reactions to people knocking on the door (and entering the apartment) before our first baby arrives in March.
Kate seems to know a little bit about everything related to dogs — training, breeding, nutrition… and it is all so helpful!
My dogs’ behavior has gotten so much better since working with Kate (especially since doing the at-​home training!) There are still some things my dogs need work on, but I’m not going to any one else for help with that, and I have to say that my dogs are much better than I thought they could be!
I love Kate and highly recommend her to anyone needing help with their dogs (or other animals… as I hear she’s also currently training somebody’s piglet!)

I’m no different than most who confidently adopt a pet and realize that I don’t know as much as thought I did about training and teaching good behavior patterns. Consulting Kate is always my go — to — answer and she’s always given me expert advice for my pets. Kate ’ s specialty is dogs however her knowledge bis so expansive in the world of animals, my cats and rats have enjoyed longer, healthier lives thanks to her guidance and training techniques.
From training to nutrition, Kate is my family’s answer to well behaved fur-​babies. I look forward to working with Kate and a dog as soon as we move into a larger place. Thanks Kate!