Certified Dog Behavior Consultant | Fear Free Certified Trainer
At Kate’s Dogs, you will work with Kate, our trainer and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC). Kate is certified by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). Kate is also a Certified Fear Free Trainer (FearFree), and holds a PhD in Biology.
At Kate’s Dogs, we work with you individually, at your home or via online consults, to solve behavior problems and create a happy healthy family.
A Dog Behavior Consultant is a little bit different from other trainers. We focus on foundations of behavior–those things that create trust and bonding and joy. More about that on our welcome page HERE.
I believe in using a holistic approach, looking at the whole dog, your lifestyle, and creating solutions that work for you. As a scientist, I believe our intuitions and emotions are an important part of a great relationship with our dogs. And, science, while a fantastic tool, is just that; a tool for understanding our world.
My approach to dog training is a little bit different from most other trainers and behavior consultants. I like to call it an “emotional-rational” perspective. Basically, I believe that dogs are hard-wired to love us and want to be with us. Like us, they prefer to be conflict-free. But they have needs and wants and fears (just like we do). Sometimes, they have a hard time communicating those needs and wants with us, or they communicate in ways that are dangerous or inappropriate. We can change that!
I work on helping you understand your dog, and communicate in a way that makes sense to her. I also work on teaching her to communicate with you in a way that is polite, pleasant, and relatively easy to understand. I focus on teaching you skills that you can apply over and over again, in different situations, so that your relationship grows day-by-day and year-by-year.
Ready to get started? So are we!
Click HERE to send an email or text at 541-405-1873
Want more info? Keep reading!
Who do I work with?
Families
I work with dogs and their families: I work with any and all members of the human family-Mom, Dad, Kids, Grandma and Grandpa. My specialty is working on foundations–I believe that by working on foundations of trust and communication, we can solve almost any behavior issue and improve quality of life for all dogs and their people. This means that I work with a lot of aggression cases, but I also work with resource guarding, politeness in the home (and outside!), fear and phobias, issues of “connection” and “obedience”; safety issues like recall and leash skills, and complex behaviors like OCD/CCD, PICA (eating inappropriate stuff) and superstitious behaviors. I work with you to identify your priorities.
Breeds
I work with all dogs; big dogs, bitey dogs, and itty-bitty puppy dogs. I work with all breeds. Each breed has special traits–Labs and Retrievers love to put things in their mouths, while herding dogs love to herd and guardian dogs…well, they love to guard. Not only do the breeds each have specific tendencies, but individuals differ as well. It’s my job to help figure out how to work with their natural instincts for a better relationship overall.
Puppies
I work with puppies, adolescents (my favorite!), mature dogs, and even old dogs. They all come with special needs. Puppies need to be set up for success–training mistakes with a puppy usually won’t be obvious until your puppy reaches adolescence. At that point, your cute sweet puppy starts to enter social maturity and may start saying “no thank you”, or worse, to handling, strangers, dogs etc.. It’s easiest to start off on the right paw.
Adolescents
Adolescence is when most people notice problems. Adolescence is when surrender and rehoming occur most frequently. It’s important to know that it isn’t too late! We can still reach the adolescent mind and build a collaborative trusting, safe, relationship. Adolescence is a really good time to start adventuring with your pup and set yourself up for a lifetime of success.
Mature and Senior Dogs
Mature and senior dogs each have their own challenges. Mature dogs can still learn if we take the right approach. My senior dog, Rex, got his first nosework title at 12 yrs old after a lifetime as a hunting dog. Senior dogs also often have mobility and health issues–but that doesn’t mean they can’t have an excellent quality of life-we just need to modify things a bit, and may need to teach some new cues to adapt to hearing and eyesight loss; change our enrichment ideas to accommodate sore joints; or teach swimming, massage, and core exercises to preserve mobility.
Ready to get help your dog live their best life? So are we!
Click HERE to send an email or text at 541-405-1873
Training Philosophy
Early experience
Like most trainers, I have been working with animals since I was little. We had turtles and guinea pigs and mice and lots and lots of dogs. When I was only 12, I started training horses professionally. I started green mounts for a local trainer and lent a hand (and a few ribs) to anyone who needed a horse “broke”. Later, I became a falconer, learning everything I could about birds of prey because…well, because they are amazing. In about 2011, my career took a dramatic turn when I decided (as a personal challenge) to see if I could train naturally, without equipment or tools.
Tool-less Training
If I can do it, you can too. Training without “tools” just means you don’t need to plug in or find all the “stuff” in order to go for a walk in the woods.
Tool-less training was not entirely new to me. I had been riding bareback for years, but by riding bridle-less and allowing my horses freedom to come and go (no fences or stalls) our relationships blossomed. My dog training similarly changed. My horses started to ask to work, and my dogs started to recall like Lassie. Working with more freedom made me more attuned to my animals emotions and needs. I had to rely on deepening my relationship with my four-legged friends. When I tried out these new ideas with client dogs, I was astounded by how well they responded–almost as though they were thirsting for the same emotional connection that I was.
Emotional Health and Well-Being
My discovery prompted a decade long deep-dive into emotional health and well-being, for dogs and humans, and how that relates to problem behaviors such as aggression, compulsive disorders, reactivity, basic manners and fear related issues. Through this study, I was able to tie together the scientific “why” with the practical “how to” of animal behavior. This integrated approach forms the backbone of my daily work with challenging dogs. We build trust, communication, kindness, and (when needed) respect.
When you work with me, we will conduct a lifestyle analysis, prioritize safety and mutual trust, and build courtesy through humor and games. Your journey will be one of mutual growth and joy.
Ready to get started? So are we!
Click HERE to send an email or text at 541-405-1873
From my family to yours
In my private life, I currently play around with animal mental health and wellness on my small farm. I have horses, cats, pointers, and one Big Pink Primate. We juggle two professional careers, health issues, and all the challenges of modern life while aiming for grace, compassion and joy on a daily basis.
I bring my passion to my daily happiness-walks, thinking about new approaches and methods to help you, and your family, reach your best life. You can see some of my musings on our YouTube channel, and you can find blogs and articles on practical stuff and theoretical geeky stuff HERE. For a quick easy introduction, check out my foundational exercises on HOUSETRAINING and PUPPY BITING.
I am passionate about dog happiness, and your happiness is central to that. Your dog will not be happy if you aren’t happy. It’s all about building a happy family.
Certifications
I am Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), as well as a Fear Free(tm) Certified Trainer. I hold additional certificates from many training classes and continue to build my knowledge base through going education. Additionally, I hold a PhD in Evolutionary Biology and a Certificate in Teaching from Duke University. My geek factor ranges into the odd and unusual, training dogs, falcons, horses, fish, and even spiders (not to mention assorted farm animals). I love diving into the literature on “why we do what we do” to bring that understanding to our work with dogs.
Ethics
I believe in treating humans and dogs with respect and courtesy. You, the human half, are critically important. Your experience and happiness is paramount to achieving a good quality of life for your dog. And your dogs happiness will in turn affect you. It’s a win-win situation.
I have been force and fear free since 2011. I adhere to the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultant’s policy on Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive (LIMA) strategies. We are committed to the Fear Free™ mission to provide education on emotional wellbeing, targeted enrichment, and the reduction of fear, anxiety, and stress in pets and their humans. I am also passionate about ethics–writing a before-it’s-time article on the ethics of online dog training for IAABC.
Want to provide your dog with their best life? Let’s get started!
Click HERE to send an email or text at 541-405-1873
Additional Support
Our flagship group on Facebook, Dog Training 101, is available for support and community. It’s where I and my team help thousands of families with their dogs. It’s also where some of my student trainers practice. Note, if you are a trainer, I am available for mentoring. I assist professional trainers solve unique and difficult behavior problems with out-of-the-box solutions, or grow their knowledge with a solid foundation in science, history, psychology, molecular and neurobiology, and my all-time favorite, evolutionary biology. I fundamentally believe in peer-to-peer collaboration and support–we all need a coach sometimes!
Let’s get started!
I love what I do, and I believe you should to. Today is not to late to start enjoying your best friend. Let’s get started!
Click HERE to send an email or text at 541-405-1873
