Frequently Asked Questions
What types of training do you offer?
Below is a representative overview of the areas I can support. Every program is customized to the individual dog and household.
- Puppy raising and foundational training beginning at 8 weeks
- Essential skills for adolescent dogs, including impulse control, frustration tolerance, and social development
- Basic through advanced obedience for dogs of all ages
- Leash skills and loose-leash walking remediation
- Support for phobic or anxious dogs
- High prey drive management
- Reactive and aggressive behaviors
- Dogs with bite histories, including bites involving humans
If your concern is not listed, please reach out. There is a strong chance I can help.
Where will our training session be held?
Most sessions take place in your home. This offers both convenience and effectiveness. Training in the environment where your dog lives allows us to address real-life challenges directly and build skills that transfer seamlessly into your daily routine.
What are your methods and approach?
Every training plan begins with a thoughtful assessment of your goals and your dog’s behavioral tendencies, preferences, history, and unique needs. From there, we design a clear and practical path forward together.
My approach is force-free and grounded in positive reinforcement. I train whole dogs, taking into account breed traits, natural drives, learning history, temperament, health considerations, and emotional well-being. There is no one-size-fits-all formula. Each dog teaches me something new, and I adapt accordingly.
At its core, my work focuses on expanding your dog’s behavioral repertoire. We teach skills that serve both human and canine needs without unnecessary conflict. Dogs do not behave simply because we ask them to. They behave when it makes sense to them. For that reason, I use reward-based methods to build new skills and encourage lasting change.
Rewards vary by individual and may include food, toys, play, social interaction, environmental access, or other meaningful reinforcers. Dogs working with me earn a fair and motivating “paycheck” for their efforts. The result is training that is both productive and genuinely enjoyable.
How do you work with dogs who have behavior problems?
I work with a wide range of behavioral concerns, including:
- Extreme leash pulling
- Specific phobias and contextual fears
- Generalized anxiety and stress
- Fixations and compulsive behaviors
- Nipping or biting, involving dogs, humans, or other animals
- Inter-dog conflict
- Inappropriate herding behaviors
- Aggression
- Housesoiling or regression in potty training
- Destructive chewing
- Excessive barking
- Countersurfing and scavenging
- Resource guarding
- Reactivity, including leash, barrier, and door reactivity
- Prey-driven behaviors directed toward livestock or household pets
When addressing behavior concerns, I begin from the understanding that all behavior is purposeful. Instead of simply suppressing unwanted actions, we investigate why they are occurring. From there, we design strategies that reduce the dog’s preference for harmful or disruptive behaviors while increasing their preference for safe, appropriate alternatives.
Cases involving heightened emotional states, such as lunging, barking, or biting, often include a structured desensitization and exposure process. This allows your dog to build new emotional responses to previously overwhelming triggers. While the theory is straightforward, application requires precision and thoughtful guidance.
Many clients begin to see meaningful shifts within the first one to two months. Sustainable transformation, however, is a process. My goal is to equip you with both the understanding and practical tools needed to continue progressing long after our formal sessions conclude.
Behavior cases can feel complex, especially when fear or aggression is involved. I am committed to making the science of behavior change accessible, practical, and empowering for every client. No matter where you and your dog are starting, improvement is possible.
If you do not see your concern listed, please reach out. If I am not the best fit, I will gladly connect you with someone who is.
What is a CPDT-KA, and why should I work with one?
CPDT-KA stands for Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed. It is a professional certification awarded by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. I earned this credential in 2022.
Dog training is an unregulated industry. Legally, anyone may call themselves a trainer. The CPDT-KA credential exists to establish measurable standards of knowledge, experience, and ethics.
To qualify, trainers must demonstrate extensive theoretical knowledge, document hundreds of hours of hands-on professional experience, pass a rigorous examination, and agree to uphold a comprehensive code of ethics. The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers is widely regarded as setting one of the highest standards within the profession.
While certification alone does not define the quality of a trainer, it does ensure a foundational level of competency, professionalism, and ethical commitment.
I want to use a prong collar or e-collar. Can you help me?
I do not provide training that relies on prong collars or e-collars, as these tools function through the application of pain or significant physical discomfort to alter behavior.
Aversive tools can sometimes produce rapid changes in observable behavior. This can feel appealing, particularly in situations involving urgency or safety concerns. However, research and professional consensus increasingly highlight the potential risks, including heightened stress, fear responses, and unintended behavioral fallout. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has published position statements outlining these concerns.
The encouraging news is that modern behavior science offers an expansive and effective range of force-free strategies. From leash skills to complex aggression cases, it is possible to achieve meaningful change without fear or pain.
You are never required to abandon tools you are currently using in order to work with Kindred Canine. My role is not to judge, but to guide. I will offer alternatives that I believe are safer and more sustainable, and you remain the decision-maker for your dog. My commitment is to support you with clarity, compassion, and professionalism at every step.
