Kate has been the best dog trainer for my family with a fearful, reactive pup. We have taken various dog training classes with Kate, but the MOST important of all was the way Kate helped us prepare for a new baby joining the family. During my pregnancy, Kate helped us create success stations, work on management strategies, prepare for baby homecoming, and help our pup get ready for the big changes. My husband and I learned so much about safety and preparation and I cannot imagine bringing home a newborn with our dog without these sessions. Kate is extremely kind, personable, and knowledgeable and it is clear to see her passion for helping dog owners with pregnancy, toddlers, and all types of families. I HIGHLY recommend working with her for any growing family with any type of dog. read more

Kate is amazing and very knowledgeable about the relationship between dogs and kids. She was such a help to our family. I highly recommend her! read more

We came to meet Kate through our vets referral. We have a rather large bernedoodle and he was in his adolescent stage not fixed yet and pretty out of control. We made a huge mistake enrolling him in a local school training program that caused him a lot of frustration and anxiety. He was communicating with us using teeth and I was worried because we have a kid in the home. Our vet suggested positive reinforcement training and to call Kate. I called her on a Sunday in Dec in tears because we love our dog and didn't understand what was behind his behavior. She was able to recognize in the first training session it was frustration not aggression. She helped us with muzzle training and getting out in walks again. She helped me calm down and "held my hand" as I went out on walks with my dog as I was feeling a lot of anxiety to be out there with him again. She told me that H is a big dog but he doesn't mean me harm. Lots of deep breaths and now we are back to daily walks. She also helped us with working on greeting strangers at the door and walking with other dogs. She is one of our dogs favorite people. I also enjoys that she is just a pleasant person and checks in to see how things are going. She doesn't just treat people like a source of income but like a friend. We still have a few things to work and I look forward to the continued progress we will make with Kate's help. read more

When I was getting ready to bring my Shih Tzu puppy home, I knew I wanted to invest in professional training. Kate came highly recommended by two different people, but I did not know how this would work in the middle of a pandemic. I called Kate and she encouraged me to try training Toby via Zoom calls. I wasn't sure but decided to go for it. It has been amazing in all the best ways. Kate has a gift for seeing things we owners can't, and even having never met him in person sized up his personality and customized his training plan. When he started tiring out after 30 minutes of training, Kate suggested we break his sessions up to give him more space. Toby has learned all the things he is supposed to in his early puppy sessions, plus the added bonus of situation-specific training based on my upcoming needs. I have a puppy who can follow basic commands, is learning to be well-mannered, and I have the confidence to understand how to mitigate bad behaviors in positive ways. Toby is confident, social and fun! Kate is really the best! Don't be afraid of the online training. It works! read more

If you've had the pleasure of working with Kate, you already know she's an amazing guide through the intricacies of communicating with your dog to achieve positive outcomes. Now, Kate's expertise (and wit!) is online! Shelby, my English Cocker Spaniel and I just finished a 7-week reactive/anonymous, online group class. Thanks to Kate, we now have the real-world tools we need to turn anxiety into calm. BTW, we were able to accomplish all this from the comfort of our own home! Thank you Kate! read more

Worth every penny! I was unsure if I wanted to spend the extra money for a trainer or try my best at learning through YouTube videos. I am very happy I chose to receive the help of Kate. She is a wealth of knowledge and has helped my little pup so much. He started out scared of his leash and walking my neighborhood, but now with some training, he has built up so much confidence he loves his walks. The recorded virtual training sessions also come in handy to rewatch. Thank you Kate! read more

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! read more

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! read more

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. read more

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! read more

Calling Kate was by far one of the best decisions I've made for my pup. I adopted Kya at 9 months old from a high-kill animal shelter in LA county after she was picked up wandering the streets of a popular dog dumping site. Kya was great with my family, learned quickly, and loved to cuddle. She was also terrified of new people, hats, bicycles, skateboards, jack-o-lanterns, inflatable snowmen, and pretty much anything that moved and she told us this by barking, growling, and lunging at it. People don't take kindly to a 60lb german shepherd barking and lunging at them! Didn't take long before I realized i was in way over my head. We tried so many obedience classes and dog trainers all over LA county and OC before finding Kate, but nothing seemed right. I had people tell me everything from dominance/alpha bullshit to a highly recommended trainer telling me a dog can't bark if they're sitting so just make her sit (uhh, what?). We've been working with Kate for about a year now and Kya's doing so much better. While she'll probably never be a people-dog (she's a GSD, not a golden retriever after all), we can actually go on a peaceful walk without the judgement/fear of our neighbors now. Kate's super responsive and always available to answer any dog-related questions even if its outside the scope of the class. The modular format of her class is amazing and I honestly don't understand why more dog trainers don't do this! You can pop in any time you're available and there's an opening in the class, and skip any time you're busy without worrying about missing a week. Class size is small at 3-4 max per class and she tailors each class/activity to the ability of the dogs present so no matter how many times you've taken the class there's something new to challenge your pup. She explains how to use the skills taught in class in real life situations and we've definitely used some of the 'games' we've learned to avert a possible doggy meltdown. Even in her non-reactive obedience classes (since we've graduated from the scaredy-dog classes), she's able and willing to modify the class to accommodate the needs of any pup and always advocates for listening to the needs of your dog (which includes lots of brain breaks because learning is hard!). Thanks Kate, don't know where we'd be without you! + Bonus pics of the fluffball read more

Calmer Canines - Pet Training Near Me

See all

When my husband and I brought our first puppy home - an 8-week old Samoyed - we knew we had a great dog on our hands, but that we needed support through this puppy parenting business. We immediately reached out to Kate (Calmer Canines) and thankfully she had us up and running our very first week of having our puppy home. The first lesson alone gave us vital information that made a noticeable impact on our puppy's experience and behavior. I told my family the first lesson alone was worth the investment we made in training. Kate's impressive breadth of knowledge of all things canine is instantly apparent as is her genuine passion for sharing this knowledge with others to ensure pups all around are being raised in the best ways possible. The hour-long training sessions (via Zoom due to Covid) themselves are filled with invaluable tools and training techniques. Then Kate also shares so many additional resources and feedback throughout your time with her. From her starting every session out with asking how things were going and fine tuning our session to our answers, to offering us feedback on our homework/exercises videos each week, we felt fully supported through this exciting but sometimes overwhelming process of bringing our beloved puppy into our lives. It's no surprise that her wealth of knowledge combined with her passion made her an especially flexible and adaptable trainer, which was exactly what we needed. We will enthusiastically recommend Kate and Calmer Canines to everyone and anyone we encounter who want some help in providing the best life possible to their fur babies! read more

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! read more

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!) read more

Our puppy has been to several schools and trainers (primarily for socializing, different types of training, and having him be able to focus in different environments), but Kate is still the best! Our dog loves her and she has helped us with so much, including private sessions, since our baby was 7 weeks old. Unfortunately, we are moving which is the only reason we can not continue classes. I would recommend Kate to anyone who wants a trainer who is very knowledgeable, caring, and great with people and their dogs read more

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. read more

I have very high regard for Kate as a trainer and as a person. I got a package of classes and private lessons for her to work with my daughter and our Golden Retriever puppy. Kate has seemingly infinite patience and good cheer, and her technique is very oriented toward positive treatment of the dog. She never administers punishment, and in hours of sessions with her, I rarely heard her tell a dog no. While the benefits of this approach are obvious, it does require a commitment from the owner to learn and effectively apply these techniques. Kate also is a fount of information on all things dogs. I would ask about something in passing in a training session, and she would offer advice there and usually follow it up with an email with more detailed advice and links to websites and videos specifically addressing the issue. Thanks, Kate! read more

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 !!!!! read more

This is by far the best dog trainer in Orange County. Kate is a true professional with extensive knowledge and training on helping dogs with behavior problems. She's a caring dog lover that is always willing to go beyond the standard trainer interaction to make sure you and your pet are getting the most out of the sessions. She helped me understand how to best deal with my dog and has had a real impact on both our lives. If you're looking for the best quality trainer I highly recommend Calmer Canines. read more

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. read more

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! read more

I have gone through training with Kate with two of my dogs. I first me her when she was a trainer at Petsmart. I took every training class she taught and learned so much. When she left Petsmart to go out on her own, I followed her. She has helped me to raise happy, more confident dogs. Kate is current on all the latest techniques in dog training and uses positive reinforcement. Kate is also a great trainer of dog owners as well. After all, the training you take from her is to teach you how to work with your dog on an every day basis. The knowledge I have gained from her is so invaluable and immense. My doggies are happy, healthy and confident animals. I credit Kate for helping me get them to this point in their lives. read more

Kate is an awesome trainer who's done wonders training both human and canine to achieve a very happy, calmer existence. I highly recommend Kate and Calmer Canines if you want to see excellent results using positive reinforcement training techniques. read more

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. read more

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! read more

Kate is the best trainer you can ever ask for. She is so patient and generous with her time and really makes training personal to your unique needs. I had specific questions about behaviors and weight loss strategies and she sent me a ton of helpful information. She really goes beyond what you expect from a trainer. Just finished our first package of classes and my dog has improved so much! Thank you Kate!! read more

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! read more

Kate has given me hope with my dogs...to go out in public without people being scared or giving me dirty looks. I have two big dogs. One barks with excitement to see other dogs. The other can be a little aggressive. Kate has helped us so much with our dogs. We are no where near the end of the road, but there is improvement. It was refreshing to find a trainer who wasn't afraid to work with reactive, large dogs. The first time Kate met Mitch I think most people would have ran the other way! If you have a reactive dog and need a great trainer to help you and your dog work through it Kate is the answer. I would recommend Kate to anyone. read more