I cannot recommend Kathy at Cause and Effect Dog Training enough! When we first reached out, our Springer Spaniel, Checkers, was fearful, anxious, and often growled at my spouse and sometimes even at our kids. We had already tried multiple trainers, different techniques, and even followed our vet's suggestion to try antidepressants--but nothing was helping (in fact, the medication only made things worse). The moment I spoke to Kathy on the phone, I felt confident she truly understood the problem and could guide us in the right direction. And she absolutely has. Over the past year, Checkers has made tremendous progress thanks to Kathy's knowledge, patience, and the clear guidance she gave us. We followed her suggestions carefully--even switching vets based on her recommendation--and the results have been life-changing. Earlier this year, we had to travel out of the country and trusted Kathy to board Checkers. During that time, he developed a beautiful bond with her partner Dan. This was nothing short of amazing, as Checkers has always been fearful of men. Watching their relationship grow has been such a gift. With Kathy's help (and the influence of her own two balanced dogs), Checkers has learned how to be a dog--something I once thought might never happen. He now participates in pack walks and can even run off-leash in the fields, something I couldn't have imagined a year ago. If you're struggling with your dog's behavior and feel like nothing is working, do yourself and your dog a favor and call Kathy. She and Dan have changed our lives, and I am endlessly grateful for the care and dedication they've shown to Checkers and to us. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Photo taken by Cause & Effect Dog Training on a recent pack walk. - Pet Training Near Me

Kathy had great techniques and homework for me and my husband. She was punctual in every session and gave us constructive feedback. I really think having the training sessions with Kathy helped us bond with our dog more. It was a really rewarding experience. I absolutely feel more confident about my communication skills towards our girl Cub. Thank you for helping us work with her Kathy!! read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Kathy is incredible. I could write a book about how much she's helped me, but I'll keep it short. I've owned dogs my entire life-have trained them all and have never had much in the way of problems. Last September I pulled an adult male unsocialized German Shepherd off a euthanasia list and he was an absolute handful. He was reactive and aggressive to other dogs and people, largely emanating from anxiety, and had an insane amount of energy. The end result was a dog that never tired, was always looking to pick fights, and who I didn't feel confident bringing to the park during normal hours. It's worth noting that I spend multiple hours at the park hiking daily with my other two dogs. I found Kathy, heard reverent reviews, and in a stroke of luck learned I lived next door to her. She was hands on and attentive not just to the dog but to me, taught me what I needed to do, was firm in training me-and the dog-and what was needed and held me-and the dog-accountable. Six months later, the dog's perfect. He's confident, calm, incredible with his commands and-most importantly-friendly with other dogs. Kathy was worth her wait it good. Hans loves her. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Hans on a pack walk with Kathy off leash and loving life - Pet Training Near Me

I worked with this trainer for a short period and unfortunately my overall experience was not positive. While I don't believe she was intentionally misleading, her communication style was very disorganized and inconsistent. Each time we spoke, the pricing and length of the training program changed, which required me to ask for clarification multiple times. In addition, I felt pressured to sign up my second dog for training even after I made it clear that I did not want to. This added unnecessary stress to the process. On the training philosophy side, I was surprised that she recommended using a shock collar on my highly anxious dog as a first step. While I am not completely opposed to that tool, I would have expected a professional to try other approaches first. I am now working with a different trainer who is using only positive reinforcement, and we are already seeing significant progress. There were also several logistical issues that created a sense of chaos: * Our initial call had to be rescheduled because she was on the road and unable to talk. * She unfortunately got into a car accident on the way to our first training session (not her fault, but another disruption). * Eventually, she canceled our sessions altogether, saying that she and I could not work together "socially." This was very discouraging, especially since I was committed to working with her despite the difficulties, because she came highly recommended. I'm still unsure what led her to end the relationship -- whether it was my repeated questions about unclear payment details, stress from her accident, or something else. As a woman of color, I can't help but wonder if bias may have played a role, though I can't say for sure. In the end, my recommendation would be that this trainer work on being more organized, consistent in communication, and respectful of clients' choices read more

We fell in love with and adopted sweet Keba from A Girl's Best Friend Rescue. While she is incredibly loving with people, as she bonded with us it became clear she was dog selective. She once pinned a dog, bit another dog's ear, and aggressively stared at other dogs inciting lots of barking. Working with Kathy has been incredible. She truly is a dog whisperer. Keba LOVES Kathy and is over joyed every time she gets to see her. Kathy was actually training us more than Keba (who was keen to be trained). Working with Kathy was a game changer. In sessions she would demonstrate what she was teaching us, then have each my husband and I try and correct us while we practiced. She provided us so many tools (e.g. squirt gun, e-collar, pinch collar, muzzle) to help train Keba and showed us how to use them in a minimal and humane way. Kathy gave us confidence to keep Keba's aggression in check and reduce it. I'm excited to share that Keba is starting pack walks next week where she can socialize with other dogs. None of this would have been possible without Kathy. Plus, Kathy is a wonderful and fun person to spend time with. Thank you Kathy! read more

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Working with Kathy was super helpful! We have two Pitbulls, a 2 year old and a 9 year old. Our younger dog struggled with reactivity, jealousy, anxiety, and dog aggression. Our older dog had trouble socializing with other dogs. We would also have trouble separating the dogs when they'd start to fight. Kathy took her time to get to know our dogs and intentionally tried different methods to see what our dogs responded to. Over the course of 5 training sessions, we saw a significant difference in our dogs and have learned how to correct unwanted behaviors, and reward the appropriate behaviors. It's been amazing to see the shift in our dogs and be able to effectively communicate with our dogs. Working with Kathy has been a great learning experience! Her passion for her work really shines through. She also has pack-walks, where we've been able to go on group walks with other dogs that have gone through her program.I highly recommend her training! read more

Last year, we were so discouraged by the dog training market after striking out numerous times in hopes of finding a trainer for our rescue, Zoe. We didn't know anything about Zoe's story for the first year of her life, and believed at that time she may have had some past trauma. She had some undesirable behaviors and potentially dog aggression. We were in search of a trainer who could really take the time to understand our dog, her behavior, tendencies, and would help put together a personalized training program. I was also 7 months pregnant and desperate for help with the unknown of a new dog and baby at the same time. Insert Kathy. She went above and beyond anything we could have imagined. Kathy truly has a deep passion for dogs and helping their owners. She is extremely dedicated, patient, creative, detail-oriented (she would ask such detailed questions about situations we had with Zoe), and has experience with so many different methods and tools. Over the course of a few months and personal training lessons with Kathy, we were able to understand Zoe's personality and behaviors. Kathy put together a personalized approach to training Zoe by deploying tools like the prong and e-collar, using the tools correctly, teaching many different commands, and creating rewards systems. We were also incredibly relieved to learn that Zoe is not aggressive. Without Kathy, we may have never known and thus would not attempt to socialize her. Also, her group classes are amazing and a great way to socialize your pup and pick up a few tricks every time. We have learned and continue to learn so much from Kathy, and Zoe is all-around a better dog now thanks to Kathy. I could not recommend working with her enough! read more

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Our dog Reggie is a rescue and has separation anxiety, and seemed dog reactive. After working with him we determined multiple ways to help him. He also was dog selective and does great with structured meet and greets and is now in pack walks! We even have him close to off leash comfortably. She pivoted his training and met us where we were. She also provides free group sessions after initial sessions which is a great deal! Kathy is an exceptional and patient trainer! She's also urgent and knowledgeable when it comes to our dog Reggie. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Our pup Reggie! - Pet Training Near Me

I can only echo what has been said before: Kathy is super competent, not only in assessing and handling/training the dogs, but also in communicating with the humans. I was so impressed how she explained every step of the aggression assessment in our case, and asked for our feedback on every step she proposed to take. She went above and beyond to introduce our dog to different dogs and situations to get a well rounded picture - and do a thorough assessment even though it went beyond the allocated time (which she double checked with us as well). And then she was available for follow-up texts and additional meetings, helping us help understand what our dog needed to be more comfortable around other dogs. Thanks to Kathy, our case had a very happy ending - our rescue dog now enjoys being the big foster sister to other dogs from the shelter and playing with her friends at Cesar Chavez Park. Long story short: if you have concerns about your dog - run - don't walk - to see Kathy! read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Our white dog with her latest foster sibling - Pet Training Near Me

I'm so grateful for Kathy! My (on leash) dog was badly attacked by a much larger, off leash dog in our neighborhood. Beyond her physical injuries, her confidence was totally shattered. Kathy was the perfect counterpart who could "read" her better than anyone I've seen. She gave us the tools, training and connections to help us help our pup regain her confidence and happiness around other dogs. Kathy is also incredibly generous with her time, holding awesome group sessions for her clients. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

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Kathy is an INCREDIBLE dog trainer! I'm forever indebted to Kathy for her work with my Pitbull mix Pumba which has changed my life. Pumba is a rescue from Mexico with a lot of trauma, and when I first adopted her, she had issues with reactivity around other dogs and was territorial with the other dog in the home, which led to multiple fights. As a first time dog owner, I did not know what to do, and I called Kathy asking her if I should send her back to the shelter in Mexico. Kathy convinced me to take a chance on Pumba and to work with her for 6 sessions to address her behavioral issues. In only 4 sessions, Pumba's reactivity and aggression towards other dogs was gone. It felt like magic. I am still in disbelief at how quickly Pumba turned around. Pumba is the sweetest, most loving, gentlest, and easiest dog to take care of now. I am an occupational therapist who works with at-risk teenagers, and Pumba is now a therapy dog who comforts these teens who are going through mental health crises. They all love her. I am endlessly thankful to Kathy for giving me the tools and skills to be able to keep my dog. She did more than train my dog - she taught me how to be a good leader. She taught me how to have my dog trust me by being calm, neutral, loving, and firm. Kathy imparted so much wisdom on me about dog behavior, dog psychology, and setting healthy boundaries. It's been over two years now, and I sometimes imagine the scary alternate reality of what would have happened if Kathy didn't come into my life. I'm so grateful she did, as she allowed me to have the most fulfilling relationship with the best dog ever. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Final session with Kathy! The reactivity with other dogs was gone! Pumba loves training with Kathy. - Pet Training Near Me

Kathy was awesome! She was very patient and helped me work through anxiety challenges with my dog.

Kathy, the owner and trainer, is wonderful with dogs. She is direct and clear in training and teaching me how to train my dog. She observes very closely my dog and me. She "talks dog" and she talks "human" She is kind and compassionate. I have worked with her one-to-one with my dog who became reactive on leash walks and I have worked with her in a group situation with about 12 dogs, a pack. She encourages you to do things you haven't done or mastered yet, and she's very forgiving both dog behavior and human behavior. My dog and I continue to make progress and benefit from Kathy's guidance. Another plus is that she doesn't encourage you to have another session when it's not needed. I love working with her and so does my dog. I saw improvement immediately after our first session. read more

Kathy is great! We were having issues with our two shepherds when they were off leash with other dogs. Kathy's training sessions taught us training techniques to get them under control In these situations. read more

Kathy is amazing. Can't say enough about her. I have two reactive, anxious dogs and in the three months I've been working with her, there's been a tremendous improvement in my babies. She's making me a much better dog owner/handler. She's very aware of my dogs' body language, and helps me to see it also so I can make them feel safer and less reactive. She also believes in working in their area of challenge so my anxious reactive dogs go on pack walks! They're around other dogs in a safe environment and we can show them they don't have to be afraid. She's just amazing and I have recommended her to people I know. read more

Kathy is absolutely terrific! We have a chihuahua who was a rescue. Our dog is very difficult and many people have not been willing to work with her because she has a history of biting and aggressive behavior with both people and other dogs . Kathy was recommended to us because of her reputation for being able to work with very difficult dogs- including pit bulls. We are so grateful to Kathy. She has been very kind yet clear in making sure we understood the behavioral principles we needed to help our dog. Kathy clearly loves dogs and wants what is best for them ( and their owners!). She helped us see how our dog was actually extremely anxious. I can't recommend Kathy and Cause and Effect highly enough. read more

Kathy Kear is simply the best dog trainer I've ever worked with. We came to her with a high intensity Belgian Malinois GSD who really needed some help calming down. Highly reactive, resistant to training and a terrible leash puller. And she was becoming aggressive with other dogs at the dog park. Yikes! Treat training had not worked and every time I went for a walk with her I had to basically run away from other dogs. It was genuinely scary. Cathy took us in hand and within the first hour had our dog completely under control. Then she taught me how to do it! And slowly this ship has turned around! Today our dog went off with a dog walker for the day, and she was amazed at what a perfect heel Zephyr had all afternoon long. Even on two pack walks! She didn't react once, didn't pull at all, and was perfectly well behaved the entire time. That's all the proof I needed. In fact, yesterday I ran into a friend in the park and she said she didn't recognize me because the dog was so well behaved Lol. Kathy has been endlessly patient with answering my questions, supporting me to get this right, and compassionately helping this dog, and us, get a grip. Whatever challenges you have with your dog, Kathy can absolutely help you get there. There is hope! And we are living proof. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Kathy has worked with myself and my 2 year pitbull since he was 7 months. Our first lessons really helped with leashing pulling on walks, and has since transitioned to helping with Kobe being reactive to other dogs. Thanks to Kathy, Kobe has been able to successfully go on pack walks and helped build his confidence around other pups. Her tips and guidance has helped us tremendously - would highly recommend! read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

My border collie is super reactive to moving objects with wheels - bicycles, motorcycles, scooters... you name it, which makes it very challenging to walk him during daylight. I took my dog to meet with Kathy for just one session. She provided me some useful tips and tools which work effectively in controlling his reactions. Now I no longer have to walk him before sunrise or after sunset... what a relief! I highly recommend Kathy! read more

Kathy has helped tremendously with my challenging giant English Mastiff. He has behavior issues with fear. In the time spent with Kathy, he has made great strides in overcoming fear and now participates in group classes (safely) and in a positive environment. Kathy has facilitated getting my boy to the vet in a pre-planned manner where I could not get him in the door before. I have learned so much and am a better parent for my boy as we have made adjustments together. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - My boy Whitaker. He is 183 pounds. - Pet Training Near Me

Working with Kathy has been a game changer. She taught us how to manage our young pitty- mix Luci inside and outside the home to help with her impulse control, reactivity and recall. She provided the tools and the training methods to help us gain confidence with calm greetings with friends and family, calm leash walking and taught my husband and I how to advocate for our dog at all times. Kathy's "balanced" training method includes mounds of praise and positive interaction combined with the tools to better communicate with your dog. We tried several other classes/programs with little success before meeting Kathy. She customizes training to your dog and family needs. She goes out of her way to make sure you and your pup understand what's being taught and is always available for follow up. I highly recommend Kathy Kear's Cause and Effect Dog Training for any size, age or breed. She is the best! read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

I did attend Kathy's class in Berkley and did learn from her class as well as learn her techniques for my dog. She is very good in explaining the process as well as the techniques applied. You can tell she's very verse and cares about the dogs as well as training the owners. I highly recommend Kathy's class for all dogs. I first contacted Kathy by reading her reviews and she would have been perfect for my German Shepard that needed to be trained on dog socialization but Kathy was not able to take me at that time due to she was in the process of moving. She did refer me to another trainer Shannon. I always been able to train my dogs but was not well versed on How I could get Luna to socialize with other dogs. Shannon first went over basics commands, explained reasons, techniques and answered all questions. At the end Luna did well and I still apply Shannon's techniques then got into to dog socialization part with her dogs and as of today Luna does well with other dogs and has been well trained. It doesn't end after Shannon leaves me the day of training. Shannon would send me articles or videos of ideas or techniques throughout the week for me to go over prior to the next lesson. Shannon been great and won't waste your time in getting your dogs trained no matter what their needs. I highly recommend Shannon for all your dog's training. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Luna - Pet Training Near Me

I feel fortunate and well-versed to talk about Kathy Kear's generous spirit and awesome training as someone who has been the recipient of both in the fostering/rescue community. I met Kathy initially when I fostered then adopted my boo, and have gone on pack walks with her through that rescue (Beyond Rescue). Then with 3 other fosters since then, she has shown up, dedicated to making life better and easier for all parties involved: dogs and humans. She has shared her wisdom and has helped me deal with some persnickety things that need fine-tuning with these shelter dogs (they're amazing!). And she's so attuned to the nuances each of the dogs presents that I always feel so much more confident and able to better address these dogs' needs. No matter the issue - - she's able to beeline toward a solution quickly and comprehensively -- honing in on exactly what needs to be done given the desired outcome. Kathy sets up success plans for each dog or dog group, that helps them become much more manageable and and happy which in turn alloows them to bloom and become even more attractive for potential adopters! And it's a godsend for us, the handlers. She's even able to assess what's going on with each of the dogs~and if the dynamic is good or worth working on - - or if they'd be bettr in a differenc scenario. I so appreciate her helping out the rescue community in this big-hearted way because it improves all of us, exponentially, across the board. She's a rockstar trainer and ally. read more

Kathy does fantastic work! For 14 years I failed to completely house break my little PooHuahua (chihuahua-toy poodle mix) Teddy. He was about 70% housebroken but I would regularly find pee and poo in hidden places in my house. It was really frustrating and ruined my carpet. Kathy had a no-nonsense and very straightforward approach. After just six weeks, Teddy is fully housebroken! Thank you Kathy! I never thought this day would come! read more

We have all heard of Cesar Millan, right? The Dog Whisperer, yeah, that guy. Well, I was always a skeptic. I mean, how much ends up on the cutting room floor? We never really know, right? Kathy is the REAL-LIFE DOG WHISPERER!!! Before training with Kathy, I thought that I would have to send my girl away to a full-time training boot camp! She is a German Shepherd with tons of energy! Her biggest thing is that she barked and pulled constantly whenever she would see another dog when we would walk her. It was a lot to handle as she is not a small dog. We tried everything we could think of with the help of the internet and training books. She is not our first dog, and I consider myself fairly decent at training overall, but there was nothing we could do to stop the unwanted behavior. In swoops Kathy and her Dog Whispering skills and she literally has my girl lying down watching other dogs playing in the park without barking or causing disturbance...all in ONE SESSION! I couldn't believe my own eyes!!! Kathy has given us the tools to feel confident and comfortable walking our girl anywhere. We plan to take the training to a whole new level once we are confident we have the basics down! THABK YOU, KATHY!!! read more

Kathy was a lifesaver for a first-time dog owner like myself. Having a resident cat already in my home - it made me very nervous about bringing a lovely pit bull dog home. She is a very sweet rescue dog - who seemed to be very eager to meet a cat who enjoys her quiet time. I wanted to be a good dog-mom and signed myself and my new rescue dog for group obedience classes which ended up being a huge mistake. My newly rescued dog was overstimulated and could not focus during the entire class. My arm was tired having to try to control her and also focused on what we were supposed to be learning. In desperation, after coming home from the first obedience group class - I found Kathy on Yelp and emailed her. She swooped in - assured me she could help - and with a few visits, had my pup under her spell. My dog learned very quickly not to react to the cat - and in a few short weeks, she has learned to not even step towards the cat when the cat is nearby. Kathy has also helped me connect to her community - her students who all love their dogs, and helped me find resources such as pack walkers and dog boarding options for when I go on vacation. What a relief it was to find Kathy on Yelp - her training methods are very balanced, and tailored specifically to your dog. My dog quickly learned what was acceptable behavior and what was not - and has thrived under Kathy's training methods. If you're overwhelmed and want training for you and your dog - just call Kathy. Thank you Kathy - your heart for dogs and rescue dogs - your help is such an important resource during this overwhelming time as a first-time dog mom. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - My newly rescued dog - separated from the cat by a baby gate - Pet Training Near Me

We contacted Kathy for help with our overly energetic, firecracker of a puppy. Kathy helped us with basic puppy fundamentals, getting Bootsy to learn to not pull on walks, as well as learning all of the basic commands. A few months later, we followed up for another series of sessions to get better about obedience, off leash walking, and introducing an e-collar. Kathy cares so much about every dog she works with, but also how comfortable us humans are with different training methods. She would always share what she would do as the dog owner, but would make space for us to share what we were comfortable or not with and work within those limits. Kathy is also so generous with her time. A few times, we had issues between training sessions and I would ask Kathy for advice. Each time, Kathy immediately was on the phone, sharing some strategies and ways to alleviate the issue. read more

Working with Kathy Kear has taught me so much about leadership and how to more effectively communicate with my dog in a way that he can better understand and respect me. The precision and proficiency she employs in helping dogs with behavioral and psychological issues, along with her intuitive approach and caring spirit toward people and dogs has been a real gift in my life. If I could clone her and place her in every city where I know of people who are struggling with their powerful, large breed dogs I certainly would. Kathy has helped me with four of my dogs over the last ten years. She's helped with minor fine tuning issues to major behavioral issues. She helped me to successfully rehabilitate my first rescue Great Dane who was insecure and aggressive on leash. She gave me the tools and showed me concrete steps to assist me in taking his triggers head on. We went directly into the triggering situations and through my training with Kathy; I was able to show my dog exactly how I wanted him to act in those situations. With a lot of hard work and dedication, he learned how to put himself in the most submissive, relaxed positions and eventually learned to surrender to me and trust me to take control in all situations. Furthermore, She helped with my most recent Great Dane who was beginning to show signs of slight territorial aggression near the home and office as he went through maturity. She showed me the importance of not allowing him to escalate when he was in those protective, heightened states. She also helped me introduce a new protocol when any person entered my home, from positioning to how and when he was able to greet my guests. I have most certainly gained a more confident, secure leadership style from working with Kathy. I appreciate that she is direct and invested in the success of the dog and owner. Be ready to change a lot of things in your environment and willing to do hard work. You will most likely have to look at how you are negatively contributing to the imbalance in your relationship with your dog. Working with Kathy has shown me how to be attuned and aware enough of my dog to know when imbalances are occurring and not to be afraid to give firm corrections for a negative behavior. The only negative aspect of working with Kathy is that she is very hard to get aN appointment with and can sometimes be booked out months in advance; which can be difficult when your dogs issues arise and you want to tackle the problem right away with the guidance of a trainer. I highly recommend Kathy! read more

Kathy is a gifted dog trainer. She took my aggressive female Boxer rescue and in a few sessions got her calmed down to be able to walk in a crowd, calmly watch passing dogs. My current dog is not aggressive but hyper excitable and overly friendly. Kathy reads all the temperaments and helps bring the behavior in line. She has probably helped me more than Ghost. Ghost is also transformed in that she is great on recall, can sit and stay in a crowd or group and is actually eager to learn. I recommend her highly. read more

We can't speak highly enough of Kathy! Our dog had a penchant for sudden lunges at any and all animals, which made it very challenging to walk her. Thanks to Kathy, our dog is now under control even at dog parks with multiple distractions. Highly recommended! read more

"Gifted" is what comes to mind when I think of Kathy Kear and Cause and Effect Dog Training. She's a natural with vast knowledge and experience in working with all kinds of dogs, drawing from clear communication, practicality and empathy. Kathy's generosity has allowed me to work with and foster many Animal Shelter dogs who otherwise would not have been adoptable and have gone in ti find great homes. read more

Kathy was absolutely incredible with our rescue dog. I found her on Yelp and was thrilled with her level of expertise and her total sweetness with our sensitive girl. Kathy checked in several times with us after our session to check on our progress and gave great recommendations by text. I even sent her a video of my dog doing the behavior we were trying to change and Kathy gave me feedback. Thank you Kathy! read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Our dog Clover - Pet Training Near Me

It's been more than three years since we completed our program with Kathy Kear and Cause & Effect. Our dog Leila continues to blossom and become more reliable, more comfortable with meeting new people, and is considered a balanced teacher and leader for other dogs in her twice weekly pack walks. All because we have continued to apply what we learned from Kathy. Kathy teaches the fundamentals of loving dog leadership and guidance, with specific approaches that are completely tailored to your dog - who she is, and what will be needed in order to build her confidence and set her on a path to greater socialization and clarity of her role. If you choose Kathy to be your trainer with a dog who has manifested anxiety or aggression...please understand. You have to be ready to grow, to develop personally, and to change what you're doing. Be open and be coachable. This is not a plug and play training system. You have a dog whose behavior does not fit into what we expect of dogs in our world. That means radical change is probably going to be part of what will help. Have faith. Give into that. And you will very likely have a result that will bring you to your knees with gratitude. You could save your dog's life, and you bring a whole different level of quality to your own life. read more

I chose to try Kathy after my dog bit my friend and I was prepared to " give up". Kathy was realistic and spent a lot of time just getting to know Murphy and what makes him tick. We spent a lot of time working on calming exercises and making me the leader. Kathy is patient, diligent and committed to helping. She was consistently responsive when I reached out at times outside our training sessions. She is highly qualified and a lovely person. Five stars for sure! read more

I was dealing with some pretty bad dog reactivity with my boy. After just over a year of only positive reinforcement, spending about 10,000 dollars on puppy school, group training classes, private training, even board and train, I watched my dog get worse and worse. I felt pretty hopeless, and the stress and anxiety was taking a toll on not only my mental health but my physical health as well (I lost 20 pounds over the course of 2 months because I just stopped eating). I talked to my sister's dog walker who recommended getting a prong collar. I was scared because all the positive reinforcement trainers I've worked with told me to avoid aversive tools at all costs. These are the same trainers I paid thousands of dollars to who ended up just telling me "it's his breed, there's nothing you can do." Or "medicate him." I considered the medication route, and I'm not against it, but I talked it over with my vet and they strongly encouraged me not to take that route. So, obviously I'll listen to the medical professionals over the trainers when it comes to medicine. Things were looking bleak, so I decided to go the prong collar route. I found Cause and Effect on Yelp and decided to reach out because I didn't want to use the prong collar without knowing what I was doing. Kathy was extremely friendly and understanding of my anxieties. She explained everything so well and showed me how to use the collar and what I need to be doing. She was always available when I had questions in between sessions and responded so quickly. We've made so much progress. We can actually walk around the dog park now without any serious freak outs. He's even able to greet dogs now! There is still a lot of work to do, but the amount of progress I've seen with my dog makes me truly appreciate Kathy and everything she's done for me. I am looking forward to working with her more! read more

We contacted Kathy after having our rescue giant schnauzer for several months. He had been through two homes before we adopted him and was returned to the breeder. We were told that he had been aggressive with other dogs. Observing him at the breeders did not reveal any aggression with other animals. Once we got him home and started working on obedience training he showed his true self. He was insecure and aggressive to smaller animals. We tried the normal positive rewards based training but it went nowhere. After he had attacked two dogs we were lucky to find Kathy. The name for her business is perfect, Cause and Effect. Newton described it as for every action there is an equal reaction. She taught us how to appropriately react to all of his actions. There were many treats given for positive actions and mild stimulation using an ecollar for unwanted actions. We used it at a level that got his attention that feels like a static electricity zap or just a buzz similar to a cell phone on vibrate. I tried both of these on my leg and was confident that he was not being hurt - simply trained. Within 4 weeks with Kathy once a week we were able to walk him around other dogs. It has been about 4 months with us continuing training without her help. He now looks up to me for guidance but still has a long way to go. I mostly use a prong collar only now which is totally humane. With the tools Kathy shared I'm totally confident he will become a secure member of our family. I know this is long winded but wanted to stress that a trainer who know how to work with aggression is rare. No wonder she has a long waiting list. read more

I approached Kathy desperate with my rescue pitbull, "Cari". she was extremely reactive, and I was about to give up on her. In 5 lessons, I learned how to control her impulses toward other dogs. so Kathy absolutely knows how to help. you must be open minded and not at all arrogant. because you need her, not the other way around. i also want to say, that Kathy truly cares about the dogs and people she helps and goes above and beyond the basics. I feel as though not only did I meet a talented trainer, I also met a friend. I would highly recommend Kathy Kear to anyone who is at the end of their rope like I was, with their problem dog. I can not stress enough how good age is at her job and how much she cares. Thank you Kathy. you have made a huge difference in our lives. read more

Although I rescued Sadie, it was Kathy who rescued me! After trying other trainers and classes, I was unable to handle my high energy, previously untrained - now 2 yrs. old - Shepherd/Husky pup. She was stubborn, reactive, and vocal, and tended to take me on the ride when leash walking. Kathy's no-nonsense, but obviously caring, approach has made all the difference in the world for Sadie and me, and life is so much more enjoyable! Our four intensive training sessions made it possible for us to now live HAPPILY together. read more

I worked with Kathy for some leash reactivity with my 1 year old heeler, Pete. Kathy was very easy to communicate with and made sure I was comfortable with her methodology prior to contracting any sessions. In just two sessions, I've seen a significant improvement in his leash reactivity! More importantly though, I now feel confident to use the tools and framework Kathy provided to make sure I can keep up with his progress. I won't hesitate to work with her again and would recommend her to any dog owner working through behavioral challenges. read more

Kathy is an amazing trainer. Our dog was starting to become very leash reactive, and could be a bully with other dogs at the park. We had worked with other trainers before, but our dog didn't seem to respond to the training and was getting worse. Kathy understands dogs extremely well and is a pleasure to work with. I wish we had reached out to her at the first signs of our dog's reactivity, but we were able to address so much of her behavior after only a few sessions with Kathy. Training is still ongoing work, but I can't say what a relief it is to be able to train my dog in a way that she understands and responds to. Kathy is understandably very busy so I would recommend reaching out to her as soon as you think you may want or need training. I feel lucky that we were able to work with her! read more