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

An update to the underserved 1 star rating earlier. Kathy reached out to me and apologized for missing my message. (Sometimes these things just happen) But I'm really grateful to Kathy for giving me a free phone consultation and a lot of detailed useful advise for my newly adopted dog for separation anxiety. I believe she spent a good 45 minutes talking to me on the phone and giving me advise on some of the things I can implement at home. Kathy was very knowledgeable, professional, friendly, and approachable. She gave me some great tips and I am in the process of implementing them into my dog's routine. I will give another update/edit this review a little later on after I have seen changes in my dog's behavior. Although, Kathy is not accepting new clients at the moment. I would definitely recommend her services for your dog. Whether it's to ask for some advise or maybe setting up something for the future. If your message happens to slip through her fingers, I wouldn't hesitated to give her another call! I got the sense that Kathy is a very hard-working honest person that doesn't just ignore your calls if she doesn't want your business. Overall: I would give Kathy a email or call first to see if she's available for your doggy needs! 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

I really cannot speak highly enough of Cause & Effect. Kathy, Shannon, and Eleanor are absolutely fantastic with their patience, guidance, and leadership. They are always response and helpful with any question or concern. I found my little Larry in the road and after a short while realized he had a number of socialization and aggressive behaviour issues. I tried some standard training classes and was told to just keep him away from other people and dogs. I didn't think this was an appropriate solution and reached out to Cause & Effect after finding them on Yelp and reading some their reviews. Their program is not just about training your dog but also educating you as the pack leader on what you need to do in order to help your dog succeed. It takes work and dedication but is worth every second you put into it and you have support every step of the way. As no dog is the same and each of their issues/needs are different, the team tailors the program to meet the needs of your dog and you. Although we still have some work to do, every day I see progress. I really could never have imagined Larry would come this far and am gratefull to Cause & Effect for all the tools and guidance they have provided. After completing the training program I'm now able to take Larry to dog parks, on pack walks and have people over to my house. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Larry in a down stay on a pack walk. - Pet Training Near Me

Kathy is intuitive, empathic and extremely supportive. She helped me through an incredibly difficult situation with my aggressive dog and I am so grateful I was referred to her. I cannot speak highly enough of the level of care and help she provided. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for dog training and behavior management. She truly cares about the wellness and success of both her human and canine clients. I definitely will contact her with any additional dog needs or training and have already verbally recommended her to friends. read more

tldr: She is truly an angel who has supported us in every aspect and we are so thankful for her. Her wealth of knowledge and experience is truly invaluable which makes her an amazing trainer/ human being. I cannot recommend her enough!! The long version: If I could give Kathy a million stars I would. I cannot even begin to describe how grateful (and lucky) we were to find someone like Kathy who supported us through some of the most difficult moments in in our lives and now, through some of the most amazing times with dogs. I had found Kathy via yelp because we had just adopted a pit bull/lab mix who, unbeknownst to us and the shelter at the time of adoption, had pretty severe food/treat and leash/dog aggression issues. He had bitten my partner and I several times and wanted to attack every dog that walked down the street. As first time dog owners, the stress and anxiety was SO unbearable at that time that we decided to call on Kathy to help us. Kathy came to our house to do a brief assessment and within those 20 minutes, we can see his behavior shift in regards to food and to barking at other dogs on the street. Ultimately, despite his other redeeming qualities, we had to make the heartbreaking decision that we could not keep a dog with such aggression issues because we plan on having children in the next few years- since there is never a guarantee he would never bite us again. Before the yelp community decides to tear us a new one for choosing the make the unpopular decision, we ended up sponsoring his adoption and pre-paying for pitbull training classes in hopes that a family without young children would find him- he ended up being adopted the next week! During this time, Kathy went above and beyond to support us in this heartbreaking decision, always being available via text or email and never judging us or accusing us for being inexperienced dog adopters. Eventually, when we were ready to open our hearts up again to another dog, we called on Kathy again to provide us with the emotional and professional support to find us the perfect dog. We never EVER wanted to go through such a heart breaking situation again. We knew there was only one person we trusted to help us and that was Kathy. Kathy helped us interview and search for the perfect dog for our family while being conscientious of our emotional baggage left from our previous dog. After what felt like an exhaustive search, Kathy was able to connect us to Family Dog Rescue where we found and adopted the newest member of our family. He is perfect for our family in every way thanks to Kathy's dedication to her clients and experience in assessing dog behavior. We are now continuing to work with Kathy on basic training and recall with our new pup and he has made tremendous improvement (but it was also mostly about training the dog parents, who am I kidding?). We are so eternally grateful to Kathy and all she has done to support us. read more

The difference Kathy has made with our dogs, especially our reactive pup, is incredible. She's an excellent and effective trainer, easy to work with, and we are so happy to have been referred to her when we were struggling with training. Communication is very easy, she worked with our schedule, and she helped us feel confident and calm when we were learning. Training never ends, but the skills we learned with Cause and Effect were so worth it. read more

Kathy is great! She caters her training to your dogs needs. We are so grateful for the tools she gave us and so is our boy, Frank!

Sounds crazy to say, but Kathy really helped me out with as little as one call and one 1:1 session - no, seriously! My 2 year old shiba boy has always been nervous in public, never really had the confidence to be himself outside of the house and even nervous inside. I scheduled some time to explain the situation to Kathy and she was really receptive and eager to help us out. When it came time for our session, she knew what to ask in order to make our session effective while being incredibly patient with me and my nervous dog. What once started as a session with my dog screaming at Kathy, ended in him hanging around her more than me and finally enjoying himself around unfamiliar circumstances/people. Even after the first interactions with Kathy, I feel ready to help my dog with her help. I'm really looking forward to seeing how he grows over the next few weeks and how he can really become his best self with Kathy's help down the line. She is 10000000% worth with! Thank you so much, Kathy! read more

I am so excited to write this review! I know when I was frantically looking for a dog trainer I read through tons of Kathy's reviews, and they gave me hope. My Westie worked with treat positive reinforcement trainers for about 2 years and it helped for the most part. Then when he turned 6 my husband and I had a baby. I had done quite a bit of training with my dog leading up to the birth of my baby so I felt pretty confident that he would have a decent transition. The first two months after the baby's birth were fine. But then my husband had to go back to work and life got hectic. Some of his previous annoying behaviors got worse. He began attacking the tv more than usual when it was on, lunging at other dogs walking by, barking at every dog, bark aggressively at loud trucks, and make walks an overall nightmare. I knew he needed training and socialization. I was becoming reactive to everything trying to make sure nothing set him off especially when the baby was around. I was nervous around him all of the time! It was so bad one of my family members suggested giving him up for adoption. That is when I contacted Kathy. She responded to me right away and gave me some info that made me feel confident that my dog could be helped. I cannot explain how relieved I was after speaking with her. I was very worried about using a prong collar. She gave me some reading materials and reassured me that we would use it in an effective way that would help the quality of his life. After working with her twice, I can now easily take my dog out for a walk with no issues! It has been two months since our first training session and he is still behaving just as well. I love the confidence I feel when taking him out. I am no longer so nervous around him and it is a major relief. I can have the TV on without him barking on lunging at it... I never thought this would be possible! He now goes on pack-walks with the walker she suggested named Shannon (who is awesome as well!). Thank you Kathy for saving my relationship with my dog! read more

I started working with Kathy just recently within the last month for work with my dog on leash reactivity and resource guarding. I have had two sessions and the results have been amazing. I'm no longer afraid to walk my two dogs together in fear of my difficult dog having a meltdown and antagonizing her sister. She also no longer lunges at either her obvious and surprise triggers when leash walking around the neighborhood. Kathy is comfortably instructive and wonderful to work with. We will be continuing training next month with an e-collar which I anticipate will allow myself and my dogs to enjoy positive experiences in our future trips to parks and open spaces. read more

Cause and Effect training has truly changed my day to day life and I genuinely could not be more grateful to have found Kathy during my search for the right trainer. I am a strong pit bull advocate and when I adopted my young pit mix, I knew I wanted someone who had lots of experience with the breed. My dog Dexter is a very sweet, goofy guy with way over the top energy. In addition to his over excited personality, he is 80 pounds and very strong. Before meeting Kathy, he had no understanding of boundaries, especially with other dogs. His over-excitement mixed with his size and play style would often quickly overwhelm others. If he was off leash and saw another dog, he would take off, and almost immediately tackle the other dog, basically forcing them to play wrestle with him. He was extremely pushy and did not take no for an answer. If I tried to stop him, he would completely blow me off and I felt I had no control over him in off leash situations. Although he loved other dogs more than anything, I ultimately had to stop allowing him to interact with them because I felt so out of control. Kathy immediately helped me understand what my dog needed from me all along, a strong, fair and consistent leader. By the end of our program I felt confident that he would drop what he was doing and come when called, even in a location like Point Isabel with dogs running by us in every direction. I felt confident that I could stop his play when I wanted, if it started to get too escalated or if the other dog started to feel overwhelmed by it. I feel so relieved that he can enjoy the freedom of being off leash while I enjoy feeling in control of my giant boy. He now gets to play and socialize with other dogs as much as he wants because I trust his choices. We worked very hard throughout the program and after the program to get to this point and there is no question that you must be dedicated to see results. Kathy helped change the dynamic between Dexter and I and my bond with him has never been stronger. Kathy is not only an amazing, dedicated trainer, but she is a wonderful person. I truly enjoyed each training session, as did Dexter. If you are ready and willing to put in work, there is no one more capable than Kathy. read more

Kathy is a miracle worker. Our dog had reactivity to certain dogs and within a few sessions of working with Kathy, it was completely gone. She is thorough and provides just as much training for the owner as the dog (which we needed). Other trainers may be cheaper but you get what you pay for. Thanks to her we have a relaxed, social dog we can feel good about taking out and about. Can't recommend enough! read more

Hiring Kathy was the best decision my fiancé and I made this year. Last December we adopted our dog, who while being incredibly wonderful, struggled with leash reactivity and recall. We used positive reinforcement training ourselves, but she was just getting worse. At the end of the summer her leash pulling was so extreme she pulled my fiance down on a walk, was impossible to catch in the back yard and could not be trusted off leash on a hike. We knew we had to do something. After three sessions with Kathy, we have a different dog. Our dog will come bounding up to us when we call her, even in the middle of wrestling at the Marina. We can now confidently walk her past other dogs who in the past she would have lunged towards. Like others have mentioned, I was nervous about using the prong collar and e collar. I'm not anymore. Our dog needs to know when she's doing something that is unsafe for her or for us. And these two tools help us communicate that in real time. We don't use the e collar to punish our dog, we use it to remind her to refocus on us, and what we need her to do. Kathy felt expensive, but the improvement in our quality of life has made it 100% worth it. Before we weren't going hiking, one of our favorite activities, because we felt bad leaving our dog behind. We just couldn't trust her off leash. Now our dog gets to run for miles in the hills while we take our favorite hikes. Before, during the week, our dog had to get exercise in the tiny dog parks around Emeryville. Now she gets to run at full speed at the Berkeley Marina. read more

We brought our German Shepard/Pit mix 1 year old pup to Kathy because he had become extremely leash reactive and we wanted to put an end to that. During our sessions with Kathy she taught us how to handle him properly and it has made all the difference. His reactive behavior around people is like night and day. We love the group sessions and appreciate all the care and effort she puts into him. The group sessions make us feel like we aren't alone in our experiences with our pup and have given us the confidence we needed to continue talking him out on our own. We would definitely recommend Kathy to anyone looking to make a significant change in their dog's behavior. read more

Kathy is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! We had watched videos and referred to training materials provided from our breeder... our 120 lb puppy at the time was pulling, lunging, jumping, going nuts whenever he saw another dog or another person in his territory. I thought that we would not be able to keep our dog b/c it was a liability if I could not control him. Kathy was great! Kathy taught both myself and my dog how to communicate with each other with the right tools. I cannot say enough good things about her services... She is worth the wait! read more

Cause and Effect has been an absolute life changer for our family. Kathy Kear is an incredible dog trainer that really assesses the individual needs of each dog she works with. We tried a number of positive reinforcement techniques recommended by vets and other trainers but nothing seemed to be working. Penny's aggression just wasn't subsiding, even getting worse, and we were at a loss of what to do. In comes Kathy to the rescue! Before meeting Kathy we were a little hesitant about using certain tools like the prong or e-collar as part of training because we didn't really understand how they worked. Kathy showed us how to use these tools effectively with Penny while still incorporating positive reinforcement to encourage wanted behavior. Her well rounded approach was so different from the "all or nothing" type of training we were so used to hearing. She is no cookie cutter trainer. When you watch Kathy work with your dog you really see her getting into the dog's mind and figuring out what methods work best for certain situations. She does a great job of walking you through the process so that you'll be able to handle your dog the same way, because at the end of the day you have to be able to show your dog good, consistent leadership. Anyone who's looking for a quick fix isn't taking their dog's well being seriously. It's definitely a process and a commitment but I promise you it is so worth it. We started the program around June 2017 and finished our last session end of August 2017. The difference we see in her behavior towards other dogs and her relationship to us is night and day. Penny's obedience and attention to us as leaders has improved ten-fold since we started the program and the best part is that she's actually enjoying it! She never looks to us with fear when we bring out the prong or e-collar. She gets excited to be out with us and looks to us for guidance when a situation arises that she seems to question, whereas before she would just completely ignore us and unleash her aggression. We cannot say enough about how amazing Kathy and the Cause and Effect program have been to us. These are lessons that we can take with us forever and apply to any new dog that comes into our lives. We will always be grateful. read more

The reason that Kathy is the best trainer? Because she genuinely cares. Even after we moved to Seattle, she has kept in touch to check how our pup is doing. Her level of care and commitment, as well as her expertise, is truly remarkable. In Seattle, all the trainers we've contacted say they are too busy to take on new clients, which reminded me of the times that I contacted Kathy, frantically worried about our pup, and she would somehow manage to find time for us in her busy schedule, always calling us and giving suggestions, squeezing us in for a short session. Needless to say that she goes above and beyond. During a time when we felt very alone caring for our pup, Kathy was there, and that has meant the world to us. I'll forever be grateful to her. The longer story: A year ago, we found Lucy, our shepherd mix, while on a walk with our other dog. We later found out that her previous family didn't want her anymore. Because Lucy had been kept in a backyard all her life, she was afraid of the world. We first worked with Kathy to get her more comfortable with the outside and walking on a leash. Kathy observed us in our home, as well as in different environments to test Lucy's limits. She introduced us to the long leash, which we still use to this day. With her help, Lucy quickly came around and learned to enjoy walks and places like Point Isabel. Months of peace passed. Then one day Lucy was somehow triggered and became much more anxious and fearful than she'd ever been. She would even be too fearful to urinate. We contacted Kathy again, but by then we were scheduled to move to Seattle in a month's time. Still, within that month, Kathy made time to see us, calling us and checking on us. She helped us evaluate the situation and its severity, and together we decided that medication might be a good option at this point. Lucy has since been diagnosed with generalized anxiety by a vet behaviorist at the SPCA and has been on two different types of anti-anxiety medication, which has helped her come out of her shell somewhat. It'll still be a long journey for Lucy, and sometimes it's painful to watch her so afraid. But I know that in these moments, I can always reach out to Kathy for help, guidance, and moral support. She really is a one of a kind, and we feel so lucky to have met her. Thank you, Kathy! read more

Hello confidence! Kathy helped give us the tools and knowledge to be better leaders, giving us and our dog confidence to handle the world. We adopted our dog, his history essentially unknown, who was reactive toward anyone coming into our home and us going to theirs. After nearly a year of YouTube watching, article reading, avoiding people, and no improvement, we reached out to Kathy for help from a friend's referral. We started with building on our foundation of basic commands, then moved on to building a protocol to receive and visit people; our once uncertain, sensitive, reactive dog is much more calm and tolerant now of family and friends in home. He's a major Kathy-fan! Kathy is beyond thoughtful and evaluates every dog and situation to determine the best approach. Class after class, she's constantly analyzing. It was a process for us to learn to go with our gut / education / toolbelt from Kathy, because there is no absolute "right" way every time. It's constant practice and calibration. We are so much more confident in our abilities to handle any situation together with our dog, and he is much more at ease. Thank you Kathy!! read more

Working with Kathy through Cause & Effect has completely changed my relationship with my dog. She has helped us move from frustration and anxiety to growth and confidence. I have a giant breed, working dog with issues many trainers prefer to avoid but Kathy takes cases like ours head on and has helped so many dogs and their humans because of this. Kathy works with thoughtful, balanced training methods, which is exactly what my dog and I needed to grow and learn together. My gigantic, powerful dog now waits at the door before his walks, which I am able to truly ENJOY because he walks respectfully on lead and is getting even better at this every day. Kathy is a fabulous trainer with an intuitive understanding of dogs and a willingness to work with even the most difficult ones! read more

Kathy Kear is a wonderfully gifted and compassionate dog trainer. I've known Kathy for many years now and have been able to observe how she has helped countless dogs overcome behavioral issues and go on to live happy, contented lives with their owners. My dog Moose may he RIP adored her! read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

I use Cause & Effect for both training and for their off leash dog walking and have been for years. I have a pit bull mix and a Boston Terrier. The Boston is the one in training with Kathy Kear and Beth who are amazing. We started training when she was about 8 months old and I finally have the kind of relationship with my dog that I have always wanted. Cause & Effect is well known for their work with "problem" cases and training around aggressiveness or other issues but I have heard little of their work with training puppies into great dogs. I am here to tell you that they are fantastic! My little girl is astonishing and I have grown so much in the process. Both Kathy ad Beth are centered, present, intuitive, compassionate and committed. I've read the attacks on some of the methods that Kathy uses. I think it is hysterical. When I am at the dog park and there is someone who has gone through intense positive reinforcement training who is calling their dog's name to come- repeatedly with no response..... meanwhile I say, "Lulu" one time and she is at my side. Why? I corrected her a couple of times during training and it was strong enough for her to understand and respond. Better to correct a few times than have to nag your dog forever. And the truth is, my dogs are secure and happy, not neurotic like I often see with other dogs. I've established leadership and as a result I can take them anywhere and do anything without a hassle. Both my dogs also go on the pack walks twice a week and love it. I feel so good about it because I know they have a great time and I know that Kathy will keep them safe. I trust her explicitly and have been working with her for over five years now. If you have a puppy or just adopted a dog and you want to establish a great relationship with your companion or you have a dog that has issues you want to work on then Cause & Effect is perfect. Be prepared to learn about how your behavior has an impact ad get ready for positive change! read more

It's been nine months since our initial meeting with Kathy & Shannon and it's remarkable how much our lives have changed! At our first meeting, our then three-year old bulldog was exhibiting significant aggression towards other dogs, and I was simultaneously overwhelmed and terrified. Walks were my worst nightmare, and I'd do anything necessary to avoid seeing another dog while we were out and about. After an especially challenging weekend, we decided to look for trainers once again. At this point, we'd already tried a number of trainers and programs without success and was skeptical that anything would "work". THANK GOODNESS I WAS WRONG. Our initial meeting with Kathy & Shannon was a bit of a wake up call. We were going to need to make changes, and they needed to be effective immediately. The first two weeks created a huge shift in the ways in which I responded to my dog (and him to me) and it was during this time that I began to see some change. We continued on over a few months - working with Kathy, Eleanor and Shannon - and have seen such remarkable change in ourselves and our pup. We are now free to enjoy dog parks, our dog responds to our commands, and we feel that we get to experience the very best parts of being a dog owner. I'm no longer overcome with fear when we go on walks, and I even occasionally get to be the very proud dog owner whose dog listens impeccably well! We are so grateful to the Cause & Effect team for coaching us to be better dog owners and for creating an environment for our dog to life a happy, full life! read more

We highly recommend Cause and Effect for training you and your dog. Writing this review on Thanksgiving Day is appropriate, as I cannot think of anything else I am more thankful for this year, than the transformation of our dog, Roxy. This was not a magical transformation...it can be attributed to i) Our hard work and dedication, and ii) Cause and Effect's training program. Roxy is a 35lb terrier mix that we rescued when she was 2mo old, supposedly from a dog-hoarding situation. She was the sweetest, most loving and socialized puppy you could imagine. Loved people and played with every dog she encountered, was never aggressive. We were good parents: took her to puppy pre-K and obedience school, and she even passed the Canine Good Citizenship Exam. When she was almost 1 yr old, she got into a small tiff with another dog at a boarding farm while we were traveling. When we came back and then moved to Berkeley, the first time we took her to Willard Park, she bit a small dog, drawing blood, and required stitches. New to the area, but proficient at Yelp, I perused our options. The first thing that appealed to me about Cause and Effect, besides their awesome reviews, was their proclamation (on their website I think) that you should stop asking "why" your dog is aggressive and move forward toward changing it. This shocked me out of the self-blame and self-pity that were emotional roadblocks to getting started with training. When Kathy, Shannon, and Eleanor all showed up at our apartment in person for our orientation session, I just had a good feeling about the whole thing. All three of them intently studied Roxy for an hour without any guarantee we would move forward with the program. From the very first time you meet them, there is no doubting their passion for not only dogs, but their profession. As you proceed with the program (we had 12 sessions over 4 - 5 months), you realize that the trainers are really training you, more so than your dog, and that they are quite masterful at dealing with humans and their difficulties in learning and executing the techniques. They make sure you are comfortable with the techniques and watch you perform them over and over. I am on the shy side, but around Kathy and Shannon, I felt quite comfortable asking any question or requesting a repetition of something for the umpteenth time. The sessions are organized so that they build on one another, so you are continually having to recall techniques from previous sessions...as a teacher myself, I appreciate this....repetition is the key to long-term memory and learning. They supplement the in-person sessions with written notes, which are surprising well-written and useful for reviewing the material on your own. A little over a year after starting training, Roxy is a different dog. She is not perfect...we have to watch her around dogs, but the difference is so remarkable that even other dog owners ask us what we did to change her behavior. Be forewarned, to be successful in this program, you will likely have to confront your own instincts and emotions about dog ownership. We no longer cuddle with our dog in bed and are sensitive to giving Roxy too much affection. However, the trainers are very sensitive to this and guide you every step of the way. read more

Can I give 10 stars? Me and my dog were heading down nowhere fast. She had an unstable temperament, and although loving and gentle most of the time, she just couldn't be trusted 100%, especially with kids and men. Her being a pit bull, I was faced with only two options: find a trainer that can truly help me (I did spend $1000 on someone completely useless), or euthanasia. Thankfully my friend (Thank you Joyce!) referred me to Kathy. Kathy helped me to stay in the present with my dog, and turn every situation into opportunity to train. She taught me to be a leader and a guide to my dog. What also made me admire her even more is that she understands that there is no cookie cutter approach to every dog, and you need to work with the dog, not against him. She uses praise and correction method, which is extremely effective and in no way abusive for the animal. It has been almost two years since the training. In that time my dog earned her CGC (Canine Good Citizen), and passed TT (American Temperament Test) with flying colors. Currently she competes in Dock Diving and trains in FlyBall and Competition Obedience. None of which would have happened if it wasn't for a Kathy and Cause and Effect dog training. Trust me, it is a best feeling in the world: being able to take your dog ANYWHERE (duck pond and skateboard park including), and have him behave like a perfect little angel. read more

My pit Blue was a mess before Kathy. Extremely protective, he would attack other dogs, had nipped at our former landlord, as well as a friend of ours. He was a ticking time bomb. We had tried EVERY kind of training before we met Kathy, and nothing worked! Kathy gave us the confidence and tools to work with Blue and really change his behavior and state of mind. Contact Kathy immediately if your dog has aggression or fear aggression issues. You will only regret not calling her sooner. read more

Kathy is amazing! We had our little husky George for about 1.5 years before we started working with Kathy. Over that time we struggled with ways to support George through his anxiety of new places, his general fear of other dogs, and some of his obedience issues. We decided to contact Kathy for help, and we are so glad that we did. Through a series of 1:1 lessons and some group pack walks, we learned so much about George and how to be better leaders. At the end of the day, Kathy's balanced training program was all about helping George be a more confident and comfortable dog. She helped us incorporate the e-collar into his training regimen, which has been a serious god-send in recall (a high order for an independent husky), and allowed us to do off leash work (and play) with him. The pack walks were also amazing. You can not imagine the sense of awe it is to see 20 dogs, many of whom have dealt with serious aggression and fear issues, co-existing in the same space. Whether you are looking for support with aggression, fear, separation anxiety, or general obedience, Kathy is the person for you. read more

Biscuit, my rottie/dobie mix, and I just completed a four session package with Kathy and I can't tell you how different things are now from when we started. Two years ago I was working as a dog walker/sitter and contemplating a career in dog training. My rottie, Garth, and I spent most of our time at the dog park and I had an active social life there. I took classes in positive reinforcement training, and we had to sign an agreement not to use tools like prong collars or e-collars. At the time I never thought I would use them. Then came Biscuit. I adopted her at about a year old and we immediately began training on our own and in group classes. I was still walking dogs and often went to dog parks until it became clear that Biscuit was having some aggression issues. She loves to play and was good with 90% of dogs but would escalate issues and sometimes start fights for what seemed like no reason at all. I hated to isolate her but just couldn't trust her. I began contacting private trainers to help me deal with it. Four positive reinforcement trainers and almost 2 years later things were no different. I had stopped dog walking and pet sitting because I couldn't trust Biscuit and was exhausted just keeping her exercised. I was miserable and felt like a failure. I contemplated rehoming her on a daily basis. I must have spoken to 10 positive reinforcement trainers who all told me Biscuit would never be able to handle a dog park. I decided my options at this point were to try other training methods or rehome Biscuit. That's when we called Kathy at the recommendation of a dog park friend who was also dealing with aggression issues. I'm so glad we did! Before Kathy my anxiety was through the roof any time we encountered another dog. I wanted to let Biscuit play but was never sure if she'd be ok. She tolerated a muzzle but it stopped her from engaging and she just seemed depressed. Since we started working with Kathy Biscuit is a different dog! She wants to avoid situations that will get her in trouble. We have been near a couple of fights at the park and she just runs over to me and lies down, not wanting to be involved. We will have to continue to work hard for these results but now I feel like I have the tools to communicate effectively with Biscuit. Positive reinforcement training can be great for some things but it just wasn't enough for Biscuit. Now we can enjoy a full life and be around other dogs! read more

If you've come across this Yelp page, I believe your search for a dog trainer can end here. Kathy Kear and Shannon Davidson (the trainers I've worked with thus far in the program) are not only dedicated but they are INCREDIBLE at what they do. And they've created a training program that's an absolute winner. I can say this with confidence because my dog has had an amazing transformation in just weeks. Shannon has really helped me see Kayo's great potential and look at her from a different perspective. Just focusing on all the great things about her has made a huge difference for both of us. Kayo was a toughie. She's got 100 times more energy than me and is a working dog. With that comes a heck of a lot of anxiety that I didn't know how to deal with. It manifested as aggression and an inability to cope with the urban environment. I was frustrated at not knowing what to do and scared to take her into many situations. We spent a lot of money and time with private trainers, classes, two board-and-train programs, doctors looking for medical reasons for her anxiety, etc. Trainers even told me I should put her on doggie Prozac! You name it, we tried it (except doggie Prozac), but nothing provided long-term change - either they didn't address all of Kayo's (or my) issues or the trainers did great with Kayo but not enough to transfer all of what they did with Kayo to me so that I could keep it going (this is a big challenge with board-and-train programs). Then we found Cause and Effect and life changed...honestly. The program that Kayo and I are signed up for with Cause and Effect is not only brilliant but it's significantly cheaper than board-and-train programs that we've done. The trainers work side by side with you, monitor your progress, challenge you and your dog in all the right ways and it works! They are, in a word, amazing! So not only has Kayo changed unbelievably in just weeks but because I was involved in it, I've changed along with her and I know what it took to get there. Working side by side with a trainer, watching your dog transform, seeing their potential and yours can help you build great confidence. At the end of the day, my lack of confidence handling her was a big contributor to Kayo's issues. Every time we've met with Shannon, I could actually feel myself becoming more confident. Last weekend, we met Shannon at Point Isabel and were literally surrounded by dozens of dogs - unimaginable just weeks ago. And Kayo was not aggressive even once. This past Saturday, Kathy offered a class for peopled signed up for the program and again Kayo did amazingly. We're only halfway through the program but I already feel a sense of freedom with Kayo - that we can go more places, be around more people and dogs and enjoy our time outdoors in many situations. We love Shannon so much that Kayo's signed up with her for regular pack walks and we do some daycare as well. I'll do a follow up review at the end of the program but I'm sure it'll be much of the same as what I've written here...so I'll try to make it shorter! ;0) read more

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This review is for Mahogany and Beth! We adopted an adult Pit and had immediate difficulty integrating her into our household with our existing Aussie mix. After a biting/snapping incident between the two dogs, we were referred to Cause and Effect by a co-worker of mine who is also a client. We started with Mahogany, and then finished up with Beth. Over the course of just about 6 months, we went from having one super anxious Aussie (a stage 5 clinger) and one Pit who scared us and made us very nervous (since we were clueless about reading her and training her) to having two super well adjusted friendly dogs! We did basic training sessions with both dogs and then worked on anxiety, social situations (dog-dog) and confidence building for the dogs. Lo and behold - The dogs are now 99% less freaky/crazy/scary and 100% awesome. I have recommended these folks to many, and will continue to do so. It wasn't super cheap, it wasn't super awesome to spend most of my (infrequent) weekend days off doing dog training sessions over what felt like an eternity, and sometimes it was a drag... HOWEVER, I'm forever glad we did it, and I'd do it again if we got a new dog or encountered new issues. If you have dog problems - HIRE THESE PEOPLE, DO WHAT THEY SAY... and be SO HAPPY you have GOOD dogs. :) read more

Kathy Kear is awesome. She really "gets" dogs in a way that is easily observable. Seriously, she should be called the dog whisperer and not that other dude who has a TV show. Our dog is wonderful, and has always had a very sweet temperament. However, she's young, willful, and energetic. My boyfriend and I were having a difficult time training her not to pull on the leash, not to jump up on guests, to always come when we called, etc. We did a Sirius puppy course with her that wasn't very helpful. She learned how to sit, but our instructor was easily exasperated by her exuberant ways. Next we tried a private trainer who was even worse: super food-focused and also got impatient with our dog pretty quickly. Kathy was nothing like that. She took the time to get to know our dog, and helped guide us to guide her. Kathy impressed upon us that we're training ourselves as much as we're training out dog, and gave us important tools to improve our relationship. It's a process, but with Kathy we've built a solid foundation. Five stars and recommended! read more

My husband and I contacted Kathy two years after we adopted our dog Pepper. She was a rescue and we were aware she had separation anxiety but we were not aware of her other issues. She is reactive to dogs, has attacked our cats multiple times and can never be left alone. After only 6 weeks of working with training we have seen an amazing transformation in our dog. She is fine walking by other dogs in the park, we have been able to leave her for two hours alone at home and we have a strategy on how to introduce our cats and dog again. The change has been amazing and for the first time in two years we feel like we have a path toward reclaiming our lives! The training she does isn't just about the dogs as she has to train us on now to set limits with our dog and to provide pepper with the supper she needed to lessen her anxiety. I cannot say enough about our experience with Kathy. She has been phenomenal! read more

Kathy is the absolute best - I cannot recommend her enough for all the reasons stated in the reviews below. She has transformed our approach to working with our rescue pup, and I am so grateful for the impact she has had!! We've worked on recall, basic commands, noise phobia, fear of new people, and off-leash training. Adore Kathy and her training approach!! read more

I am writing this for all the people who have a seriously reactive dog, that is a terror to walk on leash, and that you wouldn't even consider taking off leash for fear of the potential harm they could do to other animals. If your world with your dog has become very small, and your quality of life together meager - I want to tell you don't give up -- THERE IS HOPE! We adopted our 7-year-old Aussie, only to discover his extreme reactivity towards other dogs, which was very firmly entrenched. Fast forward one year after adoption - we had diligently participated in no less than 5 different courses geared toward reactive dogs and had gone through several personal 1:1 dog trainers using only positive reinforcement methods, yet our dog Shiloh was just as reactive as ever towards dogs. We couldn't drive anywhere without an internal uproar upon dog sightings. Worse - he now went after flying geese like a maniac (deaf to our frantic calls as he almost went into oncoming traffic), chased leaves rustling in the wind, and even barked uncontrollably at airplanes flying overhead. We were afraid to go outside with him - his life and our lives were miserable. I must admit, we were extremely wary of using anything other than positive reinforcement methods, yet we could see with our own eyes that it hadn't worked. On the other hand, we simply couldn't stomach the militaristic use of force and fear tactics that other trainers recommended in order to have a sense of control over our dog's behavior. Then we met Kathy, and our whole experience has been nothing short of miraculous and life-changing. She understood our dog immediately and knew exactly how to help him and us. Within the first 15 mins, he was already walking with two other dogs - it blew us away. Over time, she taught us how to humanely use the prong and e collar which have been irreplaceable tools. But what we admire most about Kathy is how fair and balanced her training is - (she uses rewards: praise, food treats, toys, etc. along with correction techniques) and dogs LOVE her because she translates what she expects from them into language that they really understand. She sets them up for success so that they build confidence in themselves, and the bond they have with their caregivers. And she makes training FUN - they genuinely look forward to it. After each session, we make so much progress and keep building on our past lessons, experiences and milestones. It isn't magic - you must put in the work in order to see the results - it WILL take time, patience, consistency and commitment. But having done so, our dog is now a much calmer, less anxious and happier dog, whose whole mentality has changed. He can socialize with other dogs now! We go on quiet car rides, neighborhood walks, hikes, and we even regularly go to dog mecca, Point Isabel, no longer having to worry that there's going to be an outburst or an attack - on leash or off. Kathy's skill and gift as a dog trainer is undeniable - but she is also a real pro with her clients - evident that she truly cares about your well-being in addition to your dog's. She works with your schedule and at your pace, giving plenty of time during each lesson to ensure that you are in your comfort zone. We are so happy with the progress we have made - and have so much gratitude for Kathy's holistic and effective approach! Enlisting her help was one of the best decisions we've ever made - thanks to her, we and our dogs are living a much better life! read more

When I moved Tilly to the Bay Area in June, I began to notice that her leash reactivity and anxiety was getting worse. She was also not reliable off leash and was often very possessive of her ball, water bowl and practically anything she thought of as hers. When visitors came over, she would bark and growl often sprinting to the front door intimidating them. Feeling helpless, stressed and unsure of how to tackle these issues, we contacted Kathy. I honestly do not know where we would be without Kathy and her guidance. After one session and with the start of implementing in home structure, I saw a change in Tilly- she seemed calmer and more relaxed. We learned how to use the prong and e-collar in a mindful way. Tilly now listens to my commands, is able to have dogs walk past her on leash, can lay directly next to dogs and no longer lunges, growls or barks at people passing by on the street (and I know how to correct for when she does). During the last pack walk session, I could tell Tilly was nervous and unsure, but instead of reacting, she would check back in with me. Kathy also instilled the importance of exercise. Tilly is now a well exercised, happy pup that gets to run to her hearts content. When I am busy, she goes on structured pack walks which tire her out. We still have a road ahead of us, but it is very clear that Tilly has made great strides and will continue to. We have long completed the 4 session package, but Kathy still regularly checks in with us because she CARES! She is always there to provide support and guidance when needed. Thank you, Kathy! read more

Kathy has been wonderful for mine and my families dogs. I am often amazed at how things that I am struggling with or behaviors I can't seem to change are fixed almost immediately after a session with Kathy. I went from being a little overwhelmed to having the confidence that with the right training and work you can develop a wonderful relationship with your dog and have them behave in the way you expect them to. read more

Cause and Effect dog training has helped me significantly with the two dogs I have had. I love the strong minded terriers but with that comes a dog that will make its own rules if you them. Both dogs were rescues and came with some unwanted behavior. My female needed to learn the basics and once she mastered that, the negative, rude behavior to other dogs seemed to dissipate and she became well socialized and happy. As for the male, he is much stronger minded and very leash aggressive. He would lunge at every dog we passed on the sidewalk. He would also lunge at skateboarders and scooters. Kathy and her team worked with me and my dog to teach us how to meet and greet other dogs, people and to tolerate skateboards. Cause and Effect will first do a thorough evaluation of the dog and its behavior. The training methods used are based on behavior issue and the dog's character. All the trainers I have worked with in the group are passionate about dogs and are dedicated to helping them be the best they can be. They are a group of trainers that specialize in correcting behavior issues - not all dog trainers are skilled at this. They make the training fun for the dog so that it stays focused and interested. In my case, my boy loves learning tricks and agility stunts. It builds his confidence and also makes it fun for him. They will teach you how to get your dog to focus on you while constructing a better relationship - with this, you will learn to better understand your dog. Treats, toys and play are the reward for him/her and a well-balanced, happy dog for you. Kathy helped her own dog with this method. He was in the "red zone" with aggressive behavior and was told to "put him down." She transformed him into a happy, well-adjusted dog and has continued to help others to bring their dogs to peace and happiness.Their training methods work, I've seen it over and over again. read more

Cause & Effect Dog Training - Buckie learning to tolerate skateboards. - Pet Training Near Me

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I have known and worked with Kathy for over five years. I had the honor of being a client in her behavior modification program where I learned how to set boundaries with my dog, Charley, and when to praise him for good​ and calm​ behavior. The program truly modified his behavior, but it also ​strengthened my relationship​ with him.​ Charley was a shy and aggressive pup several years ago. But with Kathy's ​support, I learned how to guide him into being who he really was - a more confident and playful dog. He has come so far​.​ I am grateful for the ​program's ​lessons​​, especially ​around​​​ lean​ing​ into the things we fear. I am also thankful for Kathy's consistent encouragement, support, and friendship through out the program and for many years after having finished the program. I was fortunate also to ​have had the opportunity to work with Kathy as a dog walker for Happy Hound, her dog walking business. ​As a young walker, I learn​ed how to run a business, and​ received great mentorship around crisis intervention​. There are many stories to tell! Sadly, I have since moved on​ ​to a different ​line of work​ (​​​clinical psychology), ​but I love​ this work​ as much as I loved my time with​ Kathy. I cannot help but look back fondly on my experience with ​Happy Hound​​ and Cause and Effect. I can ​also ​see that​ like Charley​ I​ have also come a long way. read more

My words will probably be short in this review as I can't be thankful enough for crossing paths with Kathy. We picked up our labradoodle Barley to re-home him and within the first day it became obvious he (and us) would need help. On his history write up Kathy was the last person who had worked with him and I decided to reach out to her in an attempt to understand how to move forward. She got back to me immediately and we got on a quick call. After a few calls and several emails we were very desperate to get help and Kathy understood our urgency and helped us by setting up an in-home training program with Shannon Davidson and her as a consultant. I truly can't say enough amazing things. Barley had severe protective aggression and even simple walks around the neighborhood were nearly impossible. After 7 intense sessions, Barley was a completely different dog. My husband and I learned many different tools and in a way were also trained to be able to communicate with Barley effectively. He is the sweetest dog and has been thriving! Thank you Shannon and Kathy for your patience and coaching through this process. Barley gets better every day and is becoming a more confident dog. read more

Kathy really changed our lives and the quality of life for my dog. I was terrified to walk him because of his reactivity. But after the first session with Kathy I already noticed an improvement in him. In three sessions, I had a different dog. I can take him out on a walk without fear, he is obedient, controllable and happy. Kathy is an amazing trainer and I am so grateful to have found her. She was always in constant communication and it is clear she cares about dogs and is 100% invested in improving your dogs behavior. I can't recommend her enough! She is an incredible person and will change your dog for the better! read more