K9 Toddlers saved the day. We just became proud parents of Murphy, an F1b Goldendoodle. We needed leash training stat! Teka was our magician and had Murphy waking right by my side in about two hours. Teka is a gentle soul with amazing insight into the canine psyche. I found her tone of voice, gentle manner,and warm personality to be what we needed. You will love this trainer and wish you'd found her immediately! I loved her after 5 minutes! read more

K9 Toddlers - Dog Behavior Training - Murhy - Pet Training Near Me - Encino, California

Teka is amazing. She made us feel comfortable even before she entered our home for our session. She assured me and my husband that the session was not about judging us, and to act as normal as possible so that she can give us tips. She emphasized fine tuning for our little dog, who barks at other dogs on walks and at people when they pass by our front door. She taught us how to use our body language and corrective techniques that worked right away! Schedule a session with her if you need help with your dog! She's great and it's totally worth it! read more

Teka is a magician. We have a 4 month old puppy who is amazing when she's calm but is a nerve-racking challenge the other 60% of the time. Biting, barking, pulling on the leash, not getting into her crate. Teka came over at 530 pm one night. In that one visit, it's like we have a new dog. In as quickly as the next day, she stopped biting, stopped most barking, became a much better leash walker and is getting into her crate. She even cuddles up next to us, which she didn't do before. It's amazing. 5 stars for Teka read more

K9 Toddlers - Dog Behavior Training - A puppy sitting and waiting - Pet Training Near Me - Encino, California

Teka is the best. She takes her time to explain animal behavior to us and how to best work with our rescue, a two-year-old female pitbull. This is the second time we've worked with Teka, as we hired her many years ago when we had our first pitty. We truly appreciate her training us to train our dogs. She's very empathetic, caring, and extremely knowledgeable. Thanks Teka! read more

Teka is amazing! We got a 10 month old puppy and quickly realized...we had no clue what we were doing. Teka came to the house (backyard, masked and distanced) and quickly calmed all of our anxiety. She has a wonderful approach - not just obedience training (sit, no, roll over), but behavioral training (helping the puppy know when certain actions are acceptable and when they are not). Of course, she's actually training us, not the dog. So within a of couple hours we learned a ton about dog behavior, techniques to train the dog, and how to set boundaries to reduce separation anxiety. And she wasn't just focused on today - she asked a lot of questions about where we expect to be months from now (work, school, vacation, weekend activities, etc). This way the training approach can prepare the dog for normal life. Can't say enough good things about Teka. She was so helpful during our visit and continues to help guide us over email. You won't be sorry!! read more

We highly recommend Teka as a trainer! We are amazed at how - with simple tools - she trained us so that we could get our cats and dog to share space. read more

Teka was amazing! She taught my mom and her new pup some great behavioral techniques and I'd recommend her in a flash! Thanks so much :)

Teka came to our home pre-pandemic to help us learn to manage our super anxious adopted Maltipoo. We learned so much in one session and our dog is lovely and (mostly) cooperative now (no more bolting out the door when we leave). Her lessons are memorable and easy to apply. Thank you, Teka! read more

Totally the best dog behaviorist experience I've had. Teka is extraordinarily knowledgeable and a blast to work with. We learned all about our two new dogs and came away with many tools to help them with fearful behavior. Teka is the best! read more

I simply cannot say enough good things about Teka -- not only is she acutely attuned to dogs' emotions/actions/behaviors, but she's an absolute gem of a human being. When our 9 month old rescue started exhibiting some troubling behaviors that we weren't equipped to handle as first time dog owners, our neighbors referred us to Teka. They'd worked closely with her on their own dog's extreme leash reactivity and dog aggression, and raved about her. She came to our house and observed us interact with our dog, Indy, and watched his behavior. It was like watching a true dog whisperer, and I took copious notes of everything she was saying. She helped reassure us that our dog wasn't actually aggressive...he was just testing some boundaries and we were giving way too much leeway. Basically letting him run the show! We left the first session feeling empowered, hopeful, and excited about our newfound knowledge of dog behavior. A few months later we set up another session as a refresher, as he was entering adolescence and some new bad behaviors were cropping up. Since then, we channel Teka on nearly every walk! We've had a few different friends watch our dog when we're out of town and everyone always comments on how well he does on walks -- no pulling, sits at stop lights, crosses behind them, checks in. Can't thank Teka enough for her tips and tricks! And she's just a delight to work with. :) read more

Teka is helping us with our 1 year old adopted female bull terrier. After she hit puberty, she became increasingly aggressive to our adopted 2 year old male who is well mannered. Abigail Force Winds is a brat! She would growl at Walter for no reason and focus on things like the TV and chasing her tail. And don't get me started when we walked by another dog wether it was behind a fence or on the street. She was leash aggressive, but fine with larger dogs off leash, no problem. After a consultation with Teka, she trained us first. She talked us through some of the psychology that goes into training. Like learning though the mind of a dog. First session was to get to know the dog and us. There was an evaluation and then she recommended a remote collar. We worked with our puppy in modifying unwanted behaviors. She needs a lot of work. Next we worked on her leash skills with a prong collar. Totally different dog with one of those on. Night and day. I'm still working on her walks and dog intros. She is a work in progress. read more

K9 Toddlers was recommended to us when we got an 13 week old puppy. He's a Tri-color Cavalier King Charles, and he had the energy of a Jack Russel. We had chosen this breed because every place we researched had said they were great for seniors, because they were lap dogs. Well, our pup must have missed those articles, and by 4 months he was running us ragged. We contacted Teka who owns K9 Toddlers, and she was terrific. She started by training us how to take control of the house, and train the puppy so he knows his place in the family. It didn't take take that long and he is now over a year old, and is a pleasure to be around. When she came to our house she worked with both us and the puppy. When she met with us Teka at our house she was truly inspirational and is great at reading dogs. After the training she was always available by phone to help guide us with any questions we had. We ended up bonding with her , she is a wonderful person and a pleasure to be around. She is nice, warm and friendly. We highly recommend her. Thank you Teka. Terre T. and Gary F. Los Angeles read more

We have two stubborn Scottish terriers. Teka was wonderful with them. She sat and talked about their behavior and dog psychology in general before she even started to work with them. Since gopher visit, her magic has remained. They are so well behaved. Still need a little work on the leash, bth me and the dogs, but we are on the road. Thanks to Teka for putting us there. read more

K9 Toddlers - Dog Behavior Training - Pet Training Near Me - Encino, California

Guys, if I could give 10 or 20 stars, I definitely would. Teka is AMAZING. The first thing I really appreciate about her is, she's not doing this to wring money out of you. "She literally told me "nothing personal, but my goal is for you to not have to see me again". Unlike other trainers and behaviorists, she wants to help you FIX the issues and handle them on your own instead of setting up multiple $300 sessions with trainers that basically try to use obedience to fix an emotional problem! She explains the psychology behind behaviors and acts and wants to help redirect the animal's mindset, instead of control it with obedience training. During our first visit (and would have been our only... details to follow), she was able to identify my dog Kade's issues (basically, he's a brat lol) and how to handle them. It has LITERALLY only been a couple of months of light daily training and reminders, as well as a few adjustments so as not to send mixed messages to the dog, and he has shown VAST improvement! He has gone from an uncontrollable and embarrassing walking buddy who would lunge at other dogs to a calm and collected companion I can enjoy the outdoors with. He also now stays out of the kitchen after a reminder or two and no longer tries to eat the empty pizza boxes! Another reason I really appreciate her is, because we were not able to display one of Kade's problems in our initial visit, Teka kept in contact and was able to schedule a short follow-up with me at not additional charge. I know this is not a general practice so if you go to her PLEASE don't expect handouts! She cares so much about dogs and their owners, let her offer what she thinks is necessary and I KNOW she will astound you as she did me! This woman is sassy, kind, and knows dogs better than you know your own mother. She helped me turn my bratty, overly-stimulated 4 y/o pooch into a relaxed, well-behaved dog with her guidance, advice, and tools. If you're willing to put in the time with your dog, Teka is your girl. HANDS. DOWN. (DISCLAIMER: Always consult a professional, this was written strictly for review and not as advice on how to train your dog!) read more

We feel so grateful to have found Teka! She helped us transition our brand new Shepherd mix rescue with our existing poodle mix. We were feeling overwhelmed and she made us feel much more comfortable and confident. She had great ideas and suggestions and has an amazing ability with animals. This is the second time we have worked with her. She previously helped us tremendously with the relationship between our poodle and elderly cat. We would highly recommend her! Bonnie G. read more

If you're looking on yelp, reading reviews and trying to find the best trainer for your dog and your wallet, just stop looking... you had found the doggy magician. Honestly, she's better than a magician because she shares with you all of her tricks and inside information about her doggy magic. 85% of the time she is training you and she really tries to not have another session with you. I literally took notes and recommend you do the same. Our dog understood basic commands the next day and he was SO much better on the leash!! It's going to take time, but that's on us as owners at really working with the dog. Teka is wonderful and really understands the dogs she is working with and is truly able to tell you about your dogs personality just as good as you can! Absolutely, highly recommend. Look no further. read more

Look no further for a great dog trainer!! Teka was clear and explained to us exactly what we had to do to help Chloe, who is a rescue with a fear of buses and loud noises. Within the first session, Chloe improved so much with her walking in downtown LA! Teka also offered to keep in touch and felt like we made enough progress during our 2.5 hour session and did not need another session. She also offered a discount as Chloe is a rescue! Absolutely loved working with Teka; she really understand dogs and we now feel confident that we will help Chloe :) read more

This review is looonggg overdue! Teka is amazing! We have barking dogs , but one of them in particular is aggressive. It was amazing to listen to Teka and have her identify why my dog was so aggressive towards new people coming in the house. She explained that consistency is key. I can't tell you how amazing things have changed in his behavior. She's not just a dog trainer, she truly identifies the behavior in dogs and gets to the heart of the problem. Only had to have her come twice to resolve a problem that's been happening for 12 years. Telling you I highly recommend her is an understatement. Just trust me on this, she's amazing! read more

Teka is simply the best. She was able to rearrange her schedule to meet us the day after we unexpectedly found a rescue dog and brought him home the same day. She helped us with everything from food and feeding to how to make our newest family member feel secure and safe. Her methods are so kind and amazingly quick. With her help we trained our dog quickly and he is a dream! She even gave us helpful tips for training our cat (who amazingly will sit on command). We love Teka and anytime an issue arises she is always there to help. read more

Not only was Teka nice, and our whole family liked her. Not only did she help decipher the dog talk between our 2 dogs so that we could understand their arguments. Not only did she show me how to walk my dog in a wayyyyyy easier and more controlled way. But in less than 2 hrs I went from feeling slightly regretful about my choice of adoption and worried that I'd made a mistake for our family to TOTALLY ADORING AND FEELING COMFORTABLE WITH OUR NEW DOG. I could go on, but just trust me that Teka is worth a try!!! read more

Can I give 6 stars? No? If I could, I would. I am constantly underwhelmed by service I pay for; lack of courtesy, punctuality, professional integrity. I LOVE it when I come across someone who actually surprises me and am almost speechless when someone knocks me for a loop with their service. Teka blew me away the first time my wife and I met with her to work with our two dogs. Our dogs are wonderful, they just lack certain.....manners. So, I decided for the first time in my life to hire a dog behavior specialist to work on a few things. Within 2 HOURS there was significant improvement in how they walked with us on the leash, they were much more calm and patient in waiting for their food or to be let outside, and Teka really led us into the minds of our dogs to teach us how and why they do certain things, how they think. And that was another thing I loved about Teka; she was a great and patient teacher. She explained things clearly, was wonderful and affectionate to our dogs, and worked with them in a way that respected and preserved their "dogness." I'm not interested in teaching my dogs tricks, or turning them into humans, I just don't want them to bolt out the door when I open it, go crazy when I feed them or jump all over guests when they visit. We made significant improvement in these areas in 2 hours! And even more in the 5 days since she worked with us. Bottom line: If you need help with your dogs, hire Teka. In ten years I could not have accomplished alone what she helped us achieve in two hours. That's the power of expertise. read more

The day I picked up my foster dog, Mickey - he bit me. I still have a scar from the puncture wound. I worked really hard with him for months, and while he absolutely loves and trusts my boyfriend and me, he remained extremely aggressive towards all strangers who entered my home. It was unsafe for friends to visit. I tried a different trainer before Teka, and it was a nightmare! It was too aggressive and it actually set back months of work that I had put into Mickey. Along comes Teka. The work that Teka does is priceless and almost unexplainable. She talks to the pet parent alone first and has an excellent way of helping you understand everything from the dog's point of view. She just helped everything make sense. I thought Mickey was a hopeless case, but after only one minute using her techniques, Mickey had already changed. Obviously it took more work than a minute, but as we have continued to use Teka's advice and techniques over the last two months, Mickey has crept closer and closer to being a dog that could live in any household. The techniques Teka uses are simple, and she really understands the relationship between dogs and humans. I tell every dog owner that I meet about her, and stress that she will be the last trainer you ever get for your pup. Do yourself a favor and book an appointment with Teka right now. :) read more

I can't say enough about Teka's knowledge and understanding of dogs, their people and the relationships they forge. The best compliment I could pay her is that when she's at our adoptions to work with dogs I eavesdrop on all of her conversations just to pick up more knowledge. On a personal level, she is working with my current foster and me and her help has been invaluable in socializing Honey and understanding how to deal with a dog that lives in fear like her. Honey has made great strides with people and other dogs and I have learned so much about her and what her body language is telling me through her growing. read more

We have a dog about two months and we want to avoid mistakes with dog training. I found dog trainer on Yelp with the best review. Our dog friendly with other dogs and people, but we have walking issue. The dog pulling when sees squirrels and other dogs and no focus. The dog trainer Teka explained everything about dogs behavior, show it how to teach a dog to normally walk. She explain us too many things about dog training, how to used it body language etcetera. There was no questions that she did not respond to us. We are very happy for her help and our dog is happy too Thank you very much Teka for everything. I highly recommend her she is the best. Thank you thank you very much Teka read more

K9 Toddlers - Dog Behavior Training - Pet Training Near Me - Encino, California

I contacted Teka because my 5 yr old rescued dog Riley is driving me crazy. I adopted him about 11 months ago. He came from a home that kept him in a crate all day long, and no bed. Totally overfed and bored. No stimulation at all. When he came to my house he started barking like a maniac at anyone who walked by my house, or a dog, or a leaf that would blow by. HYSTERICAL barking and I was worried he'd hurt himself breaking through the windows. He did the same thing in the car as well. On a walk, he's pulling (he's 90 lbs and I'm only 5' tall) and if another dog came along, forget it. He's pulled me down to the ground many times. VERY hyper aware of everything and NOT relaxed. After ONE 2.5 hr session he is a changed dog. OMG like a new dog. Seriously! Our walk today was great in that I had a loose leash and he wasn't pulling. He's still hyper aware, but not as stiff legged in his walking and more connected to ME. I did the exercises of stopping, turning around in another direction and he followed me without much a "pop" on the leash. He goes to his bed/spot when I tell him to (just with a hand signal) when making a meal. Same when he starts to get revved up to bark in front of the house. A quick hand signal. I am AMAZED. Utterly amazed!! I've worked with several dog trainers before who were good, but nothing like what Teka teaches as a behaviorist. She speaks their language and my dog responded to her immediately and it stuck. He respects me now. I'd recommend her to ANYONE and EVERYONE! Thank you Teka! read more

Teka is Amazing! She's been training my dogs for over 15 years. Well actually she's been training us! That's how Teka works, she helps you understand how your dog thinks. Teka will spend quality time with you, she doesn't rush or limit her time with you. She shows you how to work with your dog and then let's you take over. We adopted a dog from Bangkok last year and she was not willing to sit or make eye contact. Within seconds of Teka coming in our dog learned to sit. Teka also trained our golden retriever at 4 months. Our two dogs are great together and can be off leash at the park. Do not hesitate to hire Teka. She's very fair on pricing because she only needs a couple of sessions to get your dog on the right track. Barbara read more

Teka is extremely effective as a trainer. She speaks dog's body language and translates that to the humans. I was feeling pretty hopeless before we found her, and wondered if I would have to give my dog back. We had been through an 8 week training class with a highly regarded and expensive trainer before trying Teka. I am so glad I did. She told me we might only need one or two sessions with her, and I did n't believe her and I was dreading how much it was going to cost. Well she was right. We still need some tuning up but we are totally in a better place, not frustrated and lost, after a few sessions with her. Teka was generous with her time and advise between meetings and I feel she genuinely cared. My only improvement I would make is that she speaks very quickly (she's trying to impart a LOT of information and make good use of your money/her time) and we had to ask her to slow down a lot, but we just kept asking and she did. read more

I would not hesitate to recommend Teka to anyone and everyone. She was recommended to me by the rescue group I fostered for and her reputation is impeccable. The organization I now work for has hired Teka to help families who are struggling with a range of issues with their dogs. She has been the key to keeping families together, she has literally been the difference between a dog losing its home or remaining with its family. Her work is transformative for the people and their dogs and I continue to recommend her to anyone who will listen. read more

Once upon a time a beautiful, cow-spotted and rowdy puppy entered our lives. We were in awe of this lively, loving creature who appeared to have suffered some emotional injuries prior to entering our home, and who bit and scratched us at every opportunity, much to our dismay and frustrations. We were so lucky when Teka entered our house, and in one powerful, sensitive, smart and professional training session, had practically changed our lives. Our street-trotting hoodlum of a beloved puppy had turned, quite magically, into a sweet prince. Teka took her time and with a lot of patience showed us how to communicate with our puppy in a way that was easy to understand and practice, all the while being completely empathic and kind to both our dog's and our own needs. Her approach, which appears to combine both human and dog psychology, is fascinating! We LOVE Teka and we recommend her big time! read more

I met Teka through the rescue group I work with, Karma Rescue many years ago. I've called upon her expertise several times to help me with my own dogs. I learned SO much and was able to not only curb unwanted behaviors, but encourage better ones through patience, practice and a clearer understanding of how dogs think and respond. I am also able to apply what I've learned to many of my foster dogs. As a result, they have better behavior and a greater chance of being adopted. Win/win for everyone! Teka is an amazing, talented and passionate human being and an outstanding trainer. I would HIGHLY recommend her! read more

If you are looking for a trainer with a great technique and methodology that not only works but can be healthy, stimulating and fun at the same time, don't look any further, Teka is the best trainer you can find. She has been going above and beyond to help me and my parents train two 5 months old Doxie/Cavalier mix puppies. Having one puppy is difficult, imagine having two hard headed, stubborn but cute puppies. My parents were at the point of giving up on them especially with house breaking and them chewing the carpets and the furnitures. Teka was a life saver, with her help and guidance as well as being always available to answer any questions, we have achieved the impossible and my parents are finally happy. She is very knowledgeable, passionate and loving, and by combining both obedience and behavioral training she finds the best way to help you. I would definitely recommend her to everyone. Thank you so much Teka, greatly appreciate everything you have done for us. read more

As a dog rescue we require everyone who adopts a dog from us to have at least one training session with a professional, Teka is our choice! There is a huge difference between someone who teaches obedience and someone who teaches behavior. You can find obedience at any Petco or Petsmart or learn it from a book but you can only find behavior from a behaviorist and we prefer Teka. She teaches humans how to relate to their dogs in a comfortable, simple, easy to understand way. She's like an old friend who suddenly turns up at your house when you most need her. If you are having trouble with your beloved companion, new to pet guardianship or just want to learn some new tricks call Teka for PAWS - ative results :) read more

I highly recomend Teka to anyone needing a dog trainer. I was moving back home and I had adopted a new dog and i was very scared because my family already had 2 dogs that were dog aggressive. My new dog also had no training what's so ever. I was ready to face a big challenge but needed major help. I found Teka and thank God I did lol Dealing with three chihuahuas is hectic enough and introducing a new one is very hard. She came and first taught me and my family how dogs think, why they show aggression and so on. She gave us the knowledge to train our dogs on daily basis. She slowly introduced the third dog to the pack, it was not easy but again she gave us the tools to keep training them. Within a week they all became best of friends. Honestly we could of never done this without her help. Thank you Teka for making our life easier :) read more

I hired Teka to train my two small dogs - they were aggressive around people on walks, barked like crazy at any noise, and were afraid of children. In less than 2 hours she completely handled them! She really understands animal psychology and taught me the way dogs think so I can manage their behavior myself. They won't need another training session because I have all the tools now. I highly, highly recommend Teka for any problematic behavior - she will help you handle it quickly and painlessly! read more

Teka was AWESOME. I can not say enough good things. The price point is expensive for the initial session. But so is Mastro's steakhouse and you get the best steak. Teka is truly the best of the best. By the way, we booked her for a 2 hour session for her initial training session and she ended up staying for 3 hours with no mention of the time and of course knowing Teka, no upcharge of any kind. She allows you to text her after the sessions to ask any kind of questions. My golden retriever puppy is on the right track now behavior wise thanks to Teka. She really caters to your life and how you're able to parent a puppy within your means. I have no more words to explain it, other than if you need a trainer you don't need to look anywhere else. read more

Teka helped turn my difficult, anti social, pain in the butt shelter dog into a dog I can now take to dog parks and dog beaches. Most importantly, she taught me what to do and how to handle him. Whether or not you are contemplating hiring Teka for a new pet or for a difficult former shelter or rescue dog, I highly recommend choosing Teka. We wasted a lot of money on other "trainers" who were nice but not effective. Teka is effective and efficient and we love her. read more

Teka came to my house to help with my new rescue Gansey. He spent a year in a shelter and had some nervous habits I was concerned about. Teka observed and explained to me the psychology behind the behaviors and we have practiced her techniques ever since. I feel the most important part of her training was training me as an owner. I highly recommend Teka! read more

Teka did an amazing job training our Maltese puppy after only a single session. After hearing several great reviews about her dog training skills on Nextdoor, we contacted her. Teka's strategy involves understanding the mindset of both the dog and the owner to change the behavior of both. Our pooch was immediately drawn to her energy and actually enjoyed being trained. She was invaluable to helping us deal with his anxiety issues and aggressive behavior towards other people and dogs on walks. Teka is definitely a dog whisperer that I highly recommend to anyone looking to positively modify their dog's behavior. Thanks Teka ! read more

Working with Teka is such a pleasure and honestly, such a relief. She is just so sweet and knowledgeable about dog behavior. My 3 1/2 year old pit has some leash aggression issues and Teka was able to teach me some ways to get that under control to make sure we are both set up for success. She really is wonderful and helped me get my confidence back when walking Bobby! I know he appreciates it too :) read more

We are so grateful we were referred to Teka! After using several other L.A. trainers over the course of a year, we met Teka and finally feel like we have a handle on our fearful (and stubborn!) terrier mix rescue. She has such a calming presence and is very thorough. It's fascinating to hear her explain what she is picking up from the dog's body language and how our own body language has an impact on the dog as well. After just two visits with Teka, we have a totally different relationship with our dog. I can finally walk him without him pulling me and barking at every man he sees. I actually look forward to our walks now! I also appreciate that I can email her with any questions or concerns. It's comforting to know that if we need help in the future, we know exactly who to call. Teka truly has a unique gift! read more