Our lovely lady came to us from the other side of the world... Qatar. When she first arrived from the desert she was very timid and nervous. Afraid to be away from our side. We had the opportunity, while we were on a job abroad, to board and train her for a few months with Cora and Sim. I cannot explain how much she came into herself. I hate to call it a transformation. It was a realization. So much so that she and I are now a pet partner at the children's hospital now. She loves everyone and it's a true testament to the patience that PP gives to each of their pups. Thanks guys. read more

I had adopted two german shepherds. The first was Ellie, she was about a year old, insanely intelligent and then Helix, a three year old male who, turned out to be a dog who lived in the streets for most of his life. It was strongly suggested to me that there was no hope for Helix and he should really go back to the shelter, but thankfully, I was introduced to Cora. Cora has a natural gift combined with years of experience that helped Helix transform from a frightened and frightening being into the most wonderful , beautifully trained companion. Simultaneously with Cora I learned to harness Ellie's super intellect and again, resulting in the most beautiful loving companion. It has been five years since I worked with Cora and made a move to Europe, but none of this was possible without her incredible patience and expertise. Silently , 5 years later and a continent away, with every loving compliment that I receive regarding Helix and Ellie, I thank Cora for all she had done. With my whole heart I recommend without reserve Cora and Prestigious Pooch!! read more

Prestigious Pooch - Pet Training Near Me

Cora has been working with my family and our dogs this past year. She has taught us how to better understand our dogs to help bring out the best in them and allow for everyone to be more successful. Cora understands they are not only pets, but members of our family and treats them as such. While we started out working on general training and behavior, Cora sensed that agility training would be a wonderful addition for our younger dog, Daisy. Both of our dogs are always so happy to see her and love all aspects of being with Cora. Cannot recommend her more highly! read more

Sim was recommended to me by my friend and it has been a great experience for myself and my dog! He has really helped me navigate some of the difficulties that come along with training a beagle. But every training session and all the tips he has given us over the last few months have really paid off. Our puppy will turn one this month and we have seen such a huge difference in her training and listening skills since working with Sim. Sim has a deep understanding of various training techniques, and his patience and gentle approach have really helped my dog feel comfortable and receptive to the training sessions. He has skillfully addressed specific behavioral challenges for my other dogs as well and he truly connected with them, establishing a bond built on trust and kindness. I would definitely recommend Sim and Cora - they are dedicated, knowledgeable and have a genuine love for animals! read more

Prestigious Pooch - Pet Training Near Me

Cora and Sim are lovely dog trainers but more importantly they speak dog and are able to help you communicate better with your pup while showing you how to produce positive results in your own home. My Frenchie loves when he has a lesson and not just because his belly is full of treats. Prestigious Pooch's program has allowed my pup to increase his confidence, awareness, be not just the cutest fur baby but one that is manageable for mom and dad. Prestigious Pooch also does a board and train that far surpasses any other operation of its kind. My pup got to meet and play with other dogs while experts managed the session and he also got to have a proper vacation (hikes, snow, lakes) while we were away totally sans anxiety about his well-being. They also sent me pictures daily whenever I told them I missed him. You can stop looking for help with your dog now. You won't find a better option. read more

I can't speak highly enough of Cora and Sim and Prestigious Pooch Dog Training. We first met Cora in 2009 when she helped us in training our Australian Shepherd puppy, Molly. When we adopted our next Aussie, Isla, in 2021, we were so thankful to reconnect with Cora and her husband, Sim. They are both experienced and talented dog trainers who go above and beyond any dog trainer we have worked with. They are patient, intuitive and have extensive knowledge of a wide variety of breeds. As we continue the ongoing process of training our high-energy pup we are so thankful to have these two wonderful trainers as our guides. read more

Prestigious Pooch - Pet Training Near Me

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If you want the best, meet Sim and Cora. We've been working with them since we adopted our puppy. He was 4 months old at the time and just starting to get leash reactive. We had no idea how to communicate with him. He was dashing out the front door, not listening on walks. It was overwhelming after having just lost our 14-year-old dog who was super chill and never barked on leash or really noticed other dogs. Sim came to our place and immediately got our little handful to wait at the front door before walking out. He showed us how to keep his attention on walks and make eye contact with us. It was truly miraculous. After one hour of training, everything felt doable and possible. We started to see progress immediately and as they say, it was more about training us than our pup. We've done a couple board and train sessions too and boy are they worth it. Our pup is now 11 months old and keeps on learning and communicating with us. Everything that Sim said would happen in terms of our progress has happened. We couldn't have done it without them and I can't recommend Prestigious Pooch highly enough. Sim even got him used to the dreaded "unidentified wheeled objects" we encounter on walks. See pic for the victory moment after a session. read more

Prestigious Pooch - Conquered the skateboard phobia! - Pet Training Near Me

Prestigious Pooch came highly recommended to me by a friend who had great success when working with them. Sim knows so much about dogs (all breeds) and had a lot of knowledge to share about our Aussie breed. Sim was patient with our pup. He truly listened to our concerns and helped answer all our questions. He knew just what to work on to help Winston and our family to become more confident in his training. We look forward to continuing to work with Cora and Sim as the needs of our dog change as he grows. Thank You Prestigious Pooch! read more

Prestigious Pouch is the real deal. Sim teaches my dog while educating me. I continue to call Sim as my rescue dog progresses in her behavioral and social skills. And, as my blue heeler recovers from surgery, the commands she knows through her training with Sim have made her recovery smoother and able to heal in a controlled way. read more

I was referred to Sim and Cora by two friends with successful training stories. I started with some basic training for my new puppy who is very head strong. I decided he needed more intensive training and I sent him to Cora and Sims for 3 weeks of training. It was a success. Not only did he have the best time, I could tell from the pictures, but he came home a much better behaved puppy. He learned the commands I had hoped for and weeks later he is still doing a great job. I highly recommend using Sim and Cora - they are terrific!! read more

We trust Cora with our dog. Thankfully a friend recommended her when I was overwhelmed with how much work our puppy -- I guess all puppies -- are. It's out of my comfort zone because I'm a cat person. But, we had a dog for years and I never vibed with any trainer I ever met. There's just a little too much "alpha" in the trainers I had met. I like a calm, lovely, mellow person and Cora is all of that. I like all of her suggestions. We follow through with the training Cora teaches us and our dog. If you do board and train, Cora has these great family dogs that your dog gets to spend time learning from. And, of course playing with Cora's dogs. It's work. It's fun. It's rewarding. Cora at Prestigious Pooch is the best kept secret in dog training in Los Angeles. Bark your heart out Caesar Milan. #woof read more

I adopted a dog-agressive, Alpha-type, wannabe pack leader pup, and despite watching countless online videos, tons of Cesar Milan, and reading tons of online articles on dog training, found I was losing more and more control and hedging into dangerous territory with my beloved dog. I emailed Cora, she came to my house, and a mere 6 weeks later, my dog and I have a stronger, more loving and safe bond than I EVER could have imagined. WOW. When Cora arrived, she asked me all sorts of questions about our time together, and listened so intently. She got him to do the basics instantly, making me see his potential. Cora showed that he was not only a smart, trainable dog, capable of listening, but also, that I could train myself to get him there. Her tips and tricks worked flawlessly. Well, OK, when I did them right. And when I got frustrated with myself and the paradigm of our relationship started shifting (which is a for better and worse transition period...she'll explain it all to you), she was there to talk me through it and refocus me on being a better dog mom. Half dog-trainer, half-therapist, I highly recommend Cora's talent. She brings an unrivaled energy, that is both soothing and fun for both human and dog. What she has taught me about myself and human and dog behavior actually translates to so many aspects of my life. I am so grateful to her. She will enhance your life in more ways that a Yelp post will ever be able to explain. read more

My wife and I love Cora. Plain and simple. I have raised my Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff) puppy since she was 8 weeks old, and while I read every book and did as much research as I could to be the best "dog dad" I could be, there are things you just can't prepare for, and when you have a dog that is a "power breed" and weighs well over 100 pounds, you can't afford to slip up. Cora did all of the things you expect a good trainer to do - teaching my girl her commands etc, but more importantly, Cora comes from a true "behavioral" standpoint; a PSYCHOLOGICAL approach; Understanding what is really happening within a dog's brain and treating THAT. And also, training YOU. Yes you. The owner. It's not just the dog that needs to be trained. One example (one of many), my girl had to have eye surgery at six months. You can't anticipate that kind of thing happening when you first bring a pup home. It was a very painful, traumatic experience for my dog. Making a very long and complicated story short, she developed a tremendous amount of nervousness and fear after this experience. I was way out of my league when this took place. Cora helped (and continues to help) me through this process, and it is ongoing. I don't just need a trainer, I need a trainer/behaviorist combo. And Cora gives me elements of both. There are a lot of hacks out there. I've met them. Cora is truly educated, experienced, and a good person to boot. If you're looking for the best, she's the best. And look no further than her own therapy dog Alice. The epitome of what every owner would want in a dog. The proof is in the dog-pudding, y'all. ;) read more

Cora is the best!! I was struggling with my 3 year old Boston terrier and was desperate for help! My friend gave me her info and highly recommended her. Cora was on time,friendly, professional, and was amazed how great she was with my dog. She has taught me so many things and truly done a amazing job training not only my dog but politely me as well. She will be our trainer for life! read more

Prestigious Pooch - Pet Training Near Me

Cora was very nice and honest with us. She came over and met our little guys. She spent 1.5 hrs with us and took our one dog for a walk. She determined after a while that our dog would not be able to help him because he had add and needed to be out of the environment he was in. So she hooked us up with a different person for help with boarding and training. read more

I just received my fur-baby back and Cora has worked wonders with her! I cannot believe the difference she has made to help my dog become more confident and happy. We still have a lot of work to do, and Cora definitely cares about the well-being of my fur-baby. We're still working through some issues and Cora has definitely made all the right recommendations and training methods to have Kenzie flourish. I cannot recommend her enough, she is simply amazing with dogs! read more

I have had the pleasure of knowing Cora, the owner, for 8 years now, even from back when she worked with animals in Washington State. When I moved to California, I adopted a miniature pinscher... turns out I should have done better research on this breed, as he turned out to be more than a hand-full ... very strong minded and dominant... Cora is a miracle worker, whom I re-connected with. She trained my min pin, and most importantly, she trained ME so that I know how to control my beast and why he acts the way he does. Cora is absolutely amazing with animals, and always bears the ultimate goal in mind: To work with the animal to make it happier and relaxed, as a follower. My min pin is a different dog now =) read more

Cora is an extremely 'natural' trainer. My Boston went blind and lost much of her spunky confidence. She was pretty depressed. Cora was able to help me with practice exercises and just things we could do in our living quarters to assist her to 'see' her environment more clearly and help her regain that Boston cheekiness. Winnie is back to walking on a leash with so much confidence, passerby have no idea she can't see. Were it not for Cora, I would not have thought this possible. No matter what the situation is with your dog- she can help. Highest recommendation! read more

Cora is an amazing, gentle, and intuitive trainer. She started with my dog, Blue, as a puppy, helping train him with manners and basic commands. He absolutely loved working with her and I could see he was developing into a confident, calm, and well-behaved dog, who LOVED to learn. Once that was established, I realized the HUGE benefits of having such a well-trained dog, and continued to have Cora work with him well beyond puppyhood. Once Blue mastered the basics, Cora challenged him with fun tricks and problem-solving games. He loved it, and I was amazed at his development. Cora's style is gentle, consistent, and positive, She is a wonderful communicator and customizes her suggestions to fit your dog's personality and your own family's needs. She also helped me learn that dog training isn't just about what she can teach your dog - but it is about *my* commitment to continue to work with him at home. Basically she didn't just train Blue. She trained me ... and the bond that I have with Blue is entirely based on the trust we developed through her instruction. I am so proud to have such a well-adjusted, well-behaved dog! Blue is 7 now, and people stop me all the time to compliment his behavior. I thank them, but also make sure they know that he is a good dog today because of the instruction we received from Cora. She has enabled me to become a confident and responsible dog-owner! The BEST part of the training we both received (me and my dog) is that it has deepened the bond of trust between us. I have met/worked with several trainers over the years and Cora is the BEST! I can only hope that any other dog that joins our family in the future gets to train with Cora the way Blue did. Thank you Cora! You are as good as it gets! A+ read more

I gave Cora a call after doing a yelp search for Dog Trainers in the LA area who mentioned working with dogs with issues similar to my own pup's (leash aggression, separation anxiety, general bad dog manners), because my boyfriend and I were overwhelmed and in need of guidance and assistance. We'd had a bad experience with another trainer when we first rescued Bella last year (4 yr old black lab mix), and were doing a thorough search before committing to a new trainer. Cora responded very promptly (something I've found that is quite rare amongst dog trainers, for some reason), and was able to answer our initial questions and had good questions of her own. Within the first few minutes of our initial session, I knew that I wanted her to work with Bella, my boyfriend and myself. After a handful of sessions, we have already made a lot of progress on Bella's leash manners on walks around the neighborhood. We still have a long way to go on her separation anxiety and basic dog manners on leash, but I'm feeling much more confident that we will get Bella to a point where she is less anxious and more confident (and therefore happier), thanks to Cora's help. The TL;DR version: Cora is a smart, kind, experienced (and well-organized) dog trainer who I can't recommend highly enough. read more

Cora is the dog trainer that other dog trainers recommend. That's how I found her when I needed someone to advise and evaluate my dog for therapy dog training. She "got" my dogs personality right away and gave me spot-on guidance regarding my dogs training for therapy dog work. Cora combines her intuition, experience and knowledge in fashioning an approach which is tailored to both your dogs individuality and the unique pairing of you and your animal. Whether your dog needs to modify problem behaviors or learn new roles and competencies, you've found the right person. read more

2 years ago, I rescued a little Spaniel-mix pup, Tupelo. She is equal parts smart, stubborn and sweet. Cora has helped me tremendously with both basic training and dealing with Tupelo's issues - primarily separation anxiety and excessive barking. Not going insane when the doorbell rings is still a work in progress, but Tupelo is definitely a different dog thanks to Cora's help! She is so patient and really works to find what method is going work with YOUR particular dog. It is really amazing to watch her with your dog. Seeing how well Tupelo behaves when Cora is holding her leash or working with her is inspiring...I watch her and think "I want THAT dog!" It definitely shows me that my dog can learn just about anything - it is more about me knowing what to do and being consistent. I am so thankful for Cora and how she has helped me and Tupelo. She is absolutely fantastic. read more

Cora and Sim are unmatched in their attention to detail and ability to connect with both our Golden Retriever and our Bernadoodle. They are undeniably consistent in both their training methodology as well as their ability to drive results. Our Golden Retriever Bailey is well trained and often when we are out with him, people are impressed by his response skills. Cora and Sim reinforce the logic of conditioned responses and the "why" psychology of certain best practices. We work as a team, and I understand my role in practicing commands or training Bailey to be a therapy dog. They ask question and lead with trying to understand our home environment. I follow them on social, and I appreciate their range of knowledge from fun dog tricks we can try with our children to dietary trends or agility tricks. Recently, Bailey has been experiencing medical issues. The first person I called was Cora and Sim. I would highly recommend this dynamic duo. read more

I just finished a series of 5 lessons with Cora. I am a trainer myself but needed some additional help with a rescue that I adopted with fear aggression issues. Cora has a wealth of up to date knowledge that helped me to move forward. She is very professional yet understands the frustrations and the struggle in training a challenging dog. read more

I wish I had met Cora 7 years ago when my dachshund was a puppy :) Cora is fantastic!!! She has already changed my life and little Stan's life for the better in only two sessions. We have made so much progress so quickly because Cora is clear and calm and has a strong plan of action created specifically for my dog and my needs. Cora helped me to understand my dog and I am becoming a much better parent to my baby because of that. Cora also goes out of her way to answer questions that I have between sessions and I feel that she is a constant support as I work with Stan, which is so wonderful and so helpful. I would be lost sometimes without having her as a sounding board to work through my learning curve. A little back story about my main issue (separation anxiety): I just moved to LA from NM and Stan, my 8 lb. mini dachshund, was really scared. She would start screaming/crying/whining so bad every time I would leave to the point where it was becoming a huge issue with my building and my neighbors. I was terrified about the prospect of being evicted and giving up Stan was not an option for me, but the only plan of attack I could find online involved never leaving your dog alone while you slowly crate train them and get them accustomed to you leaving in small 30second increments. I just thought that would be impossible to never leave the house without my dog and I felt so helpless like I would just have to move home, so after 24 hours of crying, I found Cora and Prestigious Pooch on Yelp and called her up. That one phone call changed everything for me. Cora helped me wrap my brain around HOW to be realistic about the behavior modification training and how I could make it happen - it's not the end of the world, it takes serious dedication, but it can just take a short period of time in terms of the big picture of the happy life of your dog. The thing I'm really learning is that training is mostly about changing the behavior of the owner, and I have fully embraced completely changing my attitude and habits. I trust Cora and she has made me feel like this is manageable and given me the tools to become a stronger parent (without making me feel bad about the 6 years I did everything wrong haha), and to encourage independent, confident, secure behavior in my dog. Cora recommended a great doggy day care place which helps me out when I can't be with Stan and helps socialize Stan, too. And mostly I've cancelled my whole social life to slowly work on making Stan love her crate and be comfortable when I leave, with Cora's help and guidance. I have learned a lot of training techniques that make Stan more confident, make her respect me, and tire her out. Doing the training exercises Cora teaches us are fun for both of us and tire Stan out (a sleepy dog is a happy dog), and challenged Stan's brain which is wonderful. And the training bleeds over into her all-day behavior and she is so well-behaved and sweet. People have been commenting on how mellow she is. Thank you, Cora! read more

Cora is great! My puppy has developed leash-aggression towards other dogs and I was beginning to feel hopeless. Cora taught us some techniques and they really work. She even brought her dog with her to some sessions so that my dog could be influenced by a well behaved and calm dog. Thanks Cora, read more

While at my local pet store, I decided to check out the bulletin board in hopes of finding a dog trainer. I grabbed several business cards, went home, and did some research. I ultimately decided Prestigious Pooch was the one I wanted to go with. My dog is a rescue and has A LOT of anxiety issues. He lacks confidence and is overall very fearful. On top of all that, he is also deaf. I knew I wanted someone that I could feel confident in working with these types of issues. From our first conversation, Cora was great! We emailed back and forth a few times, and then spoke on the phone. She asked me a lot of questions, and gave me a ton of great, personal, spot-on advice, without having ever even met my dog. Then I scheduled a private training session with her. She was really great about being flexible and abiding to my busy schedule. To be honest, I was kind of nervous about working with a dog trainer. I was afraid they would be patronizing with a better-than-you attitude. I don't know where this fear came from, but it was there. But Cora was NEVER like that. She was so great. Really friendly and easy to be around. Every piece of advice felt uplifting and comfortable, not pushy or judgmental, like I was afraid of. She was so knowledgable on every topic I asked her about. She even did a little work with my other pup that the appointment wasn't about. She actually ended up staying with us longer than the hour and a half. After she left, I felt a renewed confidence that my pup could get better, that progress was possible, and his quality of life could go up. While my pup and I have a lot of work to do, I definitely will be calling her for our next appointment to keep the progress going. I couldn't recommend her more! read more

Hi, I'm author/pet behaviorist Steve Duno. I have known Prestigious Pooch's Cora Wittekind for many years; she is a first rate trainer/behaviorist, able to train all manner of breeds and breed types, and to also modify problem behaviors of all kinds, including all forms of aggression, separation anxiety, rehabilitation, barking- everything a good trainer would see. Cora studied at the same school I did (The Academy of Canine Behavior, in Bothell, WA), albeit a decade or so apart. There, we were subjected to all manner of breeds and behavioral issues on a daily basis; in the course of a year there, trainers work with more dogs than most other trainers do in a lifetime. Creativity, flexibility, and insight were the keys we learned; Cora has those in spades. Aside from knowing breed-specific behaviors, and how to diagnose and creatively modify all manner of problem behaviors, Cora has excellent people skills, learned from years of working with owners, and with customers in general. When we worked together at The Downtown Dog Lounge in Seattle, I knew her to be a hard working trainer, a great manager of people, and a friendly, warm presence. I always looked forward to seeing her there. Cora's a great catch; if you have a chance to work with her, you won't regret it! read more

Working with Cora has been such a huge relief to the trials and tribulations of training a young dog. She not only provides hands-on training but helps to break down the psychology behind the various techniques she teaches. She has helped us to identify and curb the various behavioral issues happening within the dynamic of the home as well as providing helpful demonstrations with our dog on leash in our neighborhood. She caters not only to the sensitivity of the dog's needs but to the owner's as well. Highly recommend. read more

I can't begin to express how important Cora has been in the development of our beloved Shiba Inu, Shiro. As you may know Shibas are one of the more strong willed breeds and are often a challenge to train. Shiro Started with Cora at around 10-12 weeks. He spent several weeks one on one with her and her marvelous co-trainer Alice, her own dog. Alice taught Shiro how to properly interact with other Dogs and became a motherly figure to Shiro. When Shiro completed his first round of training it was so exciting to get to work with him and continue the irreplaceable skills he had mastered while with Cora. It was a real joy to take Shiro traveling everywhere with us and people were constantly marveling at how incredibly well trained he was, especially for a pup his age. I returned to our London home with Shiro and around the 1 year mark Shiro's instincts kicked in and he began to show serious territorial behavior. It became an issue and I was really feeling helpless and in a constant state of worry. Cora to the rescue! Cora traveled to London and worked with Shiro to get him through the issues in the places he was having trouble. To be honest I don't know what I would have done without Cora. I do know that Shiro would not be the dog he is today without her. Shiro is now back on track and through Cora's instruction I am now able to understand why Shiro was acting the way he was, as well as now having the tools to prevent/correct the behavior. I am a more confident dog owner because of Cora, she was always available to talk and by text, she was there for us through every issue or question. When we had an issue with walking on lead while visiting NYC with so many new smells and noises, Cora gave us clear and simple instructions that literally transformed our walks into an enjoyable experience for both Shiro and me. The transformation was night and day with just one conversation, I believe this is because Cora doesn't work to 'fix' your dog, she helps you to understand each other so that the commands used make sense and help to naturally aid in the relationship between you and your dog and any challenge that may come your way. I am also so thankful to have Cora board Shiro in times when I can't travel with him. Shiro always comes back fitter and happier than ever. When Cora comes to the house in LA for a training session and Shiro sees Cora, its as though he is being reunited with his best friend. He spins and cuddles right up to her, tail going, tongue wagging, eyes bright with a big puppy smile. He truly loves her and to have that piece of mind; that your dog and best friend is in a place he loves, doing things that make him happy and continuing to learn and grow while you are away from him is the best feeling in the world. I pray that Cora will be in my life for the rest of my time as a dog owner, which will be until I die. So Cora, you can never retire, we need you, and are blessed to have you in our lives. read more