I highly recommend Karen's service. They are patient and easy to learn from. So far, Karen taught me improved strategies for calm walks in the park, mentally stimulating activities, and provided supplemental files to refer to as we enjoy and grow together. Karen is a wonderful teacher/trainer and I look forward to more sessions as time permits. read more

SunDog Therapy - Our Apollo. - Occupational Therapy Near Me

I adopted my dog Chloe over a year ago who was rescued from a puppy mill in Korea. She is about 9 years old and caged most of her life so she was just re-entering the real world. Karen helped me get Chloe acclimated as she was leash reactive wanting to greet every dog we see on walks. It was important to me that Chloe was trained through a positive reinforcement approach and Karen's methods are aligned with my preference. She also taught me how to handle all her triggers, how to emergency u-turn, and suggested a type of no pull harness that was a game changer. I stayed consistent with her methods and Chloe learned very quickly. She now walks relaxed on a loose leash next to me and can learn to let go when seeing other dogs. After a year, Chloe started barking furiously nonstop in her car seat. Karen helped suggest a new car set up that instantly removed Chloe's anxiety. She now rides quietly in the backseat laying down. I also really appreciate Karen's detailed notes, links to suggested products, and next steps outlined each time after a training session. I still continue to use Karen as needed but training on different areas to help Chloe continue to thrive. We are so grateful for Karen's guidance and she is always so kind and patient with Chloe during the training sessions. It has enhanced not only Chloe's livelihood but also mine as we embark on life together. I'm so glad to have Karen be part of Chloe's support team as she now lives her best life. read more

SunDog Therapy - Chloe resting now in the backseat. - Occupational Therapy Near Me

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Highly recommend Karen from SunDog Therapy to all dog owners, especially new dog owners. We have been training our new puppy with Karen for about 4 months now. She is extremely knowledgeable and great to work with. After each training session, she sends a detailed training plan with plenty of supplemental information from other credible dog trainers. read more

SunDog Therapy - Occupational Therapy Near Me

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We met Karen and her therapy dogs a few weeks ago in our search to help our 3 y/old child with Autism. We will do indoor/outdoor sessions and even pool sessions! She was very accommodating and she definitely helps build the foundation in helping our child improve her social skills. She has a very special skill set and we believe that with the right amount of patience and perseverance, this therapy sessions can definitely help open a lot of possibilities to help our child with all her fine/gross motor, sensory and OT needs. Unfortunately, our insurance does not cover Autism related therapies(sucks big time) so we are doing private pay services. We explained our situation to Karen and she will definitely work with you. We are very excited for our lil one and we look forward to more sessions with Karen and her awesome therapy dogs Dottie and Tater! read more

SunDog Therapy - Occupational Therapy Near Me

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Karen has worked with me and my two pups, Charlie and Lucy, since they were about 1.5 years old. They are now almost 3 years old we continue to learn so much from Karen; at this point we think of her (and Dottie and Tater) as permenant members of our pack! As a trainer, what impresses me most about Karen aside from her professional/educational certificates and knowledge in her field, is her keen observational skills of both the human and the pups. Both of my pups live with various levels of reactivity toward humans and other dogs. Karen has taught me how to better understand their reactions and triggers, and how I can better manage their environment and my own behavior to set them up for success. Having Karen's guidance has made a huge positive difference in our lives. read more

SunDog Therapy - Occupational Therapy Near Me

When I brought home my 6 week old Australian shepherd Kobe, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. With minimal dog training experience with a high maintenance breed, i felt that it was best to get my dog into some sort of basic puppy obedience training. The search for a dog trainer Was rather a stressful process. I had several consultations with popular dog training agencies, and most I've stumbled upon utilized methods such as E Collar training. Although I didn't exactly what I was looking for, these types of dog training methods didn't sit well with me. After a relentless search for a dog trainer right for Kobe and myself, I decided to contact the AKC family dog director who referred us to Sundog Therapy and needless to say I couldn't be more happy with the services provided by Kobe's trainer, Karen. She was very communicative, flexible and patient in educating us on reward based and positive reinforcement methods. Through these methods, I can now take my dog out in public to socialize with other people and other dogs without any insecurities. I would recommend Sun Dog Therapy to any family/friends in a heartbeat! read more

SunDog Therapy - Occupational Therapy Near Me

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Karen was so very helpful! She taught us how to respond to our lab and gave us lots of great tips to manage him on the leash, diminish jumping, etc. She is easy to work with and a real joy. She cares for animals and has a very kind demeanor. read more

I have been doing the Wellness activity with Karen and her sweet dogs- Dottie and Tator. It has really helped me overcome my fear of dogs. I never thought that I would grow to love dogs, but I do now!!! In addition, it is a real stress reliever and has eased my anxiety in general. I love the agility training, making doggie treats and toys, and the nose exercises. read more

I have been working with Karen virtually for about 10 months now to train my therapy dog to be. I have loved working with Karen and love that she uses positive reinforcement based teachings. Her background as a Occupational Therapist made her a perfect fit for what I was looking for. I would definitely recommend her! read more

Karen at Sun Dog Therapy was referred for training my adorable, yet misbehaving, dog. We have worked with her both virtually and in-person with great results in 9 sessions. Make no mistake - when you work with Karen, you are being gently trained as well! She has endless suggestions for providing mental stimulation and games for dogs to combat boredom. She understands, loves, and respects dogs and is committed to helping others connect with their canines. Session fees are comparable to other trainers in our area; however, there is an added bonus here - she creates and updates personalized training plans to Google Docs following each session and is available for questions. Not enough stars to demonstrate my highest regard for her skillful work. Looking forward to continuing training next year. read more

I highly recommend Sun Dog Therapy! My husband and I just adopted a 1 1/2 year old husky, who was very anxious most of the time. For myself, as a first-time pet mom, I had several questions and wanted to make sure we knew how to address her anxiety with effective dog training. I am glad we found Dr. Karen. She thoughtfully answered all of our questions and gave us several helpful resources. We did virtual dog training sessions, where she was able to model different positive reinforcement strategies with her dogs and we would copy and receive immediate feedback. Dr. Karen's unique background and skills were evident in the way she considered our specific needs, especially in how to set up an environment where our dog can thrive. With her knowledge and expertise, we feel more confident as dog owners, and our dog is happy, more confident, and has transitioned smoothly into her new home. Thank you, Sun Dog Therapy! read more

SunDog Therapy - Our happy girl! - Occupational Therapy Near Me

SunDog Therapy was exactly what I'd been looking for for my preschooler on the autism spectrum. He connected with Dr. Karen Ni and her furry assistants immediately, working with them for about a year doing Occupational Therapy. It would have been longer if it weren't for an educational change I'd made for my son that affected our ability to continue. As a mom who's worked with all kinds of health care professionals and therapists for so many years, there is nothing more satisfying than finding that one special therapist whose perspective and approach is the right match for your child. She's also a wonderful dog trainer. She later worked with my family through private lessons helping us set some foundational skills for a new puppy we adopted. She was very flexible and listened to our family's needs during that time to help make the training experience truly valuable, and our puppy loved her! We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to have worked with SunDog. We use so many of the skills we learned through them to this day, both human and puppy skills! read more

I love Karen's unique approach to occupational therapy incorporating her dogs while doing therapy with clients. I had the privilege of meeting with her and she is very professional and passionate about what she does. I would highly recommend SunDog Therapy to those parents seeking occupational therapy services for their children. read more

Our ADHD son worked with Karen (and Dottie and Tater Tot) over the summer, and we had a great experience. He can be really challenging to motivate and keep on task, especially with writing, but he looked forward to each visit and showed real improvement. He's worked with a lot of occupational therapists, and we've found her to be the most thorough and innovative. She gave us thoughtful evaluation and discharge reports, and had a great, creative, individualized plan for each session. We strongly recommend her services for any child who is motivated by dogs. She is calm but firm; the perfect blend for our child. We would love to continue working with her and her team except that we are only here for the summer. read more