Katie is amazing. She is incredibly skilled, really knows her stuff, and has a rare intuitive gift when it comes to connecting with dogs. She really works to help you and your dog develop a positive, trust-based relationship with a solid foundation of training and ongoing support as needed. But plan ahead! She is very popular and tends to book a few months out. read more

This review is probably almost a decade overdue. Katie has worked with me with several dogs, all rescues, all with very different issues and personalities. Most recently she was instrumental in working with my beloved problem child, Sarita, a rescued pit bull with some very deep-seated behaviors. No, we didn't get her to a place of losing her intense prey drive, but we were able to make so much progress over time. Katie is amazing. (There were more problems training some of the other humans in my family to be consistent. That was on us, not on Katie.) That dog (now gone) will always be my heart, and Katie went very much above and beyond for us, over and over. She is amazing, honest, and a delight. I learned a lot from her, and I know absolutely that I will ask her to work with me and whatever next rescue joins my journey through life. read more

Katie B. and I had scheduled a 10 minute consultation. We started just chatting, but she was also asking questions that about my service dog and I. We spoke longer than the consultation time, but Katie wasn't keeping track of time, because she wanted to help ToeBee (my service dog in training) and I. I like to be knowledgeable and do research , but Katie's knowledge has her as an expert. She was able to name a few things I didn't think, or find in my research, and it has been very helpful. Katie's suggestions have been very helpful already. She and I agreed for me to try somethings and contact her again if I needed more help and discuss options. I really enjoyed speaking with Katie and I am very grateful for her time and help. She has an special bond with animals, dogs especially. She I have shared love of a particular breed. Katie's help has been invaluable and although I'm not wealthy she is definitely worth her weight in gold. If you choose someone other than Katie then you are missing out, but your dog, a family member, deserves the best just like the rest of the family. Katie is one of the best. read more

I usually do not provide bad ratings, but unfortunately their policy needs to be clarified. Yes, the evaluation is separate from the training, so you are committed to paying them the first visit $150. On the other hand, they have NO commitment to you after the evaluation, and payment, to provide you the training that THEY promise. As a client I understand being busy, but if promises are provided and paid for, I would assume they would be followed through or atleast have the consideration to compensated for their overbooking. Make sure you fit into their schedule before you even think about their evaluation, or it's a waste of time and money. read more

I give this guy 2 stars only because he is educated in, and understands, dog behavior science. I do believe that his methods work. That being said I can't put in words how bad his visit was.He lied repeatedly during our session. He told me his company, which was started in 2010, is the only company in the world conducting research studies on dogs. He told me Cesar Millan was fired for killing 2 dogs at his research facilities, one of the dogs was the CEOs of National Geographic. That did not happen, I spent a long time today searching the internet and came up with nothing. He stepped on my dog's paw, causing him to yelp and limp the rest of the night. He did not listen or seem to even care about his current training, he wouldn't even listen to any techniques or commands my dog already knows. He tried to claim that he taught my dog to stop looking out the window when told, even though I taught him that. I had to leave the room to calm down multiple times during his visit because I was going to tell him to just leave my house. He kept referring to "trainers" as being inferior to him, even though he doesn't even have the "little cpdt" certification he considers to be so elementary. Let alone any significant behavior cert. He repeatedly cited "scientific" research performed from extremely limited test groups of dogs in limited environments. And when the "research" didn't agree with his views he all of a sudden said that sometimes personal experience is better than research studies. He let my dog jump on our leather couch, even after I told him multiple times that my dog isn't allowed to do that because he will scratch the couch. And originally he said that the total price of my dogs training would $1200. But when it came time to talk about price I found out the $1200 covered the obedience training, but working on my dog's aggression would be an extra $125-$250 per session. Although he knew at the time he gave the original quote that the whole reason we were looking for a behavior specialist was my dog's aggression. I could actually go on about how awful his 2 hour visit was, because there are more negative things to say about it....It was a waste of $200. read more

I'm a way overdue for my review but better something than nothing. I reached out to The Pawsitive Packleader bout' a year now. At the time I had a 1 yr old labrador husky mix and she was giving me a really hard time in regards to following orders and being somewhat aggressive. My bf didn't have a problem w/ the dog since I guess the dog looked at him as the alpha but me in the other hand, was no where to be near my bf's level. That's when I reached out to the team and my pup and I met Katie. Katie is awesome! Just awesome! Her vibe and friendliness from the beginning is incredible. My dog loved her from the beginning and since day 1 my dog started doing and following commands taught by Katie. The cool thing is that Katie will teach your dog very patiently and then she teaches you how to do the commands yourself w/ your dog and she will not leave the session until you are doing it right, and I though that was amazing. It is a bit expensive but it is TOTALLY worth it, and even more, if you really love and want to be in better relationship with you dog. A year has passes since we had our 10 sessions w/ Katie and my dog and are in a much better place, she follows my commands, she stopped being aggressive with me and she is as loving as I knew she could be. read more

I am also one of those people writing a review that is years overdue but working with a new foster dog reminded me how lucky I was to have found Katie at Positive Packleader. She worked with me and my current dog, who was a rescue with major aggression issues. She taught the dog a lot, of course, but more importantly she taught me how to be a better and more attuned and intelligent dog owner. Now my dog is remarkable and people comment on how well trained - and cute- she is. I cannot praise Katie enough. I have recommended her to friends and all the people that I have transferred foster dogs to for adoption. read more

I was simply blown away by the amount and level of help we received from these guys. One of our dogs has some issues that have been really hard to deal with, but where other trainers have failed, these guys have definitely helped us make some amazing progress. We did an in home consultation where a team member came over to see our dogs in their environment and interview us about our relationship with them and the concerns that we have. Patti, our trainer, was extremely knowledgeable about what makes a dog tick, including the science behind nutrition and biology. Her love for dogs was evident and really resonated with us as owners who want our dogs to live happy lives. She gave us some incredibly useful information and was able to clarify a lot of what was going on behind our dogs' behavioral issues. Just having talked with her, we felt like we understood our dogs a lot better than before and have thus been able to make some changes that have proven to be beneficial in surprising ways. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I will definitely be giving these guys a call in the near future to get started on a customized plan for our pups. I give these guys my highest recommendation! read more

My wife and I have worked with Prescott to train our third bullmastiff, Raylan, starting at about 16 weeks. Raylan is naturally smart and curious, more so than our first two bullmastiffs. Prescott has helped my wife and me really learn and understand Raylan's thought processes. This has lead to great training an bonding break-throughs. We just completed a ten-pack of in-house training and will continue with more advanced training. Highly recommend but, remember you must invest your time too. You have to do the homework (which is the really rewarding part anyway.) read more

Working with Patti is very rewarding. Our dog is a rescue, and has issues with anxiety, especially around strangers and other dogs. The front door is a huge trigger, and when new people come over (or even people he knows), he gets very fear-aggressive. Patti was completely upfront about fees, and at the first consultation/evaluation, simply recommended that we change Rusty's food and then re-evaluate his behavior. She could have sold us a whole training package, but instead she gave us her nutritional expertise and went her merry way. I was so comfortable with her methods, her demeanor, her intuition, though, that I vowed we would reconnect when I had time to really work with her. We started training sessions last December with the goal of having a relatively harmonious visit with the in-laws (5 people staying at our house!) in February. Due to scheduling conflicts on both sides, we had fewer training sessions than I had hoped, and I was really worried that we hadn't made enough progress to achieve what I wanted in February. But Rusty was AMAZING with my husband's family -- there was not a single bark in the first 20 minutes, and even when the chaos got to him, he was easier to calm down. He spent the week getting love and attention, and I only had to use the "time out" training method a few times. I'm so excited to continue working with Patti, and I have a LONG list of all the friends that I can now invite over to visit! With Patti's expertise, my commitment, and Rusty's smarts, I'm hopeful that one day he might even have dog friends. This is a far cry from the days when I thought I would never be able to have a normal life while Rusty was around. read more

In my third year of college (out of state) I decided to rescue a dog. What I didn't know was that she was severely abused and had more insecurities than any dog I had ever seen. No trainer I talked to seem to have a grasp on how to tackle her issues but I thanked my lucky stars when I met Prescott! He is beyond what many of us refer to as a dog whisperer, but he is very modest so he would never say so himself. Layla made progress faster than I ever thought possible. Now she can walk down to street without reacting to every single dog, greet a stranger with a "say hi" command and walk calmly into the vet. He truly understands dog behavior and most importantly he understands how dogs think and what is needed to reprogram (so to speak) and create strong positive interactions for a dog. When I got her she hated men but Prescott was "the cookie man" and from day one she was absolutely crazy about him. Within a few sessions Prescott had Layla walking off leash which wasn't even the intended goal. We worked on desensitization with strange dogs on leash. We worked on her fear of the vet, men and strange objects. He can not only find a solution to any dogs troubles but he takes the time to "train" the human and teach us what he is doing, why it works and how to keep working on the issues long after he is around. I can't say enough about Prescott and anyone looking for a trainer for any issue, big or small, should consult Prescott. If we didn't move to Los Angeles we would still be working with him, there is always more to learn, even if its just for Layla and I to learn one of the thousands of dog games Prescott knows to keep my dog healthy and happy! Oh! and did I mention the pawsitive packleader will even help you keep your dog in shape! When my senior year got a little to crazy I hired Richard to take Layla on runs! Can't beat that! read more

These folks are nothing short of amazing. I have been working with Katie primarily, though we did meet Patti for a nutrition session. We have a rescued pit bull, now about 2 years old, and she is almost ready to take and pass the Canine Good Citizenship test. What a difference positive training makes, and how comfortable she is in new situations, something that was terror when we got her is now just another day. (I mean things like "a person in a hat," not an actually dangerous situation.) My only wish was that we had met Katie earlier, with another dog in our lives. She would have been so much happier and healthier if we'd known then what we know now. Their prices are steep but fair, and I never felt like they were being over-paid - The dog adores her, I adore her, and we've all learned so very much!!! Give them a shot, they are great trainers!!! read more

This review is years overdue... My husband and I are so grateful we found Katie at Pawsitive Packleader to help us with our rescue dog back in 2015. We were hoping to get help with resource-guarding behavior, particularly with toys around other dogs. Katie was fantastic to work with, and we learned so much about how to communicate more effectively with our dog. We were able to greatly improve our voice control, and the whole experience was positive and fun for us and our dog. We loved learning from Katie, and she absolutely inspired us to achieve an even better understanding of our dog's behavior. We have also made some positive changes to our dog's diet based on her advice. Highly recommend. read more

We contacted Prescott Breeden to help us with our pup Zella as she was the biggest challenge we had ever encountered. Our family was pulling in many different directions in our efforts to train her and it was causing tension in our household. In our first session with Prescott, he spent a generous amount of time with us explaining thoroughly the scientific basis of canine motivation and drives, and helped us understand our dog's behaviour calmly and rationally. In our next three sessions he showed us ways to work with her that were both practical, fun and highly effective. He worked well with our children also, involving them in the process and always communicating comfortably and respectfully. We never thought we could afford a private trainer, but it was beyond our knowledge how to help our dog. After experiencing Prescott's methods, I am firmly convinced that our money was spent well. We could have spent the same amount of money elswhere and had a much less effective and enjoyable experience. We learned a lot and Zella is now a happier dog and we are a happier family! read more

I will be eternally grateful for getting introduced to Pawsitive Packleader. I have two Pit Bull mixes that I've rescued that both had issues needed to be worked on, and Katie has helped TREMENDOUSLY. One of my dogs has every issue you can think of, separation anxiety, reactive on leash, destructive chewing, etc. With her help and support I've been able to manage all of these issues and continue to work on them. My guy is now able to be at home in his crate without howling and barking until the neighbors complain and it is the biggest relief. Most importantly, she has given me hope that these behavior quirks can be managed with repetition and dedication. I've never felt more confident as a dog owner and hander I have recommended her to many friends and colleagues and would do the same for anyone struggling with something with their pup. Seriously, the best. read more

When I moved to the area from Virginia, my reactive pit bull, Flint, was having a tough time. I could not have visitors and walking him was a nightmare. We had several trainers in VA, group and individual. I called several trainers in the area and even enrolled my guy at a local day training facility. Having all that experience, I can say that The Pawsitive Packleader gives the most individualized and holistic training available. Their exercise, training and nutrition approach is unique and effective. I highly recommend them for reactive dogs or any training. As a consumer, I do not trust five star rating, and that is the only reason I gave them four. read more

Prescott is amazing! Even though we dearly loved our little dog we were at our wits end and considered surrendering him to a rescue. But a friend recommended the Pawsitive Packleader. Our dog was aggressive at the door with strangers and had the habit of biting anyone who entered. Through Prescott's diligent and patient assistance we were able to cure our dog's bad behavior. We can't receommend him highly enough! read more

I called Pawsitive Packleader practically in tears one night as our dog - who was being walked on a leash and had an unleashed dog run directly at his face - bit that dog. We had adopted him only months prior and when that happened, I assumed we had adopted an aggressive dog who would continue to attack random dogs on our walks. I talked to Patti initially who told me that a lot of dogs will react the way mine did in unknown situations ... that dogs may choose 'fight' as you've taken away their 'flight' option by having them on a leash. She was very kind, knowledgeable and calming. I set up an assessment appointment with Katie and we all fell in love with her from the get go. She's energetic, highly skilled, full of information and very personable. We signed up for the full 8 class package as neither my husband nor I had ever done any dog training. I will admit to being hesitant due to the price - it seems like a lot of money to spend at once on a dog. BUT let me assure you that it's well worth every penny! The training sessions were a blast - we had so much fun! It was a lot of work and we learned so much... I feel like you get more than what you pay for. We definitely looked forward to them. I would not hesitate to recommend Katie & Co to anyone who has a dog with behavioral issues... or even just little quirks to work on. read more

Patti at Pawsitive Packleader came highly recommended to us, and I cannot even begin to explain how grateful we are for the recommendation. Patti & Prescott came over for an in-home consultation the first weekend we had our puppy at home, and I immediately saw how much they knew about dogs, and how deeply they care about their clients. It is worth every penny (and so much more)!! After researching several dog breeds and breeders, my wife and I decided to get a Vizsla, knowing full well the amount of work it would take us to train her to be the dog we want her to be. Even though our pup is incredibly mellow, she still has plenty of the high-strung tendencies the breed is known for. We thought we were prepared....but thank god for Patti! She was unbelievably patient with us as we (it was mostly me) asked every single question that came to mind. For us, it was like having a little baby, and with every visit, we felt more and more secure about the decisions we were making as "parents." In a lot of ways, Patti did as much for our confidence as brand new pet owners as she did for our little one. Our puppy immediately fell in love with Patti which made the training sessions enjoyable for everyone. There were a few times where my wife and I couldn't get our schedules together, and Patti was understanding and rescheduled our training sessions without any problems. There were also a few weeks where we were bad mommies and didn't do the homework we said we would. Patti never made us feel bad about that - we just picked up where we left off like nothing had happened. Having Patti meet us at our apartment was absolutely perfect for us & very much appreciated. One of the greatest lessons we learned from Patti was that we never need to raise our voice to our puppy, never need to use a choke collar, or shock collar, but we use a time-out system. We obviously don't frivolously give our dog a time-out, but when she misbehaves when we have guests, they simply cannot believe that when we give her a time-out, she simply trots over to her time out spot and waits to be released. It gets the job done EVERY time. Now we only have to threaten a time-out to get her to make a better decision about her behavior. The treats that Patti provided, the brain boosters, were her favorite treat! it made us feel so much better as parents to use positive reinforcement in our dog's training than to have to punish. Don't get me wrong, there were our fair share of frustrations when she was younger, but Patti was there for us every step of the way. Its been several months since our last training session, and our puppy (who is almost 1!!) is exactly who we wanted her to be and that is without a doubt because of Patti! Patti was so unbelievably great, that we miss our training sessions! I truly cannot recommend Patti and Pawsitive Packleader enough. read more

We have a three year old Sheltie who was rehomed with us when he was 14 weeks old. He came with some behavior challenges. We have worked repeatedly with the Pawsitive Packleader and our family continues to benefit daily from the training, research, support, and information from the "Team"...it doesn't come better than this! We continue to recommend them to those in our circle. read more

The Pawsitive Packleader saved my dog! After adopting a rescue who'd had a very rough road before coming into our lives we were overwhelmed when she started showing signs of agression. I'll never forget the day I called Prescott and told him our story, he immediately told me that he could help and that we were going to find a way to rehabilitate our furry friend. Our first meeting was rough. Our dog doesn't like strangers, let alone a man in her house. He chatted with us for two hours and we resolved to meet again at the park to let our girl get to know him better. It only took 20 minutes before she was fetching the ball and learning tricks from Prescott. Finally, we saw light at the end of the tunnel. Fast forward a year and you'll find our four legged companion loving life. She has improved leeps and bounds since the first session. She still has some more learning to do, but we couldn't be more pleased with her progress. I am so grateful that our dog has an advocate like Prescott. We were told by more than one vet that we should put our dog down and he would never have let that happen. If you're looking for a positive trainer who has knowledge and experience, then look no further! read more

We needed help with our Pomeranian, Dixie. She is a 3 year old that had been in the kennel way too long before we got her....so she had alot of bad kennel habits. Peeing in the house ( even though its on a pad) and barking incessantly at anything that moved or made a sound. Our trainer, Patti is absolutely the kindest, most understanding and knowledgeable person we have ever encountered. She came to our house and gave us alot of lessons on how to work with our little girl and to reprogram the bad habits. Also Patti explained the side of nutrition that we had never known. Both our Poms are on a raw diet and to me its worth the extra effort rather than opening a can or giving them kibble. I would recommend Pawsitive Packleader in a New York minute. Patti is wonderful and we are grateful for her help in explaining the workings of the canine world. read more

Our dog, Sammi, is a 4 1/2 year golden retriever. She came from a puppy mill, where she was kept in an enclosed wooden box for the first several weeks of her life, where she had no human interaction and was therefore skittish and cowardly around people. She was hyper and didn't know how to relax. She didn't know how to be friendly. I loved her, in the sense that I would protect her, but I didn't like her...then my wife did some research on dog training and decided to place a call to Pawsitive Packleader. The VERY BEST decision we ever made! Our trainer was Patti...and I say "our" because she taught us just as much as she taught Sammi. Changing Sammi's diet was a BIG deal! We actually had an appt with the vet to have her teeth cleaned, while having her sedated, but we cancelled because of the amazing change in her breath, saliva, and teeth! She quit chewing on her feet and her chronic yeast infections in her ears disappeared! Patti's knowledge about dogs and their behavior and needs in "our world" is fascinating, to say the least. Sammi's new found confidence, through Patti's training, is obvious to our friends and family. They're amazed at how calm and friendly she's become. Never having had any human interaction in those first crucial weeks and months of her life, she didn't know how to be, she didn't know what was expected of her, and Patti helped us ALL learn. I didn't like Sammi for a long time...I loved her, in the sense that I would protect her, but I didn't like her...and now?! OMG, I've fallen so in like with Sammi! ...I cannot recommend Pawsitive Packleader enough and especially Patti! Thank you, Patti, for helping us to come to a better understanding of each other and a much happier family! read more

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We and our Havanese puppy Diego have benefitted greatly from Richard's skillful training. Richard visits Diego a few times a week while we're at work and always has a variety of things he works on including fun games. We've been impressed with Richard's knowledge as well as the ease with which he gets Diego to respond to commands. It's great to come home to a puppy that's smarter and better behaved than when you left him. Richard has been super dependable and flexible, and always sends texts and or videos regarding puppy progress. We are fortunate to have had Pawsitive Packleader recommended to us by another well-reviewed dog trainer. read more

Galahad worships Prescott and I adore my Golden Galahad. To see my puppy obey every one of Prescott's commands, given so quietly and with such gentle authority, is so reassuring. Prescott helps my pup feel relaxed and secure. I have learned so much from Prescott and I have tried to mirror his methods. Now Galahad and I have a perfect relationship and I credit Prescott for making what I thought was a well trained dog into the best companion ever. read more

I give Pawsitive Packleader a 5 Star Rating. I was extremely impressed with Patti Howard our personal dog trainer. Patti trained my Golden Retriever puppy Monty from 9 weeks old until he was about 15 weeks old. She completely conformed to our busy schedules and made it work. Patti came to our home 2 a weeks for 10 weeks and trained Monty to sit, walk nice, come when called, shake (we say paw), lay down, spin, the list goes on. Patti not only trained Monty to perform these tasks but she trained my girlfriend and I to teach Monty these things in a Pawsitive way. Patti showed a great interest in teaching Monty these things. People are so impressed to see how well behaved my 4 month ago puppy is when we walk by them in the streets. Patti's expertise on Dog Nutrition was an extra plus, I learned so much about the harm behind dog kibble and we plan to have Monty on as natural of a diet as our schedules allow. He is on dehydrated dog food that is USDA approved. The dog world would be a better place if Patti were able to train all dogs. Positivity and commitment are two things that a dog really needs but your dog can only be trained well if you as the trainer know how to train. If you are looking to hire a dog trainer, hire Patti Howard! Patti worked out a custom payment schedule with us to fit our budget to make the training work! Our relationship with Patti is still great and she checks on Monty periodically and she plans to come and cook him his own natural meal. She knows how to train people to train dogs. Money very well spent!!! read more

We had the best experience with Pawsitive Packleader. Our trainer, Patti Howard is fantastic! We called her when we first got our puppy at 9 weeks old. It was important to us to start as early as possible with training and we are so happy we did. We found the site online and had not never worked with a trainer before. Patti is very friendly and professional. I felt like we had a friend with us every week. Our puppy responded to her right away and is growing up to be quite well behaved. We purchased a 10 pack of sessions and it was worth every penny. Every session was customized to our lifestyle and our puppy's needs. Patti's experience and knowledge is very Impressive. She understands dogs in a very special way and sincerely cares. I think that's why she was such a great fit for us. We highly recommend Patti and Pawsitve Packleader. Patti also makes the best dog treats that our puppy loves!! read more

I cannot say enough good things about Katie. She has done wonders for our two Pit mixes and us. She has helped us in all dimensions of dog training to help shape their behavior so they are well on their way to becoming breed ambassadors. Katie is dedicated to our success and has been able to completely and clearly handle any questions we have. She had made a huge difference in our lives and our dog's lives. We just completed another lesson yesterday where she helped us solve the redirection problem we were having with our dogs that we were completely lost how to address. Katie has helped us understand all nuances of dog behavior and has deepened our understanding of our best friends. She has transformed our lives! I would give her six stars on this review if I could! read more

The Pawsitive Packleader is AMAZING. Our dog, Roman, was struggling with aggression and reactivity and even got to the point where he had bitten someone. We were absolutely desperate. Then, Katie from Pawsitive Packleader saved the day! She was clearly highly informed and knowledgeable about all things dog related, and immediately bonded with both me and Roman. Roman loved her visits and so did I. I cannot even emphasize how much I learned; I have been asked recently if I am a dog trainer! This is absolutely the work of Katie! Roman has made incredible strides and is a different dog than he was four short months ago with only 6 sessions with Katie. She was also there providing support via texting when I needed it. I would give this company 100 stars if I could because they literally changed our lives for the better. I was a little nervous at first because it is not cheap, but it is BEYOND worth it. I now feel properly trained to train another dog and work out any kinks that Roman develops in the future or continues to struggle with now. Some of the other things that I appreciated about Katie were that she never pushed anything on us and was very patient with me while I was learning the new skills needed. Also, she never rushed out right at the end of a session; she always made sure that Roman and I had the skills down that we were working on so that we could practice them. I can't possibly think of one bad thing to say about this company. If your dog has ANY issues at all, I give The Pawsitive Packleader my absolute highest recommendation. read more