Wow I don't even know where to begin about what a wonderful dog trainer Karishma is. I have known Karishma for 2 years now, and I don't know where my dogs and I would be if it weren't for Karishma. As background, like many New Yorkers, I grew up with dogs in the suburbs and never thought of hiring a dog trainer. My dogs were fine! They sat, peed and pooped outside, and loved me. My boyfriend also grew up with a dog, so when we got our first puppy together we thought it would be easy. Wrong. Being a dog in the city and being a dog in the suburbs IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I could go on and on about this... But the point is that my boyfriend and I struggled with our little puppy. We tried EVERY dog trainer in NYC (Andrea Arden, Instinct, local ones, etc) Anders everyone was telling us things we could read online. Then we met Karishma. Karishma connected with our puppy right away and came up with clear steps to fix certain issues (leash tugging, barking at drunk people and skateboards) and THE STEPS WORKED. Not only is Karishma incredibly skilled and efficient with dogs, but she is also amazing with people. She was always there for us when we needed last minute advice. She scheduled a last minute session the day we got our second puppy because we were grossly underprepared. Everyone I have referred to Karishma has only said wonderful things about her. I have brought my dogs to Italy, Dominican Republic, California, Prague, and more... it all would not have been possible without Karishma. read more

While our dog was not a "pandemic puppy" she has had the unfortunate experience of spending almost her first full year of life in quarantine and thus lacks the confidence and social skills we want her to have to be successful. Initially was skeptical that a digital format wouldn't offer much value, having only ever trained in person, both group and 1-1 training. That said, I'm sure i'm not alone in the experience of having the trainer cue and support your dog in a behavior in class, only to feel miserably lost at home. I have to say I am TOTALLY sold on the incredible value that Calm Canine Academy offers! The digital format worked great, in fact, I think it was better than in person. In-person means other people energy, totally confident and competent trainers, not to mention dog energy and smells that are distracting. Doing the training in our home really allowed Willow to be comfortable. Karishma did an awesome job in "god mode" watching, making observations, and providing feedback on what she saw. It was clear that she's done her homework on both dogs AND humans and could pick up on even the smallest body language communications over zoom. She was also HILARIOUS - I felt like I was watching a Netflix documentary... I'm so hooked that I immediately signed up for some digital 1-1 training because I feel confident she can help me work to support my wonderful dog with some behaviors that are holding her back. 100% recommend! read more

My girlfriend and I adopted a puppy, and we met Karishma at a puppy playgroup that she ran. I thought it was a waste of money to pay to let my puppy play with other dogs, but Karishma and Calm Canine Academy is different. We brought our puppy to puppy playtimes at Andrea Arden, vet offices, petsmart, petco, friends' homes... and our puppy was SO scared! I didn't know what was wrong with her. These socialization things were making her worse! Our puppy would shake in the park and when others would hold her. She would even bark at other dogs. We were so worried that maybe she had been abused. Thank goodness my girlfriend found Karishma and Nicole at Calm Canine Academy. Karishma and Nicole told us to give our puppy time and space and make her feel comfortable until she is ready to play with dogs. They told us how to create a safe zone in our lap and taught us when to reward her for making "good decisions." After a few sessions, our fuzzball was playing! It was incredible! Now our puppy is a year old and is a star at family gatherings and at the park. I can't thank Karishma and Nicole enough for helping our puppy open up and be brave. They were so patient, and every dog owner in NYC needs to try at least one puppy playgroup with Karishma or Nicole at Calm Canine Academy. read more

We continue to love working with Karishma and everyone at Calm Canine Academy. I've been impressed with how well they have adjusted to a digital format. We have continued 30-minute private sessions to make sure Elphie is staying up to date with her behaviors and also working on ensuring a smooth transition once we can resume normal day to day interactions. Karishma is so helpful in figuring out what we need to do now to make it a smooth transition in the future! We have also been taking two of the digital group classes, Tricks 101 and Barkour. It's something fun and social to do right now, and I'm so impressed with Karishma's ability to help over video. We send video updates of our "homework" for each class during the week via a group chat with other students and receive feedback immediately. Barkour has helped me figure out a way to keep Elphie occupied while we are spending so much time at home, and we can use regular household items. The classes are a good price, and the price is lower than other dog trainers offering similar options. While we are enjoying the current setup, Elphie still can't wait to see Karishma in person again! read more

I cannot begin to say how thankful I am for Calm Canine Academy! I was an in person client and was concerned with the efficacy of virtual training, but decided to give it a try given everything going on with COVID. I have done both private sessions and a tricks course virtually and both have been amazing and worked wonders on my very bitey and barky puppy!!! The difference in my dog Bowie is so noticeable and really remarkable in such a short period of time. Karishma is amazing, she is truly a dog whisperer and adapts her training to each dogs needs and personality. For example, in tricks she would assign each dog different homework each week based on their individual progress and areas for improvement. There is also a message group with the other pawrents in the virtual training course where we send videos, ask for advice and get to know other dog parents. It's really created a community in such a socially isolating time. I already signed up for my second virtual course and am so excited to start. Thank you Karishma and Calm Canine Academy!!!! read more

My husband and I have the sweetest 6 month old aussiedoodle puppy. She has a hard time focusing and relaxing when she's outside on her leash with all the stimulation in NYC. We've been researching trainers and have worked with a couple but were still having trouble. We read about Karishma and immediately knew we had to work with her. Today we had our initial consultation and we absolutely loved her! She really took time to learn about Maggie and the specific things that she's reactive to before giving us some exercises and talking us through a training plan for her. She was so encouraging, fun and clearly very knowledgeable. She followed up our session with an email containing tons of info and homework for us to work on. We're so excited to continue working with Karishma. We can already tell she is who we need to help get our sweet girl comfortable and confident on our overwhelming streets! read more

I would give more stars if Yelp let me! I feel the folks at Calm Canine Academy approach dog training as teaching with compassion, positive reinforcement, and science-based knowledge. I have learned so much from them about how to communicate with my dog, Alma, and how to listen to her and what she is trying to tell me so that I can better meet her needs. Through their Calm Canine Masterclass, I gained invaluable skills to help Alma with reactivity (she's a nervous nelly) and relaxation, some fear-based reactions, and even everyday things every guardian needs to know, like loose leash walking, leave it, recall, etc. What I've learned from CCA and their ongoing support has made me a more understanding, educated, and empathic friend and guardian for my dog. In turn, she's a happier and better dog for me, too! Needless to say, they are the best, hands down. read more

We had our first virtual training session with Nicole from Calm Canine Academy and wow; it was amazing. We wanted to work on techniques for Geordi to entertain himself in the evenings rather than always coming to us for play and entertainment, and Nicole sure delivered! She gave us advice for games and activities we could immediately implement for Geordi with existing toys and household items. She sent us a summary of everything we discussed so we could review all the session notes at any time. It was SO convenient to do the training virtually. My favorite technique we learned is to feed Geordi his dinner in an entertaining way. A fun game is burying his kibble or treats in his toy box so he has to dig and search for his prize. This has been so mentally stimulating for him! Overall, this was a great experience. Highly recommended! read more

We did a virtual training session with Ingrid over Zoom. We had such a great time and I learned so many new things about some of my pups behaviors. Ingrid had answers to all of my questions - and trust me, I had TONS of questions. We've been struggling with our pup's jumping on people to greet them, and Ingrid gave us a few different training techniques to try out. She also recommended some great nourishment activities to do throughout the day. We have been integrating what we've learned and it's been going great! Meal times are happier, greetings are calmer, and all around we have one happy pup! SO happy with our training session and the very thorough report that followed with all the details we discussed. It's nice to have all the information handy for future reference! read more

I started searching for a new dog trainer when it became clear our rescue dog was suffering from anxiety and reacting out of fear against other dogs. We had our first in-home consultation with Karishma from Calm Canine Academy and it was clear right from the start that she understood our dog and his reactions. She was able to understand his personality and create a training plan for him that was suitable and realistic. Other trainers we have met have given us "set training plans" which did not take the limitations of our dog into consideration. Karishma was great and was able to create a bespoke training plan for him and us. The rest of her team are great too, very responsive and communicative. We plan to continue to work with her to build our dogs confidence and skills. read more

Karishma has been my dog trainer for my own dogs and for my foster dog for about 3 years on-and-off. She has been a godsend with all 3 dogs. Each dog has been so different and all of her training advice was tailored to their needs as well as mine. Her explanations and demonstrations are thorough as well as easy to follow and implement. You can tell she has a real love for the dogs she works with, and it's wonderful to see how she communicates with them! Im currently working with Karishma with my new young rescue who has urban anxiety and a lot of impulse control work to do! I would highly recommend Calm Canine Academy to anyone with a dog, whether it be basic manners stuff or more complex behavioural issues. We couldn't have gotten this far without Karishma. read more

We met with Ingrid at Calm Canine Academy via Zoom. She was very warm and welcoming. We explained that when we let our pups out to play in the backyard, they consistently run to the fence and bark at the neighbor dogs. Ingrid gave us a strategy so that the pups could enjoy backyard play and not be so concerned about the neighbor dogs. She taught us how to make a snuffle box with treats. From there, our human made a snuffle mat using fleece scraps of material. The pups love it and the strategy worked! Now our pups can go outside to play and not be as concerned with what the neighbor dogs are doing! They go straight to the snuffle mat filled with treats. Thank you Ingrid for your thoroughness in explaining the strategy and also explain how our pups minds work. read more

I'm so happy we found Calm Canine Academy. We've been working with Ingrid on our rescue's multiple behavior concerns (dog reactivity, stranger reactivity, separation anxiety, and noise sensitivity) for a few months now and I cannot imagine going on this journey without Ingrid and CCA. Ingrid is incredibly smart, supportive, and insightful. She has helped us deepen our bond with our dog and troubleshoot a wide variety of issues. I love the virtual sessions, which allow us to keep our dog comfortable and relaxed while getting feedback in our home. Highly recommend booking a package for the "trainer in your pocket" service. I wish every person with a dog worked with humane and evidence-based trainers like the staff at CCA. read more

We reached out to Karishma because my husband started working in an office and we needed office dog training. Karishma started with a private session with the 2 of us and Phoebe. Phoebe wouldn't stop barking when people entered the room and kept running around during meetings. Karishma taught us how to communicate with Phoebe, and Karishma herself went to my husband's office to train Phoebe. The office dog training service is amazing. Phoebe is great now. The Playgrounds are great too if your dog doesn't do well in dog parks. Great dogs and dog parents, and Karishma is watching. read more

We did remote training with Ingrid. I was a bit leery of remote initially, due to the fact that it was new to me, but it was easy to set up and a very effective way to train! We were given a questionnaire ahead of time so that the trainer was aware of the history and issues we would need help with. Having the opportunity to provide this info ahead of time meant our session was used for working instead of explaining. It was a great experience and during the pandemic, it's definitely a smart, effective way to train. read more

Karishma is an incredible dog trainer. She trained our office puppy, and this puppy is so well trained now. She comes out to cuddle me when I call her name. During the entire day, she sleeps or chews on a bully stick. I have never seen such a well behaved office puppy. Karishma works magic with dogs and especially puppies. Every office I work in from now on needs to be dog friendly and needs to hire Karishma to make their dogs perfect - or as Karishma says "comfortable"... what lucky dogs they are haha read more

New York City can be daunting for humans and pets alike. Karishma has an uncanny ability to understand the psychology behind dogs and how to help them navigate and acclimate to city life. Her patience, insight and teaching methods are simply the best. We have had other trainers, but Karishma is in a league of her own. Her videos and follow up gives us the tools we need to reinforce what she has done in her training lessons. We feel so fortunate to have found Karishma and Calm Canine Academy. read more

We really enjoyed our session with calm canine! They gave us some great tips to work on with our pup and really took the time to get to know our pup and the situation before just suggesting things for us to work on. I also enjoyed that this was available via Zoom so that we could do this in our home setting. Our dog is 3 years old and we know how importnat training can be throughout his whole life, so finding new things to work on so that we can break some poor habits is great! read more

Karishma and her team are the best dog trainers in the city. They use a positive reinforcement only approach that is both ethical, kind and ensures long-term success for your pup's behavior. She's also just the most encouraging and lovely person to work with and you can tell how deeply the whole team loves and cares about your animal. They'll do anything to ensure your success and I couldn't have brought up my crazy jack Russell terrier mix pup without her help. read more