She works right away and gave us method on how to stop our dog from jumping. She came to our house and was right on time. I will use her more read more

I just want to say that Todd is amazing!!! I took my Rotty Thor Bear and in 2 sessions he is a different dog I would recommend Todd for any kind of dog training Thanks Todd!! read more

The Calm Dog - Pet Training Near Me

Kirsten provided a consultation to discuss the addition of a new rescue dog that joined our home where we already have a rescue dog. After explaining the situation, seeing the dogs, she gave shared her expertise. She was honest, empathetic and supportive. I'm glad we consulted with her and gained her opinion. Thank you Kirsten! read more

We used Kirsten to help us with a very nervous foster dog that was pretty much fearful of anyone and everything except me. Hated men. Was so scared she would just run away. After spending a couple of hours at our home with Kirsten, she identified most of the issues, worked with us and the dog, mostly showed us all of the things WE needed to change and/ or stop doing that were helping to encourage this behavior (pretty eye opening), etc. I'm also a pet care company owner and thought I was doing mostly the right things - I wasn't. Lol After she left, we worked with the dog, following her instruction. Literally later that same day, the dog was in my husbands lap, and even snuggling him!! She had never gone near a man ever. Not even in her prior home!!!! And the best news yet, she got adopted a few days later by a family with two males and two females. I gave them all of Kirsten's instructions, and the dog is already bonding with the men...... even quicker than the women at this point. Success!!!!!! Kirsten will give you the instruction and foundation you need to help you and your dog. But please keep in mind that Humans and the dogs are a work in progress .......so if you decide not to follow any of the instructions that are given afterwards, odds are this won't be successful. So as long as you're willing to put some time and effort in afterwards, you and your dog will be much happier!!! Lynda Mortensen Bay Area Pet Pals www.BayAreaPetPals.com read more

We decided to go with another trainer when I saw her backhand strike my 9 month old puppy on the face with he attempted to jump up during our initial consultation. read more

I have a 15lb white female American Eskimo mix named Chloe who has had some behavioral issues that I did not know how to manage. She would be fearful and overly submissive. Shaking and panicking during a ride in the car. Quick to flee out the front door when given the chance where she'd run up to people and bark scaring them and make me late for work. Upon meeting another dog she would roll over and show her stomach. I knew that this was a sign of surrender and I did not see in her the confidence that I had seen in other dogs I had owned in the past. I also found walking her on the leash a struggle. She would either be sidewalk surfing or lurching at other dogs on leash. I contacted Kirsten and she started doing training walks with her three times a week. I also met with Kirsten on a weekend to work on Chloes escaping the front door when she found a chance. Chloe's behavior is now balanced and calm. Kirstens working with Chloe and education for me has resolved or greatly improved the issues Chloe was having and now she's a much calmer dog. I highly recommend working with Kirsten if you are having similar experience. read more

The Calm Dog - Chloe sitting in "place" - Pet Training Near Me

Kirsten is a God send! She has helped us tremendously with our very willful sheepadoodle. I love her balance of discipline & praise with is perfect. Just the right amount of each & my dog really responds well to her & loves doing the tricks / commands that she teaches. Kirsten is also a wealth of information and has lots of tips for home dog food recipes etc. Kirsten really goes the extra mile for her clients and has transitioned a once hopeless situation into a promising one with our dog. Thank you so much Kirsten!! We love working with you, Bella too! read more

I got my Jack Russell (Sonic) from the shelter and wanted his transition into my small apartment to be smooth. I also knew I wouldn't have enough time to walk him because I was going to work long hours. I called Bay Area dog walkers to get help walking my very high energy dog. From the very first day I knew Kirsten would be the best person for the job. Sonic is well exercised and also likes socializing with the other dogs in her pack. Even after my work hours go back to normal I still want Sonic being walked with her pack and getting the training I can't give. Kirsten has made the transition of having my dog a whole lot easier. She's amazing with Sonic and has become more than just a dog walker but person with great knowledge and advice on what I could do at home to be a better dog owner. read more

The Calm Dog - Sonic tired after a walk. - Pet Training Near Me

I only had 1 session with Kirsten, as I couldn't afford more & I had a less than serious issue. She was very attentive to my dog, Bruno & cared if he was cold/comfortable. She tried to give me as much info as possible in 1 lesson & I feel that I got a lot out of it. She also recommended books to further help me. I appreciated that. I highly recommend! read more

Kirsten helped us with our newly-rescued two year old lab, Beni. Kirsten only spent a few hours with us and we saw a dramatic change in Beni's behavior. Kirsten helped us create some leash and crating protocols that are already working great. I can't recommend Kirsten enough. Beni will be an extremely well-behaved lifelong companion! Super thrilled! read more

Our family journey with Calm Dog and Kirsten. Our dog Tess had been fostered twice after being abandoned at a dump near an animal rescue in Grass Valley. She was close to one year old when we adopted her in March. We immediately liked a lot of things about her. She is not aggressive and is overall a happy, good-natured dog. However, Tess likes to chew, was disobedient and had separation anxiety most likely due to her past. We could not leave her for 20 min before she would start howling away. We scoured YouTube for how to address the issue. We tried setting up a Disneyland of sorts in our backyard when we left, hiding treats and toys around our yard for her to find thinking this would keep her busy. This did not work. As good a dog as she was this separation anxiety was causing us so much stress that we were considering giving her back to the rescue. We contacted Kirsten at Calm Dog and Kirsten came over to our house to interview Tess and see what we were dealing with. Kirsten believes in giving a dog what they can handle instead of overwhelming their mind with all the toys and freedom that we were giving her. She is a strong believer in crate training, which was hard for us to accept because we felt like we were punishing her by putting her in a cage. In our initial conversation Kirsten explained that it was helping our dog by not giving her more than they're ready to handle and it was a way to put guard rails up to keep our dog safe. Watching Kirsten for about 10 min with Tess quickly showed us that we were out of our league and needed help from her. She was great with Tess - and with us - during the initial evaluation. The money will seem steep, and it is not cheap. However, the pay off is well worth the money. Kirsten sent us pictures and videos every day. We lived to see these. The communication was awesome with her during the training period. I will say that we expected at first to see a big change right away, but learned that it is all about consistency, engagement and time. Kirsten taught us that's it's all about the relationship you build with your dog. We bought into what Kirsten was telling us. We were letting Tess take the lead on our family pack and instead we realized how important it is that we be the ones calling the shots. We are in charge now and Tess gets her earned freedoms as she can handle them. We can tell when Tess is engaged and willing to train, we can tell how long her attention will last and when it will fade, and we back off and rest for all our sakes when she reaches her limit. Kirsten has given us new life in the areas of standard practical benchmarks like door threshold protocols and "Place" setting where Tess will sit on any physical area that we decide and mark as "place". Whenever we were hesitant to accept a new recommendation, Kirsten explained things so well with so much empathy for Tess, and for us. For instance, using a prong collar, which we originally thought was only for aggressive dogs that weren't well trained and couldn't be "controlled" any other way. That is not the case. Kirsten explained that it was much more like a mother's mouth giving the dog direction and helping them make good decisions. Tess walks beside us now with much more ease. We enjoy our walks and so does Tess. After 3 weeks we got Tess back. What a happy day. We would tell that we still have work to do, so don't expect your dog to come back to your home and do everything that you want it to do from the very first day. That will not happen. First your dog will probably test you to see who is really in charge. And second, they must learn to really trust you. Tess is now a true part of our family. We can leave her for up to 4 hours at a time and this is climbing every day. We bought a camera system to monitor Tess while we are a way. Before training when we left, she would cry and howl and pace in her crate, always up looking around. It was super sad. Now when we go out, she falls asleep in her crate, on her back with her feet up in the air. At first, we felt that Kirsten was borderline too strict with Tess. We know now that was by design so that Tess would understand boundaries. Kirsten has taken Tess twice for boarding since our training. Kirsten has relaxed her strictness a bit because Tess trusts her and lets her take the lead. Tess is so excited to see our trainer it is so cute to watch her. Kirsten trains while boarding so that's nice for "tune ups". She also does not board dogs that have not trained with her. This is nice because we trust that Tess will not be put in a bad situation with other dogs that we may not trust. Within a few months we will be taking Tess to the next level with Kirsten working with her on coming back to us when she has some freedom instead of running from us when she gets fixated on something that's interesting to her. This has been an exciting journey and our dog just keeps getting better. We would recommend Kirsten to anyone! read more

Unfortunately we are disappointed by our experience with Kirsten. After an initial consultation of 2 hours for which we paid $150, we paid Kirsten $2800 to house train our CKCS puppy at Kirsten's house. Afterwards, Kirsten gave us a schedule and told us that we need to restrict the puppy at all times to the kitchen - with one of us being there - or the crate, because our house is too big and the puppy gets confused. We wish that she told us before we hired her. We hired her hoping that the puppy would be properly house trained afterwards and can be with us in different parts of the house - maybe not the whole house, but definitely more than the kitchen! We are trying our best to follow Kirsten's protocol, which is not easy because it requires one of us or our wonderful but overworked nanny to essentially live in the kitchen. We really still have to do all the hard work. We cannot help but feel that we overpaid. We would have gotten the same result if we hired a trainer to come to our house for a few times to observe and to teach. Being a first time dog owner, we probably had unrealistic expectations. I guess we expected a miracle. For $2800, we thought we could. We do wish Kirsten disabused us of our foolish expectations explicitly. Other trainers subsequently did. Having a puppy is such a blessing but also so much work. Don't hope to get other people to do all the hard work for you :-) We deserve this lesson. If you are considering hiring Kirsten (or any other trainer), be careful before you shell out big bucks, and discuss mutual expectations explicitly. read more

My 10 month old Rottweiler and Cattle dog mix had dog-to-dog aggression issues (she attacked our other smaller household dogs as she started growing bigger) and Kirsten responded promptly via email and phone. She was truly a blessing as I was trying to figure out what options we had for my dog. Kirsten was very patient, warm, understanding, empathetic, professional and gave me her honest opinion regarding what may be going on with my dog and the solutions for her. I rarely leave Yelp reviews, but I was blown away by her integrity and making herself available to chat with me and share her experience and knowledge around this very anxiety ridden situation. Kirsten placed the dogs needs above all else and what ultimately is best for the dog. She knows her stuff, understands and cares for animals deeply and I highly recommend her! read more

I was a little afraid to contact Kirsten. I had just moved here and needed a local pet care person, but I know my two dogs are maybe not the most obedient, and with Kirsten's background in animal training I was afraid she would judge me harshly for being such a lazy owner. The minute I actually met Kirsten all of those fears evaporated. Kirsten really gets dogs AND people, and she is incredibly gentle and patient and non-judgmental. I immediately felt comfortable and relaxed with her. One of my dogs is rather sensitive and fearful - a former Oakland pound-dog Pit mix who had a bad childhood and still freaks out easily. Kirsten was SO patient with him, just waiting quietly until he was finished barking at her, then sitting on the floor until he was brave enough to approach her. It was beautiful to watch him shyly warm up to her until he was lying happily next to her. By the time we all were out on leashes he was right at her side. My bossy little cattle dog mix clearly adores her too, especially after she made it clear who was in charge. A necessity with him. I feel so lucky to have found Kirsten. When I leave the dogs in her hands I am absolutely confident that they are safe and happy and well-loved! read more

When I first met with Kirsten, I was simply searching for someone to walk my new puppy, Bug, while I was at work. I wanted to make sure he got exercise and had some company during the day when I was gone. Upon meeting her, her calm demeanor and considerable knowledge about dogs and dog behavior led me to instantly trust her--I knew my dog would be in good hands. Still, when she suggested a 2-week training session for Bug after noticing some red flags in his behavior (hiding from her when she came to pick him up, growling, constantly looking back at the house and refusing to move forward during walks), I couldn't help but feel a little nervous! But after speaking with Kirsten and again being reminded of her expertise, I was ready to go ahead with it. In just two weeks, Kirsten helped Bug become not only an excellent walker, but also a much more pleasant, playful, and loving companion overall. Every time we head out for a walk, I am amazed at his willingness to trot along beside me, the way he immediately sits when we come to a crosswalk, and his responsiveness to my reminders and commands. Our walks have gone from feeling somewhat like a chore to something that I genuinely look forward to (and I think Bug would say the same!). Aside from the difference I see in Bug, one of the biggest impacts Kirsten has had has been providing me with the education I need to be the best leader and dog owner I can. She immediately picked up on things that I could do to promote a healthier relationship with my dog, and provided the necessary coaching to help me put those things into action. I am so grateful for the help, education, and support that Kirsten has provided and continues to provide. I highly, highly recommend her services!! read more

I adopted a Chinese Shar Pei a little over a year ago. She began developing aggression towards members of my family in the household. I spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars taking my dog to a behavioral specialist, only to realize it was a complete waste of time and money. After doing some research, I found The Calm Dog and reached out to Kirsten for help. She was able to educate me about how to correct the bad behavior I was allowing my dog to exhibit. My dog has made such a huge improvement after our first meeting with Kirsten and continues to improve week after week. Kirsten checked in several times to see if things were improving and she responded to emails I sent very quickly. I highly reccomend Kirsten at the Calm Dog for anyone with a dog displaying bad behavior and or aggression!! Anthony M. read more

Kirsten is one of the best trainers I've worked with. We have a Shiba Inu that we adopted from a neglected situation. He came with a lot of behavioral problems, some of which resulted in aggression. Being new dog owners, we've tried different training programs to get our dog to calm his state of mind and to understand that he's protected and cared for by our family. Kirsten's training program was the only program that has worked for our Shiba. She was patient, understood our situation and most importantly delivered results in a humane and natural way. She continually helps us and gives us advice and this has resulted in a dog that has a calmer state of being than when he first came to us. I cannot thank her enough for what she has done for our family. read more

We were looking for someone to take care of our dog while we were out of town. We've had trouble before because our dog has special needs and previous dog walkers have not taken his needs into account. Brodie has PTSD from spending 5 months in a kennel when we first moved to the area. He is very afraid of dogs and most noises, and if he gets too close to another dog he will try to lunge for them and hold them down by their neck. We had a previous dog walker that called us the first day that we were out of town to tell us that Brodie had gotten into an altercation with another dog, which is not how we wanted to start our vacation. We found Kirsten on Yelp and set up a time for her to come and meet Brodie. From the start she knew how to interact with him so that he did not get excited when she came into the yard and house. She listened to all of our concerns very calmly, all the while observing Brodie's behaviors. She told us what she thought the issues were and how she would address them, if and when we move to a treatment program. For the time being we simply had her care for Brodie while we were out of town. She walked with us that day and filmed the interaction he had with other dogs walking past, as well as how he interacted with me while on the walk. When we left for vacation, Kirsten fitted Brodie with a new training collar, and then took Brodie out to get used to his new gear. She sent a video to us twice a day to show us Brodie's progress with her and to let us know that he was ok. I have to say, of all the dog "specialists" I've encountered in the past 4 years, Kirsten is the only one that made me feel at ease. She worked amazingly with Brodie, and I have even seen improvements in him already from his time with her and his new equipment. As soon as we are able to we will be sending Brodie off to the 2 week training camp with Kirsten to fully work on his PTSD, and we will be taking training from her to ensure that we are making Brodie's life as happy as can be and supporting his recovery. I recommend Kirsten to anyone and everyone. You can be confident that your dog will be safe when in her care, she is vigilant, caring, and actually knows what she is doing. She is a true professional and I look forward to working with her again soon. read more

About a month ago, my wife and I got a call from an owner of an 2.5 year old Aussie named Arktos (ancient Greek for "Bear"). She had to find him a new home. The owner thought first to call the breeder to ask for her assistance. Tragically, she learned from a newspaper article that the breeder, her dog's sire and nine other Aussie's perished in a house fire, she called us to share her shock and grief. She got our phone number off "reader comments" connected to the newspaper story. Arktos, a Merle, shares the same sire with our 3 year-2 month old Tri-Color. We offered to take the dog. The owner drove from Virginia. My Aussie, Boone and I met her in Albuquerque. She said the dog had issues but she was not explicit in how hostile and reactive the dog could be. The first introduction of the two Aussie half-brothers went badly. Arktos attacked Boone and bit me in the knee in the process of my efforts to shield Boone. But the next two days, the dogs got along. So I accepted Arktos and traveled home with him and Boone to introduce him to our 11.5 year old Golden Retriever who had stayed at home. No dog has ever had a problem with Bayou!. Arktos did!!! Again, Arktos was in attack mode. I wasn't ready to put Arktos down for being a violent dog. I called my vet to schedule a neutering appointment the next day; thinking that testosterone was the cause of the hysterics. Pet Food Express helped me with a muzzle to carry him over until the surgery. BUT THANK GOODNESS FOR KATY AT THE PALO ALTO PET FOOD EXPRESS who told me about a trainer who works with dogs with bad behavior. I called Kirsten Bailey, The Calm Dog LLC trainer who dismissed the idea of the surgery as the first solution to try. Two weeks with Kirsten in a Board and Train situation was what was recommended for a dog with reactive issues with dog-dog, dog-human, dog-bicyclists, dog-birds & squirrels, etc. situations. The program was costly but 24/7 oversight at $10 an hour seemed reasonable. Kirsten came to our home to provide handler training and to help with integrating Arktos with Boone again and to ensure that Arktos respected Bayou. All thought of the cost was forgotten after enjoying Arktos as an assimilated member of our pack. We couldn't be happier with the behaviors and commands that Arktos responds to. When Kirsten got Arktos, he barely knew sit. He now knows all of the basic commands and he goes out on walks in a proper heel position, stops most of the time when I stop and there have only been a few half-hearted attempts at bird chasing or reacting to a bicyclist. Arktos is truly headed in the right direction if I do my part to practice when Kirsten taught him. I offer my full endorsement of Kirsten as a training professional and as a person who cares about the animals that she works with. read more

Our new rescue puppy is leash reactive, pulling, barking, out of control. He failed puppy kindergarten and so did we. We knew of Kirsten's excellent reputation. We consulted with her about leash reactivity, and how to help stop the barking when the doorbell rang. In one hour, Kirsten taught us about tools and behavioral techniques to help eliminate undesirable behaviors and how to begin to receive the results we desired. She read our energy very well and told us our puppy is "running the show." So true. Her one hour consult was priceless. We now have enjoyable puppy walks in the neighborhood. No pulling, minimal barking and the adults (not the puppy) are running the show. What I love most about Kirsten's approach is that it is an integrated approach, addressing energy, tools, and behaviors, in supporting humans to create a great environment for our dogs. read more

I am amazed with the ability of Kirsten and her ways to train me and also my dog Cooper. He was extremely hyper and dangerous when driving with me in the car, knowing or expecting that the drive would end somewhere fun like a trail/walk/run, etc. He would bark, paw at me, paw at the car controls, pace back and forth from the front to the back. I tried everything, including gating him in the very back, but the barking would never stop. Within two minutes, Kirsten had my dog sitting quietly in my car while I drive. I was flabbergasted. Kirsten is teaching me to lead Cooper with confidence so that when I say "No" I mean know. I am learning consistency and confidence. Don't think that after Kirsten left, Cooper hasn't tried to return to his old ways, but he no longer barks, paws, or paces. He does this quiet, little whine which I am working to eliminate through calm leadership and consistency. With that said, this is a 99% improvement in his behavior. I can now drive safely and happily with him by my side. And, my friends will even ride in the car with us now. We also worked on walking on leash, something Cooper would not do. When he was a puppy I worked with a trainer who had no success in changing his habits of pulling and lunging. Ten minutes after working with Kirsten, Cooper walks calmly by my side and we can be within 5 feet of a squirrel without him going absolutely beserk. I've worked with other trainers to try to eliminate this behavior and Kirsten was the first who was able to change his behavior, and in literally minutes. I'm still in shock and awe. I highly recommend hiring Kirsten for any problems. Because of these successes, I am continuing to work with Kirsten to help with other issues Cooper has developed over the past year, such as an aggression with strangers. He changed from a happy, loving dog to a protective dog. We started with the driving and the walking on leash and are moving on to other dominance issues I have allowed--all because he was my little guy rather than my dog. I'll write again as the aggression issue changes. I know it will as I have gained a trust in Kirsten and her experience and expertise. read more

Gonzo is my 8.5 year old Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees pup. He had always been leash aggressive and not the nicest dog to other dogs in general, and it has gotten worse over time, to the point I was trying anything to get him to settle down. He also started to get aggressive towards people while he was on the leash, and then started to get aggressive with some houses guests. I was nervous that Gonzo, my sweet boy, was a liability to himself and me. I chose Kirsten and the Calm Dog because she was the only pet trainer that I talked to that I felt I could immediately trust, she also only watches maximum 4 dogs at a time and it was important to me that Gonzo get the proper one-on-one training. He stayed with her for 3 weeks of board training for aggression, which was incredibly hard to do since I had never been away from him that long - but Kirsten's obtainable goals and calm nature made me feel at ease. While Gonzo was away Kirsten updated the Calm Dog Facebook with Gonzo's progress at least once a day, and gave helpful tips for when he came back. When I picked up Gonzo he was still the same sweet boy but with MANY tools up his sleeve that Kirsten helped him build to keep him calm in highly stimulating environments. He learned to follow commands from the Alpha, including waiting for permission to step over thresholds, pack eating, and active commands. Importantly, she had shown him through pup exposure therapy that things (dogs, people, weird noises, etc) were not as scary as he thought before. Kirsten gave me many tips on how to act around Gonzo, how to walk Gonzo, and reinforce a new dynamic where I'm the Alpha. It is work, and pups don't change over night - but I knew that it wasn't going to be easy. What I know for sure is that Gonzo feels much more secure in many situations where he was inconsolable before. I also know that Kirsten and the Calm Dog have allowed me and Gonzo to build a better relationship, with more respect and more calm! I would recommend Kirsten and the Board Training for Dog Aggression/Human Aggression - and remember that dog training doesn't change a dog, but it gives you important tools to rebuild a new relationship to help you gain trust back from your dog and to make your dog feel more secure. read more

I'll preface this by saying that I have no doubt in any of the positive reviews posted. I cannot actually comment on Kirsten's skills as a dog trainer, but I can share my experience with interacting with her and considering her service. First, you set up a consulation so Kirsten can access your dog's needs/behaviors. For me, my little guy had nipped our vet when the vet prodded his infected ear a week before contacting Kirsten. Therefore, during the consultation, Kirsten tried to see if she could replicate my dog's aggressive behavior. After some poking and prodding, no ice- my little guy didn't become aggressive..10 mins later, I coughed up the $100 consult fee and discussed further training. The suggested training was to board my dog for a few weeks to engrain the training, and then learn how to continue the training on my own. I have not hired Kirsten because the price for the training seems exorbinant. Now, you do get what you pay for, so the training might be amazing. However, part of me thinks that the amount of $$$ floating around in Northern California allows someone to command that type of money for training. Also, from a social interaction standpoint, I found Kirsten to be slightly awkward. She could have been having a bad day when I met her, but I just didnt get the warm, caring vibe that I'd seek in a trainer. Hopefully, I can find effective dog training in the area at a more economical price. read more

Our family welcomed home a three months old Yorkie and instantly fell in love. However, we didn't know anything about puppy training. We got referred to Kirsten by a friend and it was such a relief. She understood how overwhelming it was and knew exactly what was needed. After two weeks, we have a fun but a calmer puppy. Kirsten is no doubt the best! read more

Kirsten has been caring for my Rottie "Riley" for over a year and has made a huge difference in her life, and mine as well. While Kirsten's approach is thoroughly professional in every way, she also treats my dog as part of her family. I can go to work now knowing Riley is in her expert care. This has taken a huge burden off my mind, as dog day care options are not always ideal. When I pick Riley up at the end of the day, she's well exercised, fed, and happy, ready to hang out with me in the evening. I can't imagine a better scenario. Riley's happy - I'm happy. In addition to providing exercise, supervision and nutrition, Kirsten was quick to identify areas where my dog's training was deficient (in heeling for example) and to implement a training regimine to improve her skills. I have noticed a big difference in her obedience under Kirsten's care. Kirsten seems to possess that perfect balance between the strong hand of a trainer (her background as a professional horsewoman doesn't hurt) and the loving touch of a dedicated pet owner. Having seen her positive effect on my dog, I can't imagine leaving Riley with anyone else. I couldn't recommend Kirsten more highly. read more

It was such a heavy time for our family; our loving but sometimes scary, big, unruly dog which we rescued from a shelter had actually bitten someone and I was desperate to find him a new home. So I placed a craigslist ad and instead of instantly finding him a new home, I got so much more...I got connected with Kirsten, an amazing dog whisperer (trainer-walker extraordinaire) who offered a solution I could not turn down. Could it be possible? Could one woman actually turn my big 85 lb lab-pit (with an aggressive-inferiority complex) into a docile, sweet, manageable, well trained dog who got along with other dogs? Well, I am here to write that she has worked wonders! It all seems so simple to her, and of course it would because its as if she can communicate with my dog- (I'm guessing my dog feels understood for the first time in his life, and she in turn has given him a voice). He now heels when walking, He listens and responds to commands, he can easily lounge around or go on walks with the biggest of dogs, can take walks without tugging, pulling or stopping every minute (which is giving him a nice waist line) and most importantly, Kirsten is helping me to understand him and his triggers. I could go on and on about the caring, masterful approach she uses (and then teaches me) but it's just so much more. Kirsten is one of those very special, insightful, strong, extremely intelligent, animal lover-dog whisperers of the world that I highly commend and am so appreciative of. My dog has been working with her for less than 2 weeks now, I can't wait to see what she can accomplish over many months. I'll keep you posted! read more

If I could give Kirsten 25 stars I would do it. She is amazing!!! She is helping me with my Labradoodle who has developed a phobia about the car and who barked like mad whenever she heard a noise outside. I had tried everything I could think of which only made me more upset and her more anxious- we were caught in an awful cycle. Kirsten educated me so that I could understand why these things were happening and has been incredibly responsive as Cleo and I get reacquainted after her 3 weeks with Kirsten and Cole. Cleo now sleeps in a crate (something which I had been unable to train her to), walks nicely when we go out, mostly knows where her place is in the house and is much calmer (so am I). I am so grateful for Kirsten's wisdom and kindness. She is one incredible lady!!! read more

We hired Kirsten to help with our unruly 5 month old Vizsla puppy. She is our first family dog and though we tried our best, we had no idea how to raise a puppy and she basically walked all over us. I enlisted Kirsten's help and trusted her immediately. We sent her to The Calm Dog's board and train and really weren't sure what to expect. It was apparent that Kirsten had a well of knowledge so we waited eagerly. When the time came to pick up our pup, we were pleasantly surprised. Of course she was the same sweet, funny dog but was noticeably calm and we could tell she was equipped with an education. Kirsten taught us how to assume the leadership position and gave us tips on continuing our dog's training. So far, things have been going beautifully. Our pup no longer nips at our kids, counter surfs, pulls or lunges on walks, or cries in her crate. You cannot expect Kirsten to do all the work and receive a perfect dog- rather, she will put them through bootcamp and it's essentially up to you to continue the training for your dog. You must be committed to changing your behavior, too! In terms of pricing, yes, it is expensive; but one way to look at it is by choosing The Calm Dog the first time, it WILL save you heartache, effort, and money on trainers who do not know what they're doing. A little sidetone; Kirsten is an excellent communicator. She sends videos almost daily with detailed instructions. Highly recommend! read more

Kirsten is very responsive to her clients (dogs and dog owners) and exudes a calming presence when interacting with dogs and their owners. Kirsten came to our house for an initial visit/consultation a few days after I called her for help, and she called me as soon as she had an opening for her three-week boarded training program for our six-year old female Havanese. When we adopted our Havanese in March 2015, she was very anxious and nervous, and showed symptoms of separation anxiety. She would spin in circles, howl and/or bark loudly at night (including in the middle of the night) when left in her crafe or whenever we were not at home. She also did not know simple basic commands. We saw some immediate results with our Havanese after Kirsten's initial one-hour visit/consultation, and amazing progress with our Havanese after completing Kirsten's three-week boarded training program. Our dog now enters her crate willingly with a simple command of "crate up", sleeps through the night in her crate without any noise/disruption, follows basic commands, and is much more calm throughout the day (she doesn't spin around or stand on her hind legs and place her front paws on people's legs), and she doesn't bark whenever I leave the room or otherwise separate from her. In a nutshell, Kirsten instilled a calming presence in our dog. Kirsten posted videos/photos of our dog on Facebook daily while she was in the boarded training program, and she offers follow-up consultations to ensure that her client dogs remain calm post-training and that her client dog owners understand how to be maintain the training protocols. read more

Kirsten has without changed our family for the better. My boyfriend and I just moved in together and we each have a dog. One if the dogs, Teddy, has aggression toward other dogs and we were worried he round scare our bite our other dog, Abby. Before the move, Kirsten took the time on a weekend to work with us and our dogs. She was patient, calm, and knowledgeable. She answered all of our questions. She took her time with the introductions of the dogs and made sure we were comfortable, as well as our furry family members. Kirsten went well beyond the aggression, taking an encompassing view of everything, from commands, crate training, food, exercise, you name it. It's been one week, and I honestly can't believe how far our dogs have come. She helped us in one weekend what I thought would take months to do. We have both dogs in one apartment, peacefully coexisting. I feel like Kirsten's help was well worth every penny, and I wouldn't hesitate to call her again in the future. I feel very grateful for her help. read more

have know Kirsten for over a decade and through the years have watched her work with horses training them from scratch to the highest degree of difficulty Grand Prix Dressage. Her patient and quiet demeanor allow her to develop trust and rapport in all the animals she works with. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for that special trainer to get the most out of their animal. read more

When I adopted my Rottie from a shelter, she came with a host of issues; one of which was attacking the vacuum cleaner. She became almost "red zone" when I would turn it on. Tried putting her upstairs when I vacuumed downstairs and vice versa, however, she would bark consitantly and was so anxious. I knew I needed help. I called Kirsten and she was able to address the issue(s) in two, two hour visits. I vacuumed my entire house this weekend with my Rottie laying calmly in the same room. This was a totally amazing transformation. If anyone is looking for an excellent dog walker or someone to help work on those problem issues, I would recommend Kirsten from Bayaredogwalker.com read more

If you are having any issues with your dog, I highly recommend Kirsten. She has a firm, no nonsense style, that is balanced with a true concern and care for the dogs she trains. I left my overly enthusiastic, somewhat skittish beloved dog with her for two weeks; I cannot say that afterwards he is a completely new dog, but because of Kirsten's excellent way with him, I can truly say I know what is possible for him, and I now have much more confidence in my abilities as an owner. Kirsten really takes the time not only to work with your dog but work with you, the owner(s), as well. She will go to great lengths to be sure you have a good working relationship with your pet; she follows up after training, to be sure all is well. She is generous with her advice and wisdom, acquired over many years of training horses and dogs. I highly recommend her. read more

Kirsten has been walking our dog for the 3+ years since he was a pup. He is calm, happy, fit and a wonderful family member as a result. As a bonus, Kirsten applies her years of experience as a world-class trainer to the dog walking service, so he behaves better when we take him out. Bay Area Dog Walkers provides both great service and great value. read more

I first contacted Kirsten of The Calm Dog when I was at the end of my tether with a new puppy! We hadn't slept in over two weeks, our puppy was having the most major separation anxiety so we were unable to even leave the room! We knew we wanted to crate train, however our puppy thought exactly the opposite! I had a brief conversation with Kirsten and I knew that she was the trainer for us. She came over later that same day and gave me a few helpful hints on training and keeping our sanity. We then explored the option of our pup going through her train and board 2 week program. I had to say that the thought of sleep was incredible! Kirsten picked our puppy up and started the training immediately. She kept us up to date via Facebook on the improvements! She told us we had our hands full with "Charley" because she wanted to be the boss. Kirsten's training helped immensely! Once she returned home, we are now 100% crate trained, have not had one accident in the house (fingers crossed that continues), she sits, stays, is great on the leash, and overall just seems to be a much calmer dog. If you are looking for a great dog trainer, The Calm Dog is for you! read more