Client Testimonials

Michael Morris and Boo

I adopted Boo at the age of 10 months from a local rescue organization. She came with a series of issues including resource guarding, aggression toward other dogs, and separation anxiety. After multiple unsuccessful attempts through the years with other trainers and group classes that relied on reward-based training, my dog walker recommended Kathy Kear.

At this point Boo was six and I committed to the process with skepticism believing you can't teach an old dog new tricks. However, soon after the sessions started I began to see a dramatic shift in her behavior. Through asserting a firm, but loving leadership role, I could see her looking to me for guidance, being far more relaxed around other dogs, and far more secure in general.

Kathy offers both psychological insight into the relationship between you and your dog as well as the technical skills to create lasting behavioral changes. The training is not easy and requires a full commitment on part of the owner with daily practice outside of the sessions and consistent leadership. The results parallel the amount of effort you put in.

After eight sessions with Kathy, my dog has excellent recall, can interact comfortably with other dogs, no longer guards food or toys, heels and goes down on command, and most importantly, seems like an overall happier dog. I'm very grateful to Kathy and would recommend her wholeheartedly.

Michael Morris

Chuck Morse and Che

I would give Kathy 500 stars if I could! She is incredible and has totally transformed my dog-owner experience!

The story: my (soon to be ex) wife and I own an Akita. Like a typical Akita, he is simultaneously dominant and insecure, traits that lead him to be aggressive to other dogs and people. Although he has never actually hurt anyone, he weighs in at 100 pounds and thus the thought of an attack is no joke.

After an initial consultation with Kathy, we purchased eight private lessons with her and began to see dramatic results in our relationship to our dog immediately after we started working with her. Now, after six months or so of training, he is a totally different dog and owning him is a totally different experience. The days of being terrified whenever we go on a walk seem like a distant memory.

I could write pages about Kathy's virtues, but I want people to read this, so I will be brief.

Here are the highlights:

~ Kathy loves dogs and is committed building healthy relationships between them and their owners. She conveys this enthusiasm in all of her instruction and her motivation is contagious.

~ She is an extremely good communicator and helped me understand not only how to treat our dog, but why a particular course of action is advisable.

~ She is supportive and tolerant. Kathy understands that working with your pet can be very emotional and is gentle. She never makes you feel badly if you forget something or get confused.

I could go on, but I'll leave it at that. Kathy is the best!

Adena and Cole

Before Cole, I had never had a dog: I am a cat person…I don’t even like dogs - but then he came into my life, and I fell in love with him. Cole had been on the street and then in a shelter before he came to me at about six or seven months old. For the first few months with me he was Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky – he loved every dog and person he met.

After a few months, it was as if a switch flipped. Cole became very anxious and aggressive around other people, especially kids and anyone moving fast, whether running, on a bike or a skateboard. We took a training class, which was about learning commands and manners, but Cole growled and lunged at people, so the trainer sequestered us behind a gate at each session. I didn’t understand what was happening, but knew that I was in big trouble.

I got an electronic collar and thought I could control him/the situation if I were 100% vigilant about what was happening around us. I spent all my time swiveling my head around like a crazy person, trying to anticipate “trouble,” so I could grab him before something bad happened. We were on a trail in the Oakland hills when a runner (I had already spied her walking quite a ways behind us) came around a corner and Cole bit her. I was devastated – I knew that something had to change if I was going to keep him. Within days, an acquaintance referred me to Kathy, and I contacted her right away. Her website talked about the kinds of problems I was experiencing, which was the start of some hope.

When I talked to Kathy, she was very straightforward. She told me that most of the changes that needed to occur were about me, not the dog - that his anxiety and resulting aggression was an attempt to fill the void caused by my lack of leadership. It was counterintuitive to me that his happiness would be rooted in his sense of safety, and that his sense of safety would be rooted in my strong leadership.

Turns out, he is at his happiest and most relaxed when he is working to understand and comply with my expectations. It is a full-time job with Cole - there is never a day where I can say: “Okay, you can do whatever you want.” If something is okay sometimes, but not okay at other times, it causes confusion that fuels his anxiety. When I started working with Kathy, I had to shrink his world big time. No more sleeping under the covers, no more free range around the house: I tethered him on a short leash when we were home during the day, and I crated him at night.

Kathy asked me to do things that were really hard for me, but I did them (to the best of my ability) because I decided I was paying her a lot of money and that substituting my judgment for hers was not going to get me anywhere other than where I already was.

So I did what she asked, and hoped that eventually I could expand his world. We exposed him over and over to scary stimuli, letting him know what he could and couldn’t do in response. It was months and months of hard work.

By following Kathy’s recommendations, I now have a dog that can be off-leash around people. When something scares him, instead of lunging at it, he chooses to avoid it. Maybe someday he will be less fearful, but for today it is enough that he can manage his fear. Is he 100% trustworthy, especially around children? No. So I pay attention, and I am careful. But I’m no longer a crazy person with him. He is at my side by command when around children, and I always have a basket muzzle handy. Because what I understand today, is that he wants me to tell him how to behave. That’s my job.

Antonio and Darwin

I found out about Cause & Effect when I was looking for a way to help my two-year-old dog Darwin, who had a lot of fear and aggression towards other dogs, especially on leash. It was bad enough that I would plan a route on walks that avoided any dogs or houses that had dogs - just so Darwin wouldn't totally flip out. And these walks were extremely stressful.

I tried some training groups for "leash reactive" dogs, but the methods they advocated were based entirely around teaching your dog never to interact with any other dog. While this approach helped a little bit, it resulted in Darwin's world growing smaller and smaller. I hoped to find a way to help expand where he could go and what he could do instead of avoiding all the time.

When I met Kathy and Eleanor from Cause & Effect, the difference in their approach was immediately apparent. Rather than avoid the things that made Darwin nervous we would go directly into these tense situations in order to give Darwin a chance to succeed. They provided a lot of help and direction, and gave me the tools to help if he didn't. It certainly wasn't an instant change. But with work and the consistent support offered by Cause & Effect, Darwin was able to learn not only to be calm on walks, but also to be off-leash on trails and in dog parks. I would not have imagined doing this before I went through the program.

Darwin's world has expanded greatly, and walking with him is now a pleasure. He is much more confident, and I am a lot more confident walking him, knowing that he can interact in a positive way, and I have the tools to help him. If you will commit to helping your dog, then Cause & Effect will help make incredible changes.

Karren, Kevin and Darby

Although we are a little over half way through our training sessions with Kathy, I know that I have received a priceless experience for my dog as well as my boyfriend and I.

Our dog Darby was my first dog as an adult and my boyfriend's first dog in general. We were a little less than careful when deciding to bring him in to our family. I made a rash decision in adopting a dog and as a rescue dog, we knew little about where he came from. As he grew to a year old, we researched his breed based on looks and characteristics and realized that we had a Dutch Shepherd mix, a high energy, high drive dog, that was becoming increasingly aggressive with other dogs and some people.

Darby was insecure around other dogs and did not have great social skills. In the house he was territorial with our roommates and visitors. Even though he knew many commands and tricks, he knew how to manipulate my boyfriend and I and would do what we wanted when he felt like it. He was in control for the most part.

All of this has progressively changed as we work with Kathy. After spending time working with him on walks, the tie down, and a down stay command, we have established leadership with our dog. We have moved from not being able to walk next to dogs to having Darby in a calm heel while moving through a crowd of dogs at Point Isabel. Darby is now able to greet dogs appropriately and is much more obedient and looks to us for direction in most situations. He is much more enjoyable to be around and I am sure this will only get better.

Kathy and her assistant Beth have worked with us extensively one-on-one and have really personalized the sessions to meet everybody's lives and needs. Along with the training sessions we have with Darby, Darby also goes on training walks with Beth. These have helped him along even more by allowing him to socialize more with other dogs and put him in situations where he can benefit and grow. Kathy and Beth are also supporting us through email and phone calls and are always available to answer questions and field concerns. They have also been able to establish a supportive community of people going through the same thing through group trainings and having her clients visit each others' home sessions.

All and all Kathy and Beth have helped Darby to lead a much happier and calmer life so far and have given us the tools to enjoy our dog. We can't wait to see where we are with him a year from now. Kathy has helped us move from a constantly frustrating situation to a hopeful future.

Laura and Joey

You CAN teach your dog to not be dog aggressive and to change and think about his own behavior. After training my dog Joey with Kathy, I've seen Joey pause and correct his own behavior when he thinks he's getting overly excited playing with dogs, or he'll glance at me for permission before doing something like launching himself down a cliff to jump in the ocean.

The main problem that Joey and I had to work on, was that Joey's play wrestling at the dog park would turn into dog aggression. This was extremely distressing to me since he's a pit bull, and people would get extra afraid when this would happen. What would happen, is that Joey would wrestle with a dog or a few at the dog park, and then it seems like a switch would flip in his brain, and in a few seconds he would become aggressive toward the other dog - he would be deaf and blind to anyone trying to get him to stop. Sometimes he would fixate on a specific dog and hound that dog, so I'd have to chase Joey down and leash him.

It was a dilemma because Joey loves the company of other dogs and playing with other dogs, and I wanted him to enjoy playing but didn't know how to stop him from switching to aggressive. I tried using treats and we went to classes at the SPCA, which were great, but didn't help us with correcting Joey's dog aggression. If this is happening to you and your dog, then you know the feelings of distress and frustration - you love your dog, but don't want your dog to hurt another dog.

My friend recommended Kathy to me for one-on-one training with Joey to correct his behavior, and it worked! Kathy will train you to clearly show your dog what's correct behavior while interacting with humans and other dogs. You will become your dog's main teacher, so be prepared to take some time everyday to train. Sometimes it would take Joey 1 day to change a behavior, and sometimes longer. Joey and I met with Kathy for 3 to 4 one-hour sessions per month for about two months, and Joey and I would practice what we learned with Kathy between sessions. It took some time and yes, money, but now I'm so happy watching Joey play wrestle until he's huffing and puffing on the ground and just wants to go to sleep.

Kathy is patient, realistic, and supportive. She's professional and will not waste valuable training time, which I appreciated because it was a big deal to pay for dog training on top of other expenses. If anything, she'd wait until the training session came to a good closing point before ending it. She evaluated Joey first to learn his personality, and then decided what approach to take with him. She never forced me to try anything with Joey that I wasn't comfortable with, and she supported all of her training methods with sound reasoning when I asked her questions. Joey will always be a work-in-progress, but we're done training with Kathy for now. I feel like I can still email or call her if a question pops up.

Kathy leads pack walks, too, so now Joey goes out with her pack 2 to 3 times a week if I know that I can't take him out that day. I come home from work and he's happy, calm, and is ready to snuggle down for the evening. I fully trust Kathy with Joey because I know that she knows how to keep him in line while still giving the pack of dogs the freedom to have a satisfying time and to burn-off energy.

Phoebe

If you are considering Cause and Effect (C&E) Dog Training, a few words of advice: Focus on the reviews written by C&E's current clients, not those written by onlookers at the dog park or people who knew Kathy Kear 10 years ago. If you find you can relate to C&E's current clients - their concerns about their dogs and willingness to change their relationships with their pets - then you probably are a good fit with C&E.

For my family, C&E has been a godsend. We will be forever grateful that Kathy taught us how to handle dog-aggression problems in our beloved Jack Russell Terrier, Phoebe. When we started 7 months ago, Phoebe had already been turned into the City for biting a neighbor and his dog, had been kicked out of dog daycare for aggression and bolting from the off-leash walks, had killed two skunks, attacked cats and raccoons, and almost lost an eye in a fight with the next door neighbor's dog. We were willing to do everything we could keep Phoebe, but were genuinely concerned that she was a danger to herself. We were not willing to treat her like a "disposable pet" for the sake of our kids. But we were starting to run out of alternatives.

We worked hard and C&E was a serious time commitment for us. (I'm a professor, my husband runs a software company and we've got two kids - no need for more responsibilities but there you have it.) Kathy worked with our family at home, in the neighborhood, through email, in written "cheat sheets" - in a very intensive and close-up way. It took daily effort. But that's what we needed. We needed nothing short of a "reboot" in our whole relationship with Phoebe. And because we were willing to change, Phoebe changed. Ultimately, our kids got an important lesson: even if you've got major problems like Phoebe did, your loved ones will find help and work hard to make things right.

It took a lot of effort - and yes, careful use of a prong collar, e-collar and muzzle - to get Phoebe to respect us, behave properly in an urban area (to stop trying to kill anything that moves) and come when called (JRT's have unnecessarily short life spans because they are so prone to bolt and get hit by cars). I was not familiar with leash and e-collar corrections when we started, but kept an open mind and questioned things at every step. (You can be sure that I tried that e-collar out on my own bare skin before I put it on my dog!) It really took time, effort and momentum to follow through on all the changes needed to rehabilitate our dog's aggression. But Kathy proved even more tenacious than Phoebe. Her care and understanding helped us stay the course. Even now, long after we've finished the program, she is part of our lives. She understands that rehabilitating an aggressive dog is a long term project and simply refuses to give up on us or our dog.

If there's any good analogy, I'd say that Kathy's approach is similar to the one used on NatGeo TV by the "dog whisperer." Cesar also skillfully uses leash corrections and e-collars with aggressive dogs. But the main focus is to teach the human how to communicate correctly in the dog's language. This means using body language, gestures and sounds that quietly read "do that" and "don't do that" to a dog. It means that the owner stops yelling "Sit! Fido sit!" and starts moving and giving the dog boundaries, rules and limitations. This makes the dog feel like the owner is in control so she doesn't have to be. Phoebe clearly gets now that it's not her job to constantly protect me from other dogs, guard the territory, bark at strangers, and aggress on trespassing raccoons that are twice her size. As a result, she's no longer vigilant and anxious around the house. She's relaxed and just plain happy.

It's very important that people not confuse leadership with cruelty. Kathy trains people to be leaders so their dogs can relax and stop protecting their families in all the wrong ways, like Phoebe used to. In America, we are affluent enough to have the luxury of being able to treat our pets as if they were our children. But dogs are a whole different species. They don't live in democracies. Kathy taught me how to establish leadership in the dog world so my dog could relax and be a follower. Yes, now I'm my dog's dictator, but I'm a loving, benevolent one! To me, this is the essence of compassion towards animals: fulfilling their needs and protecting them on their terms. There's a gulf of difference between leadership and tyranny.

My guess is that picking a dog trainer is like picking a school for your kid: it's all about finding the right fit since every dog is unique and has particular needs. I've had dogs my whole life but never a JRT, and never an aggressive dog. For this unique little canine, C&E Training was the perfect fit.

Emilie and Lachland

Kathy Kear is my hero. She saved my dog’s life—and maybe mine as well—or at least saved me from a lifetime of raising confused, unbalanced dogs.

I have always loved dogs, and I can’t imagine living my life without them even though I’ve had some pretty horrible experiences. Lachlan, my rescued tri-pod pit bull, provided the worst. He almost killed my other dog.

I got Lachlan as a 12-week old puppy, who had clearly had a rough start in life. Missing a leg and sickly, I vowed he was going to flourish in my care. I signed Lachlan up for every puppy socialization class and then obedience training classes I could manage—and he did flourish. He loved playing with other dogs, enjoyed treat training, and I thought we were on a path to a happy go-lucky dog.

Lachlan was about a year old when the problems began. He began not only showing dog aggression to dogs at the dog park, he began fighting with my other male dog, Bandit, an older cattle dog. I only knew how to treat train, give affection, and to keep the dogs apart. I went to “bully dog” classes, dog aggression seminars, and whatever I could get my hands on, but all of these classes focused on positive reinforcement and not the root of the problem. And while I watched Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, on TV, I didn’t know HOW to do what he did. When Lachlan attacked Bandit, I was advised to put him down by the professional dog trainers I knew, vets, and even friends.

Thankfully, having watched Cesar Milan, I knew there were possibilities and I began exploring different methods of training. I met some terrible trainers and some wonderful trainers, but it was Kathy and Cause and Effect Training that got us on the right path. What helped me choose to work with Kathy is her set program that’s not exactly set. She definitely tweaked the program to meet our needs. But because there were guidelines, I could get an idea of where we were headed. Also, giving her a lump sum of money upfront kept me committed to the program and the work. I was weary of this at first as I gave a lump sum to another trainer who promised he could help and basically didn’t. A wise voice within me had told me not to work with this trainer—but in my desperation, which this trainer played on, I didn’t listen. This same wise voice told me to work with Kathy and I am so grateful I listened this time!

Kathy has not only been supportive, she inspires me to do the work. I am inspired by her dedication, her pearls of wisdom, but most of all, her honesty. She shared with me her journey with her dogs and it helped me see that I could change. She guided me through the process, she listened to me, and she made no empty promises. I will never forget the first day, she said, “ I can’t promise you that you’ll be able to take Lachlan off leash and un-muzzled to a dog park again. I can’t promise you that. I can promise you that if you do the work (this is key!) you will be able to take Lachlan almost anywhere, on leash. “ And I am now officially part of the Cause and Effect Training village. Kathy offers free, once a month, group-training sessions for her clients. It is such a rewarding experience to meet people who truly understand what you have gone through with your dog and also to be a source of support for those just starting out. It has been such an amazing journey working with this wonderful, powerful, wise woman and seeing not only a transformed dog, but seeing myself transform—which has been the real gift. Thank you, Kathy!

Sarah and Maddox

Six years ago, I came to the realization that I loved my dog Maddox, I just didn’t really like him much. Prior to working with Kathy, I had been to four other trainers/behaviorists. I heard everything from “Treat him with cheese to manage the behavior” to “ He is an accident waiting to happen. You should return him to the rescue now.” As if the behavior was not hard enough to deal with, he is also an American bulldog mix and DEAF. The bully breed delineation makes him subjected to a much higher level of scrutiny by the general public. Of course, the deafness also made it more difficult for me when I was screaming at him for crazy making behavior and all he needed to do was turn around and I ceased to exist.

Being a social worker, I just couldn’t imagine giving up on Maddox. When not being crazy, he is so adorable (think Petey from ‘Our Gang’) and gives great kisses. I knew that he potential, I just could not seem to tap into it. I was walking him early in the morning and late at night to avoid people on the street. I had gently asked my three housemates to meet friends outside of the house because Maddox didn’t really take kindly to having strangers in the house. I was living a shell of my former life.

The saving grace for Maddox, besides his handsome looks, was that he was always very good with other dogs. After the third fight however, I found myself scripting what I was going to say to the rescue orgnaization when I returned him. I felt lucky that Maddox has an affinity for chewing tennis balls, which has left him stubs for teeth. So, even when there was a fight, I knew he wouldn’t be able to do much damage. My regular responses had become “Oh, he’s shy around new people” or “He’s not really interested in other dogs.”

I had hit rock bottom with Maddox. I thought I had explored all avenues and then the universe took control. Kathy Kear happened to move into the other half of the duplex I was living in. A client came to my door with his dog in a muzzle and I thought “What does my crazy new neighbor do for a living?” I then met Lucille and Benjamin and found a person that had a peace with dogs (and me) that I had never seen before.

She did an assessment of Maddox and I found myself in tears. Maddox whimpered and kept trying to run to me. I did not realize it at the time, but this was the beginning of the relationship I had always longed for with Maddox. Immediately, Kathy began to teach me to be a leader for Maddox and to show him the way he needed to go. We began to work with a vibrating collar to allow me to communicate with my deaf dog. I wore a remote and gave him one vibration on his special collar for ‘come’, two vibrations for ‘down’ and three vibrations for ‘heel’ (which of course came much later). I felt like I had been living with someone with autism; living in his own world. Kathy finally showed me a way to help Maddox hear me and connect to me.

As I worked with her and Maddox, I began finding myself calmer and more focused in my work with him. I was no longer screaming at him when he did “crazy behavior” but saw it as an opportunity to guide him to appropriate behavior. Much to my surprise, at the time, Maddox loved training (after he got over the initial shock of the muzzle and prong collar). He did not like being in a down stay on busy College Ave., but he learned that he could handle the stress, I would protect him and he and I would get through it together. He now looked to me to help him cope. He had faith in me, which lead to me having faith in him.

Our process was not without hiccups. I distinctly remember calling Kathy after our sessions had ended because Maddox got into a fight with a dog at the beach. The difference was that I corrected him, he stopped, looked at me and then walked calmly with me off the beach. Kathy reinforced that I had done what needed to be done and this was another opportunity for Maddox to see that the behavior is not appropriate, a correction is given, and then we continue on with our way. Fights are always distressing, however I finally felt that I had been given the tools to contain the situation and show Maddox the way the situation should have been handled.

Six years after my work with Kathy, Maddox is now often described as “the calmest, coolest dog ever” and “such a love bug and wonderful with everyone”. I also have heard “why is your dog so amazingly calm and respectful when meeting other dogs/people?”, “can I trade my dog for your dog?” I have to warn people that if they sit on the floor, Maddox will back up and sit between their legs or on their lap (which can be disconcerting if he has just gone swimming).

I know can honestly say that I love Maddox more than almost anything else in the world. I can’t imagine how empty my life would be without Maddox. He is my fuzz ball. He is my heart. All thanks to Kathy and her guidance.

Maggie

Kathy and Maggie

Yesterday, 4/4, was Maggie’s final session, and I want to let you know how much I appreciate all you did for us. I wouldn’t have kept Maggie if it weren’t for Cause and Effect because I could not control her. I don’t know what her chances would have been if I returned her to the “pound”. She was so difficult at first that I actually didn’t like her, which is unusual for me. Now she’s part of the family, and I wouldn’t give her up. She still can be a handful, but she’s manageable.

I’m now comfortable walking her around other dogs, and I plan to take her to Pt. Isabel once a week, so she gets more practice walking around other dogs. I also plan to walk with Marc and Copper, who lives in my neighborhood and perhaps Cathy Keating and Leila. I like walking with Marc because we stay in a low dog traffic area, so not too many issues arise. The same would be true with Cathy. Pt. Isabel is another story, heavy dog traffic, but I’m comfortable enough now with Maggie to handle it (I think J).

I’d still like to be able to join in on Cause and Effect walks and group sessions, such as the confidence building session and urban pack walk I attended. I’ll look on Facebook for these events. Also, since I have every other Monday off, I’ll send an email to request accompanying you on your walking sessions. Maggie will always need practice walking with other dogs, so she and I stay comfortable with that.

Kathy,

I appreciate that you introduced Simon to our training sessions and encouraged me to take him on my regular walks with Maggie. It was getting to be a drag walking each one separately. You pointed out that I’ve learned enough dog handling techniques and training skills to be able to train Simon and take both of them and be able to control them on walks. Simon adapted to the prongs with plastic tips well, and the walks with him and Maggie have gone well. Maybe one day I can take them both to Pt. Isabel at the same time, but that’s a bit down the road. As you mentioned though, periodically I’ll walk them individually so I can work with each better.

And I know you thought I didn’t listen to you, or take your advice, or do what you told me, but I did –- about 90% of the time ;) and Maggie is much better for it.

We’ve still got work to do and we always will, but that’s the way it is with everything in life.

Both of you,

I want to let you know that I think of you as friends, not just my dog trainers, and I hope we stay in touch.

Kate and Pippin

I was planning to give up my rescued pit bull; I could no longer handle her and the aggression towards other dogs and cats. Kathy came to assess her for adoption purposes.

Reasons why Kathy became the trainer/teacher for my dog and me:

1. She immediately challenged my thinking with a question, “What makes you think anyone else will want to adopt your dog if you don’t want to keep her?” (I was asked to be responsible for my choices and vulnerable with my decisions.)

2. She obviously knew what and how to approach my dog with confidence and compassion for us both. She took my dog outside to test her with her three bully breed dogs. I was terrified. She invited me to do what was most comfortable for me; watch or not. (I was asked to let go of my fear, and challenge my ideas about my dog’s ability to be stable with the right leadership.)

3. She enabled my dog and I to have a stable relationship out in the world with other dogs and cats. We successfully completed a training program that gave us tools of behavior modification and responses to situations, NOT reactions. (I am asked every day to look at the things I have learned and how to maintain these tools and changes. How do I work with them to grow these tools and maintain stability. Another important lesson I learned from Kathy is to understand my dog’s/my own limitations. I need to respect those limitations and also challenge her/myself to break through the fear to make us stronger and more stable.

Today Pippin lives with two cats (unbelievable after she would attack every one she saw). She also lives in community with 3 Pit Bulls and a Rottweiler. This is a testament to a dog’s big success in overcoming insecurity. We were able to do this with the proper training, great compassion, and ongoing teaching from Kathy Kear. One thing you should know, YOU HAVE TO DO THE WORK IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL. It is as much for you, if not more, than for your dog. Your dog NEEDS you! Know that your dog just wants to do right by you.

Melanie and Pony

I can hardly believe that I am now walking my pit bull, Pony, in dog parks around Berkeley. In the Midwest, I walked him three times each day, taking care not to let him interact with other dogs (and the people who were quick to avoid him). Soon after arriving in the East Bay, I met a few calm, sweet pit bull dogs and their young owners walking in the Solano neighborhood in Berkeley. The image of the way that people around them casually accepted them and their calmness stayed with me. I really wanted to feel that Pony and I could simply walk calmly down a street like that. But I knew that we had challenges- my lack of experience in dog training and his lack of social experiences and reaction to other dogs. So I set a goal to spend my first months in California working with a trainer to try to get Pony to relax and be more comfortable with other dogs.

I was delighted when I found Kathy Kear. Although she was very busy, she agreed to meet us. Her reputation as a trainer with pit bulls (as well as with many other breeds) is so strong that I had confidence in her right away. While I set out to get her help to change Pony, I was surprised when I found that Kathy was helping ME - to develop my leadership ability and confidence. I was really grateful when she supported me to develop calm assertiveness and a more focused presence with Pony (in place of my usual focus on others around us).

Kathy has taught me to:

* trust in the training process and not focus so much on outcomes;

* detach from my emotions and trust in myself as a leader; and

* balance focused training challenges with moments of release as a way to build confidence in Pony.

Pony is starting to relax, knowing that he can trust me to take care of him and lead him! So, these days, while I still have Pony on a leash and use a muzzle in the dog parks, we participate in pack walks with other dogs! Soon, he will be going on pack walks with a wonderful dog walker to whom Kathy referred us. At times, these changes seem miraculous, but I know they are the result of: Kathy's wonderful calm yet challenging teaching style, the way she clearly models leadership and provides demonstrations, and my own hours of practice with Pony. I am grateful for Kathy's ongoing support and for her excellent training notes which I refer to frequently to remind me about the focus for our practice sessions. I look forward to many more lessons with Kathy!

Melanie McIntosh,
Kensington, California

Ryan, Jenn and Rocco

We did twelve 1-hr sessions with Shannon and Kathy over five or so months. Rocco (our seven-year-old American Bulldog) was extremely reactive, anxious, and dog aggressive. For years, we would avoid other dogs and try to manage Rocco's constant anxiety but end up frustrated. We tried various trainers and obedience classes, but nothing helped.

Once we began training with Shannon, we saw immediate changes. Rocco grew more calm, responsive, and focused. After years of aggression, he slowly built up enough confidence to begin interacting with other dogs. We had to grow used to the extra time required to walk him, but it was a worthy investment we grew to enjoy.

Our final sessions with Kathy completed Rocco's transformation - her patience and experience reinforced the positive changes in Rocco. We went from fear and avoidance to confidence and stability, watching Rocco happily greet other dogs at crowded dog parks and in our neighborhood. He is more calm, steady, and happy, overall.

We spent time, money, and energy, but we are all a bit saner after these changes! Rocco is still a work in progress, but Kathy set the groundwork for a lasting change that made us and Rocco much happier. Thank you for all your help! We are deeply grateful.

Rufus

We recently adopted Rufus, a 50-pound Kelpie-Shepherd rescue dog, who was deemed "unadoptable." Rufus had a classic case of fear-based reactive behavior towards people, which made him unpredictable. He was badly treated in his past and is missing an eye from neglect and abuse. Rufus was easily spooked by loud noises, and anything he didn't know or understand made him act out aggressively - wheelchairs, crutches, children, people approaching from his blind side, garbage trucks, nightfall, wind, scaffolding, runners, cyclists...the list was endless.

Upon his rescue, Rufus spent two years in a shelter which subscribed solely to positive reinforcement techniques. Those training methods were employed month after month, but our boy showed no signs of progress and eventually began to deteriorate. Finally, after an unsuccessful vet visit and the shelter’s inability to keep his rabies shots current, Rufus was slated for euthanasia. He was deemed a “lost cause” by numerous veterinary professionals. At that point, we intervened and convinced a reluctant shelter to attempt cause-and-effect dog training with Kathy as a last-ditch effort to save Rufus.

The results were nothing short of amazing. After only one lesson with Kathy, there was a noticeable difference in Rufus’s behavior. After one month of intense training, Rufus became an entirely different dog and most importantly, he became adoptable. Today, after two months of training, Rufus is a centered and happy fellow who loves to learn and be challenged. He is no longer afraid of loud noises and takes all new experiences in stride.

In the end, Kathy’s training goal was achieved – Rufus continually looks to us for guidance and respects the boundaries which we set for him. In all ways, Rufus aims to please. Kathy’s training has allowed Rufus’s true, gentle nature to come to light. We are now the proud parents of a cherished family member, and ironically, time and time again strangers have commented on our “well-behaved” dog.

Kathy's greatest challenge in training difficult canines is instilling her methods deep within their owners to accept the process of guiding their dogs in a non-judgmental fashion. We continue to work with Kathy on a follow-up basis. She is ever-responsive and is always a quick e-mail or phone call away. We cannot recommend her highly enough and would love to provide anyone with more in-depth information should they so desire. Thank God for people like her!

Lassen and Ryu

My husband and I have a 3.5 year old cattle dog mix named Ryu. When our wonderful (though wildly energetic) and loving pup turned two he began to have aggression issues with other dogs, seemingly out of the blue.

We struggled on our own for over a year, taking him to the dog park less and less until he was almost completely isolated from other dogs. We realized then that we needed some help and found Kathy. She was great from the beginning. She met with us and our dog and took the time to really evaluate him and us. There was no cookie-cutter approach. She has clear methods, but she carefully tailored them to our situation and our dog. She was always patient with our questions, and has continued to be a source of support even now that we are done with our scheduled sessions.

Ryu now gets to be around other dogs almost daily at the dog park and while we're still working and improving, he is a very changed, much more relaxed and happy dog. And we are much more relaxed and happy people!

Rommel and Shelby

Beth Peterson is an outstanding dog trainer. She worked with our 3-year-old English Bull Terrier approximately 6 hours a week for two months and we experienced amazing results.

My husband and I needed help gaining respect and control over our dog. Although he was not overly aggressive, certain situations caused him to become anxious and, in turn, snap. We had a new baby in the home and needed to create a completely safe environment.

Kathy trained the dog inside and outside of the home. Inside the home, she taught us specific tools to help with dominance issues. We worked on developing a healthy relationship with the baby and the importance of "family (pack) order". We also addressed the issues that made him anxious inside the home, such as the unfamiliar squeaking of baby toys or loud crying.

Outside the home, that had one on one time with the dog. She worked on developing his command skills and reaction times. He became advanced in numerous commands such as "sit,, down, heel, wait, and relax". In addition to training in the park, she also took the dog to noisy, crowded areas to practice overcoming his outdoor anxieties, such as loud laughter or kids on skateboards.

I feel the time we had with Beth was very valuable. We learned a lot in a short amount of time. In the past, we gave our dog a lot of freedom and very little guidance. That's taught us the importance of teaching discipline on a daily basis and how rewarding it could be. Our dog is now calm and very relaxed. He shows us respect that that we did not have before.

In addition to being a wonderful trainer, that was also very courteous, professional and motivating. I highly recommend using her services for whatever issues you may have.

Shelby Hindman

Bas and Zoe

We finished the sessions more than three months ago, so this review is overdue, but we are no less grateful today as we were then for what Eleanor, Mahogany, and Kathy have done for us and our girl, Zoe. Before we started the sessions with Eleanor and Mahogany, we were feeling hopeless and helpless. Going for a walk with Zoe, three years old, 60 pounds rescue Staffordshire bull terrier, could feel like going through a minefield. Seeing a dog could make her jump and lunge while making a strident noise like a wild animal. We had made some progress in the few months since we had rescued her, but at that point we felt we were hitting a wall.

Right from the beginning, they made us see things that Zoe was capable of and that we had not imagined possible. And all along, their dedication and passion was just incredible. Now, Zoe walks confidently among dogs, and enjoys greeting any of them who is willing to, while just letting go those who are not. We are not ‘done’ with her training and never will be. But the hardest is behind and, most importantly, now we know how to keep going with what is more like ‘a form of life’.

Going through the program was enlightening, not only about Zoe's needs and abilities, but about our relationship with all our dogs, and what it means to take care of and respect them. But it was also challenging, as much for Zoe as for us. I see now that we were more difficult to train than Zoe herself. We had to stop showering her with attention and affection; to introduce restrictions and corrections, stop reacting emotionally to her emotional reactions, and, probably the most difficult, be consistent.

Eleanor and Mahogany were very supportive. But the strongest source of encouragement was Zoe herself and to see her growing ability to control herself and simply watch things happening around her, dogs, cats, squirrels, without taking part in it, and to see in her gaze and her gait how much more confident and happy she had become.