KW Happy Dogs

We had such a great experience working with Kirsten! We have an anxious Goldendoodle, and she taught us practical strategies to help him be less reactive on leash. She was patient, encouraging, and so lovely to work with. Kirsten is also incredibly knowledgeable about dog behavior and was fascinating to talk with. We learned so much from her and would highly recommend her!

• Price assessment: Reasonable price
• Services: Dog training

Kirsten is an angel. She is a dog savant and speaks their language fluently. She helped us understand my anxious reactive dog so much more and gave us prescriptive advice that's proved to be extremely valuable. What's more, she's incredibly generous with her time. I highly recommend her and look forward to seeing continued progress in my dog as a result of Kirsten's guidance.

Kirsten is the best! She helped us to understand our dog’s developmental stage and needs, and showed us how to deal with his wild behaviors that were driving us crazy. Body slams in the house, painful play biting, barking, chewing things up, etc. Kirsten is very chill and keeps things so upbeat and positive. It was fun to watch her interact so intuitively with our dog. She has a nice manner that is effective without being harsh, punitive, or controlling. Instead, it’s more about understanding the animal, communicating sensitively with them, and controlling the environment. Kirsten gave us confidence as first time dog owners, and some much-needed perspective on how this was a hard but temporary phase (she was right). We only needed a few sessions over time. We now truly enjoy our dog’s vibe at home, and using her techniques we know how to calm him when he does get over-stimulated at times.

• Price assessment: Great price
• Services: Dog training

We came to Kirsten looking for help with our fearful rescue dog (age 6). After having Maisy for 10 months she was still too scared to let us put a harness on her and had never been on a walk. We were desperate to change that. Our family is so appreciative of what we were able to accomplish with Kirsten's guidance. She gave us the confidence and techniques to push Maisy (and us) a little bit, step-by-step so she could get to a much fuller life. Beginning with successfully getting Maisy into a harness during Kirsten's first visit, she gave us specific achievable exercises to work on to build her trust, and within a few weeks Maisy was starting to move down the sidewalk. She now LOVES exploring the outside world, including hikes. Thank you Kirsten for giving Maisy and us the tools and support to make this very positive change!

• Services: Dog training

Kirsten helped me with my pups immensely. She was knowledgeable about everything - mobility, health, behavior, training, you name it. Most importantly, she was so kind with me and helped ease my anxiety with in turn helped my boys. I could not recommend her enough.

Kirsten has worked with us several times over the last year with our 22 month Golden. She has been absolutely wonderful to work with. Kirsten is very knowledgeable, positive and helpful. Our pup has a couple of small behavioral issues and Kirsten immediately helped us to work successfully on handling them and given us more confidence with her training. She's also very good her clients - both dogs and their owners. She sends an email summary with tips and techniques after each session - much appreciated. Our dog loves her and we recommend Kirsten very highly.

I adopted a cattle dog mix from Compassion without Borders about a month ago. She was from a Mexican shelter and had only been in the Compassion without Borders Shelter for 2.5 months before I adopted her. Ellie is an amazing dog but was fearful of people, cars, riding in cars and walking in public places. Kirsten taught me how to understand Ellie and to cultivate a loving nurturing bond. She's so wonderful to work with and offers training techniques tailored for Ellie and me. After 3 sessions and working daily using Kirsten's training techniques, Ellie is comfortable riding not only my car but other people's cars. She is calmer in general and eager to engage with people in public places. I highly recommend Kirsten as one of the best dog behaviorists I have ever worked with. Oola Mar

Kirsten is very knowledgeable and intuitive when relating to reactive dogs. She is confident, patient, and a great teacher. Observing her interact with my dog in the presence of her triggers has helped me learn how to approach similar situations positively and more confidently. I've had five sessions, and at each session, Kirsten taught me new strategies, offered practical solutions to problems, and provided me with tools to help. My sweet rescue dog and I are making consistent progress in addressing her fears and anxiety. We will continue to work with Kirsten every few months to strengthen those skills and learn new ones. Kirsten is a great resource, and I couldn't recommend her enough!

When we brought our new puppy home, Kirsten guided us through every stage with clear, practical advice and tailored strategies that helped her thrive while strengthening our connection. She also worked miracles with our elder dog, addressing cognitive issues and anxiety with patience and compassion. Thanks to her guidance, we’ve created a calming environment and learned to better understand our senior dog’s needs, bringing her comfort and joy. Kirsten’s kind, professional, and insightful approach has made all the difference. She’s always responsive when we need reminders or tune-ups and has shown us how training and activities can deepen our bond with our dogs. If you want someone who truly invests in your dogs’ happiness and well-being, Kirsten is the best!

My dog was really struggling with reactivity around bigger dogs and Kirsten has really helped us not only get better on walks but also more comfortable with reading his body language and how he perceives the world! Highly recommend for anyone who would like to pursue some training or understanding your dog’s behavior and working on specific issues!