Kaitlyn's Dog Training

03/07/2025

Looking for a group class? I highly recommend checking out Captivated Canine, LLC and exploring their upcoming group class options at Cascade Hospital for Animals. 🐶

19/05/2025

You can find the most AMAZING dogs in shelters! Puppies are a TON of work and they’re not ideal for everyone. Many people I’ve worked with would have been better off getting a dog at least 2 years old. Sure, some shelter dogs have “issues” (although let’s be honest; even most people who get their dogs as puppies still end up unintentionally creating “issues”). But you’d be shocked how many basically perfect dogs end up available for adoption.

There are significant pros and cons to consider when choosing to purchase from a breeder or to rescue. But do yourself a favor and at least meet and consider some available dogs at local shelters and rescues—especially slightly older ones who likely are potty trained and probably have a bit of training already—before deciding to bring home a tiny little untrained menace with no manners and wicked sharp teeth who needs constant supervision and causes nearly nonstop trouble.

Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE those little furball menaces we call puppies. 😈 All I’m saying is that they’re not right for everyone.

P.S. I adopted Kiara from Pound Buddies in 2019 and found she was already potty trained and very well socialized with other dogs. 🥳

07/05/2025

☀️🌸🐶
‘‘Tis the season for group playtimes! See Events descriptions for info!

16/04/2025

I'm back from a wonderful spring break trip and am excited to get back to seeing all of you and your pups! Now that the weather is starting to get better, keep an eye out on this page, as I'll soon be posting upcoming group playdates!

05/04/2025

*** ON VACATION THROUGH APRIL 15***

My husband decided to see if Ellie would help us pack for our spring break trip.

The answer was no. She was not helpful. But we love her anyway.

I’ll be on a family trip for spring break enjoying some time with my family and my beloved little nieces. I’m very excited! I’ll be able to respond to messages after my return on April 15. Please give your pups extra belly rubs from me until I get back! 🥰

22/03/2025

This is Mac. Mac is trained to respond when his owner experiences a fainting episode by licking her face and then laying on top of her, providing deep pressure therapy until she comes to. But Mac doesn’t wanna be bored. So he detours to grab his own entertainment while he waits. 😂😂😂

21/02/2025

Johnson was the first successful service dog I’d ever helped to train, back in 2014. I still frequently talk about him with clients.

He was the dog who built such an amazing retrieve that he could literally pick up a dime from a hardwood floor and drop it into my hand. He was the reason why I learned that fake credit cards should be used when teaching a dog to hand my credit card over to the cashier. (My card had a nice bite mark dent for months before I got it replaced.) And my favorite story: At one point he was so good at Leave It that he just tried to vacate the premises of the Leave It item, which was fine until the day I took him to a movie theater and told him to leave the popcorn on the floor, and he was like, “Ok, guess we’re not seeing a movie, let’s go byeeeeee” and tried to pull me out of the theater 😂).

He was incredibly smart but also an absolute goober. The few months of training with him is still one of my proudest accomplishments because many people thought he’d not graduate as a service dog, but I poured my heart and soul into working with him and taking him on training field trips every single day, and he later graduated BUCS to be a service dog for a veteran with PTSD.

Lucky for me, his veteran actually created a page for Johnson so I could stay connected to see all his adventures and the great work he was doing over the years.

My heart is breaking a little today for the dog who was part of the beginning of my service dog training journey. Twister Johnson, BUCS, you will be so dearly missed. Thank you for everything you helped to teach me while I was the one supposed to be teaching you. I’ll never stop honoring your memory by sharing memories of your intelligence and ridiculous antics with my clients. Rest in peace, friend. ❤️

04/02/2025

I’ve had an influx of service dog clients recently, so I figured it’s a good time to re-share this video where I discuss the 5 different types of people I encounter in public.

A couple honorary mentions that didn’t make it into the video:

1. “Poor dog, having to work!” (Service dogs LOVE their work. If your dog doesn’t WANT to work for you, I will not be training them for service work.)

2. *after reading the giant “IGNORE ME” vest* “Awww, you’re just too cute to ignore! I couldn’t possibly ignore you!” 🙄

3. “Oh, you have a (insert type of dog here)! You know, my cousin’s neighbor’s friend had a dog like that once.” 😆

Thankfully in the decade that I’ve been training service dogs, awareness is SO much better than it used to be. Now, instead of half the people not ignoring my dog, I would say it’s maybe 5% of people who don’t ignore my dog. But 5% is still too much. Remember: pretending an adorable dog near you doesn’t exist is kind of a superpower (I know it’s hard; we get it), but that level of restraint makes you a hero 🦸🏻‍♀️ So be a hero and ignore the working dog. Thank you!

06/01/2025

WEBSITE IS UP AGAIN: Kaitlynsdogtraining.com

Kiara and Ellie want to let you know the good news: my main website is back up and running! Almost every question about my training services can be found on my site. If you have questions not answered there, and/or you’re ready to move forward with scheduling, the best way to contact me is via e-mail: [email protected]

29/12/2024

Heads up: My main website (kaitlynsdogtraining.com) is down for a few days thanks to someone trying to make fraudulent charges on my business card, therefore not being able to use said card to pay the website fees 🙃 The website will be back up by the end of next week at the latest, once my replacement card arrives.

Gotta love some people. 🙄

This is why I mostly work with dogs. 😜

EXCITING NEWS! Kaitlyn's Dog Training now offers a huge, comprehensive dog training video curriculum available for purchase. It includes OVER 120 training videos with loads of helpful and detailed...

13/12/2024

I’m officially back from the best vacation ever! Don’t worry; I kept my training skills fresh by practicing with the pigs who inhabit their own tiny island in the Bahamas. I also found some dogs in Portugal who were so kind and allowed me to practice my belly rubbing skills so I wouldn’t be out of practice upon returning home. 😜 Now I’m catching up on all messages and preparing to send out my Jan/Feb availability to clients. Thanks so much for your patience as I catch up on everything! 🥰

20/11/2024

***ON VACATION THROUGH DECEMBER 11***

I’m over the moon excited to be leaving with my husband on our big bucket list trip tomorrow! We’ll be gone for a total of 3 weeks 😱 We’ll be visiting Spain and Portugal, and taking a cruise over the Atlantic to hit Antigua and Puerto Rico before coming back home. 😁

I won’t be responding to work-related messages during this time, but will catch up as quickly as I can upon our return. If you’re a new client who hasn’t yet started training with me, I’m booked through late January but am happy to add you to my waitlist if you e-mail me at [email protected]

Thank you all so much for continuing to support my small business, and I can’t wait to give all your dogs tons of love and face smooshes and belly rubs when I get back. 🥰