All testimonials on this site are 100% genuine and authentically written by the respective dog owner, not by Sanity For Dogs.
Wir sind so glücklich und dankbar, dass Du uns bei der Erziehung unseres fast 2-jährigen Australian Sheperds zur Seite stehts Kirstin. Du kannst wirklich sehr Stolz auf Dich sein - Deine Methode und professionelle Hilfe als Hunde- und Frauchen/Herrchen-Trainerin ist perfekt. Man merkt, dass alles was Du tust mit Kompetenz und Liebe geschieht! Auch für das Austesten von Intoleranzen und was unserem Hund fehlt und was ihm gut tut, sind wir sehr dankbar. |
Kirstin, in my opinion, is one of the best dog trainers around. And I have tried many! In one 2 hour session she sorted my puppy out and we’ve never looked back, she gives great, realistic advice which is really easy to follow and is always around at the end of a phone to help afterwards, what more could you want from a dog trainer. Nicky and Minti |
Kirstin is a hugely talented dog trainer and has helped me more than I can say with all aspects of care and training of my new puppy, an exuberant working Cocker Spaniel. Kirstin’s knowledge about the welfare and behaviour of dogs is immense. She is my ‘go to’ person for advice and help and has been so generous with her time, knowledge and support for which I am very grateful. Training with Kirstin is rewarding, fun and extremely beneficial for me and my puppy. I know we will continue to learn so much from her. We can’t recommend her enough! |
Nach nur 2 Stunden training, uns mehr als die Hunde, hat uns Kirstin gezeigt wie wir unsere zwei Owtscharka Rüden, Brüder und mit 6 Monate (im Bild) besser kontrollieren können. Wir hatten ein grosses Problem mit Aggression gegenüber Fremden und auch zwischen den beiden, nicht lustig bei zwei so riesen und starken Hunden. Unsere Zusammenarbeit war sehr intensiv, Kirstin hat uns gezeigt, wie wir die beiden managen können mit mehr Selbstbewusstsein und Autorität (ohne die hatten wir keine Chance). Unsere Hunde waren wie verwandelt schon nach einem Tag von ernster dominanter Aggression ohne jegliche zu entspannter und zufriedener Unterwürfigkeit. Sie wirkten sehr relaxed und erfüllt. Liessen sich füttern, geduldig wartend, ohne dass wir uns Sorgen machen mussten, ob sie eine von uns, oder sich gegenseitig beissen. Wir haben jetzt Augenkontakt, sie hören aufmerksam auf unsere Kommandos. Sie bleiben sitzen bis wir sie rufen. Sie laufen entspannt und zu Fuss (!) an der Leine. Wir sind Kirstin so wahnsinnig dankbar für Ihren Input und Ihr Training. Sie hat uns die Augen geöffnet und wir haben hart daran gearbeitet, alle Ansätze in unser täglichen Ablauf einzubauen. Nicht nur wir können jetzt wieder durchatmen, auch die Nachbarn bedanken sich und die Hunde wirken auch sehr erfreut endlich klare Führung und Kommandos von uns zu bekommen! Norbert |
Als ich Kirstin beim Gassigehen getroffen habe, war ich sofort fasziniert, wie sie mit Ihren zwei Hunden umgeht und wie gehorsam die beiden sind. Meine Ridgeback / Labrador Hündin Mia (damals knapp 1 1/2) reagiert sehr unsicher auf fremde Hunde und war dementsprechend aggressiv an der Leine war. Mia ist eine sehr liebenswürdige Hündin nur wenn ich unsicher war, ist sie voran gegangen und hat die Kontrolle übernommen. Durch Kirstin habe ich gelernt ihr Verhalten zu verstehen und die Innere-Stärke gefunden mit diesen Situationen selbstbewusst umzugehen. Wir haben bei Kirstin den richtigen Gang an der Leine gelernt, den Rückruf, auch mit Pfeiffe und natürlich richtiges Verhalten Artgenossen gegenüber. Dank Kirstin ist meine Mia nun viel gelassener. Und ich auch :). Susi und Mia |
Kirstin is a magician, within 1 minute of meeting our 8 week old puppy she had her sitting and focused with no treats. No gimmicks just calm, instant relationship with the dog. |
Kirstin ist ein super netter und sehr angenehmer Mensch, sowohl für Mensch als auch Hund! Sie hat uns sehr bei der Erziehung unseres 6 Monate alten Australian Sheperd Pudel Mix geholfen. Sie geht individuell auf Wünsche ein und sieht natürlich direkt wo und wie die Hunde und vor allem ihre Besitzer, noch geleitet werden müssen! Was auch toll ist, sie hat ihre zwei eigenen Hunde immer mit dabei und man kann mit ihnen üben. Bemerkenswert wie toll, ruhig und liebenswert die sind. Meine 12 jährige Tochter war schon ein paar mal mit dabei, ist ganz stolz auf das was sie gelernt hat und hat ihr Wissen gleich an andere Hundebesitzer weitergegeben😉 |
We decided in a fit of madness to bring home two, brother and sister, Horatio and Olive. |
Alfi, ein ausgesprochen zugewandter und lebhafter Hund, kam aus dem Tierheim zu uns. Es mangelte ihm an konsequenter Erziehung und ihm fiel es schwer, allein daheim zu bleiben. Daher hegten wir die Hoffnung, mit stringentem Training einen Verhaltensrahmen schaffen zu können, der Alfi zur Ruhe kommen lässt und uns bezüglich der Verlässlichkeit des Tieres entlastet. |
We cannot Thank Kirstin enough for the truly invaluable support she has given us since we adopted a street dog from Greece 9 weeks ago. |
Wir sind hundeunerfahren und nun stolze Besitzer einer Podenko Mischling Hündin und sind super dankbar, dass wir Kirstin gleich ganz am Anfang getroffen haben. Fast unglaublich wie sie das Verhalten meines Hundes ganz plötzlich ändert mit Kirstin, ohne dass sie viel macht. Sie sitzt anhimmelnd neben ihr und möchte einfach alles nur richtig machen. Ich musste lernen, klare Kommandos zu geben, Grenzen zu setzen, die Kontrolle zu übernehmen. Wir hatten Probleme mit Radfahrern und Joggern, Mäuse buddeln und vor allem als Hund aus dem Tierschutz wollte ich einen Jagdtrieb erst garnicht aufkommen lassen. Kirstin hat mir die Augen geöffnet. Sie hat mir in nur ein paar Stunden auf ihre super nette und ruhige Art beigebracht wie ich mich in bestimmten Situationen verhalten muss, damit mich mein Hund respektiert und er hört, auch wenn sie gerade nicht so will. Rückruf ist jetzt 1a, sogar wenn sie ein Reh, Eichhörnchen usw. sieht und schon halb auf dem Weg ist. Das gleiche mit Mäusen, eine verbale Warnung reicht. Sie geht super zu Fuss an der Leine. Klar muss man daran arbeiten, aber Kirstin hat mir gezeigt dass Konsequenz und Training irre Spass machen kann, vor allem wenn man sich keine Sorgen mehr machen musst, dass sie vor ein Auto rennt oder ein Bauer oder Förster sie packt. Weil der Rückruf einfach sitzt. Kirstin´s Training ist sehr intensiv und man lernt auch so einiges über sich selbst ... aber es macht riesen Spass. |
Kirstin was a huge help with our Cockerpoo puppy, Piper. He had been waking us up with high jinx and by scratching the kitchen door at 5am, but with one session Kirstin taught us how to nip the behaviour in the bud. She offered simple, sensible, no nonsense advice and followed the session up with several emails, checking on our progress. Within three days Piper had stopped waking us at the crack of dawn. Sophie and Piper |
Several dog owners highly recommended Kirstin to me so I booked her for one-to-one training with my Ridgeback. I have been seeing Kirsten once a week for the past six weeks and she really helped me to understand more about how dogs respond to their owners, and i would say that she has trained me far more than the puppy!! Kimba is now much better at walking to heel-( crucial with a large breed!), recall and walking nicely with me when off the lead- all of this is still work in progress and in each session I’m still learning how to improve my body language and tone of voice so that the dog understands me better. |
Kirstin brought new meaning to the word “training” as my black Labrador puppy (Teddy) had both attitude and a determination that not many have seen in such a handsome boy! Teddy will always be strong willed and was very, very clear about who he figured was boss ..... until he met Kirstin of course. |
Wir sind so froh, dass wir Kirstin und ihre zwei zuckersüssen und so beeindruckend gehorsamen Hunde getroffen haben. Die grosse Liebe zwischen den Dreien ist unverkennbar. Wir sind nicht mehr die Jüngsten, aber haben uns gewagt uns nochmal einen Welpen zuzulegen und sind jetzt stolze Besitzer eines reizenden Cairn Terriers. Er hat sich sofort in Kirstin verliebt, himmelte sie regelrecht an. Kirstin sagt, dass er sehr intelligent und vondaher ganz erpicht darauf ist zu lernen. Innerhalb von 15 Minuten blieb er bei ihr am Platz, ging zu Fuss und lernte den Rückruf in weniger als einer halben Stunde. Wir haben gelernt wie man klare Kommandos gibt, wie wichtig Körperhaltung ist und wann man auch mal korrigieren muss. Kirstin erklärt Dinge in einer sehr herzlichen netten Art, gibt sich viel Mühe und nimmt sich viel Zeit.Wir lieben unseren kleinen Tips über alles und sind Kirstin so dankbar, dass wir mit ihrer Hilfe so einen gehorsamen Hund haben. Familie M. und Tips |
Kirstin´s Training hat sofort Wurzeln geschlagen. Innerhalb von weniger Zeit, wusste Pauli, der sehr verängstigt aus dem Tierschutz zu mir kam, was wir von ihm möchten. Sie hat mir gezeigt was es heißt eine offene, positive Ausstrahlung bei meiner Fellnase zu bewirken. Ohne Druck, ganz individuell und mit viel Freude. Auch mein Freund, der Hundekenner ist, ist von Deinen sehr logischen und einfach umzusetztenden Tips sehr beeindruckt. Vielen Dank für deine Mühe Kirstin. Immer wieder gerne! |
When we got a new puppy, I knew I needed some help! I'd never owned a dog before. I was determined to do things properly, but was unsure where to start. A friend recommended Kirstin and I'm delighted she did! Kirstin came round to the house and immediately put me at ease. She was so calm, so knowledgeable and most importantly - listened to my needs. I have 3 children, the youngest of whom has Down Syndrome. I wanted a family dog, who the kids could adore, but who could fit into our chaotic busy lives. Kirstin gave us brilliant advice and helped with everything - not just what commands to use but so many other things that mattered - tone of voice, body language, how to use treats, what lead to use, what to ask the vet - everything! For someone with as little knowledge as me, this was fantastic support. She never made me feel stupid - despite my million questions and she was patient when I wasn't quite as quick to pick things up. She has a wonderful way with dogs - her own dogs clearly adore her and it was useful that they also came to training sessions. By practising my new found skills with her (extremely well trained) dogs, I felt more confident with Cody. Cody is now 10 months old and we still have a lot to learn, but I know Kirstin will be able to help with whatever issues we might encounter along the way. Marie, Cody and family |
I never grew up with a dog so found the prospect of getting a new puppy a little daunting. Charlie was 13 weeks old when we started 'training' sessions. Kirstin has been amazing! She is so calm but clearly 'the Boss' in any session. I love the fact that the whole family can come along and learn the same things together, consistency is key! It never feels like a horse, always fun and we have certainly had a laugh over some of Charlies antics. These training sessions have definitely been a major factor in Charlie being a calm puppy and pretty obedient for a 5 month old. Esher's very own 'Dog Whisperer', fantastic!!! Debbie and Charlie |
We were 1st time dog owners when we met Kirstin and our puppy was just 11 weeks old when she had her first lesson. Kirstin was highly recommend to us by a friend & our expetations were more than duly met! The best way to describe Kirstin is as “a dog whisperer!” |
We are very proud parents of Max, our gorgeous 14 month old black Labrador. Physically strong (almost 40 kilos) & very head strong, our Max has been a tough cookie to train. Previous dog trainers haven't worked. |
Kirstin is a life saver!! I have ( had) a psychotic little Sausage dog with terrible separation anxiety and howling issues. In a few sessions including a home visit in our own environment we now have a happy little dog that is SO much more manageable. Can’t rate her more highly and have recommended her to many friends who feel the same. Kerryn and Sausage |
Wir danken Kirstin für ihre super guten Tipps und die lehrreichen Stunden mit unseren beiden Settern, die Geschwister sind und aus dem Tierschutz kommen. Auch wir, der Hundeopa und die Hundeopa sind immer noch sehr beeindruckt und üben unermüdlich mit den zweien. Es war erstaunlich, wie aufmerksam die beiden mit Kirstin gearbeitet haben, ihr sofort Augenkontakt gegeben haben, kein bisschen abgelenkt und voll bei der Sache waren. Offensichtlich haben sie Intelligenz und wir müssen lernen ihnen das an Stimulation und Führung zu geben, das sie ganz offensichtlich brauchen. Endlich können wir sie auch ohne Leine spazieren führen, weil sie auf Rückruf hören. Familie F. mit Bruno und Marie |
I started working with Kirstin following a recommendation from our vet when registering our new Vizsla pup, Diesel. On contacting Sanity for Dogs, Kirstin was warm and welcoming asking a series of questions enabling her to gain an understanding of exactly what we were looking for. We began with an initial home visit followed by a few more sessions I requested at home to help teaching Diesel the rules and boundaries of the home environment. Now we have regular, albeit ad hoc sessions on walks together and Diesel has grown from strength to strength. |
We needed some additional training tips with our Labrador puppy and `Kirstin was recommend to us as she had the same breed. She immediately understood our needs and within minutes had our puppy under control and wagging her tail by the end of the session. Kirstin has the right balance of tough love with the dogs and also with the owners – to put everyone back in control. We have used Kirstin sporadically when we identified specific behaviour issues to be corrected and each time she has given us the training techniques to deal with whatever situation. If you want a masterclass in dog training Kirstin is without a doubt the person to go to! |
I cannot thank Kirstin enough for what she has taught me about dog training. My young yellow Labrador was out of control. I have two big Labradors and it was impossible to walk them together pulling on the lead. I can now walk them nicely side-by-side to the park. The recall is work in progress but thanks to Kirstin I now have the tools to teach them to listen to me. Kirstin has given me the confidence to know that I can control my dogs. She has such a nice and great way of teaching, not at all intimidating (like some other trainers I have tried). It’s a no-nonsense approach but that’s what you need if you want your dog to respect you. |
Kirstin came into our lives like an angel sent straight from Heaven. We had a new puppy, a houseful of guests, an excited 4 and 6 year old and complete and utter chaos. From the second Kristin walked in the door- Wisley, our 10 week old Tibetan terrier, seemed to instantly understand and respect her and for the first time ever, I had a tiny glimmer of hope that the chaos could be controlled. Over several sessions, Kristin patiently taught me that by believing in myself and using my 'energy' properly and confidently, I could get Wisley to respect me. |
My wonderful Newfoundland puppy, George Best, simply would not walk from the house on the lead. At 40KG he was impossible to move and so I always gave in and took him in the car for his walks. When in the park he wouldn’t come back and we would play an elaborate game of coaxing and chasing before I could catch him. |
The change in our Labrador Barney's behaviour is nothing short of a miracle. I have watched in awe as Kirstin has steered him from a highly excitable, dominant dog to a calm, compliant and happy dog. It has made such a difference to our family and walks are now completely stress free. |
I started working with Kirstin when Tiggy was just 3 months old and it has been such a brilliant experience. Kirstin has trained me so that I have avoided all the mistakes I made with my older dog, she taught me to nip poor behaviour in the bud so it doesn’t become established and whilst not perfect Tiggy is generally really obedient. I have continued to see Kirstin as Tiggy has grown up as I always enjoy the sessions, pick up really useful tips and I leave motivated to be as consistent with both dogs. I would thoroughly recommend Kirstin (and regularly do whenever I’m out walking!), she is great fun and so knowledgeable. Kate and Tiggy |
Our 10 months old dog started straining at the leash making it hard work to control her and more worryingly on a couple of occasions she would not come back for some time when called. |
Kirstin is a life saver! Maisy our 2 year rescue labradoodle came to us with an incredible amount of energy and very little training. Kirstin showed us how to be firm with her and give her boundaries. She now has a really good recall and walks to heel nicely, rather than drag us along lurching at every smell on the way. She is a happier dog and we are proud of what we have achieved with Kirstin's very calm approach and sensible advice. Louisa and Maisy |
Kirstin is a great trainer, she helped us with our 4 month old German Shephard puppy from her very first visit. Today we enjoy an adorable but well behaved dog and we thank Kirstin for all the training and tips she has given us. I recommend Kirstin to every family that's expecting a new puppy and I advice to get in touch with her from the very early days. Hala and Boxer |
Kirstin has been fantastic at both training Buddy, our Pointer rescue puppy, and us as owners. Within a very short space of time he was ‘walking to heal’ and coming back to a recall command. What was so important was her approach in training us as well as Buddy. He continues to make great progress and we would have no hesitation in recommending Kirsten. Michael and Fiona |
Kirstin’s training has made a massive difference to our one year old American bulldog. We used to not be able to control him at all in the house, he was quite destructive, play biting us, going wild. We learnt from Kirstin how to set him boundaries and how to gain respect from him. He has learnt how to walk nicely on the lead and we can now even have him calmly and happily lying on our lap on the sofa without being ‘attacked’ by him. Kirstin really understands dogs and knows her stuff. We can highly recommend her for any breed of dog. Sue, Brian and Casper |
Although we have only had a couple of training sessions with Kirstin and our Springer Spaniel Woody, we are already seeing improvements in his behaviour. We were having trouble with Woody's ball and stick obsession which led to him being very hyped up all the time. Following Kirstin's advice, we are currently avoiding ball play and this has resulted in Woody being a calmer and more relaxed dog both on walks and at home. We have also been working on walking to heel and Kirstin has given us lots of great tips such as altering Woody's lead, changing our body language and being more confident as a dog owner! Recall is another area which Kirstin is helping us with and following her very structured approach, Woody is responding in a more positive manner. We are very much looking forward to further training sessions with Kirstin! Charlotte, Mark and Woody. |
We’ve loved working with Kirstin over the last few months - she has made training our puppy, Reuben, such fun. Kirstin is passionate about dogs and what she does and her advice is sensible, practical, encouraging and it works!! She has worked with us a family to ensure that Reuben is growing up into a really lovely, balanced dog. She goes beyond the call of duty and outside of lesson time was happy to respond to quick questions I had by text or over the phone. I have absolute faith in her and would thoroughly recommend her to anyone. It is essential to get it right at the beginning with a puppy, so that you have a happy, well trained dog for life and Kirstin has helped us achieved that. Thanks Kirstin. Ian, Pip and Reuben |
Kirstin, gave me the confidence to treat my very excitable golden lab with a firm but loving hand. Training the family as much as the dog to consistently work in a similar manner. Giving my children the tools required to enjoy Sherlock in a controlled fashion. We are all still working on certain aspects of Sherlock's behaviour but I can now see a bright future together. |
After four sessions with Kirstin, the behaviour of our Schnauser/Westie cross Rosie has improved enormously, and we ourselves learnt a great deal about how best to control and interact with her. We had several lessons, structured on the green first, at home to deal with issues of barking and then on walks to practice recall. Kirstin is such a lovely person and has a very calm energy about her. We would not hesitate to recommend Kirstin to other owners. Howard and Maggie |
Our original approach of training our Labrador puppy, Bella, was heavily treat focused which led to her searching manically for a treat during walks and doing things 'for the treat' rather than for us which was a nightmare! The puppy class we attended didn't help because it was so treat focused so we needed another solution which was tailored more to our specific needs. We were very lucky to be recommended Kirstin, who gave proper structure & method to the training from the dogs point of view, Bella was fascinated by Kirstin from the first moment they met and we gained a great understanding of how Bella's mind (in terms of breed & nature) worked, allowing us to successfully train her in a way that works for us and for Bella, thank you Kirstin! |
From utter chaos to calm!! Kirstin is brilliant! Before meeting her I had a troublesome noisy 45KG Bernese Mountain dog and a 9 month old 50kg Newfoundland who only wanted to get out .....and I’m only 5 foot 2. |
At just over two years old, my Labradoodle Harley, was still behaving as a very boisterous puppy. I was dealing with him pulling on the lead, jumping up at people and chasing around any dog we came across and generally showing off. |
Kirstin came highly recommended to us by the owner of highly intelligent pointer puppy who was more than on top of things with his dog. After only 3 1-hour sessions we ourselves have been able to achieve so much with our 12 week old puppy. Amazing! And Kirstin uses her two amazingly trained dogs to help teach us, our young 3 kids as well as the pup! We strongly recommend Kirstin!! Peter, Zecky and Bo |
Kirstin really is a top tainer. And such a nice person too. She helped me with my 6 months old lab puppy from being crazy bouncy and totally out of control, at times knocking people over to becoming a really calm and obedient but still very joyful and happy dog. All this in just a few sessions, I was gob smacked. |
I can sum up the result Kirstin has achieved with my 2 year old Labrador, Benji, in just one word - PHENOMENAL! |
Our parson russell terrier Indie is now 3.5 years old. She is great fun and full of character but over recent months she has become quite dominant with other dogs of a similar size. She is keen to interact with other dogs but I was becoming stressed when walking her in the park in case she ' over exerted' her dominance and I think my anxiety was transferring on to Indie. |
I have two 7 year old springer/spaniel cross dogs and we recently moved into the area from rural Ireland. My dogs have been used to having endless fields and countryside on the door step and had total freedom without boundaries or rules. Moving to a more urban area it became evident quite quickly that we needed help! Thankfully we met Kirstin. |
I wanted to have training lessons with Kirstin as Daphne (9 month cavapoochon) was becoming a bit of a tearaway! Although she looks cute, she is very clever and I realised she was calling all the shots! |
Kirstin has given me such good advice when my little Jack Russel rescue suddenly started to suffer from separation anxiety. It made so much sense what she explained and after applying her principles and much patience and perseverance my dog is now cured. It is lovely to watch Kirstin training her and other dogs on the green. Lynn, Bennie and Bonny |
My Vizsla can be very lively and boisterous. A few lessons with Kirstin made me understand how to gain respect from my dog. She explains things so well. It is a delight to watch her interact with dogs. She reads and understands them completely and they are instantly calm and focused with her. Thanks for helping me make my dog more obedient. Sheila and Kato |
I have learned from Kirstin how important it is to teach and train your dog, especially as Ridgebacks are intelligent and can be quite stubborn. Clicker training helped me to teach Delilah how to heel nicely next to me. She now no longer pulls on the lead, her recall is great and she is a very well-behaved dog. Alfie and Delilah |
My 14mth old Tibetan Terrier Joe was getting a bit unruly and I felt the he needed some stronger, bespoke 1-1 obedience training than what I had done so far, which was a more group orientated class. |