The testimonials on this site are 100% genuine and authentically written by the respective dog owner and not by Sanity For Dogs.
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We are so grateful to Kirstin for having helped us training our 2 year old Australian Sheperd. Her training method was just perfect for us. She actually focused more on us than the dog, showed us how to communicate with Flynn, how to get him to look at and listen to us. You can tell her genuine passion for dogs, she teaches with competence and love for the animal. She also helped us greatly with getting our Flynn's diet right by testing out what's good for him and what not, what nutrients he's deficient in and gave us advice on what supplements to add to his diet. |
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When we first met Kirstin we were impressed by the of her two Foxred Labs and her interaction with our young son as he played with her dogs. So when we got our own fox-red lab puppy Heidi we contacted Kirstin for training. Kirstin had an instant connection with Heidi—and with us! It was like magic the way she was able to capture Heidi’s attention, and show us how to do the same. Her calm but firm nature with dogs really seems to put them at ease and make them eager to learn and engage. In no time, Heidi mastered basic commands and had nearly perfect recall. As first-time dog owners, Kirstin gave us and our young kids the skills and confidence to keep up with her training. We can be confident now that Heidi will grow up to be an obedient, intelligent, and friendly dog and a wonderful addition to our family. Catherine and family |
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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. |
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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! |
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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 |
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Kirstin is an exceptionally good trainer. She's supported us from day one with training our puppy Olli. She has taught us in a loving but very focused way how wen can get our little whirlwind under control. For all his issues - e.g. he was chasing cars - she had a solution which always worked. It is always so impressive to see how Olli behaves in her presence, he just respects and adores her and she doesn't even have to do much (it seems). To be honest she has trained us more than the dog and showed us how we need to behave and communicate so that Olli relaxes and lets us take control. Thanks to Kirstin we now have a very reliable and obedient companion. We are very grateful to Kirstin for her help and would highly recommend her to anyone. |
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After only 2 hours of training (us more than our two dogs) Kirstin showed us how to better control our two 6 months old Caucasian Ovcharka boys (brothers). We had a big problem with aggression towards strangers and other dogs but also towards each other over food (to the degree where they would bite each other). A serious problem with two dogs of this strength and size. The two hours we spent with Kirstin very incredibly intense. Nobody can actuallyl get anywhere near our dogs so Kirstin (from a save distance) talked us through exercises and techniques on how to be more confident and how to manage our dogs with more authority so they would accept us their pack leaders, which we realised had been missing on our approach to training these two dominant dogs. Without that we had no chance to be accepted by them and they literally took over. My dad and I worked at it very hard and only after one day of training we noticed the difference - our dogs went from highly charged and aggressive to happily submissive and almost completely relaxed and chilled towards us ,only because we managed them differently. We couldn't believe how content and satisfied they appeared. For a first time we were able to feed them without having to worry about them having a go at each other or, worse, at us. They give us eye contact and attention. They wait obediently until we call them by name. They walk to heel on the lead without us having to double up on leads just to be able to hold them. We are so immensily grateful to Kirstin for her input. She has openend our eyes to what these dogs need. We had to work hard at it but it is so worth it because we can be so much more relaxed now around the house, and the neigbhours are thankful too. Norbert |
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When I met Kirstin on a dog walk and saw how utterly obedient her two labradors are, how she communicates with them and how they adore her I was fascinated. It was something I also wanted to have for myself and my dog. My 1.5 year old Ridgeback/Labrador girl was quite anxious around other dogs and showed aggression on the lead. Her recall wasn't good ans sometimes she just ran off. Kirstin made me realise that it is my insecurity and worry transferring onto Mia and her taking over wanting to protect me because of it. With Kirstin's help I learnt to understand her behaviour and to find the inner strength to handle tricky situations with confidence. We did a lot of work on walking to heel as it gave both myself and Mia stability. WE also worked on recall and I liked Kirstin's very structured approach to it. We also trained her on the whistle which has become a quite powerful too for situations when she's a bit further away. Thanks to Kirstin we are both now so much more relaxed, and my husband is now jealous and wants a few lessons too :). Susi und Mia |
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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. |
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Kirstin is such a lovely and friendly person, for both human and dog. She has helped us very much with training our 6 months old Austrian Sheperd Poodle. I liked the fact that she tailors everything to your individual needs and that she can see quite quickly where the problem lies. What I also liked is that she always brings her two dogs as training dummies, it was good for both my daughter and I to practise on them before we tried to do the same with our dog. It is fascinating how calm, obedient and completely balanced these two dogs are. My 12 year old daughter is very proud of what she has learnt from Kirstin ... and is already passing her knowledge on to her friends 😉 Kirstin was recommended to us and I would highly recommend her to anyone who wants to improve their relationship with their dog. We look forward to many more sessions with Kirstin. |
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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 |
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We decided in a fit of madness to bring home two, brother and sister, Horatio and Olive. |
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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! Reyanna and Bella |
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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! |
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We got Alfi from the animal rescue and he had never received proper training. His biggest problem was staying home alone. The sessions with Kirstin were an eye opener for everyone in the family. She takes her time explaining everthing properly and each familly member got to practise how we should behave around Alfi in the house, and most importantly before we wanted to leave the house. We realised that we had done it all wrong up until now, that we had made Alfi's anxiety worse rather than better. She gives very clear step-by-step instructions (on seemingly simple things like body language and tone of voice), it was intense but we also had a lot of fun. We noticed a considerable improvement in Alfi's behaviour after the first session! We recommend Kirstin to anyone who wants to improve the relationship with their dog! PS - and we fell completely in love with her amazingly well behaved two dogs. |
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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. |
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We are completely inexperienced new owners of a lovely Podenko girl (rescued from Spain). We are so grateful that we have met Kirstin right after we got our little girl. I was so impressed how obedient and lovely her two dogs were and realised that I wanted that for my dog too. It was amazing to see how much they adore her, how they look at her and how much respect they have for her. It was astounding also how different our dog behaves suddenly in her presense. She seems very eager to please her and wants to do everything right. It wasn't easy for me to instill a little bit more assertiveness in my communication with my dog. I had to learn to give clear commands and to be consistent in correcting her when she quite obviously took advantage of me loving her so much. I needed to learn to take control and to set boundaries. We had issues with cyclists and joggers and digging for mice and Kirstin taught me how to manage those situations. Considering the breed I also wanted to avoid her developping a hunt instinct. Kirstin told me so much about how dogs think, what it means when they behave a certain way and how I need to react to it. Her teaching style is super nice, calm and focused. It means work but you learn so much and it is also a lot of fun! |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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We noticed an improvement in our dog's behaviour after only one session with Kirstin. Within just a few days our quite fearful rescue dog Pauli seemed more confident. And we learnt what we have to do so he actually understands what we want from him. She taught me how to display open, positive and reassuing energy towards my dog, in a relaxed manner without any pressure. My boyfriend who is very confident and good with dogs was very impressed by what she taught us and by her clear and logical approach. Thanks so much Kirstin for all your help! |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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!” |
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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. |
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We thank Kirstin for her great tips and help with our two setter siblings that we got from the rescue centre. Me and my husband practise every day what she has taught us. We were so impressed by how our two dogs instantly gave her attention and eye contact. With her, wihtin a few minutes they seemed completely different dogs, very focussed and relaxed and eager to undertand what she wants from them. She told us that they are two very intelligent dogs that crave clear direction and guidance. The greatest sucess and gift for us is that we can now walk them off the lead without having to worry that they won't come back! |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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So we are an elderly couple and are so grateful that we have met the lovely Kirstin and her two super cute and so brilliantly obedient two dogs. The big love between the three is instantly noticeable. We are not the youngest but have decided to get a young Cairn Terrier puppy. He fell in love with Kirstin at first sight and hovers around her as if she was the queen. Kirstin quite quickly realised and told us that he is very intelligent and needs mental stimulation, that he was very clean to learn. Within just 15 mins he sat and staid for her, walked nicely on the lead and responded instantly to recall in less than half an hour. We learnt how important clear commands and body posture is, and that you have to be consistent with corretion too. Kirstin explains things in such a heartfelt pleasant way and has a lot of patience when you're a bit slow in getting things. We love our little Tips so much and are very grateful that we now have such an obedient little dog thanks to Kirstin's help. The Tips family. |
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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. |
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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 Kirstin. |
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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. |
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After only one session Ozzie's recall has improved more than I could have ever hoped for! I now have a very responsive puppy who I can walk of lead with no worries! I would recommend Kirstin in all aspects of training. |
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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! |
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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. Caroline and Sherlock |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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!! |
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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. |
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I had an unruly 2 year old rescue Boxer and after taking him to various trainers with no real progress both Bobby the Boxer boy and I had some training lessons with Kirstin. After a very short space of time my boy was like a different dog. Many thanks Kirstin! |
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I can sum up the result Kirstin has achieved with my 2 year old Labrador, Benji, in just one word - PHENOMENAL! |
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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. |
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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. |
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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! |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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The great thing about Kirstin's training is that she teaches the owner how train their dog. She has such a lovely way to explain and demonstrate things. It all becomes so obvious that you need to teach the dog what you want first, praise and correct it when needed, that you can't just expect it to be a well behaved dogs. Kirstin's approach is very structured and makes so much sense. I used to be afraid of walking my dog as I would lose him and not listen but I can now say with pride that he walks beautifully on the lead and comes back like a rocket when I call him. every time. Thank you Kirstin for helping me to create a strong solid bond between me and my dog, not only based on love but also respect! |
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Kirstin helped me greatly to get my dog respond to recall. A few days of a simple exercise in the garden worked its magic. My family still can't believe their eyes how she now comes charging back to me. |
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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. |