Best Dog K9 Training -

Shankari S.

I started training with Elaine a few months ago. Hera, my two year old working line GSD wasn't confident and we were struggling with focus. Elaine was recommneded to me by a friend in Protection training. In the initial phone call, Elaine asked about our previous training style and asked about our goals.
I am so glad that we started training with Elaine. She is extremely communicative and patient and explains in simple steps so that I can understand. She explained why different markers are essential and how it brings clarity to the dog. She also taught my high energy crazy girl on how to settle in a park. Hera enjoyed the training sessions with Elaine and was looking forward to it. I could see Hera be happy again and starting to enjoy the training process. Hera started engaging with me and that was a big step for us.
Elaine also gave me the confidence that we should start Schutzhund again and introduced me to her club. Even though Hera was so nervous to enter the field the first day, she guided me to encourage Hera throughout the session. From next session onwards my girl Hera was a different dog. She is looking forward to her club day.

Elaine is always available and cares about the welfare of the dog first. She is extremely knowledgeable and will certainly help you to achieve your goals for your dog. I would highly recommend Elaine both for pet dog training and sport dog training.

Jules

I've been working with Elaine on training my adolescent Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. I had been struggling with getting on the right path to achieve the goals I had for my dog including showing in conformation, field and obedience. Elaine was recommended to me and I started with a 1-1 sport package which was a great start and super helpful! From there I did a month of board-and-train with her to help move along the training more quickly. Elaine is always so communicative and supportive. She provides her advice and perspective whenever needed and it's always immediately helpful. My dog is now half way to her championship thanks to Elaine, and we're starting to pursue my sport goals. I'm forever grateful for her help! I would highly recommend working with Elaine for any of your dog training needs!

Maggie R.

We have worked with Elaine for puppy training (6 lessons) and can't recommend her enough. She has provided helpful one-on-one lessons and we (and our puppy) have learned so much - basic commands, door manners, leash training, grooming, interactions with other dogs etc. She also checks in between sessions and sends tips, updates and new activities to practice. We have enjoyed our time working with her and are so happy with the progress our puppy has made with her guidance. Thank you Elaine!

Mary D.

I was referred to Elaine by one of my friends and recently finished our private lessons with her this past month. I am so grateful for all the guidance and knowledge Elaine has provided since I had little to no training knowledge for a bigger, much less a primitive breed dog. Momo was a rescue that I adopted and a very good dog overall. I built up her confidence throughout the first year we were together but there were many times something would trigger or spook her and I was unsure how to handle the situation. Momo has become more curious with the world the more we explored, so some times she would lose focus during our sessions.

Our initial phone call already gave me so much information on how to work with Momo and it was nice to see it Elaine would be a good fit for us. I had questions and concerns and she pretty much provided me with all the answers and ways we could work on it during our lessons.

With each lesson, Elaine gave clear instructions on what and when to do something with Momo. I admit it was quite awkward at first since that performance anxiety of doing something new in front of a trained professional lol but Elaine made it very comfortable to be ourselves and encouraged it.

We would spend a couple weeks working on the things we learned before booking our next sessions. After maybe the 3rd class I was already noticing a difference in Momo. This girlie who use to NEVER want to take treats during walks, give engagement outside, or interact with some of my close friends has started doing just those things. By working on Momo’s engagement inside the house first and getting her to see the fun of doing these things she started offering me these actions outside of the house. It was such an amazing feeling to see the change in Momo and how much more confident and comfortable she is.

In terms of our communication, we’re very new to e-collar training still but Momo has become more responsive to me as we continue to work on it at home and at the parks. She listens a lot better than before we started training and I feel that our bond has also gotten so much h stronger through these lessons. It takes times but small steps can give you some big changes! Thank you so much for your training services, Elaine!!

Ali C.

Elaine was a great trainer for my adopted dog Hugo and I – we did private lessons about once a month to mainly work on Hugo’s reactivity to other dogs. He would lunge or growl at unfamiliar dogs when they were in range, and it was very hard to get him out of that state.

Elaine helped me understand the root of his reactivity. We worked on creating a solid foundation of clear communication, steps to turn Hugo’s emotional state to a positive association with dogs, and ways to manage situations. She is very knowledgeable, was incredibly patient while Hugo and I were both figuring out everything, and was great at communicating the “why’s” of Hugo’s behavior and how to address them.

Hugo’s reactive behavior towards other dogs, as well as my own confidence in handling situations have improved greatly, thanks to Elaine! I would highly recommend working with her if you’re looking for a great trainer in the Bay Area!

Onki L.

It has been a year since I have last trained with Elaine, and I’m now writing my review. I hope this can reflect how grateful I am for her and how well the knowledge she taught us has been holding up and being used prob for the rest of our lives. Also, I traveled from SoCal to Norcal every month for four months just to have lessons with her and I have zero regrets, it was all so worth it.

My experience with Elaine was amazing, it was a pivotal moment in my training and relationship with my dog. We reworked our marker system and brought clarity in how I communicate with my dog. We also did ecollar conditioning, that allowed my dog to have more freedom and for me to feel safe as well. Thanks to that, we can go on many off leash adventures responsibly! Also, lessons were very structured and packed with information, which was extremely helpful for me to understand. She’s really good at teaching and explaining!

But what stood out for me was Elaine’s philosophy towards dog training. She is kind and will always listen to her dogs. She is fair but also has compassion. I’m being vague here but you’ll know what I mean once you have trained with her! It is hard finding someone who you can agree with in the dog training field imo. And I’m glad I have found her!

Haven M.

Remy, my working line German Shepherd with extremely high drive and energy, has reactive behavior issues. Many trainers and vets have methods and recommendations that are not aligned with what is needed for Remy. Not only is Elaine skilled in working with protection trained working line dogs like Remy, but also successfully competes in Schutzhund/IGP competitions with her own dogs.

Before our initial meeting, Elaine and I had a phone conversation where she honestly discussed her areas of expertise and what type of training she could provide. She actively listened to the details I shared about Remy and asked relevant questions. During our in-person session, she consistently analyzed Remy and continued to ask questions, not only about the specific issue but other topics such as her living situation and our family dynamics. This thorough understanding of Remy allowed Elaine to create a customized plan and training recommendations for us.

Elaine's approach is focused on the overall well-being of the dog, rather than solely addressing the specific issue. For instance, she pointed out that I needed to work on fundamentals such as my markers (yes/good) and ensure consistent and clear execution to establish a stronger foundation between Remy and me.

Throughout our training sessions with Elaine, I found her to be professional, detail-oriented, and reasonably priced. She was often available and had a flexible schedule, which she managed through an interactive calendar. Additionally, she's provided continuous support and guidance.

Overall, working with Elaine has been a positive experience. Her expertise, attention to detail, and dedication to Remy's well-being have made a significant impact on our training and lives.

Bernadett V. L.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Elaine to help train my dog Misha, who had reactive behavior issues. I can confidently say that Elaine is one of the best dog trainers I have ever worked with.

From the very beginning, Elaine demonstrated her expertise and knowledge of dog behavior. She took the time to understand Misha's unique personality and behavior patterns, and developed a personalized training plan that was tailored specifically to his needs.

Throughout the training process, Elaine was incredibly patient, kind, and supportive. She always made herself available to answer any questions I had, and was always willing to work with me and Misha to ensure that we were making progress.

Thanks to Elaine's expert guidance and training, Misha's reactive behavior has improved significantly. He is now much more confident and relaxed around other dogs, and I feel much more confident in my ability to handle him in public or around other reactive dogs.

I cannot recommend Elaine highly enough. If you are looking for a dog trainer who is knowledgeable, supportive, and effective, look no further than Elaine. She truly is a gem in the dog training world, and I feel so lucky to have worked with her.