Kim the Dog Trainer

I’m going to keep this short and sweet — Kim is a true professional who knows what she’s doing when it comes to doggie magic. I took my 10 month old rambunctious Boxer to her and after 6 short sessions she’s like a new dog. Kim is very sweet, personable, and most importantly, knows how to work with dogs and communicate proper training techniques effectively to their owners. I will be going back for her advanced training class as well.

I’d like to think we picked out and adopted the perfect dog, like we’re some kind of dog whisperer types, but I know that’s not true. Kim is our dog whisperer and she has been a huge part of helping our Bailey girl become a well mannered, social, happy dog.
I’m a first time dog owner and really had no idea what I was doing. One of my friends had a new dog that was going to Kim’s for play/​day care and I decided to give it a shot. Bailey was already a year and a half so we had no idea what she would know so the idea of training and a play care day sounded wonderful. Kim definitely either taught or finely tuned the basics with our dog and while Bailey’s not perfect (and we don’t expect her to be) she is typically well behaved and socializes well with other dogs. Kim has also talked through issues we’ve had, given great advice/​tips and Bailey loves to go see Kim, I can barely get her out of the car fast enough. :)

It’s been a year and I should have written about this earlier but I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in Kim’s class. I consider myself someone who knows dogs pretty well, I grew up with lots of dogs and was always a big part of the training and had attended dog behavior classes before. I thought I knew what I was doing when I adopted my basenji/​rat terrier mix, Cooper, but he turned out to be the most difficult, neurotic dog I’ve ever worked with. Kim’s patience and techniques really helped us when I often felt like throwing my hands up and was convinced he just wouldn’t get it. A year later, he’s still a bit unpredictable but has (mostly) good manners. :) Thanks again, Kim!

Kim is amazing! I have 3 working dogs who are hyper and rowdy. One of my dogs, Lucy, resource guards and sometimes becomes aggressive with the other 2 dogs over food. Kim came to my house and totally understood my dogs’ dilemmas.
She taught me positive training techniques that actually worked! She also helped me regain order in the house so Lucy feels more secure. I learned ways to help prevent Lucy’s resource guarding. All my dogs are so much happier and so I am!

Kim is great! I brought my 1 year old pup in and he quickly took to her training exercises. She gives good instructions that you can easily take home and practice with your dog.

I think Kim is as close to an actual dog whisperer as a person can be. We called Kim after our dog started to become very reactive to other dogs on leash. Our dog was such a sweet little mush ball in the house around us and our cats but she turned into an anxious little terror outside while on leash. The final straw was when the people at the Petsmart doggie daycare we were using at the time told us that our pup had been pulled out of the morning play group for getting too rough with the other dogs. We had tried another dog training service when we first adopted her and it was a traumatizing nightmare during which our dog made a complete spectacle of herself around the other dogs and the other trainer was unable to help us cope. Kim came to our house for an initial evaluation and deemed that our pup was capable of and would benefit from a group class. Given our previous experience with group classes I was HUGELY skeptical, but Kim seemed to really know what she was doing so we enrolled our dog for Level 1 obedience. Kim has a deeper understanding of dog behavior than anyone I’ve ever met, and she was able to help us keep our dog focused and under control during classes. She pushed us to try new behaviors when I sometimes felt that our dog wasn’t ready and sometimes held us back from trying others when I felt my dog was ready, and it turned out each time she was right. A little over a month later and I can now walk my dog down the street without her turning into a spinning, barking catastrophe on leash when we pass other dogs and we’ve had no more issues with daycare. Her manners in the house and her responsiveness to our commands has also improved tenfold. I look forward to group classes now whereas with the other training service I dreaded every session. Whether your dog has ridiculous behavioral issues like ours did or you’re just looking for a basic obedience class for your dog, I cannot recommend Kim highly enough.

We took our dog Crazy Penny (recently adopted) to Kim’s basic obedience class a few months back and we had a great experience. Crazy Penny has some issues like squirrels, cats, pulling on the leash and not being very other dog friendly and Kim really helped us work through those issues and gave us great advice and other resources to practice with Penny. Kim’s group classes are kid friendly too, Kim encouraged us to bring our kiddos (8 and 10 yrs old) to the classes so the whole family can participate in the class and we had great time!
We plan on attending more of the classes that Kim has to offer. I recommend Kim to any and everyone that I know !

Kerberos was a rescue with some inappropriate behavior that could have ended badly. We are so fortunate that we found the BEST trainer in all of Austin. As a first-​time dog owner, the classes were probably as much for me as they were for Kerb. Kim was very astute and quickly got me up to speed in understanding how a dog thinks and how to communicate clear instructions. Kim has a real knack for putting difficult concepts into words and then solidifying it with an example or anecdote that makes it memorable.
The experience has been so wonderful for the entire family that we sign up for the next class as soon as we can. With our hectic schedule, it isn’t always possible to provide the consistent environment and training that a puppy requires. Luckily, we were able to have some private training with Kim. In just one session, not only does she undo all the mistakes we have made; but she manages to take our dog to a whole next level. Truly phenomenal! You won’t regret it!

Kim was awesome! I came to her in a bit of a dark time in my dog’s life and she swooped right in. She got to know him and tailored a program just for him.
A territorial, neurotic biter, with Kim’s guidance, we’ve gotten Carver to be a much more well-​adjusted dog. I can have guests over and he’ll even happily say hello, whereas in the past, I had to keep him locked in a bedroom.
I seriously don’t know what would have happened next with Carver if it hadn’t been for all the help. I think one of the biggest things that made the difference is that she doesn’t just TRAIN him, she shows YOU how to train him. She was also great at recommending supplemental activities and readings so that I can work on things with him on my own.
So for someone with a fear-​biting big dog, she was perfect. Highly recommend!

Kim is beyond amazing. We just moved to Austin from Dallas and moved into an apartment from a house. Our dog, Bobby, was not handling the adjustment well. He was very timid and wary when outside. Walks were not fun and potty time didn’t happen except inside the apartment (he was house broken in Dallas but the rules went out the window when we moved). We went through two weeks of drama before finding Kim. She helped us understand how to work with Bobby and help him adjust. We had a different dog in just one lesson and he got better after every lesson. Everything she has suggested has worked! Bobby is much happier and adjusting great. He’s back to potty time outside and walks are much more enjoyable for both of us.
Kim is the top dog trainer in Austin as far as we are concerned! She gave Bobby a much better quality of life and gave us our sanity back. She also showed us how to continue working with Bobby and keep it fun. I learned more in a few weeks with Kim than I have learned in years of dog ownership. I don’t normally write reviews and rarely give top marks but Kim the Dog Trainer is fantastic. If you are reading this review and need a trainer, do yourself a favor and hire Kim.

We just had our 4^th session with Kim and can already see a huge difference in our beloved Roscoe. Roscoe has quite a personality that sometimes drives us crazy, but Kim has taught us how to tame that personality. Roscoe no longer demands our attention by barking, but rather waits quietly for pets and cuddles (not to mention treats). Roscoe is also learning that other dogs in the neighborhood are not the enemy and that walks are much more enjoyable if he doesn’t lunge at every dog he passes. We have always loved Roscoe, but it is so much easier to love him when he isn’t driving us bonkers. Thanks, Kim!

This review is guest written by Penelope:
Kim the Dog Trainer is so cool! I really liked coming to her class every week, and now I’m sad that it’s over. Maybe if I’m really good and listen to my Person, she will let me come back for play time.

The problem was sometimes I didn’t understand what my Person wanted from me. I love her very much, and really want to please her, but at times she would say things I didn’t understand. Sometimes I would do something and it was no big deal. I might even get a scratch behind my ears. Another time, I would do the exact same thing, and my Person would seem annoyed at me. It wasn’t bad the first time, but it was bad the second time? What was I doing wrong? I wasn’t really sure… My Person sure does baffle me! For example, we would be outside so I would think it was play time. Most of the time she loves watching me zoom across the yard as fast as lightening! But one day when I was running super fast, she seemed to get frustrated. I was so confused. I didn’t understand playtime was over and it was time to go inside. But now, after spending time with my Person and Kim, I get it! It’s like my Person is finally speaking a language I understand. Sometimes I would forget to listen the first time, but Kim helped my Person continue to tell me what she wanted until I got it right! Now I feel confident that I know what my Person is asking for. It makes me feel so good when I get it right, and it makes my Person really happy too.
Editors Note:
I would highly recommend Kim the Dog Trainer to people with new pups and old dogs alike. I would recommend her if this is your first dog or if you have had several. I would recommend Kim if your dog has behavioral problems or even if you think your dog is well behaved. Basically, I think all dogs and owners should come see Kim.
Kim has a true understanding of dogs and their underlying motivators. Though Penelope is a well behaved older dog with an easy going disposition, I was pretty sure she’d never had any formal training. I thought obedience lessons would be a good idea to further my confidence in taking Penelope out in public more often. Not only am I more confident in bringing Penelope with me places now, but our bond has grown stronger. Kim really helped me see how vital structure and consistency is for Penelope’s happiness and well being. Even if your dog, like Penelope, understands basic commands there is still real value for you and your dog in working with Kim.

Our dog just completed Kim’s Obedience 1 class. He was the most improved dog in the class. Kim’s common sense and consistent training provided structure where it was needed. She was interested in our dog’s well being and improvement. He’s happy and we’re happy.