Kim’s Dog Coaching

In some ways, Kim feels like a well-​written TV character. She’s smart, funny, and has a way of speaking in maxims that you’ll never forget.
It’s amazing to hand your dog’s leash over to Kim and watch them snap into attention; it’s almost like she has a psychic connection to each pet she meets. Her approach is based around rewarding successes rather than punishing failures, which sounds obvious until you realize that just a generation ago, conventional wisdom was to rub your dog’s nose in its accidents and spank them for misbehavior. Kim’s tactics are thorough, gentle, and effective without being coddling, and my dog has transformed in ways that are measurable and concrete. Overall, she trains you to be a better dog owner, and I’ve learned things I wish I knew raising my childhood dogs.

Kim is just wonderful. We are on our fourth round of classes (three agility and one obedience) and hope to keep going until Billy is an agility champ! That being said, Kim keeps owners grounded, dogs in line, but lessons are always fun and worth my 30 minute drive. If you’re looking for bland obedience training because you feel obligated to do something with your new puppy, this isn’t for you (well-​I guess you can make it bland if you wanted to…). Kim will teach your dog how to sit and stay, sure, but she’ll also teach you how to connect with your dog and strengthen your bond. It’s cheesy sounding I know, but it makes a world of difference.
Classes with Kim, even group classes, always feel very personalized. And even though my pup has peed in the ring…4 times now??? She tells me to stop stressing about it already. So that’s a 5-​star rating for patience right there.

We are starting our second course in agility to help our adult dog have more confidence. Kim is a little stern with the dogs — ok, and maybe the humans ;) when needed, but genuinely loves them and is so well suited to this work that really has helped our dog and others in our class.
Doing «homework» from class has helped to strengthen our dog’s bond to my husband and the first course made a marked improvement in her attitude on walks, she is not as fearful as before. We attend classes at the Bark Bark Club in Edgewater which is very near our home, which is super convenient and how we learned about Kim.

The short review? Kim is a life saver.
The reasons why? We adopted our dog, Lola, and very quickly she became a handful. Like trying to eat our entire house (and us.) Combine that with the fact I’m an adult who has never had a pet (goldfish don’t count) and I was about to give up. Enter Kim.
Her obedience level 1 class at Bark Bark Club is nothing short of amazing. I couldn’t make all of the classes but she always gave such detailed notes/​homework, my husband or kids could fill me in and I could get up to speed quickly.
Not to mention when we had questions or concerns in between classes, Kim was just an email or phone call away.
5 weeks later, there has definitely been a change in Lola — for the better. She’s a sassy pup but she’s learning! Kim’s direct yet very caring approach to dog training has made a huge difference for our dog and our (human) family.
I can’t recommend Kim and her class enough!

My girlfriend’s brother took his golden to Kim. We brought our puppy Lulu to Kim for obedience training. And not too shortly there after when our tiny puppy became a 73 pound water buffalo, we decided it was time to get Kim to show us how to get Lulu to stop turning my girlfriend into a human kite; flying behind the dog while the dog walked us.
Its safe to say that if we ever get another dog (No Megan, if you are reading this that isn’t happening for a long long time no matter how many times you put that show Too Cute on in the house) we will definitely bring the dog back to Kim.

Well, of course. Kim is at the Bark Bark Club, so she’s going to be five stars!
I took my dog, Sonic, a notorious twerker, to Kim’s class at the Bark Bark Club and really enjoyed it. Kim’s style is no-​nonsense and direct — just what you want with these crazy, four-​legged beasts we take into our homes.
Classes are very clear, and she gives handouts so you don’t forget what went on in the class. It’s training the owner as much as training the dog. I’m happy with the progress my pup made, now it’s up to ME to reinforce that. I’d definitely take another class with her.
Oh, and it’s obvious Kim adores dogs — but really, who doesn’t?

I adopted a 7 month old Pomeranian mix, Lily, who came with a myriad of «issues.» After a day of her non-​stop barking and other behavioral red flags, I was really questioning my decision. Kim was recommended– I called and she came to the house. Within an hour, the dog was much better– I was not so freaked out. She gave me some concrete things that I could do right away, which helped immensely.
I signed Lily up for basic obedience with Kim and we went on to agility training and I don’t mind bragging that Lily is quite a little star! The difference in this dog is really unbelievable.
Kim has a direct approach infused with plenty of humor– she whipped us into shape, but truth be told, I was clearly the problem:-)
My dogs LOVE Kim– they get sooooo excited when we go to class. I would recommend her to anyone that needs a skilled dog trainer who can give you the tools to have an incredible relationship with your dogs!

I adopted a wonderful dog from a rescue in July 2011. Around the holidays (Nov./Dec), she «corrected» my 3 year-​old son by snapping at his face. I called my local friend/​groomer who suggested I contact Kim. Kim came to my house and took her time to gather information. She paid attention to the environment, my son, me, and the dog and provided her assessment and suggestions. I followed her suggestions and my dog and son had no issues for 6 months thereafter. In the interim, Kim responded quickly to my calls when my dog demonstrated food guarding at the table. I had multiple phone conversations with Kim who never rushed off the phone and showed genuine concern. Unfortunately, my dog took another snap at my son this summer and I had to find her a child-​free home. However, while I had my dog, Kim was instrumental in guiding me through the tricky navigation of dogs plus kids.

I can’t recommend Kim highly enough. I have worked with Kim in her group classes and have had her to my home for private training sessions for my «special» boy. My dog is 3 years old and he’s got some issues, who doesn’t?. In group class my dog was able to go from barking non-​stop to focusing on me and his leash walking skills are so much better. I love Kim and her positive training methods.

I found Kim Schiro online looking for a trainer with experience with dachsunds. Wow. Did I ever luck out! Kim’s idea of coaching — not training — a dog is fantastic. It’s more about bonding with your pup than a «me alpha, you lowly pack member» attitude. My doxie, Gracie, and I learned a lot and, more importantly, had fun.
Kim is always available for questions. She answers her emails and calls promptly and encourages you to call her for any question you might have. She also offers private lessons. Kim comes to your house, assesses what ever special little situation you might have, and tailors the lessons to you and your pup. Her knowledge and instincts with dogs is amazing.
Gracie and I had a blast during the class. We both learned a lot. In fact, we’re starting agility class this week! As Kim says, «it’s date night with your dog» !

My three dogs aren’t perfect, because let’s face it I’m not perfect, but they are infinitely better after Kim’s instruction.
Kim was great in helping me when the pack mentality had taken over my dogs and I had trouble getting them in line. As she says, «It all travels down the leash.» Which means if you are nervous or frustrated in the training process, the dogs will be, too. And that doesn’t work for owner or dog. As such her approach to training is positive reinforcement and reward based commands. Works wonders!
One example. Jack, my little nightmare Dachshund, would bark uncontrollably when wanting treats or his daily food. It would drive me nuts and I’d just end up yelling at him. Totally useless. A couple quick commands from Kim and now he sits and waits until I feed him. Amazing!
Kim’s approach is also very common sense. If you want your dog to do this, tell them this. Sounds simple but when you’re emotionally attached to an animal, sometimes it’s hard to remember the basic stuff is actually the most effective.
Also, her pricing is very competitive with other trainers I’ve checked, and she’s very good about keeping class sizes small. This not only to ensures your dog (and you!) get proper attention, but it’s safer and more beneficial for all the dogs in the class.

My boyfriend and I adopted a hound mix from a local rescue. She has been a good dog from the start, but as first-​time dog owners, we definitely needed help in training her. Kim’s class not only gave us clear and extremely helpful instruction in obedience training, but also really helped us bond with our dog, which I had not necessarily expected from obedience training. My boyfriend and I came to really look forward to class, and it became a highlight of our week — almost a therapy session for us all, as we bonded with our dog and enjoyed sharing in the same experience of our classmates. Kim also made herself available to her students beyond the class, so that, when I went out of town for a week and our dog showed signs of separation anxiety, my boyfriend was able to contact her and get really good advice in dealing with the issue. We are so glad to have taken the beginner’s class, and look forward to taking more classes with Kim!

Kim is an awesome dog trainer. My dog Lola and I attended Kim’s group class. Lola is… how can you put it… a little on the «slow» side. Luckily, being a beagle she is highly food driven and Kim taught Lola and I the basics. After the class Lola could do all basic commands and her attention span is much better. I highly recommend Kims classes for your pups.