MoellerDog

As a dog professional I can only give 5 stars. Kim Moeller is the best. She has been my mentor and has taught me well.
Woohoo! As good as it gets! Yes, Unilocal is right about that!

I have been volunteering at the SFSPCA for some time and have just been fortunate that Kim has taken up the role of being my mentor trainer so that I can complete my animal behavioral course.
I feel like I have struck gold to have a trainer that knows so much, has a brilliant way of teaching, builds confidence (in myself) and gets fantastic fast results from the dogs with positive reinforcement.
If I was new to dog ownership I would want Kim to be teaching me how to enjoy life with a well behaved and balanced dog.
So to sum up I think Kim is AMAZING and would recommend her to anyone.

This review is years overdue! Kim is an extremely insightful and dog savvy trainer. She has an exceptional ability to ‘diagnose’ behavior problems and cater a training/​socialization session to individual dogs and their owners (after all, it’s usually us owners who need more help than the dogs: P). I met Kim through the SPCA’s growly dog class. I had a very dog-​reactive and sometimes dog-​aggressive german shepherd (rescue). While the class was good and gave a lot of useful information and techniques on managing my dog’s behavior (while working on preventing the explosions), I found the private sessions with Kim the most valuable. With her help, she gave me the confidence I needed in handling my dog around other dogs… we even got to the point of working with him off leash. My dog went on to being off leash at Ft. Funston and going out regularly (off leash) with a dog walker & his group. The techniques and experience I had with Kim, carried over to my second rescue dog. While she did not have severe aggression, she could be barky on leash and I was able to nip it in the bud on my own. Unfortunately for me (due to life circumstances), I had to rehome my shepherd. He now lives in a loving home with another shepherd and his new owners comment all the time on how wonderfully trained he is. I don’t think we would have gotten as far as we did if we didn’t start those socialization sessions with Kim. In reading the review from Larissa, it seems Kim basically advised her the same as the other trainer. A prey driven wolf hybrid, that has had years practicing unwanted behavior, is a different kettle of fish and will always need to be managed. Even my shepherd was not ‘fixed’…sure, he can be around other dogs and is desensitized, but he can still react in certain situations. I have no doubt that if Larissa met with Kim, she would have learned exactly how to read her dog and gained skills to manage the dog. Anyway, I am thrilled Kim wrote a book and will have to check it out… but I’m equally thrilled that I don’t need it, in great part to her help :)

This review is for not just Kim/​MoellerDog, but also for the Reactive Rover class we took at the SFSPCA. I would give props to Kim and to the SFSPCA for her methods/​ability as a trainer and for the great space (with plentiful parking). We had taken another class at SF Puppy Prep, and we have learned the down sides of having difficult parking (you’re already running late, your dog wants to sniff everything, etc.) and a facility that smells like pee (it really distracts you more than you think when the place smells and it sounds like elephants whenever someone goes up the stairs at SF Puppy Prep) so this location for SPCA is great.
Kim is a great trainer and hits the right balance of telling you what to do without making you feel like an idiot. She also explains very well why she is doing what she tells you to do. She is understanding about each dog’s needs and easy to work with.
That having been said, I think that a personal training session or two with Kim would have been better for our dogs and us. The class itself was fine, but we think that our dog would have done better with one-​on-​one attention from Kim. Also, the class is only 5 sessions and the last one is an Intro to Nosework, which isn’t really what we wanted or would have paid $ 300 for 5 classes for.
In the end — it would be 5 stars for Kim and the SFSPCA, but one star deduction for the Reactive Rover class structure itself.

Kim is an amazing trainer. I attended her Pet CPR First Aid Certification Workshop at SF Puppy Prep about a week or two ago.
She is personable, patient and extremely knowledgeable. Her and «Vanna White», Krisitine, made learning fun — even learning how to give dogs and cats CPR and first aid.
They made sure we felt prepared and I was happy to get my Pet Tech certification, as I had recently let it lapse. It came at the perfect time. It’s a must for any pet service professional!
Kim also hosts SF Puppy Prep’s Sunday Small Dog and Puppy Socials, which thrive with her calm and fun vibe.
Kim and Kristine’s obvious love and respect for dogs (and cats) made the experience that much better.
Thanks Kim!

My beautiful, smart, lively dog, Sophie, is, sadly, a «growly dog.»
Kim has been a lifesaver — helped my wife and me manage our growly girl in very dog-​friendly city — there’s an adventure around every corner!
Thanks to Kim, walking our dog is not a nightmare!
I highly recommend her classes at the SF SPCA.

I just read Kim’s book Reactive Rover and was so impressed! It really helped me understand how to teach folks with dog reactive dogs in a new light. As a professional trainer myself, I was able to pass helpful tips and techniques on to my clients based on this book.
Kim is a very reputable trainer — she helped with my own dog many years ago and is indeed an expert in her field.

As a client and as a participating assistant in Kim’s Growly classes, I have to strongly recommend Kim not only for her positive-​based training methods, but equally for the positive changes I have seen her effect with owners and their reactive dogs.
Most of the dogs in her Growly Dog classes for reactive dogs are great dogs, though not so great around other dogs. It is amazing what happens in the course of 6 weeks. Through carefully planned interactions and a lot of owner training, I have seen dogs progress from being loud, barky and lunging to happy, engaged and neighborhood-​friendly. It is not easy and the best results I have seen are from owners who make some time to work with their dog between sessions. Through Kim’s vast experience (she’s taught Growly class for many years now) and her ability to tailor the exercises in each class to the collective needs of the dogs & owners, each dog/​owner gets to progress in the best way, and at the best pace for the dog. I should know — I have a reactive dog, and when I needed help several years ago with my barking & lunging dog, I came across Kim’s class, and boy am I glad I did.
I know so much more now about positive training methods, I have a lot of tools that we learned about in my «toolkit» to use, and I know how to keep my dog engaged and pleasant. My dog even can greet many dogs now without difficulty. Kim’s classes do require you to work, but the results are worth it.

I am a professional dog trainer myself and have seen Kim speak and also have her book. I use many of Kim’s techniques with reactive client dogs and would definitely refer people to her and would recommend her book!

We love Kim! In just a few sessions she turned Peetie, our misbehaved, dog-​aggressive suburban brat, into the perfect SF City girl. It helps to have a food-​motivated dog who adores people, and Kim showed us lots of ways to keep Peetie’s eyes on the prize (= treats) and on us during walks instead of staring down, barking, and lunging at dogs passing by.
Fast forward three months and Peetie is actually playing nicely with other pups at the dog park. Kim’s training was nothing short of remarkable — we hardly recognize the dog we moved to the City with earlier this year. We can also heartily recommend Kim’s «Growly Dog» class at the SPCA.
We were very lucky to have found Kim — she is the consummate dog trainer!

Kim began walking our dog several months ago and I am still amazed that she gets her out the door, past legions of PG&E men restoring pipes on our street, past the painters working on the corner house without a peep, or bark, from our very shy, fearful and reactive dog! And, our dog returns home with a huge smile on her face (no small feat for her) and lands immediately into a heap on the floor for a good long nap. A tired, happy and relaxed dog-​what more could we ask for?
I’d recommend Kim for walking and training in a heartbeat!

Anyone should consider themselves lucky to be able to work with Kim. Her years of experience and ease around difficult dogs sets her apart from other trainers and walkers. She walks my shy dog, who has a lot of fear issues. Kim has always been patient and thoughtful, and has never pushed my dog Davis too hard. She is never in a hurry if my dog needs to work at a slower pace. She gives individual attention to every dog she walks or trains — no matter what the issue. Additionally, I have been able to work with Kim as an intern at the SPCA and owe so much of my own knowledge to watching her work the most difficult shelter dogs with complete ease. She is truly committed to helping dogs and it is obvious that she loves her job. She is the «trainers trainer» and sets a very high bar for everyone else working in the dog training industry.

The short of it — Kim is a rock star!
The long of it — I got Buster from the Humane Society, and he came with a set of problems including problems on leash around other dogs. Maybe problems is too mild a word, lets just say if there was another dog in a 2 block radius, Buster would turn into a little terror. After 2 sessions with Kim, I felt so much more confident and capable of helping Buster improve. She gave us some great techniques to help Buster feel calmer and happier around other dogs and while he’s not perfect yet, he is 7000% better around other dogs.
We also took 2 classes from Kim at the SPCA, she is great instructor. Both classes were a lot of fun, Buster would always get a huge grin on his face when we pulled up to the building. She is fantastic with dogs, but just at good at helping me feel confident which I think makes all the difference.
If you are in the market for an amazing dog trainer, you can’t do better than Kim!

Kim is so knowledgable… I learned a LOT from her by assisting in her classes at the SPCA. She excels at dog aggession issues, and has helped so many dogs. saved so many lives. She is a dedicated trainer and truly loves dogs!
I would never hesitate to contact Kim, and have referred her to folks who adopted dogs from Wonder Dog Rescue too.

I went to Kim hoping that I could fix my relationship with my little Chihuahua. We desperately needed help. Our walks were becoming unbearable because all he would do is yank on the leash, bark and growl at other dogs as we passed. His socialization skills were, in my mind, severely lacking. I was embarrassed because he wouldn’t listen to me and I couldn’t control his behavior. I would ask myself why couldn’t my dog be like the other dogs I see in the park? And then came Kim…
I highly recommend Kim. She was excellent and has totally changed my relationship with my dog!
Before I met Kim… trust me I was skeptical when looking for a trainer. I didn’t know what method of training would work or if training would work at all; I was afraid of always having to give my dog treats to get him to behave especially since my dog has been prone to weight issues; and let’s be honest… I wanted results that were worth my money. Kim took all my fears away! She was professional, knowledgeable and genuinely cared about giving me the direction I needed to develop a better relationship with my dog as well as fix the existing problems I was having with dog-​dog aggression. She gave me more than I expected and it was worth every penny! I would happily go back and use any of her services.
Kim answered all my questions and provided suggestions that helped me continue training beyond the private session. I have seen a big change in my dog’s behavior. He listens to me, I look forward to our walks (and so does he) and he is even more behaved at home. I am no longer paranoid or embarrassed of my dog’s behavior, in fact, we are quite the little team now. Most important, now I can understand what makes my dog who he is and my role in his development.
So you ask… is he like the other dogs in the park now… Nope, in my mind he’s better and I love him for it thanks to Kim!!!