pawz-tive dog training

MEET THE TRAINER

Florida Raised

Before I discovered my passion for dog training, I spent over a decade training horses and riders in the beautiful equestrian hub of Ocala, Florida.

It was there that I developed a deep understanding of animal behavior, trust, and communication.

Fun fact: horses and dogs aren’t as different as you might think when it comes to performing and maintaining their loyalty to you.

Horses are actually more color blind than dogs and that is why you see many dog toys displaying yellow and blue colors.

It’s small details like these that are of great importance when I coach owners and their dogs how to acclimate to city living here in South Florida.

Service Dog Certification
Kate Smith
Train smarter. Not harder.

my VISION FOR YOU

To help you discover your own rhythm and set of protocols together at home, on walks and outings.

Think of me as your personal guide to transforming chaos into calm and frustration into fun challenges for your dog to be able to relax inside and outside.

As a client, I coach you remotely after each in person training session to help answer your questions, fill in the gaps and assist you in practicing the exercises.

My mission, is to be authentic in every aspect of my life. 

seeing is believing

My training philosophy is that my clients should have more control over their training plans and to empower them with choices when it comes to raising their dogs, rehabbing fosters and recently adopted dogs.

Every household is unique to their own families and pets, and I believe the protocols within their training should reflect that.

Once I connect with your dog and you, I will be able to articulate the process of how to meet and maintain the vision you have for them and the different avenues we can take together.

education goes both ways

For the last 8 years, I have been studying under behaviorists, ethologists and trainers who specialize in managing and rehabilitating dogs who struggle with fear, stress, phobias, and aggression in city living.

I love explaining how your dog’s brain works, why and when they make the decisions they do and how to achieve a loyal relationship in public and at home.

More importantly, I teach you within minutes how dogs can learn from so much more than just following treats

I enjoy helping dogs process and acclimate to city living, while empowering owners to advocate for their dog in public and maintain their dog’s sweet and confident nature.

I’m constantly inspired by some of the legends in the dog training world, like Dr. Ian Dunbar, Dr. Patricia McConnell, and Dr. Sophia Yin.

I’m also a big believer in continuing education—there’s always more to learn!

Right now, I’m fortunate to be mentored by Brett Bailey, the mastermind behind Whosagoodboyindustries, and I’m diving into the world of IGP competition under the guidance of Nino Drowaert of STSK9.

I currently am subscribed to two different platforms for trainers who can showcase their work, have open discussions and consult on cases.

It’s challenging, exciting, and keeps me sharp so I can bring my best to every client.

I enjoy collecting funkos, rocks and sand from all over the world, coins and bills from other countries, shotglasses and magnets. 

In my spare time, I enjoy photography, going to the springs, national parks and playing in an amateur pool league for 8 ball and 9 ball. 

My three dogs names are Harley, Kang and Coco. Coco is completely deaf and mostly blind who I adopted from Milo’s Dog Rescue. 

Harley was found by good samartians in Pompano Beach at the beginning of COVID lockdowns and I picked her up the day she was found and she was never claimed by anyone. She has been with me ever since.

Kang is my imported German Shepherd from Czech Republica and he is a year and a half old. We are currently mastering the ins and outs of IGP in preparation for our BH Test this year.  

The American Kennel Club (AKC) provides guidelines and requirements for owners and their dogs to then be certified and these are the current titles I offer:
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy
Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
AKC Community Canine
AKC Urban CGC
AKC Trick Dog
CGC-Ready 
ATT Program (Temperament Testing)
Virtual Home Manners