Caitlin Coberly

About KateHi there! Thanks for checking out my about space. You can call me Kate. I work with dogs. Big dogs, bitey dogs and itty-bitty puppy dogs. All breeds. Most issues. Here's a little more about me, and how I got where I am.Early years, experience and philosophyI have been working with animals since I was a tiny tot. We had turtles and guinea pigs and lots of dogs. When I was only 12, I started my professional career in horse-training. I started green mounts for a local trainer and lent a hand (and a few ribs) to anyone who needed a horse broke. In about 2011, my career took a dramatic turn when I decided to see if I could train naturally, without equipment or tools.My love of naked training paid off when my horses started to ask to work, and my dogs started recalling like Lassie. What I found was that working with more freedom required me to get more buy-in, and more engagement, from my team. Since I could no longer rely on coercion, I had to develop a deeper relationship. By building that relationship on mutual trust and enjoyment, the animals wanted to be with me. I found that this approach also helped my clients with their difficult dogs.This discovery prompted a decade long deep-dive into pet emotional health and well-being, and how that relates to problem behaviors such as aggression, compulsive disorders, reactivity, basic manners and fear related issues. This integrated approach forms the backbone of my daily work with challenging dogs. We resolve issues through a combination of lifestyle analysis, building two-way communication, and developing a deep relationship built on mutual trust.From my family to yoursIn my private life, I currently play around with mental health and wellness on my small farm. I have 3 horses, 2 cats, 7 elderly pointers, and one large human. We juggle two professional careers, health issues, and all the challenges of modern life, while aiming for grace, compassion and joy on a daily basis.I bring my passion to my daily happiness-walks, thinking about new approaches and methods to help you, and your family, reach your best life. I am passionate about dogs, and you are central to that. Your dog will not be happy if you aren't happy. It's all about building a happy family.Kate's certificationsKate is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), as well as a Fear Free(tm) Certified Trainer. Additionally, Kate holds an advanced degree in Evolutionary Biology, and a teaching certificate from Duke University. My geek factor ranges into the odd and unusual, training dogs, falcons, horses, fish, and even spiders (not to mention assorted farm animals). I love diving into the literature on why we do what we do to bring that understanding to our work with dogs.Kate's ethicsWe adhere to the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultant's policy on Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive (LIMA) strategies. We are committed to the Fear Free‚Ñ¢ mission to provide education on emotional wellbeing, targeted enrichment, and the reduction of fear, anxiety, and stress in pets and their humans. I am also passionate about ethics–writing the before-it's-time article on the ethics of online dog training for IAABC.