Coastal Canine Training Services

Karen is one of the best trainers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. She is extremely knowledgeable about canine behaviour, and she is able to share that knowledge with her clients in a way that is easily understood.I have taken many in-person classes with Coastal Canine and will continue to do so once we are able to meet in person again. Last night I did my first online nosework class with her, and it was fantastic. Karen made it fun and informative, and was able to give personalized feedback just like in an in-person class. If you are considering doing an online class during this time of physical distancing, I highly recommend checking out the classes that Karen is offering.

We engaged Ariana to help training our puppy on the basics from a young age. She was not only knowledgeable and confident but also very loving and engaging. Radar (pictured below) responded very well to a trainer that so obviously loves dogs while still being respected by the canine students.Ariana also runs a very enjoyable Puppy Socials" instinctively knowing what "positive play" means and therefore allowing the dogs to have an enjoyable experience.Fantastic job. Thanks Ariana!"

I couldn't recommend Karen enough. She is very clear on the science behind dog behavior and how they learn so you understand why your dog displays certain behaviours, and how to work WITH your dog to build a stronger relationship. No intimidation tactics or aversive techniques here. All force-free, positive reinforcement, evidence based approaches used. This is SO important! Her passion is evident. She has helped me with my dog-reactive dog. She has built my confidence up tremendously. I understand why and where my dog is struggling and how to help him in those situations. Our pup has come quite a long way and we're excited to start going to Nosework soon with Coastal Canine as well.

I’ve been a client with Karen of Coastal Canine for 3 years, working with my sensitive vizsla. My new pup will also be training with Coastal Canine for his Mind Your Manners course and nosework classes. I do not hesitate to give Karen my highest recommendation! Her upbeat nature and passion for dogs makes each nosework class enjoyable and engaging. Her depth of knowledge and extensive experience are invaluable. Karen’s natural ability to teach and professionalism extend to both dog and handler. She maintains her sense of humour and unwavering patience with an understanding that clients and dogs learn at different rates.

Karen has supported us over the last year on our training journey with our pup, Kobe. We've taken several of her group classes (Mind your Manners and Nosework) and when our pup developed some reactivity issues we turned to Karen for help. She held our hands through the entire training process, and gave us the foundational tools to help support him. She is one of Kobe's most favourite people and she has worked so hard to help us help him find some ease, in what for him can be a scary world! We look forward to continuing to work with Karen.

We’ve been seeing Karen for a while to help with my dog’s human reactivity and she’s been an incredible help to us! Ive seen a lot of trainers over the years and Karen is definitely one of the best I’ve been to. She knows her stuff and it shows. She articulates concepts super well which is incredibly useful when trying to implement techniques at home, and she is great with dogs who are shy and fearful.Ive seen tons of improvement with my dog, and I’m so glad we were able to learn from her!

We started working with Karen a little more than a month ago as our 2 year old dog developed some unpredictable reactivity on leash toward people and other dogs. She gave us effective, simple techniques at our sessions that were straightforward and easy to work on at home. The difference the training made came so much faster than we imagined and we can’t remember our dogs last reactive instance. We are so thankful for Karen’s expertise, building the confidence of us and our dog so we can take him out and give him all of the fun and adventure he deserves. We plan to continue with Karen for continued support and maintenance. Thank you for everything Karen!!

Where do I start with how amazing Karen is? If I could give 100 stars I would. I first met Karen while fostering a puppy (Noah - now adopted) that was so fearful of the world that she could not function; she could barely go outside to the yard to go to the bathroom, a kitchen cupboard shutting would send her on a 20min panic attack, and her previous foster had to drive her from poco to north van late at night to calm her down. 24/7 Noah was so worried about life that she wasn't able to enjoy simple things like toys.Since 2018, Karen has played a major role in the rehabilitation of Noah. She gave me the guidance I needed to help Noah be less afraid of the world and through positive reinforcement training, Noah is now able to go on walks and hikes in more remote areas. She has recently received her Novice Trick Dog title as well! Karen has also inspired us to venture into nosework training, which is a perfect activity for Noah who has severe dog reactivity. We have been doing it for about 2 years and every single session, Karen takes care to make sure Noah is challenged but not discouraged and helps her build confidence. My second dog, Gemma, has now also started nosework. She has severe separation anxiety and Karen takes the time to adjust our experience to help Gemma be able to participate.In summary, Karen has given me the inspiration, confidence, and tools to be the best dog mom I can be; one who advocates for her dogs and tries to enrich their lives and make their days the best they can be. Not only is she a wealth of knowledge but she is passionate about her work. Thank you Karen for everything you have done for our little family and I highly recommend her!

Murdock started nosework training with Karen when he first came home to me at about two months old. We stuck with Karen over the past 5 years and have found great success in the sport. I cannot recommend her enough for ANY training you need- she is extremely knowledgable and passionate about nosework and behavioural work with dogs and is constantly continuing and updating her education to make sure she- and anyone employeed by her- is at the top of industry standards. In an unregulated industry it is a huge relief to see people like Karen and the Coastal Canine team using science backed, ethical training that is positive and fun for people and their dogs- and best of all gets amazing result.Be it looking for success in nosework, getting your puppy off to the right start, or seeking help managing behavioural issues with your dog you won't regret working with Coastal.

Just finished our level 1 Nosework with Karen and the class was so much fun! Karen is an amazing instructor that really takes the time to explain to you why your dog does what he does. My little puppy started going through her first fear period during our set with Karen and she was very accommodating and helped us learn to work through it.