Testimonials

Here’s what some of my clients, both human and canine have to say about me:

Shannon Smith

Thank you so much for all of your doggie wisdom. You are so incredibly awesome and such a good teacher. Thank you, thank you.

Connie glynn

I reached out to Dogwise Obedience when my 8-year old dog was having a hard time assimilating to a new household.

Christine was able to meet with us right away, and she asked us to complete a thoughtful and thorough questionnaire before her first visit so she could tailor her training plan for our needs. Christine had an introductory meeting with us and talked us through her methodologies and process so we could prepare for the road ahead.

My dog loved her right away and training started the second she walked in the door.
Christine was very clear and patient with us and found new ways of doing things if my dog wasn’t cooperating. She made training sessions fun and we noticed improvements with each passing week.

She helped us lay a strong foundation with basic obedience and also taught us how to handle our unique circumstances.

We would strongly recommend Christine to anyone as she showed us no dog is too old to learn new tricks!

Evelyn Fowler

I was impressed with Christine’s style of training, knowledge of animal behavior, and presence around my dogs from the moment she arrived.

Everything Christine said during our training sessions made a lot of sense and the dogs loved her from the start. Christine was astute in catching small nuances on how I spoke with the dogs, how I responded to the dogs, and what lead me to be frustrated with their behavior. By working with the dogs, but probably more so with me, the behaviors began to improve.

Because I was so impressed with the hour-long sessions, I enrolled each dog in a week of camp. When I picked each dog up from camp, I know each one was very happy to see me but also clearly was conflicted about leaving their camp environment.

My dogs may not be perfect, but are much better than they were prior to our initial session. And, more importantly, my attitude and interactions with the dogs has improved greatly. Whether you need a quick training review or are in need of more extensive training, Christine has the skill and know-how to put you and your furry friend on the right path.

Marcia S.

Christine is a really good trainer. She understands dogs. And she understands owners. So she was able to evaluate our springer pup very quickly. She got a good sense of us too, as we worked with our dog, and was able quickly to tell us, in a nice straightforward way, what things we were doing that actually rewarded the dog for various bits of barking, and roughhousing and other stuff we didn’t want him to do. She was excellent at working with us. She also provided good written materials, helped us identify the equipment — leash, collar, harness, etc — that was best for our dog , and was a pleasure to work with. Last point: this woman loves dogs, and the dogs know that and like to respond to the good habits she is developing in them.

Chelsea Locke

I cannot thank Christine enough for how much she has helped our 4 year doodle named Huck! When we first met Christine, Huck was uncomfortable leaving the house with anyone but me and was barking at any visitors that entered the house. He would cower and hide when people tried to engage him when I wasn’t home. We heard about Christine from my sister who had used her to work with her Boxer named Riggs. My sister sang Christine’s praises and told us to contact her about getting some help with Huck.

After our first session with Christine, Huck was already starting to become more confident and consider leaving the house with my fiance. Once we completed a few sessions, Huck was a totally different dog. He now willingly leaves the house when I am not home and greets people at the front door without barking. My only regret is not calling Christine sooner! If you are looking to correct behaviors or train your dog, she is your girl!

Molly Haley

I can’t thank Christine enough for all of the support and tools she gave my dog and I. Her guidance and protocols provided us with an incredible foundational language to use together for years to come. I feel confident in my connection to my dog now, and able to create consistent structure and support for her in an empowering way — just what I was hoping to learn how to do through working with a trainer. Christine is the perfect trainer for you if you’re looking for someone to meet you and your dog where you are currently at and truly personalize your training experience. She takes the time to really get to know your story and hear your goals. Her method is holistic and thorough, and her sessions are filled with learning and practice. She is incredibly clear, and her training works so well. She is a true teacher, and one that my dog and I will forever be grateful for!

Update from customer two months after training:

Brindle is doing SO well! We’ve been going on long woods walks and she runs and explores and meets other dogs and always comes back to me—It’s just like you said it would be—-We are very connected. She’s so smart and wonderful and our bond just grows stronger by the day! Thank you again for helping us to build such a strong foundation! I hope that you are well!

Stephen and Sarah Blanchard

When my fiance and I first got our 1.5 year old bearded mutt we were ecstatic. And then the destruction came. He would get into the trash, destroyed dog beds, and broke out of the house on a regular basis. He would literally break out of his kennel, chew through gates, just to get to the dog door. Eventually after doing some research we choose to work with Christine. It was immediately clear that Christine has a special way with dogs. Jasper would behave for her in positive ways that he would never do for us. She eventually taught us that it wasn’t Jasper that needed training, but that it was us. After just three one hour long sessions she taught us successful ways to deal with our beloved bearded boy. All of that naughty behavior started to go away and we couldn’t be happier.

Thanks Christine!!!

Jeff Thomas

Christine came to my home to help us train Calvin, our new Havanese puppy. She was fantastic – she is truly a “dog whisperer.” Christine gave us three hour-long lessons, spaced about two weeks apart, and left clear instructions to help us recall what we had worked on. I still use these notes. We were amazed at how quickly Calvin would follow and do what she asked. She taught us the principles behind the training and then let us practice with Calvin. We of course did the basic “sit,” “down,” and “crate” commands. Two commands that have especially been helpful have been the “get in your place” command where Calvin will go and stay until we free him, and the “leave it” command, when we don’t want him to chew on something he shouldn’t. So helpful! By the third Christine she helped us with walking Calvin with other distractions (she brought her dogs), and long leash training. We’re still working on some of these but we see continual improvement with Calvin as we work with him. I’d definitely give two thumbs up for Christine’s Dogwise personal training!

Katherine Fink

We are so pleased with how far our dog has come under Christine’s guidance! She has helped us tremendously with our newly adopted dog (and first dog ever!), with issues ranging from resource guarding, to leash reactivity, to greeting guests politely, to off leash skills. Now I have no anxiety when approaching other dogs on leash, knowing that our dog will not bark or lunge. He is now a pleasure to take out in public, camping, on hikes, and off leash. Christine made every session jam-packed with useful information so we always felt like the time we spent together was productive. We loved having detailed, written instructions to help us practice (and to refer back to later). She has also been a valuable resource via email when we have questions or new issues. We are so encouraged by the progress we’ve made with Christine, and look forward to future sessions!

Leah Ciffolillo

I cannot stress how worthwhile of an investment using Dogwise Obedience has been. Working with Christine was the best decision I could have made for myself and my rescue dog, Teeva. We have learned to love training–we do it everyday with Christine’s methods. Be ready to be “trained” as the dog owner too–dog training is just as much about the owner learning as it is about the dog learning!

Teeva came with some “baggage”–she was a super sweet 1 year old mutt and she was often anxious, impulsive and reactive. I had grown up with family dogs but never had my own, and I was very committed to training Teeva with positive reinforcement methods. I was an anxious dog-owner before Christine gave me the tools to be confident in myself as a dog owner/handler and confident in Teeva too! Christine was nonjudgmental, showed Teeva so much love and affection, and was always honest with me about how/where I needed to change my relationship with my dog. By just the third at-home visit, I felt overjoyed because I could see that Christine’s methods were really working. For example, I was able to redirect Teeva’s attention from a dog only 20 feet away (before Christine, she would lay down and refuse to move or look at me if she saw a dog even 300 ft away). Christine even brought her own dogs (who were so sweet and obedient) so that I could practice the training with real-life distractions!

Nearly a year later and I am still emailing Christine with any questions/struggles I have about training and sending her pictures of Teeva on new adventures. I have always received a thoughtful, detailed response with more new training tips!

Merry Farnum

Christine is such a joy to work with. She makes dog training fun for both the owner and the dog. My French Bulldog puppy s very smart ( so she said!) and he learned fast to follow instructions. I also learned how important it was to give dogs boundaries that both they and the owner need. And Tide LOVED her!!!

Denise Giuvelis

Cubby has a very difficult time with strangers coming into his home. He gets very territorial and stressed. Christine happily met us in our home to adequately assess the situation and took her time to gain the trust of Cubby. After a couple of sessions with Christine I feel she has provided me with the tools I need to safely and without stress have friends over. The techniques she uses has made our bond stronger and taught Cubby to look to me when he is stressed instead of running away.

Melissa Knoll

Christine was a huge help in training our puppy “Lu Lu”! Lu Lu just loved the training and quickly learned with Christine’s insightful instruction and positive reinforcement. She was able to correct improper behavior quickly and teach us how to guide Lu Lu in the right direction . I know I can always ask Christine for advice as puppy questions come up. Thanks Christine!!

Anita B Jones

We so appreciated working with Christine of DOGWISE OBEDIENCE . She was professional: set clear meetings and was on-time, listened, spoke to our concerns, and provided written materials to go with her verbal hands-on work with our little dog. Her attitude was unfailingly upbeat and positive. She brought her own dogs to help socialize ours. Perhaps most importantly, she seemed to really appreciate and love Macey. Her approach and suggestions worked and gave us hope that we could have a happy life going forward with out new little family member.

Mary Bergman

We so enjoyed having Christine as our trainer for our young German Shepherd. She took the time to type up instructions and things to focus on each week, which made it very easy to continue with the training even when she wasn’t there physically. We noticed a change in Boey’s behavior right after she met him and gave us a few pointers. We loved that she was able to bring her own dogs to our training sessions to help teach Boey to act appropriately when on leash near other dogs. It is obvious that Christine is very knowledgeable with many dog behavior issues and she really takes the time to determine which strategy will work best for each dog. We have emailed Christine if we feel that we are stuck on something with Boey and she is always very quick to respond. If you are in search of an experienced and skillful dog trainer who your dog will love (and will not want to leave when training is over) look no further! Thank you for everything, Christine.

Janise Monaghan

Two months into adopting Banksy the Terrier, I wondered if I had made a mistake. Thirteen pounds of Cairn Terrier had become King of the House. In our “pack of two”, he had clearly claimed the Lead position. He controlled everything – pace of the walk, when he would respond to a command as simple as “come” (never), and where in-the-house he decided he’d relieve himself.

Scanning the internet, desperately looking for help, I found Dogwise Obedience. I I read Christine’s bio and immediately knew that she was the coach for us. All love, positive reinforcement, and no nonsense. Because Banksy had a lot of traits to “undo”, I opted for the one week, live-in, training. I sent Banksy off to Christine with high hopes, and wasn’t disappointed. In fact, an unbelievable transformation had occurred in the form of a much better behaved little guy who listened, who clearly got a thrill out of praise for doing the right thing, and yet was still the spirited and happy pup that he was before boot camp.

All week long, while in training, Christine sent videos and progress reports that enabled me to see how and what he was learning.

On graduation day, Christine spent the morning with me, teaching me my part in sustaining the new behaviors. We practiced on actual walks, where she demonstrated how to be the leader, and then coached me as we went along. I can’t tell you how gratifying it was to finally feel in charge! Post training, Christine has been interested in progress reports and continues to be available for tips on keeping up the momentum and handling any set backs. Whether you and your dog need a little training, or a total transformation, I highly recommend a consultation with Christine. She conducts an extremely comprehensive preliminary evaluation, and then knows just what to prescribe. Banksy clearly had a good time as he smothered Christine with kisses when we said good-bye.

This is not fairy tale, but it still ends……”and Banksy and his human lived happily ever after.”

Hi Christine,

Just wanted to thank you for your help and patience with me and Ziva. We are continuing to work on the skills we learned in class, and I am so grateful that walking Ziva every day is now something that we both enjoy and look forward to.

Thanks again,

Karen Crandall

I met Christine while she was doing a promo at Pet Life about 7 years ago. She was a great help with the dog I had at the time. When I got Zena and Zorro (siblings) I knew Christine was the person I wanted to come to my home for private lessons. I gained more out of the three private lessons with Christine than in the multiple training classes that I took with another trainer.

She had my dogs listening within just a couple minutes on things that I had been struggling with and made the training very easy. Even after a couple months my dog Zorro (black) will still go to his place with no issue. Even Zena (spotted) who is a little stubborn goes to her place.

I find myself going back to the things that Christine showed me when I have any issues. Having two siblings is very difficult but Christine made it look very easy. I would recommend Christine to anyone looking for training. She has a wonderful approach.

Diana Spofford

We can’t thank you enough for all you did for our family. Having you come to our home for one on one training was the best decision we ever made. We are first time pet owners and we weren’t quite sure how to handle all of Molly’s naughty behavior. We noticed a change in her after one visit with you. Your techniques and guidance made a huge difference. After our time with you was done I knew you were only an email away in case a new issue surfaced. Thanks again for helping ALL of us enjoy our sweet Molly.

Desmond Family

Having recently located to Portland Maine from a rural area in Colorado we found ourselves in need of help socializing one of our dogs to the city environment. Lulu, a 2 1/2 yr. old female boxer is very smart but very stubborn. Dogwise owner Christine provided wonderful and insightful one on one training to help us with Lulu. Christine is very patient with both dog and owner while providing valuable information based on her experience training dogs with all sorts of problems. I would recommend Dogwise to anyone who needs help with their beloved dogs.

Steve Williams

Christine, I just came back from my second walk this morning-what a difference- I follow your directions (cooked salmon yesterday) what a wonderful training week he had with you- I highly recommend Dogwise Obedience-Thank you for what you did for Louie and us.

Gerry

(From a recent email from customer whose dog attended Dogwise Obedience Camp for one week for moderate stranger aggression, visual leash reactivity and for barking at everything that moved! Five year old Louie had been recently adopted after his original owner passed away).

Gerry & Rita Prevost

You worked with us and our dog, Nevis (a shepherd hound mix). Nevis was having a lot of problems with leash aggression, mainly toward other dogs, and he was kind of a pain in the butt to walk. We’ve been using the protocol you taught us pretty faithfully ever since and we are finally seeing some great progress! He has recently started looking at us on his own when he sees other dogs. He’s much calmer on walks now, and so are we! Thank you for helping us!

Sonja Meehan

“Christine is great! I like her approach to obedience training – her lessons are short and positive and never complicated. Her puppy classes gave us everything we needed to be successful at home. She offered specific techniques based our dog’s energy level and personality. Even though we attended her classes over a year ago, we recently got another puppy and she’s been so helpful again answering questions and offering sound advice when we were concerned about how the two dogs would get along. She really knows what she’s talking about and you can tell she really loves dogs.”

Joyce Brown

Don & Mary Damour

After the first private training session with Christine, I saw an immediate improvement in Baxter’s behavior and the way he responded to my commands. Christine makes the training sessions fun and informative, and the lesson plans easy to follow. I began to see the errors I had been making and I learned how to effectively apply the training methods she used to achieve the type of behavior I wanted to see from Baxter. Within three sessions Christine helped correct behavioral problems that Baxter has had for years. It was amazing to watch his transformation during these sessions. Now I can confidently walk him by dogs on the boulevard without him acting out aggressively, something I haven’t ever been able to do before. He is so much more enjoyable to be around.

The training works, the sessions are fun and the rates are reasonable. I recommend Dogwise Obedience.

Kristal Karatsanos

When we adopted our 3-year-old rescue dog, we turned to Christine to help with dog obedience — and to train us too. Since he was our family’s first dog, our three sessions with Christine were invaluable for getting us all on the right track. Now all six humans in our family and our sweet dog understand the rules to happy dog ownership, and I’m thrilled to report that we have a sweet, well-behaved, content, and very well-loved dog.

Julie Falatko

“I brought my acutely leash-reactive, year-old German Shepherd to Christine after having had another, highly-regarded trainer tell me that he might never be comfortable on a lead. Christine has an enviable rapport with dogs but even more to her credit, she’s able to communicate to the dog’s owners the techniques that she’s learned and perfected over a lifetime of loving and training dogs.

After having spent a week with Christine, my dog is much better able to process and respond to direction while on-lead. None of this would have been possible without Christine’s expert intervention. Not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate her role in transforming my crazed torpedo-on-a-lead into a dog who’s becoming more well-behaved with every walk.”

(1 Year old Obedience Camper with Severe Dog to dog Leash Aggression)

Miel D'Rodilique

Walking has been AMAZING! It is so wonderful to head out for an hour or more and hunt down dogs. Thank you so much. I actually walk towards the back bay now. I feel confident! Thank you again. Maybe we can meet up sometime and you can check out my awesome black dog who walks on a leash!

(From a recent customer email regarding a 5 year old black lab that attended Dogwise Obedience camp for severe dog reactivity/lunging on the leash.)

Angela Haven

We had a punk for a dog: a rebel without a cause constantly spoiling for some way to assert his will over ours. Now we have a collaborative, grateful, and frankly adorable labrador who comes when he’s called, does not run away, does not pull on the leash and is no longer cause for general concern around the neighborhood. Thank you, Christine! You’ve made an enormous difference. I’ve been telling everyone I meet.

Lara Santoro

Thank you very much for your help with our stubborn Bull Mastiff. Through your training and advice Luna has become a very sweet and controllable dog. She listens well, takes commands and is just an incredible pet. We could not have done this without you!

Doug Hoehle

Hi Christine, all continues in a positive way. I continue with everything that you have taught me to teach him, and I am forever grateful. Thank you for all of your help and support. You have taken a stressful load off my shoulders by giving me the tools to help Jack. He is at this moment on his “place” while I peacefully have my morning coffee. And he is at peace……….at last. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

(From a recent email regarding a 12 year old Jack Russell with human directed aggression)

Catherine Suttie

“Thank you for getting back to me in such a quick manner and with so much information.If you haven’t been told lately, you are the BEST. It is amazing you allow us free access to email with questions/concerns and get back so quickly. Much appreciated.”

(Recent Nov 2013 email excerpt from former private session customer)

Christine & Scott Wernig

We have a rescue dog named Maisy whom Christine has really helped. My wife & I were amazed by how quickly Maisy responded to Christine’s training exercises. Christine takes the time to ensure that we, the dog owners are able to successfully repeat the training exercises. We also received written copies of Maisy’s lesson plans, which we find very helpful to refer to from time to time.

Christine’s costs are very reasonable considering she comes to your home, gives personalized daily lesson plans, conducts one-on-one training and makes herself readily available to answer any additional questions or problems we might have.

If you’re considering a knowledgeable and caring dog trainer, ‘DOGWISE OBEDIENCE’ is one of the best choices you can do for both you and your dog.

Alan & Julie, Standish ME

Christine…thank you for your follow up with Raelyn! I have been working as much as I can with her on everything. I do want to commend you on your thoroughness and professionalism and for taking her on! You do very well at what you do!

(From a recent email after 7 month old, Belgian Malinois-Raelyn attended DW Obedience Camp for stranger aggression.)

Cheryl Palman

When we adopted Phoebe (3 year old Pit Bull) she had little to no training and a strong, uncontrollable prey drive. This proved to be very trying since we live with a cat. We feared for our cat’s life, but with Christine’s help Phoebe and the cat are living together and aside from the occasional quarrel (usually ending with Phoebe getting scratched up) they leave each other alone. For us it was less about training Phoebe and more about training us in order to train Phoebe. I learned to be confident yet relaxed when directing her and she now has the knowledge and discipline to be the perfect pet. Phoebe is our third pit bull and the BEST trained out of all of them! It was hard work, but in the end totally worth it. We highly recommend Christine.

Erin & Jeremy Conn

Wow! Christine worked wonders with my newly arrived, 10 month old male Airedale rescue pup. I rescued him and she rescued me! Without the tools she provided for the much needed training I don’t want to think where we would be now. I especially appreciated her approach which was firm but with a good sense of humor. In three lessons and with practice he turned some disturbing behavior right around. My vet even commented at what an amazing change had taken place. I also appreciated Christine’s encouragement along the way and the ability to be able to call her with questions at any time. She provides a compassionate and result oriented service.

Josepha Hegan

I did extensive research to find someone with the same philosophy I have in life. I found Christine Kiley to be that person. The moment we met her and she met Floyd, our American Fox Hound, we knew we made the right decision. The power of positive thinking and positive reinforcement works miracles. After five sessions Floyd now looks to us for guidance on a regular basis. It has made a huge difference on Floyd’s stress level and ours.

Jacquie & David Cullen

We can’t say enough good things about Christine! We got a new goldendoodle puppy last year. Lacey was our first puppy in a long time and I wanted to start out on the right foot. Lacey and I went to puppy classes and had sessions with other trainers but we just didn’t seem to be making progress. A friend recommended Christine. After Christine’s first visit to our home, I knew that we had made the right choice! Christine is amazing! She is thoughtful, organized and kind. Each week, we got written lesson plans designed specifically for our dog. The steps are easy to follow and the training is actually fun. Christine’s method of teaching makes it easy for both dog and owner.

We now have a well behaved, well trained family dog and we owe it all to Christine’s training and instruction. I would highly recommend Christine to anyone who is looking for a dog trainer. You will not be disappointed.

Heidi Alpern

My husband and I are jumping for joy following training lessons with Christine and our dog Ollie. He was rescued from a kill shelter — very charming, adorable, loving, and a stubborn little brat. Christine showed us miracles with training tips to restore peace and harmony to our household. Ollie obeys commands quickly and is so happy to be running outside off leash — something we NEVER thought was possible until Christine showed us how to do it. Ollie is exhausted by his romps in the woods and in the snow and comes in to plop down for nice long naps. There are no words to properly express our gratitude to Christine and her wonderful training tips. She is warm, energetic, and made it a fun experience for all of us.

Christine & Scott Wernig

When I first took my puppy to Christine for a week of boarding/training camp, Duffy was a normal, happy, healthy puppy, but very, very naughty. Of even more concern about my puppy’s behavior, however was her fear of new situations and new people—she would shake, turn, and run, given the opportunity.

But because of the kind, positive, and extensive work that Christine did in this area, Duffy is coming out of her shell.. It was an amazing transformation. In fact, when Duffy next went to her puppy play group several people there commented on what a “different dog” she was from just a week before, that even her demeanor had changed—all from the work that Christine had done with her in such a short time. One of the best aspects of the training was that Duffy returned to me recognizing that I was in charge. This made my life with her so much more pleasurable and, consequently, it strengthened our bond.

Along with this, Christine gave me very clear, understandable, and precise instructions on how to continue the work that she had started. In addition, she has been very responsive, so helpful, with all the questions that have popped up since the formal training ended. Christine is a well informed, professional, and effective trainer with a sincere devotion to successful dog/human interaction. I found her to be very accomplished in teaching dog obedience protocols—to the owner as well as to the dog—and would highly recommend her programs to anyone looking for obedience training for/with their dog.

Linda Aceto

We got our dog Gracie from a shelter this past summer. After about a month, we realized this adorable little girl had more problems then we could handle. She reacted on her leash to anything that moved. Once she got off her leash and attacked another dog. We were devastated and seriously considered bringing her back to the shelter when someone recommended Christine to us. From the very first lesson, she made us see the potential in Gracie and it was amazing!! Christine has given us the tools to help Gracie and in turn make our lives so much better! We’ve had Gracie for six months now and can’t imagine life without her. We never would have given her a chance without Christine’s help. She identified the issues immediately and worked with us until we could start to resolve them. Christine’s love for dogs is evident. She is genuinely thrilled when she sees her “students” improve! Christine saved little Gracie from going back to the shelter and we will always be grateful!!

Karen & Joe McLeod

We discovered Dogwise Obedience when we realized our little Havanese ~ Katie ~ had some issues we needed help with. Speaking to Christine on the phone and then meeting her complete with her warm smile, happy to help attitude, in depth understanding of dogs and their behavior got our attention, especially Katie’s. By the end of the three visits we felt much more knowledgeable about how to proceed with Katie. Helpful ideas and great insights Christine gave us continue to play out for which we are grateful. We recommend Dogwise Obedience to anyone who is seeking a better understanding of their dog’s behavior and is ready to take action towards optimizing their dogs interactions.

Jan & Michael Born

“Naia and Monty are super high energy dogs, and Monty was really lacking in manners and reactive toward other dogs. Taking them for walks had become such a stressful and unpleasant experience. They both pulled like crazy, and Monty would lunge and bark at other dogs. Nothing seemed to work, and we really didn’t know what to do. We turned to Christine for help, and she worked with us for five sessions. Immediately, she made us and all feel really comfortable. She helped us understand what our dogs needed from us, and provided us with the tools to help us meet these needs. She was patient, energetic, and really flexible. If something didn’t work for us, she was more than willing to make adjustments so our training techniques would be sustainable, even after she left. As we saw the techniques start to work, we grew more confident and found that the dogs picked up on this. We now understand that we need to be consistent in the way we communicate with our dogs. They get better every day. We get better, too. Our experience working with Christine has been transformative for all of us, and we are so thankful for her knowledge and support!

Meredith & Bennet Watson

In late February, 2012 we fostered and ultimately adopted a little yellow lab-pug mix named “Gertrude.” After about a month we noticed Gertie became very reactive around other dogs. Rather than take her to a group lesson, we hired Christine to assess and work with Gertie in our home. After 2 sessions her leash and social skills dramatically improved! We have continued to use Christine for occasional refresher sessions. Overall Gertie has blossomed and is just an all around great dog. Our friends and neighbors comment on how happy she is now and how fortunate we are. I couldn’t agree more. We recommended Christine to friends as well as the foster organization that facilitates adoptions like Gertie.

Dr. Jennifer Roberts, DVM, MS

When Jacobi and I moved into our first apartment alone together, he was under-trained, under-exercised, and out of control. I grew up with dogs, but had never had one as an adult, living on my own, before, and I just didn’t have the knowledge or skills to meet the needs of an 80-lb, 3 year-old Labrador Retriever. In our first consultation, and our following private lessons, Christine laid out clear, firm guidelines for both Jacobi and me. She didn’t just teach my dog to obey; she also taught me how to be a better “mama” for my boy. Christine directly communicates what you need to do, and is also encouraging and genuinely excited by you and your dog’s successes. I have already recommended her to my friends, and will continue to do so. Jacobi and I are both so grateful to Christine for all the help she has given us!

Erin McNamara

Malachy, my Portuguese Water dog started being reactive on leash to other dogs and sometimes while playing. I met with Chris and was totally impressed. She was like none of the other trainers I had worked with over the years. She obviously wants dog and owner to be happy and gives a lot of thought to what is best based on each dog and person, asking a lot of questions and observing the dog and owner. With Chris’ help, Malachy and I can now enjoy a walk where we both are confident and secure with each other.

Whenever another dog owner says they have a problem with their dog, I immediately give them Chris’s name and her website. Chris is professional, thoughtful and reliable. Malachy and I are extremely thankful for her help.

Julia Haley

We contacted Christine Kiley at Dogwise Obedience after we adopted our 2 Yr old lab mix, Cadie. She worked with both of our dogs focusing, mainly on Cadie who had shown aggression to smaller dogs and was running away every chance she got. Christine teaches you how to train your dogs so that they will respect and listen to you long after the sessions are over. Christine was always available to us (and still is) and she left us with several lesson plans that we can refer back to if needed. While our dogs are not perfect, they are happier and better behaved and that makes for a happier family all around!

Elaine & Bob Falconer

What a Gift, Inspiration, and Skilled Teacher Christine Kiley is! I was referred to Christine when my 9 month old, 90 pound, Bull Mastiff pup, Phineas bit me! It was such a frightening and disappointing experience! After raising 5 dogs from puppydom myself, I was stunned and totally puzzled about what I was obviously doing wrong!

Within less than a week after our first session, I was thrilled to see the changes in Phineas’ demeanor as well as behavior! And I was well on my way to restoring my confidence and determination!I really appreciated that she took the time to assure me that MY comfort level was the most important thing in beginning to initiate the changes she was recommending. Her knowledge of dog psychology was evident and I really appreciated her willingness and ability to explain the reasoning behind each thing she was asking me to do or not do!

I also loved that she prepared detailed written lesson plans and was available by phone and email in between sessions, which was invaluable to me! In short, I feel that anyone who has a dog would benefit greatly from working with her! She’s highly professional, intensely passionate and devoted, and simply terrific!

Much happier dog owner, (Phineas is happier too!)

Carol Fexa

We first reached out to Christine when we realized Bagel, our 5 ½ year old English Bulldog, was showing aggression past a point where we felt it was manageable on our own. Bagel displayed aggression on walks when he encountered bikes, skateboards, strollers, walking sticks and other “accessory-type” items. We realized that any change in Bagel would require the knowledge and expertise of an expert trainer and we immediately found Christine! We met with her one hour a week for 6 weeks. Her detailed assessments of Bagel and educational approach to changing his behavior (and ours!) was undoubtedly what was needed to make a difference in both Bagel’s well-being and our sanity! After following her recommended training concepts consistently, we saw results in Bagel’s behavior almost immediately. We are now comfortable taking Bagel out for walks and do not have a constant fear he’ll showcase his aggression. Every walk is still considered a training opportunity but we are dedicated and understand Bagel’s overall well-being is positively affected as a result of Christine’s guidance and our patience.

Very happy clients,

Lisa, Josh and Bagel Valentine

I would recommend Christine Kiley to anyone with a pet behavior problem. In only 3 sessions, she helped my husband and I get to the root of our dog Larry’s, problems. Larry was so scarred by the loud noise of fireworks, we couldn’t get him to leave the garage for walks. During the first session, Christine had him walking on the driveway and with her charm had him engaging with her on the road. Larry loved her positive energy. He was so happy to see her, and it wasn’t just because she had a pocketful of treats. She introduced games to improve his confidence and activities to distract him on walks. In the end, after doing lots of homework on our part, Larry was walking around the block. Christine offered a training plan during our work together and updated it each session. She was always available for questions and frequently checked in to see how Larry was doing. We owe Larry’s boosted self-confidence and easier walking to Christine and her bag of tricks. We are thrilled with her services.

Shannon Wong

I would wholeheartedly recommend Christine Kiley as a dog trainer. The word that first comes to mind when I think of Christine is “fun”. She is up beat and energetic and got along well both with Barney and me, the human. Barney responded very positively and enthusiastically to her warm, but firm manner. Her advice has been very practical and has helped me in teaching Barney to walk properly on the leash, to look at me when there are other temptations, to leave things that I don’t want him to have and to stay in both sitting and down positions. Christine emphasizes positive reinforcement, which when you think about it is really the only way to develop a collaborative partnership with your dog, rather than a relationship based on intimidation. Each hour long session was packed with techniques and was accompanied by a detailed set of written instructions so if I forgot something, I could handily refer to it later. Christine is very accessible by email and will answer any questions between sessions. Christine made the training sessions fun and had many ideas for making training a playful time for me and Barney. She has a great sense of humor and is flexible and not rigid like some other trainers can be. I feel that my relationship with Barney has improved with the teachings and insights that I have received from Christine.

Gee Wakelin

I would like to thank you for all the invaluable tips and suggestions that you gave both Gary and me during our 3 training sessions with you. You made us feel right at ease immediately and you have a really wonderful way with dogs. Since Breesie was only 4 months old when we started our private classes, I was a bit afraid that she wouldn’t be able to attend to any sort of instruction. But….I was wrong. You were able to give us clear and easy instructions regarding getting Breesie to do all the basic commands, such as sit, come, stay, etc. Then you were able to help us with the more difficult commands such as coming back to us when called and walking on the leash without pulling. With consistency, like you said, it really works and it has made Breesie a better and happier dog. We feel like we can take her anywhere and we have no need to worry because of your expertise that you shared with us. Plus, you were so positive and have such a great sense of humor; the sessions were actually a lot of fun.

Thanks again, Christine, for all your help with Breesie. She’s a better dog because of you.

Michele Gagne

My name is Louie I am a French Bulldog and I LoVe Christine! When Christine found out I was deaf she provided my mom and dad with so much info on how to communicate with me that I passed every skill she taught me! Christine helped me show everyone that just because you have a handicap you can still be a great dog! Thank you Christine for such quality service.

Louie

Christine has been an absolute lifesaver! I have two very cute, but very high-strung dogs. She has taught me the proper techniques and timing of positive reinforcement, and the results have been incredible. I’m now communicating with my pups in a way that I never thought possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Kristel Hayes

Christine is the best! I have so much fun working with her. My tail is sore, after she leaves, from wagging so much…