“Developing protocols that worked for my dog and her breed and personality. The write ups afterwards were fantastic and helped me solidify a plan in training my dog. Katie was fantastic. A great listener and expert dog trainer/behavioralist.” -Ryan J. and their dog Lena, reviewing their Private Lesson with Katie Kelly

“Katie is awesome! She what we need to work on, tells us in a very positive way, and helps!” -Karen D. and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Charlie, reviewing their Canine Good Citizen Prep Course with Katie Kelly

“Katie is a great trainer, both my dog and I enjoyed her style.” -Denise H. and their French Bulldog, George, reviewing their Canine Good Citizen Prep Course with Katie Kelly

“Katie asked questions and really tuned into the issue with introducing Tramp to our new dog. Katie explained each step and made sure we understood the process. We couldn’t be happier with the results of this private training. It made a world of difference! Thank you!” -Pat D. and her dogs Tramp and Jolene, reviewing their Private Lesson with Katie Kelly

“Understood my concerns and needs for my pet.” -Ritch C. and their Labrador/German Shorthaired Pointer mix Janga, reviewing their Private Lesson with Katie Kelly

“Katie has many strengths, but one way she stands out is the lively but not rushed pace of class. She observes the dogs and adjusts to meet their needs. She also models in both voice and gesture how to speak or behave with a dog.” Lisa A. and her Golden Retriever Sera, reviewing their Intermediate Obedience class with Katie Kelly

“Very patient and encouraging instuctor. If money were no object, I would hire Katie for individual training. Thank you for providing this resource for our puppies!” -Melissa I. and their Bernedoodle Winter (Winnie), reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie Kelly

“This is our second class with Katie (two different dogs) and we appreciate her experience, knowledge, kindness and patience. She is very perceptive and present, knowing when a dog or handler might need a little extra guidance or taught in a way that may be easier for the dog/handler. Katie is the best.” – Lisa S. with Lexi (Coonhound) reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie Kelly

“Great 1:1 communication and strategies. Always made time to answer questions” – Amanda B. with Noelle (Lab x Great Pyrenese) reviewing Beginning Obedience with Katie Kelly

“The focus on positive reinforcement is what keeps us coming back” – Jim P. with Leo reviewing Katie Kelly’s Beginning Obedience class

“This class changed our lives! When everyone told me that I should get rid of my “aggressive” dog or that his “genetics will take over and he will always want to be in combat mode” or “rescue dogs are a crapshoot”, etc. I knew my dog had potential and I have seen it blossom both in class and at home. He will probably need some “in-home” training when he has worked up to it. There was no judgment from the other student or the trainer. I’m glad the trainer also had personal reactive dog experience because being shamed/blamed for your dog’s behavior, even if it is the blaming human’s fault, gets old very quickly! I totally enjoy my dog more and it is easier to advocate for him.” – Krista H. and their American Staffordshire Terrier/Lab cross, Blaze, reviewing their Beginning Reactive Dog Rehab class with Katie Kelly

“Katie has done an excellent job working and training with our two puppies, Beijing and Sadie. The puppies just love Katie and mind her very well with her great training. Very satisfied, it kept me in check with what to work on and their progress. 

Katie did a great job with training the pups and my husband and I to correctly work and train with them. Katie is professional and always communicated information and scheduling efficiently. Katie worked with our personal schedule. Everything with  Paws Abilities has been great!” – Susanne B. and their two puppies, Benji and Sadie, reviewing their Canine to Five program with Katie Kelly

“Katie is great at helping us determine what the next steps are for our dog.” – Erin B. and their German Shepherd mix, Bonnie, reviewing their private training lesson with Katie Kelly

“Katie is working with us to apply to get our dog Howie removed from the City of Rochester potentially dangerous dog list.

Katie was clear and thorough. She assessed our dog and us, gave us a clear training plan, and helped us set goals for our next lesson.

We look forward to getting back to Nose Work whenever it’s offered again. We and our dog both enjoyed it immensely.” – Carol S. and their dog, Howie, reviewing their private training lessons with Katie Kelly

“Katie and Megan are awesome trainers! Being a new pet owner they were very understanding and patient with all my concerns and questions. My puppy, Dash, loved them! I enjoyed the report cards each week! Looking back I can see the progress Dash made. The trainers provided effective communication in meeting any concerns or questions I had. They helped me work through some issues with training. They not only helped train Dash, they helped train me as a new pet owner! I’ve learned so much about what it takes to have a happy home for me and Dash!

Thanks Katie and Megan for all your efforts and work with Dash (and me)! You’ve eased many of my fears of owning a pet and have provided a foundation for Dash and I too learn, love and be happy! Thank you!” – Jane M. and their Dachshund, Dash, reviewing their Puppy Camp: Puppy Prodigy program with Katie Kelly and Megan Cogswell

“I loved the flow of this class! You allowed for tons of hands-on practice time and covered an impressive amount of info in a short time. It was fun, lighthearted, and the time really flew by!” – Sara R. and their JRT mix, Pantalaimon, reviewing their Doggy Instagram pajama party with Katie Kelly

“Well organized. Nice size group for good interaction. This was a very fun way to keep in touch with other dog owners and practice good training habits.” – Nancy W. reviewing their Happy Hour Handling pajama party class with Katie Kelly

“We appreciated the interactive training, and it was very thorough… including the wonderful follow-up email with details on everything covered in the class.

Katie was awesome. She made us feel like she was right here in the room with us. Very patient and knowledgeable.

I was semi-panicking because I signed up my daughter for the class late on the night before the class and didn’t know if/how I could connect. Katie contacted me and helped me log in and was very reassuring and patient.

The entire experience was very positive!” – Terry B. reviewing their I Love My Crate pajama party class with Katie Kelly

“Katie is amazing. We have learned so much already, and our dog absolutely adores her. She demonstrates great skill and knowledge and we are grateful at-home training is available at Paws Abilities.” – Paula L. and their dog, Ozzy, reviewing their private training lesson with Katie Kelly

“The homework and documentation were very helpful and I still refer back to it. He and I both learned so much and I get so many compliments on what a well-behaved dog he is! The trainers were great to work with and talk with. The follow-up at the end of the day was always nice! I haven’t had a puppy since I was 10 years old, and of course it’s more the parents that train at that age. I was so nervous about training and raising a good and well-mannered dog. Paws Abilities truly took the doubt out of the equation for me! I owe you a huge gratitude and have ended up with such a good boy!” – Anonymous, reviewing Puppy Camp with Katie Kelly, Margit Lovoll, Megan Cogswell, and Demian Smith

“All were helpful and communicated amongst themselves. My morning questions were always answered during puppy class and when I returned to pick up my pup.” – Tom S. and his Vizsla, Barleigh, reviewing Puppy Camp: Puppy PhD program with Katie Kelly, Margit Lovoll, & Tara Post

“Aries took a while to warm up to the idea and the classmates., both people and canine. By the end of class he was doing much better. He is a nervous/cautious German Shepherd. [Katie’s] communication style was clear, concise, happy, and easily heard. It came across full of energy and with the appearance that she loves what she does.” – Chris G. and their German Shepherd, Aries, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie Kelly

“The homework and documentation were very helpful and I still refer back to it. He and I both learned so much and I get so many compliments on what a well-behaved dog he is! The trainers were great to work with and talk with. The follow-up at the end of the day was always nice! I haven’t had a puppy since I was 10 years old, and of course it’s more the parents that train at that age. I was so nervous about training and raising a good and well-mannered dog. Paws Abilities truly took the doubt out of the equation for me! I owe you a huge gratitude and have ended up with such a good boy!” – Anonymous, reviewing Puppy Camp with Katie Kelly, Margit Lovoll, Megan Cogswell, and Demian Smith

“We got everything out of the class that we hoped for and were extremely satisfied. We think Katie is the best! We have trained both of our dogs through her and are always happy with the outcome. She is very knowledgeable, has such great advice and suggestions, and is very personable. We hope to take more classes with her in the future.” – Molly P. and her Golden Retriever, Marlo, reviewing their Intermediate Obedience class with Katie Kelly

“Katie is amazing. She had given us helpful tools and educated us on breed specific issues. She was very easy to connect with post-session for follow-up questions. Looking forward to our next session. [I] felt I could trust her right off the bat.” – Kris L. and their English Bulldog, Frankie, reviewing their private training sessions with Katie Kelly

“Expert training tips. Always positive and fun for the dogs.” – Jean R. and their English Springer Spaniel, Maisie, reviewing their Help Train the Trainer’s Dog class with Katie Kelly

“Great class. Loved that the last 10-15 minutes we were able to work on whatever we wanted!” – Sandy T. and her Australian Shepherd, Grit, reviewing their Novice Obedience Competition class with Katie Kelly

“How do I explain it? Always encouraging and positive with the way they help train us and the dogs. Had a nice way of helping us achieve our goals. If we weren’t doing something right or having a hard time with a technique, [they were] always positive on helping/coaching us through it, so we would get it and be motivated to keep working on it. Really appreciate both of the ladies.” – Nancy K. and her Australian Shepherd, Sophie, reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control lessons with Katie Kelly and Lindsay Kinney

“Katie is a phenomenal instructor. She has a natural knack for teaching and is so patient with everyone no matter what is going on. She is always very positive and upbeat. She is flexible in her teaching style and suggests options when teams are struggling. I routinely tell individuals that are looking for dog training to go to Paws Abilities and look for classes that Katie is teaching because she is so good!” – Lynn C. and her Golden Retriever, Luka, reviewing their APDT C.L.A.S.S. Prep Course with Katie Kelly

“(She) understood each dog and human pair” – Carol B. and her Brittany Spaniel, Sophia, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie Kelly

“Katie Kelly came out to help us with a foster dog with aggression issues towards other dogs. This has been a very stressful situation (and) Katie’s help is greatly appreciated!” – Demian S. and his Pit Bull, Lucy, reviewing In-Home Private Training lesson with Katie Kellly

“Katie and her teaching partner [Denise] are absolute rock stars, and one on one engagement was on point.” -Tony B. and his Doberman, Thor, reviewing their Canine Good Citizen Prep class with Katie Kelly and Denise Koster

“Beau and I enjoyed the training. We liked Katie a lot. We plan on continuing with it this spring if there is a Good Citizen class in Rochester on the weekends.” – Jerry F. and his Australian Shepherd, Beau, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie Kellly

“We had Katie with Beinn a year ago. She has gotten to be a really good trainer since then and she is really great about e-mails and information. She has good leadership skills in the classroom and pays attention to what all the dogs and owners are doing. I really like the positive approach to training and using the clicker. Your instructors have been very helpful with having two maniac pups in the same class.” – Andrea C. and her Border Collies, Mirk and Strath, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie Kelly

“Loved it… this was so much fun. After training puppies for months on end, it was great to just give them great stuff to go into a kennel… it helped us realize that we needed soft sided kennels that fold down. So we got that done. The pups have been kennel trained since age 7 weeks. It helped me think about other things that could be used as reinforcements for behaviors.” – Andrea and Mark C. and their Border Collies, Mirk and Strath, reviewing their Crate Games class with Katie Kelly

“It was helpful to see how Katie worked with each of our dogs to demonstrate the techniques she was teaching. Looking back, I think one of the most valuable parts of this class was how Katie talked about how her dog used to run away a lot and could not be trusted off leash. She told us how hard she worked and how long it took her to teach her dog to be off leash. It was very inspiring to hear and encouraged us to keep working with our dog and have patience with him and with ourselves.” – Kristine H. and her Labrador Retriever, Doug, reviewing their Rocket Recall class with Katie Kelly

“We love Katie, she is a natural. Bindi loves her too. We will continue to sign up for classes with Katie until she and Bindi have us well trained!” -Sinead and Dan C. with their Chow Chow/Border Collie cross, Bindi, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie Kelly

“Everything was great! Friendly staff, they treated Lupin well, he had a ton of fun and came home smarter and better behaved every day. We will be back. I’ve already blabbed about how great the program is to other people. Katie and Kera were awesome and Lou absolutely loved them! I think he’s been a little depressed since classes ended because he hasn’t seen them every day…” -Melisa F. and her Australian Shepherd Lupin, reviewing their Canine University day camp program

“Katie did a phenomenal job explaining why she was teaching us the skills that she taught us. She always demonstrated what each task should look like. I couldn’t have asked for a better instructor! I’ve signed up for the Focus & Control and Rocket Recall next. I specifically signed up for the classes that Katie is the instructor for.” -Lynn C. and her Golden Retriever, Luka, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie Kelly

“I absolutely LOVED Katie. She does a great job explaining what we should do. Understands our dogs behaviors. Very impressed. I enjoyed everything about the class. Will definitely look at other classes. I have had Katie and Sarala (for CGC Prep). Both great experiences.” -Jamie M. and her German Shepherd Dani, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie

“Katie was great. Very knowledgeable and helpful! I was very satisfied with overall experience. Katie helped us find the methods and equipment (Freedom halter) that worked best for our dog’s personality and level of training. It was wonderful to have a small class with a nice sized space so everyone could have individual attention as well as room to practice. We were also happy wiht the location as it was convenient for us and we were happy to find a new spot – Rochester Feed and Country Store (south) – to purchase our pet supplies.

“I have taken several dog training classes in Decorah IA in the past before we moved to the Rochester area (with our old setters we had before Jackson). The Decorah experiences were very good experiences so I feel we have a good basis for comparison. In addition, we took Jackson to a puppy class at Leashes and Leads. The class at Leashes and Leads had way too many participants and the instructors were unprofessional and did not seem to be very knowledgeable. In contrast, the class with Katie compared very favorably to our classes in Decorah and was MUCH more beneficial than the Leashes and Leads class. We are so happy that we found Paws Abilities and Katie!” -Nancy W and her English Setter Jackson, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie

“Katie tailored her approach to each team’s needs.” -Sharon T. with her Australian Shepherd Niko reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Katie

“You went above and beyond! How fortunate we are that you exist! I really appreciated all that the trainers kindly offered to both me and Earl. You had very thorough handouts and instruction from trainers. It was fun and Earl was ready to work! I miss going to Camp.” – Ann B. and her foster puppy, Hound Earl, reviewing their Puppy Head Start Day Camp program (with trainers Kera, Katie, and Michelle)

“All of the information we received (both in class and on-line blogs) helped Blue Belle’s behavior. It has also helped us gain insight into helping us think of ways to communicate with Blue Belle. We think Blue Belle enjoyed the activity. Especially when she was allowed to pick-out her reward toy. 🙂 You kept the dogs very safe.” -Mary S. and her Coonhound Blue Belle reviewing their Beginning Reactive Dog Rehab class with Katie & Kera

“It was a very helpful class with lots of one on one. Class sizes are small and fun. Katie and Kera did a wonderful job and I wish I could take more classes with those two specifically, but I’m sure all of the other trainers are just as wonderful. Everything blew my expectations out of the water. The training they used has worked really well and the relaxation protocol is very helpful in helping Miah learn to calm down, something that is hard for a working dog. Thank you for providing this course and all of the material. It has helped tremendously with Miah and her seemingly endless supply of energy. She now calms down quickly after training allowing me to focus my energy elsewhere.” -Wyatt R. and his German Shepherd Dog Miah, reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control class with Katie & Kera

“I have taken classes with Katie a few times and I absolutely love her. She is fun and engaging and explains things in a really interesting and understandable manner. This was my first class with Kera and I thought she was awesome! She and Katie worked super well together and both were smart and fun. I was excited to come to class each week! I especially loved the last week where we played some games and really changed things up. I liked that every week was different. We went outside sometimes, spent time doing different pop-out games (my favorite!), and always learned something new.” -Martha B. and her Pointer cross Bock reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control class with Katie & Kera

“Katie was really helpful. She took a lot of time to address our concerns and gave us a very clear plan for improvement. She showed us how to go about training Coco and alerted us to a lot of different dog behaviors we didn’t know about. She made us feel so much better about how we had previously addressed issues with Coco and she reassured us that the behaviors she was exhibiting were normal and trainable. The handouts and summary were great. Honestly, the appointment was expensive, but she did such a great job that I felt good about spending the money.” -Jan B. and her YoChon Coco, reviewing their private training lesson with Katie

“We love the positive approach! You were positive toward my puppy and myself. Very knowledgeable and helpful! I appreciated the pictures and videos of my dog on Facebook. I always enjoyed the daily journal, conference and handouts! I am impressed with everything about Paws Abilities!

“To recognize specific trainers, Kera was wonderful! My puppy loves her! I also enjoyed Katie. She gave me great ideas that were simple and they worked!” -Judy H. and her Morkie Casey, reviewing her Puppy Junior High Day Camp experience

“Great idea for a class. Lots of good exercises, games, and tips. Our dog really enjoyed this class and our trainer. Good preparation and variety of exercises. Good instruction and explanations. Good personalized tips. Apprecaite the summary emails to remember what we covered and use for reference.” -Jean R. and her Springer cross Maisie, reviewing their Outdoor Adventures class with Katie

“Positive and informative! Katie is very patient. She cared about my dog. Katie offered practical ideas that work. I liked the handouts and follow up email summarizing what she taught my dog and I. Couldn’t be more satisfied!” -Judy H. and her Morkie Casey, reviewing their New Puppy private lesson with Katie

“I love how every dog is not expected to do everything the same. The class is tailored to each dog and what they need to work on and what level they work at. The teachers are always willing to help and answer any questions and come up with different options to come to a solution on what works best for each dog.” -Rachel M. and her Lab/Basset Hound cross Willy, and her Lab/Pit Bull cross Hershey, reviewing their Beginning Reactive Dog Rehab class with Katie & Carrie D.

“Carrie and Katie were excellent. They made it fun! Started and ended on time, had an agenda… class plan for the night. Each of us received individual attention. The class size was small & manageable.” – Peggy J .and her Golden Retriever Cody, reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control class with Katie & Carrie D.

“Katie asked lots of questions and took notes. She works well with dogs and is so calm. She has creative ideas and makes good recommendations even when they might be something that the dog owner could disagree with.

“Katie was very prepared with training materials, treats and had resources on her laptop that she provided for me. It helped that she knows me and my dog from the 6-week puppy camp. Since the class we’ve had some correspondence and she sent me more resources. I’m always impressed with how knowledgeable she is and impressed by her calm demeanor when the goofy dog is jumping all over her because he is so excited.” – Mary M. and her Goldendoodle Cooper, reviewing their private training lesson with Katie

“Excellent investment. Katie left us with 4 distinct assignments. Even though we haven’t worked through all of them yet, the one she selected for us to try first has worked wonders already. Katie was great with Mimi and left us with tasks that were very simple, yet gave quite a lot of change for the better. My experience with Paws Abilities has always been very positive and this interaction was no different. Your behavioral specialists are well trained, well spoken and patient. Katie took the time to let me know that we had done quite a lot of good work prior to having our consult, explained possible reasons that Mimi is the way she is, and realistic expectations for the future.” – Juanita P. and her Pomeranian Mimi, reviewing their private training lesson with Katie

“Katie was just great. She had the strategies and solutions we were looking for with Charlie. I think Katie is a fantastic trainer who communicates so well with owners as well.” – Missy M. and her Shih Tzu/Bichon cross Charlie, reviewing their private training lesson with Katie

“My dog enjoyed himself which made me happy and I learned some key things to try with him to modify his behavior. The tools we learned were easy and seem like improvement is attainable. The trainer was very accommodating and worked with my crazy schedule. She even was abel to schedule an appt on a Sunday afternoon which worked out great. Living in Red Wing makes it more difficult to get to Rochester to fit in a session so I was very excited she worked with me on the day and time.” – Jody R. and her Golden Retriever Nickel, reviewing their private training lesson with Katie