Caitlin's Animal Training

Caitlin worked with both of my dogs on behavioral issues. She is honest, direct, and effective. When the dogs struggled to take to training, she came up with new and unique methods. Most importantly, she worked with me on being a better animal owner. Truth be told, my own anxiety about walking the dog was contributing to my dogs’ behavioral issues. She prioritized safety and shared some of the hard truths that I needed to hear. My dogs have really progressed and I’ve made some changes in being a pet parent. I highly recommend Caitlin! I would absolutely hire her again in a heartbeat!

I contacted Caitlin regarding training for my German Shepherd rescue who is 7 months old. After completing the initial evaluation, I felt optimistic that she would be able to work with me to help train my puppy so I purchased her 7 session at-home one-on-one package. During that session she stated that my dog had anxiety which I believed could be true due to her unknown past. She had recommended supplements and a costly CBD oil. On the day of our first session, she called me at the time of our scheduled session and said she had brought along her dog as well as a dog she was board and training. She had not given me any prior notification that the dogs were along with her nor asked for my approval to bring them onto my property. For the first 15 minutes of the session, the dogs she brought along ran around my backyard and my dog (who is still warming up and settling in with new people and other dogs) was rightfully very timid and scared. She then asked me what we would be working on that day and I had voiced to her (in our evaluation session as well) that crate training was very important to me and for the safety of my puppy when leaving my home. She then commented that would require going in the house, where she brought the dogs into my home (once again without asking permission). The dogs continued to be a distraction to my dog who you could tell was incredibly stressed and uncomfortable, clearly unable to focus and train. At that time, she did remove the dogs from my house and brought them out to her car. At this point, we had about 10 minutes left in the session where she pivoted to a completely different subject and tried to train my dog who was still very uncomfortable and scared by what happened previously. She proceeded to make comments with no actual facts that my dog was acting that way because she is “in pain”, “has a very weak back” and that her behavior is incredibly “abnormal”. I rescued her from an extremely reputable German Shepherd Rescue where she had been examined by a veterinarian and deemed healthy for adoption. Leading up until the moment she and the other dogs arrived my dog was perfectly content and has shown no signs of pain or discomfort in the time I have owned her. I had started giving her the recommended supplements and CBD oil and had started noticing that she was having an easier time settling. She commented that she had noticed no changes in my dogs behavior and that I should start giving her more CBD oil — once again, my dog was incredibly uncomfortable after the unfamiliar dogs were in our yard/home and her disposition showed that. After this extremely frustrating and disappointing session, I reached out to her to explain how I was dissatisfied by what had occurred during our training session and especially for the price of what her sessions cost. I also voiced how I felt as though the trust had been broken and that I did not believe she was the best fit for my dog and myself. I attempted to end the relationship amicably by requesting a partial refund since she had not fulfilled any services. She provided me a refund at the cost of one singular session (which now after doing further research is an astronomical rate). While I do not discredit that she has been in the business for quite some time, I regret not taking some of the reviews that have been written more seriously, as it appears others have had extremely similar situations where she has given a “medical diagnosis” regarding their pet’s behaviors. During this short relationship, she made me feel as though there is something wrong with my dog and has caused us both an unnecessary amount of stress on top of financial loss.

I'm in Allentown, and before working with Caitlin's Animal Training, I felt completely overwhelmed, confused, and frustrated with my one-year-old poodle mix, Suede. After the very first training update video, I could already see a huge transformation - he was calm, focused, happy, and engaged in a way I had never seen before. His reactivity inside the house has completely stopped, and I finally feel hopeful and confident moving forward. Caitlin is kind, easy to work with, and truly committed to positive reinforcement training without using prong, choke, or electronic collars. If you're looking for a positive reinforcement Labradoodle trainer in Allentown or the Lehigh Valley, I highly recommend reaching out to Caitlin's Animal Training.

We live in Allentown, Pennsylvania and have a one-year-old field-bred Irish Setter originally bred for hunting birds. My husband had no experience with high-drive working dogs but was set on getting a puppy — and our first year with Murphy was honestly chaos. Murphy was constantly on edge, couldn’t settle, jumped on us, guests, and counters, and had zero reliable recall. He even escaped into our neighborhood multiple times, and we were incredibly lucky to get him back each time. We tried group classes with a highly recommended local trainer, but Murphy would only listen with a prong collar and leash — and even then, it was inconsistent. Caitlin showed us a completely different approach. She helped us transition away from the prong collar and taught Murphy how to come when called — even around birds. His jumping has dramatically improved, and he’s finally able to settle and relax. Most importantly, she taught us how to truly understand him and meet his needs through positive reinforcement and a compassionate, holistic approach. Our bond with Murphy has never been stronger. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or have been told your dog needs harsh methods, don’t give up. Call Caitlin’s Animal Training and schedule a free evaluation — it will change everything.