Instinct Dog Behavior & Training Portland

We've had such a great experience with Kirah! We started working with her after a move and job schedule changes brought out some new anxiety and behavioral issues in one of our two adult dogs. We felt so stuck and overwhelmed, but Kirah helped us progress from safely managing the initial situation to seeing immense improvement in both dogs' behavior and wellbeing. She helped us better understand each dog's cues and signals and gave us practical, manageable steps to overcome the specific challenges we were facing. Now, we're getting back to activities with our dogs that seemed out of the question a few months ago! Caring for our anxious buddy will surely be an ongoing process, but we're so much better prepared to manage the ups and downs.

Kirah was absolutely vital in restoring peace in our home. We have two dogs who had always lived together happily, until they didn’t. Our younger dog began overcorrecting and going after our older dog, and it quickly became stressful and honestly scary. She quickly identified that our younger dog has a more intense temperament and was redirecting her built-up energy and frustration toward our older dog. From there, Kirah gave us a clear, step-by-step path: how to safely intervene, how to help the dogs feel comfortable sharing space again, and how to use verbal cues to manage situations before they escalate. Beyond the techniques, she taught me how to read each of their body language cues, both the obvious and the subtle, and understand that they communicate differently. That alone has been invaluable. Kirah didn’t just bring our household back to a manageable place—she improved it. Our home feels calmer, safer, and healthier for all of us. I truly can’t recommend her enough. She is exceptional at what she does.

Working virtually with Ciera at Instinct Dog Behavior & Training has been one of the best decisions we've made for our dog Theo. She brings an extraordinary level of skill and care to every session and Theo’s progress speaks to her ability to understand him and help us do the same. We see consistent hope in his ability to tolerate social pressure and receive basic care (like nail trims and ear cleanings). Ciera has an incredible ability to read Theo's body language without ever being in the room with him. She catches things we miss and makes thoughtful tweaks that move the needle for Theo so he can participate comfortably. We appreciate that she never pushes him outside of his comfort and every session feels carefully tailored to where he is that day and how much work we’ve been able to do between sessions. She is also endlessly patient with us as owners, guiding us with information and practices that will help Theo thrive. The collaboration between Instinct and the team at Animal Behavior Clinic has made Theo's care truly “wrap-around”. We feel so lucky to have such incredible guidance! Highly, highly recommend.

I am so appreciative of the training I have received from Greta. She has been working with me and my Great Dane, Titus who is dealing with issues stemming from early trauma. Greta formed a strong relationship with Titus early on, which immediately showed her skill with dogs and Titus loves her. I greatly appreciate her knowledge and the fact that she is just an email away if any questions or concerns arise. Above all, I know she wants Titus to thrive and will do anything to help me get him to that point. 5/5 for Greta