Take The Lead LLC

We have worked with Kimberly to train our 3 year old rescue shepsky over the last 3 months in private training. She is an absolute angel and a gem of a person and we feel incredibly blessed to have found her. She is so respectful, kind, patient, responsive, and fair with the dogs (and humans) she trains. She quickly developed an amazing rapport with our whole family and our dog. She included every member of the family, even the kids, in training sessions. We had a wide variety of experiences with her, even training at a ranch. She really tailors each and every session specifically to your dog's and family's needs and listens to all your concerns and questions with nothing but patience and zero judgment. She truly loves and understands dogs deeply. She always gives us very actionable steps to take and simple homework assignments to do in between sessions to practice and continue the training. She is reliable and very communicative throughout the whole process. I was very hesitant to use an e- collar, but our dog had bolted and had zero recall when we came to Kimberly. I am so glad we trusted her with this decision because Memphis only ever had a great experience with it and she taught us how to use it properly and fairly. Our dog has never been hurt by the e-collar, and now we hardly even need to use it. Our dog is so much more calm and confident and has not bolted again since we started working with her. He is better on walks and has made peace with his crate. I love her approach and how she lets dogs be dogs and uses that to teach them to make good choices.

I knowingly adopted Cheesecake, who has a plethora of behavioral issues. He suffers from separation anxiety, reactivity of dogs, people, anything on wheels, he is also deaf and later learned he redirects and will bite. I however did not know, that I bit off more than I can chew. I adopted him and told myself I would try to work with him as much as I could but if it was too much that I could not handle I would get a rescue involved to find him a more experienced home. I knew I would need professional help so I started with a trainer. Once you start looking for trainers online (IG) the algorithms eventually brought me to a pack walk hosted by Kimberely. The day I showed up Cheesecake went bonkers and I was ready to leave but she told me to stay... and we have stayed. I stopped training with Cheesecakes first trainer because I had found who I have needed to help me. To help me learn how to make Cheesecake more comfortable. Not only that but we have found a friend; she cheers us on and shares our progress on her social media. When Cheesecake was eventually muzzle trained and she was able to pet him, I am sure she had tears in her eyes. Let it be known that I am from the SGV area and drive to Corona for training, I want to say I have attended every pack walk, I signed up to the events she offers; that is how much I love and respect her work and how much she has helped me navigate through this cheesecake challenge.

Amazing experience, our start with our beloved block head Finn, not so great, wanted to only play in the group classes, so Kimberly quicky assesed our boy needed some one on one attention to get his head in the game and let me tell you it was the best decision. He graduated his e-collar class and has grown so much in the few classes we had together and Kimberly gave ME the tools to help Finn be successful which is more that its weight in gold. We can wait to re-join the group class and see where it takes us, the sky is the limit, Would recommed 10000%%%% ( Pics from before and after his first class lolol)

We can't say enough good things about Kimberly at Take the Lead Dog Training. Working with her has been an absolute pleasure. From our initial phone call, Kimberly was friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Seeing her work with our one-year old Labrador it was clear that she is a dedicated professional. Kimberly was warm and caring toward our anxiety filled dog Roxy, and was able to quickly assess her confidence issues to help us be able to build her up. With Kimberly's help, Roxy is now quicker to warm up to people, more responsive to our commands, and overall a happier and more loving companion. One of the most impressive experiences was after a couple of weeks, of following Kimberly's teachings, Roxy all of a sudden had no problem going in and out of the vehicle despite an intense anxiety to the car and no recent training to do so. Her doggy confidence was built up that she could then take on what was a previous challenge all on her own. We will continue using the tools we learned from Kimberly to help Roxy be the best dog she can be. In summary, we highly recommend Take the Lead for anyone who needs help in balancing their dog's behaviors or anxieties. It is a great investment in your relationship with your dog and will only improve their confidence in life.

I found Kimberly through a pack walk after we had tried an approach to training that was not effective. Right from the start, I liked her demeanor and approach to training. We completed private lessons and are now continuing with group classes. We also did e-collar training with her as our goal was to have a reliable recall when we're camping and have our dog offleash (only after we know she can recall), and she used it fairly to ensure the best communication with our dog. Kimberly has a unique ability to bring people and dogs together. The group class we are in is a supportive group of people who want to give their dog the best life. Our whole dynamic has transformed. I used to cry or feel so defeated after every walk before I met her. Now, I'm laughing, smiling, or just peacefully enjoying the whole walk! I can't recommend Kimberly enough for anyone struggling with their dog training. She truly changed our lives!