Mike,

As you always say, consistency is the answer. Woody is doing so much better with barking when someone comes in the door.

I had my meet/greet visit with Pets For Life at Lakeview Village yesterday.  I just need to fill out a few more forms and we are official.

Woody and I have our first solo visit at Lakeview Village on December 19th. I have a visit for the READ program next week.

After that I have a workshop in January to get READ certified. I can’t thank you enough for all your help with Woody.

I am very thankful to have gotten the referral from my vet at AID Animal Hospital to contact you for “my” training.  You’ve opened my eyes to many things I can do to help Tawny enjoy her life with me. She’s a precious soul and deserves the best. After yesterday’s “shopping” expedition, we went to Lowes this morning and had fun with the employees hand-feeding treats to Tawny.  It definitely calms her down and keeps her from growling, so that it good (we worked with men today). We will hit the Leawood Dog Park on Monday.  I’m thrilled with all the referring places you provided!  There’s so much I can say as to how thankful that I am for you…..so, I’ll just say THANK YOU.  I hope I run across folks who could use some help and will definitely refer them to you.

Kelce has turned out to be an amazing little dog!

He’s not “trained” perfectly, but he’s very good about not jumping on people,

He was potty trained almost as soon as we started using the bells on the door, he comes immediately when we call him, he doesn’t beg for table food very often — ?  and he is the sweetest guy ever.  My friends think he’s amazing.

He’s also pretty good on his leash.  He just likes to sniff EVERYTHING, but I’ve gotten used to that, and we just go slow!

Anyway, he is still ornery about taking things and running with them, but he has so many toys that he’s usually engrossed in doing something else.

He plays outside a lot and would love to catch a squirrel, but hasn’t yet, thank goodness!!

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that he is a really happy and good puppy.  And to thank you again for your help!

Take care and have a very happy Christmas!

Cheryl

When we came to Mike and Kiss Dog Training, we had two 6-week old beagle litter mate boys, having just been told horror stories of dogs just like ours bonding to the point of ignoring their humans, constant fighting, and potentially maiming one another. Mike taught us how to prevent that outcome by giving each dog individualized socialization and hand-feeding. After only a few sessions with him, we had dogs who were interested in us and the world around them.  Now over a year later, we have a happy household with engaged dogs who know how to play fight without injury and also how to relax. We’re still learning how to best care for them, and we will come back to Mike in the future when we need help.

Celebration for Bernie! He had a big weekend meeting 2 new groups of people at our house. He had his muzzle on, and both groups (the first group was 2 people, and the second was 1 person) were all women. He barked a couple of times, we gave him cheese, and everyone ignored him completely. Within minutes he was rolling on his back for belly rubs and eventually calmly lying on the floor. We’ll keep trying to recreate these scenarios! We also had 2 friends come over (1 male, 1 female) that he has met 2-3 times but always barks at them…this time same thing as above! He wasn’t flooded at all.

We’ve practiced walking at the trolly track trail and loose park and sat at 2 coffee shops. There was a big difference between the 2 coffee shops cause, at one, it was just us and him, and he was redirectable with no barking/lunging. The second was with my parents and their dog – they hype each other up quite a bit, and Bernie was hard to redirect.

I just want to say thank you again for your help the other week.  Maya is already doing so much better!  She has been asking to go for walks the last couple of days, and her demeanor is much happier when I put the harness on.  We’ve made a lot of progress in terms of distance, we’re only a few houses away from the end of the block on one side, and maybe 2 houses further on the other.  We’re still working on leave it, but I’ve been focusing more on the walking.

Mike, I feel comfortable after 9 months of hard work and your support to continue to work with my highly reactive dog on my own. You were not kidding when you said that it would be a lot of hard work. I can’t thank you enough for giving me hope. On our first visit, she barked at you the whole time. To, our last visit where she let you pet her and hold her leash, as we walked in a park with other people and dogs around. Truly a miracle. Thanks for teaching me about thresholds and distractions. I now have a large heavy-duty kennel in my living room but she has her safe space and I can have people in my home. I’m sure we will need a tune-up in the future because she is not “fixed.” She is just who she is and we love her.

Thanks,

Hi Mike,

Just wanted to say thanks for a successful puppy training experience! Pippin is learning fast; maybe, more importantly, I know what I need to do to keep progressing. This is what I didn’t get from tons of puppy classes with Rosco and exactly why I chose your program. I appreciate you taking the time to help with Rosco too. I know that wasn’t strictly part of the deal, but he’s also making progress. Just now, he started barking at someone in the street, and after one “leave it,” he settled down.  🙂

See you for puppy class in January!

Romeo is doing great. We’ve been having a fair amount of company at the house lately. Everyone follows directives, and Romeo is begging for their attention by the end of the day. He has a few dust-ups here and there with the cats but he corrects them easily and calms down after a quick time out.

He’ll finally lie down when I’m sitting on a park bench! And he’ll stay there for a couple of minutes. We’ve also started very quick trips to Home Depot.

He’s so much more relaxed in new situations. Thank you for all of the help!!

Mike is our most popular webinar host every year and we always get questions about when he’ll be back. He’s super knowledgeable but also makes all the information really accessible for even the most frustrated dog parents! If you’re still on the fence, my advice is to jump on in and hire Mike.

Romeo update!

He’s been doing really well with strangers in the house. We had house guests last Thurs-Mon. They followed all directives of ignoring, and Romeo would come and go from his kennel on his own. We kept him and Rose apart for the most part which lessened anxiety for both (created more stress for me but I’m hoping we won’t need to separate so much in the future).

He’s a rock star on outings. He likes car rides and listens really well with redirects in public. We’ve done the vet and parking lots but haven’t gone inside any other businesses yet. Also, our neighbors have two large loud dogs that bark at us when we walk down the driveway so that’s a great opportunity to practice leave it and watch me.

I’ve set up our next two appts with Angela.

Mike: Hope you are well. Just wanted to give you a quick update. Swanson’s is too muddy right now, so we went for a walk today and it was wonderful!!! Molly is like a new dog and I love it!!!

I would give her an 8 out of 10. She was highly distracted by a few sticks along the way. We did the sit at driveways starting out and continued to do it on a long walk. It was so funny … as we approached home she was sitting on her own at the driveways in the neighborhood. I wasn’t even asking her to sit.

I am thrilled with this progress!!! Thanks for training me to work with her!!!!

We adopted a small rescue dog (Polly) that was timid. My previous dogs weren’t like that at all so this was all new to me and I wanted to make sure I did the right thing to help Polly become confident and happy. With Mike’s help and guidance, Polly has come ALONG way. I was so glad to have found Mike and still use the techniques he taught me. THANK YOU AGAIN MIKE!!!

Purchased the bungee leash for my walks with Brogan our Irish Setter. It works perfect.Thanks to the leash and the helpful instructions on dog obedience from Mike life is good with Brogan.

I cannot say enough positive things about Mike and KISS Dog Training. Mike is a consistant and valued contributor of educational articles for MetroPet magazine. I have personally benefited from his expertise and often encourage friends to read his articles and blogs. Mike’s approach to dog training is easy to understand yet extremely effective. I will continue to encourage friends and family to utilize KISS dog training!

Yay for KISS Dog Training! Thanks for all you have done for Harper and I! Harper and I, after lots of training with Mike, are officially an Animal Assisted Therapy team! What a great success story! I recommend KISS Dog Training and Mike to EVERYONE!

Mike is very knowledgeable in the art of training and problem solving for your dog issues. His methods are straightforward, easy to learn and very effective. I would highly recommend him for your training solutions.

I just wanted to thank you again for your time on Saturday. We have had several opportunities to practice the “watch me” when people are walking by us and I just love the results!” 🙂

Thanks, Mike! We had an awesome time on Saturday! One hour is definitely not enough! You certainly are a wealth of information – I could listen to you all day!

My two mini schnauzers were having serious “sibling rivalry” fights, and were very insecure around people and other animals. Going on walks with them was nearly impossible. That is, until I contacted Mike with KISS Dog Training. Mike was able to give me some excellent pointers on how to engage my dogs in productive behaviors and working for the resources they love the most (food, belly rubs, toys, etc). After implementing these tips and putting in the effort to be consistent I can now enjoy walking my mini schnauzers and the sibling rivalry is the a thing of the past! Thank you KISS for giving me the tools to maintain a happy healthy family.

I know its been a while but I wanted to let you know how great Derby is doing! We’ve had some steps backward along the way, but wer’re starting to see a much happier, less anxious dog and a happier, less anxious household as a result! We’re feeling increasingly confident about bringing a baby into the mix this May- something I never would have said 6 months ago! thanks Mike!

Our dog Jacie is an 80lb American Bulldog/Boxer Mix. When we called Mike we were at the end of our patience. She was attacking our older Boxer mix (Cheyenne), food aggressive and generally disobedient. Mike met with us and gave us the keys to communicating with Jacie in a way the she responds to. Now, Jacie wouldn’t dream of eating before we do, nor snarling at anyone around food. She actually plays with Cheyenne on occassion. She is a whole new dog. Thanks Mike for giving us and Jacie the tools to communicate.

Special thanks for the video, Mike; I had completely forgotten how to do the “don’t turn your back” game (as well as the more advanced “stay” steps) by the time the sun came up today! I couldn’t bring it up to save my soul.

SO … thank you for all that went into making videos like this, so that I could go back and re-learn before I started working with the dog!!

Let me tell you… My dog’s life is better because we did this training program. Petri is so responsive and well behaved, that I can take him traveling with me, take him over to friend’s houses… Every dog deserves for their owner to enroll in excellent training programs like this one, so that they can live more exciting lives! Mike taught me how to tune into what Petri is trying to convey to me. Group class was an amazing investment. Also when I work long days, I love to hire Mike to go over to my place (I totally trust him) and give Petri a 30 minute Training Walk. Not only are Petri’s manners a little more “refreshed” by the time I get home, but I don’t have to feel guilty because he got some exercise while I was out- which lets me focus better at work. 🙂

Our rescued misfit, Missy, is a work in progress. Mike has been a great help, and his ideas don’t cost you a small fortune … just a little of your time to pay attention to what your dog is telling you. Awesome job, Mike, keep up the good work!

Big shout out thanks to Mike at KISS Dog Training who helped us and Neko accomplish a huge step last night at our son’s send off party to the Army! Biggest compliment was a guest asked “where is the dog?” Reply “in the next room working with Mike our trainer” Hadn’t heard a peep from Neko for a solid hour with a dozen strangers in the house!!! A 3 yr Pembroke mix bred for herding and nipping cattle to move cows along has been been adopted 3 times. Neko’s social skills as well as my family’s owner skills have dramatically improved. Mike cares and I’d recommend him to anyone!

At our house, we refer to Mike as “The Dog Whisperer”. We have a rescue dog, a Pit Bull…and to say she is a bit of a spaz would be an understatement. I was ready to throw in the towel…and Mike seriously had us trained in no time! I say us…because our pup wasn’t the problem. We were. 🙂. Now we have a nearly 1 year old fantastic dog – and we owe it all to Mike.

This review is long overdue! I was VERY hesitant and extremely skeptical at first to hire a trainer for my 7 year old adopted min pin. My major issue was that she barked incessantly at other dogs, and couldn’t be out in social situations if there was another dog there. I finally called Mike, and I’m extremely glad that I did! Mike’s awesome- great at communicating his ideas, and my dog loved him. Surprisingly, I began to see a vast improvement in her behavior within just a session or two. Mike gives you all the tools to succeed, and they actually work!

Update on Rhonda: We have been having great success after your home visit. Last night we had a lovely evening with another couple over for dinner and Rhonda only had to revisit her kennel a few times in the first hour. Our friends stayed for 4 hours and half way thru the visit she was passed out asleep on the floor! We have been having friends stop by to practice the training and is working wonderfully. Thank you so much for the confidence you’ve given me with the best dog I’ve ever ownedI’ll always be thankful to you for this!

I wanted to reach out because I can’t thank you enough for your help with Elvin. I will never forget the day when you told me that if I “re-home” Elvin his quality of life wouldn’t be even as close to what he has with us… I think about that all the time, when we’re hanging out and he looks up at me like, “Dude, I’m so comfortable and so thankful that you kept me and I’m sorry that I smell sometimes and I’m sorry that I’m a weird pain but I just love and appreciate you so much.” And I thank you, Mike, for being real and hopeful and genuine in seeing the potential in Elvin.

This weekend we took a class from Mike Deathe of Keep it Simple Stupid (KISS) Dog Training on how to introduce a newborn to your dog family. I don’t care how long you’ve owned a dog or how perfect they are, his classes will definitely open your eyes to techniques that make it simple and safe for everyone. Please check them out if you are expecting!

I am so glad I read Mike’s newest book, Downward Dog. As a mom to three fur-babies, it was fascinating to see each of the dog’s tendencies and personalities addressed. AND to put it into perspective (in a humorous way) that the humans are to blame when a dog jumps or ‘acts out’. i will be using a lot of the wisdom shared in this book to more effectively communicate with and love on my kiddos! I would HIGHLY recommend this book….buy it on Amazon today!

Mike’s course and hand feeding helped Rocky tremendously. I get instant recall 99% of the time. Pretty good for a Husky. He looks at me lovingly after connecting me with a resource and he does not even like food that much. We have a ritual now that he gets pets and love before he will eat each meal. Huge difference in attentiveness and interaction. Still working with my foster fail GSD.

So I just finished reading the book for Shelter Volunteers, which really is awesome for owners and volunteers. It provides a wealth of knowledge in an easy-to-understand format, that I could start using as soon as I put the book down (or turned kindle off). Then I bought this one (Downward Dog) last night because I have one dog that is a big jumper!! And I just really appreciated the detail behind why, then how to change it. Also the reminder that the success depends on me!! Now the question is, can my husband and I do it on our own, or would we be more successful, thus the dogs be more successful, if we brought Mike in. I think the latter is true if I am being honest!! But please buy the book, and then make your decision

I can say we used KISS for our dog almost 3 years ago. Mike was very transparent as to cost and what he expected from us as owners and what he could provide. This was our 3rd shelter dog and presented us with some challenges. We had Mike come to our home after evaluating comments from a vet and the doggie day care we used. Very pleased with the help Mike gave us. Was worth every penny. Mike, Chance says HI!!!

Mike’s approach is realistic and well thought out. His classes are fun and laid back. He has helpful tips with any issues you are experiencing that are easy to duplicate at home. Classes are the first start, but it also requires you to practice at home too. Follow his tips, advice and keep practicing. You and your dog will be on the right path. Thanks Mike.

I highly recommend Mike and KISS Dog Training! We took private lessons and the beginning group training course which did wonders for my dog and me. I love his methods of teaching and he has helped our rescue dog improve tremendously. Mike has a way of making dog training fun and encouraging for everyone involved.

Our dog had anxiety issues and difficulty in social situations. Mike was fantastic in teaching us the tools to help Doug feel more comfortable socializing and listening to us in stressful situations.

Petri is a new dog. I can take him anywhere with me, I even take him babysitting, because he is such a delight. I am so thankful for Mike’s patience and effort that he put into helping me to better understand and communicate with my dog. Not only have we taken his class and have several one on one sessions with Mike, I have also read several of his dog training books, which are hilariously written and very helpful. Also Mike recently started another service where he will come to my house and give Petri a Training Walk while I am at work. Whenever I come home on these days, Petri’s leash pulling habit isn’t so bad, and he is in a good mood from having had some exercise during the day. 🙂

Mike was the best investment we made for our boy (Rider). He has come so far with the tools Mike gave us.

I wanted to share with you that Buddy is improving everyday. He now stays inside the house most of the day, does not instantly run and hide when someone new comes into house, joins Amber in barking at the cats & ups guy that come on front porch, and is beginning to approach other people that come over. Thanks to a low battery beeping smoke detector he has decided my bed is the best place to sleep and since doing that I have gotten a few excited to see you greetings when I come home. 🙂

Thank you so much for helping guide us in the right direction in helping Buddy! It’s hard to imagine this is the same pup who was hiding under the deck this time last year.

Thank You,

Heidi

A little late and the video is a few months old but, better late than never. Thank you for all the training and help. Sadie is a great big sister and so gentle!

Love,

Nyssa & Sadie Boettcher

Thank you Mike for coming to our home and helping us work with our foster, Keanu. Mike gave us several incredibly simple suggestions that have already started to make major improvements in our dogs behavior!

Mike, thank you so much for helping us with Emmy. We both feel so much more confident in our ability to handle and control our big girl and you have given us the tools to help her grow into a great dog. We very much enjoyed getting to know you and are very grateful for your skill and knowledge. The resources that you provided us will be invaluable in the months to come. Thank you so very very much for training us! The Flemings

Today I took my dog to doggy daycare and when I took her in the girls told me how much better she is doing since training. Best complaint ever

Thank you Mike look forward to doing more training with you

What a wonderful surprise to see you today! Everything I wanted to say to you went out the window. Thanks to you , our little super shy 3 lb. Chihuahua became a canine good citizen and went on to be a therapy dog for Hospice. She also is a seasoned air traveler. Most people don’t even know I have a dog with me! None of that and I mean none would have happened without your guidance Mike. There are no words.????

If you are in need of training – and I mean that just the way it is stated…if YOU are in need of training, give Mike andKeep it Simple Stupid (KISS) Dog Training a call. I promise you won’t regret it!!!! Keep my crazy Mika in the back of your mind. Mike trained us, and we trained Meek. She’s(almost) perfect now! ????????????????❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thank you so much for your time.. Titus is doing great!! Really listening and paying attention.. hand feeding is working great into our schedule as well.. even the behaviors at the office are getting better.. cant wait for you to see his progress.. thank you!! Have a great day!!

A lesson in your home with Mike is definitely the route to go. Mike clearly loves/understands dogs and knows how to work with and train the owners for a good experience for everyone involved. He gives lots of homework but in the lesson you see glimpses of what your dog will behave like after you do your work with your dog. That motivates me to do my homework. Mike has a great way with dogs and people and that makes the lesson fun for everyone, too, while getting some good work accomplished.

Mike has been so great to work with. He taught us the logic behind the training – not just the training … And I haven’t once yet had to assert dominance by raising my voice which is so much more pleasant than methods I’ve learned in the past. Today, we had a salesperson in our house. She was amazed at how well behaved Olive is at only 14 weeks. Sure – she’s still a puppy and I had to remind her of her manners but with gentle reminders she was a total show off and made me so proud. Thanks so much, Mike, for such a great experience!!!

Just attended Kayas first puppy class at Bar K dog park with KISS dog training. Kaya is an 11 week old lab and learned a lot in just one session. Kaya did awesome! We learned a lot; can’t wait for the next class.

We just wanted to follow up and say a big thank you for all of your help with u training Gus and us! I really think Gus would be a different dog if we hadn’t started working with you when we did. I wanted to share a sweet video of Gus and our daughter together. He’s really started to bond with her and he’s getting so much more affectionate and mellow as we continue working with him. Even Harvey (our other dog) is letting him snuggle now that he’s mellowing out. Lol Thank you again for all of your help and insight!

Babies Don’t Bark… Great class! It helped our transition from fur baby to fur baby plus human baby go so much smoother than we anticipated!

I hope this message finds you well! Just wanted to say thanks again for helping myself and nova out. We are going on walks all throughout the city now, and she’s doing wonderful. We’re even able to enjoy coffee on the porch in the morning together! We still have some work to do but her progress has been amazing.

Karen, I just wanted to send you a progress report on Daisy since you were here on Wed and this is Friday. We are doing everything exactly as you taught us and she is doing wonderful. WE are shocked how far she had come in just two days and she just loves loves her training time every am & pm. This evening she was tired and she still was excited to do it,. Another thing we noticed is that she is tons more relaxed and has calmed down. Do you think the structure of learning has relieved her constant frustration? Something has changed cause she is much more pleasant for us. She has accomplished all 10 games and we intend to keep her on them for the 30 days. Thanks so much for your help. You were just great. We were very happy with you.

I just want to give a shout out to Karen! She came over about two weeks ago for a puppy training session with Apollo. After some basic teaching, and a few easy fixes, this little guy is doing amazing! Her session coupled with the e-books have helped us get a giant head start on raising a good dog. He’s just over 10 weeks old and is now potty trained – even ringing his bell to go out (the e-book on this was LIFE!)! He loves his kennel and goes in when told to, he is learning to sit and say please SO well (our vet was amazed by his manners yesterday!), and he’s getting so much socialization thanks to the checklist.

Thank you so much! I can’t wait to continue his training in the months ahead.

Yesterday was wonderful & I know he knew he did a great job! So proud of him! Makes me want to work harder as the team leader! And thank you for making me better!

Thank you So much for everything. We are very grateful for your instruction!!!

My ratings for 1-5 are all 10’s. I don’t have any suggestions for changes or improvement. I appreciate that Mike is willing to talk with my new dog walker so Dukes training can continue through her.

Thanks so much Mike. Things are going super. We see such a difference already so thank you again.

I have no suggestions, but my wife and I were very happy with our initial session with Karen regarding our puppy, Lily. We plan to work diligently with Lily for the next month to make her the wonderful dog we want her to be. We will signing up for more training when the 30 days are up. Thanks!

Very practical information that helped us understand very logical training techniques! Mike helped us feel less stressed about her barking and seemingly angry reaction to people and other dogs when on a leash. Thanks again for your help!

Contact Mike Deathe with kissdogtraining.com. He has group classes and private sessions. He trained both of our dogs – a high energy German Shepherd and our rescue pit mix. He’s good, patient and truly understands a dog who is having behavioral difficulties. An all around good guy.

Hi Angela,

We just wanted to let Mike and you know how pleased we were with Karen as our trainer for Winston and “us too” She was so good with him and gave us so many great training tips in the 3 short hours she was here at the house. She definitely helped us with the issues we were having with him. We will definitely recommend her and KISS to any of our friends looking for a dog trainer. Thank you so much for all of your help in setting up our appointments.

10’s all around! I loved the structure of the program and I loved working with Karen. The email follow ups were so helpful to use on our homework and I enjoyed the eBooks too. Karen was so kind & knowledgeable and provided al many answers to random challenges we were having. She was always on time & prompt with her follow up! Our pup loved her as much as I did.

Frankie & I had our last session today. This has been so much fun. We are not perfect, but we are doing better. Mike is a great trainer …. Both Frankie & I felt relaxed working with him. All positive practices. We’ve learned a lot.