Dog Finds Man

We loved that Kyle always had time for our questions and concerns during that 12-week program. He has a special ability to work with dogs, predicting what their needs, and the family’s needs are! Kyle was also great with our children, being very patient and kind with them. We highly recommend his program!
—The Leiry family, Lake Katrine, N.Y.

When I rescued my black Lab, Jett, she had all the charm of a junkyard dog. She had flunked out of Obedience School, and I was ready to give up when I found Kyle. Jett started behaving on the very first session. But the real magic happened after Kyle left. She continued to behave for me. That’s because Kyle spends as much time training the handlers as he does with the dogs. Today everyone tells me they’ve never seen a sweeter dog, and I of course, take all the credit. A good dog trainer knows how to communicate with dogs. A great dog trainer also knows how to communicate with people. And that is what sets Kyle apart from the rest of the pack.
—Marshall Karp, Woodstock, N.Y.

Tank, my Cane Corso, grew into 145 pounds of muscle and he outweighs me. I realized that being pulled through mud, snow, and dirt—sometimes face down—was not going to work for us. I could hardly take him on walks. My sister was afraid to visit with her children simply because he would play too hard and knock the kids down.
Thankfully we found Kyle. Tank now sits, stays, heels and my family loves to visit me and my well behaved dog.
Thanks Kyle, you’re the man…
—Merle Borenstein, Olivebridge, N.Y.

Through our work with Kyle and his training methods, Moses, my 1 year old Pitbull, has gone from a out of control overpowering puppy to a fun and friendly companion. I love that Kyle trains my dog with discipline but leaves his beautiful, fun filled spirit intact. Kyle has also trained me to not let Moses “flip me the paw”.
—Ellie Schadt, Accord, N.Y.

Opie, my Chococlate Lab, is my third dog, but was my first puppy. I read a ton of books and started Opie in puppy classes after 9 weeks, but found myself overwhelmed. A colleague recommended Kyle and I quickly contacted him. The results were immediate and I’m not sure I would have survived puppyhood without his help. Thanks to Kyle, Opie is a well-behaved, self-controlled wonderful dog and the companion I have always dreamed of.
—Coach John D. Crews, Kingston, N.Y.

Kyle, thank you so much for all your insight and help in training Koho. If it were not for your training techniques Koho would be living with another family. She is a fun loving, stubborn girl who has learned to respect our relationship due to our work together. Your firm, but gentle training established well-needed boundaries in her life. We still use all of the techniques to this day and I tell everyone I know who is getting a puppy to call you!!! Thanks again for everything,
—Sheri, Brian and Koho Kotsol, Saugerties, NY

If we hadn’t found Kyle, our Pitbull (Moishka) probably would have been “put down.” We were afraid of her, and she was only four months old!! Things went from bad to worse when l tried to discipline her and she aggressively tried to bite me. Kyle’s foolproof techniques of discipline, consistency and respect tempered with affection turned our “little monster” into a loving and welcome member of our family.
Kyle is a master at training all of the members of the “pack” (human and dog) to behave correctly with one another. We are so glad and thankful we found him! We adore our Moishka now—she’s a constant source of love, entertainment and joy to our family and friends—a lot of hard work, but, all in all, definitely worth it.
—The Blakley Family, High Falls, NY

Kyle has been working with my 9 month old Golden Retriever, Rosie, since she was about 12 weeks old. From the very first training session I saw immediate results! Because of Kyle, Rosie has gone from a hyperactive pain in-the-paw to a well-behaved, loving pup. Kyle’s effective techniques and assistance guide you through a process that creates a relationship of love, trust and respect between you and your dog—which is exactly his goal. Without a doubt, Kyle is simply the best dog trainer around!
—Maureen Luchejko, Woodstock, NY

Abu the Australian Shepherd was a “rescue” dog and needed help in all sorts of ways. His impish disobedience was not only annoying, but put him at risk. His persistent wariness towards all men, including my husband, was disappointing. Kyle has helped shape Abu into a sweet, respectful creature, one who is now completely obedient and more relaxed and friendly to everyone. I think Kyle is the best. We are very grateful for his help.
—Lorna Massie, Accord, N.Y

Kyle Warren is an energetic force with a great sense of humor and style. His knowledge of how dogs “tick” is remarkable and is made clear in the process of training.
Kyle has made a huge difference in the relationship with my dog. The emphasis in training of gaining respect from my dog is actually changing my way of thinking and moving from passive non-focused interaction on my part to an assertive, loving partner in training, making it possible for my dog and me to have a healthier, more balanced coexistence. Kyle truly is a Zen master!
—Elise Beecher, Boiceville, N.Y.

Kyle walked into our house to greet a pack of five dogs that literally wouldn’t take one command. He took control immediately and taught us how to live together in harmony!
—Helen Zouvelekis, Hurley, N.Y.

Kyle Warren is an amazing trainer—of dogs and their owners. His methods, his attitude, and his communication skills have made working with him a wonderfully rewarding experience on many, many levels, not the least of which is the pride I now take in seeing my wild-and-wacky Wheaten terrier gulliver become the well-behaved canine companion I’ve always dreamed of—which would never have happened without the remarkable training techniques that a very patient Kyle has taught him and me. –Hester Mundis, West Shokan, N.Y.

I go swimming, kayaking, scootering, running and frequent outdoor cafes with my Beauceron, Virgil. I needed someone who could teach my dog to live in my world and that’s why I choose Kyle Warren as my trainer.
–Renata Perlman, Accord, N.Y.

Koda Bear came into our lives as a 6 week old puppy, full of spirit and a heart as big as all outdoors. When he became a big dog I noticed that people approached him with trepidation. I assured people he was friendly and safe, but because of preconceived notions about shepherds I think people were naturally cautious. And Koda and I engaged in a tug-of-war while he was on his leash: because of his natural enthusiasm, he would not sit and stay quietly if people approached him.
Enter Kyle Warren. We had an initial interview (I thought I was interviewing Kyle but in retrospect, he was interviewing me). We began our remarkable work together. During our first session Kyle was patient, concise, clear in his expectations, confident, and loving. Koda returned the feelings and the remarkable relationship between Kyle, Koda, and myself began. As the weeks continued, Kyle “taught” my Koda to heel, sit, stay, come, and become aware of our expectations for him. In an incredibly short period of time, my dog became a model of civility. I could walk him through town and he would sit (at my command) and stay while other dogs approached him, or children came to pet him. He would heel so beautifully that a perfect stranger asked me if he was being trained to be a seeing-eye dog! All of this without bribes, treats, or harsh treatment. Kyle’s patience was remarkable and commendable. He continually assured me that Koda would just do what I asked if I was clear in my expectations ( a life lesson if there ever was one!) Overall, it was a beautiful experience.
Now Koda’s training runs deep, and he responds immediately when I ask him to heel, sit, or stay when people approach him—even in my house, when things get busy with company.
—Chris Dean-Lipson

We have two German Shepherds. The older female was frequently attacking the young male, causing injuries that necessitated repeated veterinary visits and even surgery. We knew we would have to give up one of the dogs. But Kyle taught them to coexist peacefully, using his highly reliable love, trust and respect approach. He is truly a gifted trainer!
—Orin Rossett, Woodstock, N.Y.

“When my sons were born, our dogs were older, mellow and used to the house rules. When we decided to get a Great Dane puppy, I quickly realized I needed to do formal training. Bringing in a young frisky dog into a household with kids (who weren’t old or mellow) was a new twist! Luckily a friend was training her puppy with Kyle’s help and soon he had an opening to train us! Our puppy Zenzi is the best trained dog I’ve ever owned. None of my dogs ever did sit/stay and few of them heeled well. When your dog is well over 100 lbs., good manners are a must! Zenzi’s obedience makes her such a pleasure to live with and gives her many more liberties. When taking this year’s Christmas photo, Zenzi was the best behaved! Now we just need Kyle to expand the Warren Method to include kids!
the Krause family: Karl, Lisa, Ian & Finn, Saugerties, NY

Sandra’s Story:

Flora, my chocolate Lab, has been working with Kyle since she was four months old. She was an active, energetic puppy, and Kyle’s firm, consistent approach and immediate warm connection to her—and to all dogs—won her over from the start. When we started working together, Flora had acquired some undesirable habits. Jumping up and tearing clothes was only one of many. Kyle showed us both that clear and simple commands practiced and repeated worked best: “Flora, come!” was more effective than “Come to Mama! Come on, hurry up, that’s a good girl!” Flora has become a wonderful dog and loving companion, and we both owe it to Kyle.

Flora’s Story:

My Mom means well, but she doesn’t always understand. It’s kind of a dog thing. Kyle speaks Dog, so I always know what he wants. I know when I need to do it now, and he knows when it’s time for me to Take a Break. Mom is getting better—maybe one day she’ll learn to speak Dog too.

Sandra Scheuer, West Shokan, NY

“From the first day that Kyle came to my home to train Penney, my one year old golden retriever, I knew he was someone special. From day one, Penney and Kyle had a mystical connection —- as if they knew each other in another life. Kyle spoke, Penney listened and instinctively obeyed him. I was thrilled until I realized that Penney would stubbornly not listen to me, only to Kyle. But then, Kyle proceeded to teach me about Penny and, surprisingly, about myself and how my thoughts and behavior impacted my relationship with my dog.  Today, Penney responds to me as if she and I are the ones with “an-other worldly connection.” Kyle, true to his word, helped me create a relationship with my dog, based on love, trust and respect —- and all without treats, which adds a special sweetness. Kyle was not only incredibly great at helping me create the relationship I have always wanted with my dogs, he is a great light in our lives.”

Shelley Moroff, Woodstock, NY

We started working with Kyle when our Lab was about 8 months old. He was a “goofball” and a bundle of uncontrollable energy and we needed Kyle’s guidance to help us. He taught us his “10 Commandments” of dog training, and the importance of each element, to gain our dogs respect. We felt that every lesson was tailored to our specific issues with our dog’s behavior that week. Kyle was not only training our Lab, he was training us to become better communicators with our dog. Even after we stopped our weekly training sessions, we still use his training tips every day. Kyle is personable and very insightful. I would recommend him highly.
Eric Bean,  Kerhonkson NY

We have never had a dog, and so, when we brought our little Henry home, we were clueless.  However, it took only a very short time to get us totally trained.  That is, trained to do whatever Henry wanted – when he wanted!  Thank goodness for Kyle.  He taught us how to THINK about dogs and he showed us how to put Henry through his paces – executing sit/stays and comes repeatedly until Henry understood that doing what WE wanted his best option.  Every session taught us so much – and Kyle’s warm and humorous manner made it a lot of fun.  He is a compassionate and insightful man, and we feel lucky to have had him for a teacher.

Nancy and Richard Cohen, New Paltz, NY

Kyle I miss you. so does the zig!!
I have to tell you , though, that HE STILL RESPECTS HIS BOUNDARIES.!!
Last night when I opened the door, he spotted deer and took off but stopped
just as he got to the edge of the  meadow. I am so impressed with the work we
did.  No electric fence necessary!!!   It is such a pleasure to have Ziggy outside
and free .. within the boundaries.!

Jane Laiken, Woodstock, NY

Kyle Warren is a blessing to our lives. He made possible the behavioral changes of our German Shepherd, Life.
Kyle is a unique trainer, knowledgeable, brave and sincerely cares about dogs.

Elisa Pritzker, Highland, NY

Anyone who has seriously undertaken the project of training a dog soon realizes that the biggest challenge is in training the dog’s human companion. So it has been with Boojum and me. Our good fortune was in meeting Kyle before our relationship had disintegrated entirely, and because of Kyle’s perceptive identification and sensitive handling of fear-based issues – aggression on the part of Boojum (a five-year-old Border Collie) and misguided efforts on my part – Boo and I are now on a solid road to rehabilitation. Let me tell you how far we have come.

When Kyle began his work with us, I had already spent lots of time, money, and emotional capital on a situation that was worsening despite my best intentions. Boojum, who most of the time seemed to be a happy, adoring young and energetic dog, would morph into The Incredible Little Puppy Hulk whenever I would attempt to groom him, touch his paws, or otherwise enter his personal space for reasons other than benign petting. He had bitten me several times. He bit two dog trainers who had mistakenly identified Boojum’s behavior as dominant-aggressive and attempted to remedy it by force. One trainer lost patience with both of us and pushed a chair at Boojum, leaving a frightened Boo drooling in a corner and my confidence in tatters. We began training with a sheep herder and discovered that herding satisfied a basic urge in Boojum and gave us the beginning of a work-based rapport. But the aggressive behavior persisted, worsening after a week-end of “boot camp” style behavioral training. By now Boojum was very mistrusting of me, growling whenever my hand would linger too long on his body. I was nearly phobic about the possibility of getting bitten again, and my feelings for him were a toxic mixture of anger, confusion and regret.

Enter Kyle. I found him by serendipity, the outcome of a conversation at a pet store. Kyle listened to my story, and in listening he learned more than simple facts. He learned about my perceptions and misperceptions, my fears and my strengths, my good intentions and faulty judgments, and the degree of effort I was willing to commit to the situation. I cannot emphasize the importance of this straightforward but rare quality – listening. Then came Boojum’s turn. Kyle observed Boojum’s responses to my behavior and handling in a variety of situations. He made no outlandish promises and did not attempt to dazzle me with his handling skills. He did, however, help me to identify my inconsistencies, ambivalence and hesitance as a leader, both physically and emotionally. He helped me to develop better leadership skills through a combination of focused thinking in the present and adhering to a preconceived plan. And he helped me to feel safe while I was doing this.

Our crowning achievement came after a leg injury that left Boojum with sutures and in daily need of a new bandage. We devised a context for this activity so that Boo associated it with grooming skills we had already learned. By the end of three weeks Boojum was allowing me to attend to his wound calmly and quietly, sometimes offering his paw even before I asked for it. Not one growl. I can only surmise that he too finally felt safe.

As a musician who spent many years taking piano lessons, I know that it’s not the piano that needs the training. It’s the piano player. It took me a little while to understand that the only meaningful way to train a dog is to train its handler.  Thanks to Kyle, Boojum and I are well on our way to making beautiful music together.

–– Connie Beckley, January 2010