What our clients are saying
The bond my dog and I have is deeper and more sustainable than I ever imagined
Casey and Tito
Bishop, California
April 2025
Working with Kelly has been an incredible experience. Her training style goes far beyond teaching commands—it’s about building a relationship rooted in trust, respect, and understanding. What stood out to me most was how her methods emphasize connection between you and your dog, not control.
Kelly approaches training in a way that feels akin to nonviolent communication practices. Every session is centered on cooperation and consent, ensuring the well-being of both the dog and the human. She shows you how to listen to your dog’s cues, respond with patience, and create an environment where learning feels natural and joyful.
The result is a bond that’s deeper and more sustainable than I ever imagined. Instead of a dog that simply “obeys,” I now have a companion who feels safe, respected, and eager to engage. Kelly doesn’t just train dogs—she guides you into a new way of relating that leaves both you and your pup thriving.
I can’t recommend her enough for anyone who wants training that honors compassion, communication, and mutual respect.
Would your dog enjoy a mental challenge? Would you like some variety in your training activity? My pup and I found both in Kelly's ScentWork classes. I call it sniffing with a purpose; my dog Finley calls it the most fun he’s had in a long time.
After figuring out the game in the second session, Finley absolutely loved each opportunity to find the hidden smell and he’s no scent hound. Other dogs in the class (with actual hound blood) caught on more quickly and reveled in being rewarded for doing what they were bred to do.
There are competition opportunities for those who are really taken with ScentWork, but Kelly’s classes are designed and conducted so that every dog succeeds, gains confidence and has fun doing what’s a natural behavior. There is no pressure to do anything more than just have a great time in all of Kelly's classes.
I found a deeper bond with Finley as a result of an activity in which we were pretty much equal members of the team. ScentWork required me to defer to Finley and let him take charge of the searches and not the other way around.
Kelly’s classes are designed and conducted so that every dog succeeds, gains confidence and has fun
Richard and Finley
Bishop, California
January 2025
Kelly is all about helping humans better understand and connect with their pups
Heleen and Mambo
Bishop, California
May 2024
My husband and I signed up for Kelly’s basic manners class soon after we adopted a sweet 5 month old pup. Since that first introductory class, I have taken several more classes offered by Kelly including Advanced Manners, Introduction to Scent Work and Rally course work.
Kelly is all about helping humans better understand and connect with their pups to help build a deep and meaningful bond. My now almost 2 year old dog and I have really benefitted from her insights, training exercises and feedback and I wholeheartedly recommend Kelly’s positive reinforcement dog training classes and approach for both novice and more experienced dog parents. She keeps it fun for both dogs and humans and always makes sure we succeed at some level. Her classes give our dogs the opportunity to learn self control while being around other dogs and humans.
Jenkins, my 3.5 year old male Rhodesian Ridgeback has been training with Kelly since he was a little over six months old. We started in Basic Manners then graduated to the Advanced Manners class. Jenkins has also taken several levels of ScentWork and Rally classes. We've both learned so much and come so far with Kelly's guidance. Jenkins was a wild child as a puppy!
The best part of having continued training with Kelly has been getting into dog sports with Jenkins. Not only have we found a better connection as handler and competitor, the training and events are so much fun. We have begun going to Rally and ScentWork competitions and I am consistently impressed with how our training with Kelly has improved Jenkins skills and his ability to focus around HUGE distractions! I'm so proud of what we've accomplished together. Jenkins needs one more qualifying score and he'll have earned his AKC Rally Novice Title!
training with kelly got us into dog sports!
Alicia and Jenkins
Mammoth Lakes, California
May 2022
Extensive printed handouts of the material covered in each weekly class are a great reference for review.
Richard and Bentley
Bishop, California
Spring 2025
Kelly Hawtrey can truly speak dog and understand what your dog is saying to you. She is a professional educator who can teach you her secrets. My aggressive (Kelly: “exuberant”) pup Bentley and I did an initial behavior evaluation and then enrolled in Basic Manners. We graduated to Advanced Manners and then enjoyed the Tricks class. We've had amazing results with Bentley earned his AKC Novice Trick Dog Title!
With Kelly's guidance I learned the methods and tools to address the issues which concerned me while Kelly’s insights into my dog’s behavior completed the picture of how to apply that knowledge. Bonus: extensive printed handouts of the material covered in each weekly class are a great reference for review.
I can't thank Kelly enough for her wonderful teaching. The classes are relaxed, well structured, all positive and fun. We enjoyed the class so much we're ready to begin anew next week. Thanks Kelly.
The Classes are all positive & fun
Margaret and Kulti
Bishop, California
March 2023
Kelly is very skilled at helping you understand how your dog thinks
Shannon and Cooper
Mammoth Lakes, California
, 2024
Training with Kelly was not only fun but essential to building a bond with my high-energy Greyhound. When Cooper was a baby puppy we joined Puppy Kindergarten which helped us to understand each other, laying the groundwork for more advanced training. Cooper has come so far and accomplished many commands and abilities. In the Advanced Manners group we worked on his reliable recall, a behavior that can be a challenge for sighthounds. Cooper earned his AKC Novice Trick Dog title in the Tricks class. Kelly is very skilled at teaching you to understand how your dog thinks and how to successfully meet your training goals. I am very proud of the work that Cooper and I have done together in his first year and look forward to more classes with Kelly.
I found Kelly after I'd tried a different trainer and really messed up my relationship with my puppy Blue. I met with Kelly for a Behavior Consultation and she gave me the tools I needed to reestablish trust and rebuild our connection. For that, I am forever grateful! I enrolled Blue in Puppy Kindergarten and he was awesome! He looked at me with excitement when we were training and playing together and I was able to earn back his trust. And when he graduated he had earned his AKC STAR Puppy Certificate and Ribbon!
I am so grateful I found Kelly. She salvaged my relationship with my puppy Blue
Stacy and Blue
Bishop, California
December 2022
Twila gets so many complements when we are out in public.
Susie and Twila
Mammoth Lakes, California
September 2022
Classes with Kelly are A LOT of fun! She has been an invaluable resource in getting both myself and my dog trained. Her passion for dogs is evident and she has a tremendous depth of knowledge in a wide range of training and behavioral situations. We've taken multiple classes with Kelly including Basic Manners, Advanced Manners, Rally, and Scent Work! Using positive reinforcement Twila quickly transformed from a rather shy youngster to a confident and well mannered companion. We can't wait to do another class in the future! Twila receives many complements out in public due to her polite demeanor and it's all thanks to the fundamentals Kelly has taught us
I adopted an 8-month old Dobie mix who was "bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun!" Kelly showed me how to communicate with him and channel his energy so that we both have fun now. I can't recommend her enough. She makes dog training fun.
Kelly Makes Training Fun!
Lynn and Diego
Bishop, California
December 2024
Expert Training that makes sense
Catra and Forester
Bishop, California
Feburary 2023
I can't thank Kelly enough for her expert training . She really has a way of relating to us humans and shows us how to connect with our pups. With your guidance you've taught me how to help make my furry kids better dogs. I have learned so much from you . Thank you for all you do for both dogs and humans.
Kelly is an outstanding and experienced dog trainer whom we had the pleasure of working with. We enrolled our 5-month-old Mudi Nori in the Puppy Kindergarten course and Kelly's ability to explain and guide us through various training techniques was remarkable. Her expertise in canine behavior and her passion for dogs were evident from the start. We plan on continuing our training with the Advanced Manners Course and then Rally and Tricks!.
Kelly's passion for dogs is evident.
Emily and Nori
Mammoth Lakes, California
July 2023