I began helping people live more harmoniously with their pups in the mid aughts while pursuing a doctoral degree in anthropology. Although I'd spent much of my childhood persuading my parents to add on canine family members, the idea of working with dogs started as a search for a fun, furry running buddy one foggy summer in San Francisco, when I posted a Craigslist ad offering "Jogs 4 Dogs" ... then, As luck would have it, back in 2008, I spotted a dashing stray, pictured with me here, bounding through Berkeley traffic. after I ushered him to safety, he swiftly charmed his way into my heart and home, putting me on the path to a dog-based life.
Upon earning my master's, i sidestepped the chance to complete fieldwork overseas, opting to surround myself with dogs and their magic stateside. in 2012, i launched an outings & boarding service, Town Dawg of Oakland. following a move up to Wa, i apprenticed as a dog trainer and class instructor in Issaquah. In 2018, i started teaching and training at Seattle Humane, where i continue to host dog training basics (virtually) while caring for guest pups (as Kinfolk Canine) and the house's four-legged residents. i also tend to an art and advocacy project about ecodogs.♡
hi!
Kinfolk Canine: A Home-away-from-Home for Fur Fam since 2018.
Kinfolk Canine offers overnight care in our home on a case-by-case basis. The introductory process will address any history of fear, anxiety, reactivity, resource guarding, etc. in your dog(s). To ensure compatibility with our easygoing community of 'returning regulars' and residents, we arrange trial nights in advance of longer stays for most prospective newcomers. We also reduce risk via our fecal test requirement. For cases beyond mild shyness or "stranger danger" toward other dogs or people, please continue your search for boarding elsewhere. Thanks anyhow, best wishes! Successful candidates will also be able to remain fairly quiet and calm while staying in a crate overnight (or will be working toward that goal as youngsters) and over shorter daytime periods (four hours for full-grown dogs and fewer for pups). Upon earning confidence, many guests can graduate past the expectation for overnight crating, and all of them benefit from our homebody lifestyle. Within these parameters, boarding is open to pups as young as 8 weeks of age and to older dogs with most of the special needs of seniors. Nightly rates range according to age and, sometimes, other customized-care considerations. We will typically host three guests at most, depending on the personalities and past experiences. Occasionally, when duos or trios from the same household are present, or during popular travel periods, four overnight guests may fill a roster.
In conjunction with boarding and separately, Laura helps clients develop behavioral fundamentals in their puppies, adolescents, and adult dogs, such as: potty training, polite play etiquette, bite inhibition, handling tolerance, impulse control, reliable recall, settling ability, willingness to share resources, and respect for boundaries. She is not currently taking cases involving severe leash pulling or reactivity, separation anxiety, and resource guarding. As with boarding, for cases beyond mild shyness or "stranger danger" toward other dogs or people, please continue your search for training support elsewhere. Again, thanks anyhow and best wishes!! During and after an initial consultation, Laura can coach you on luring and shaping, establishing reward markers and error messages, and using verbal and visual cues to enhance your communication strategies. Learning begins most effectively in familiar, low-distraction contexts, moving from indoors to outdoors. You will moderate your expectations and steadily build up your dog's responsiveness to cues in contexts. Keeping this process fun makes skill building a game in itself. Laura's methods are based in the science of canine cognition. She focuses on building trust, accentuating the positive, and proactively preventing and redirecting unwanted behavior. Please email for specifics on 'board and train' packages or coaching rates, or to learn about offerings for 1:1 outings within a local service area.
These pics harken back to when the house had four full-time four-legged residents:
The home pack is smaller now, but our friend group continues to grow.
tips for teaching
Continuing Education:
Canine Science Symposium
San Francisco, CA, April 2019 & April 2018
First International Canine Science Conference
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, October 2017
International Association of Canine Professionals
Education Conference • Ontario, CA, September 2016
