Listen. Watch. Diagnose. Train. That’s the NJ Canine Coach way. Every dog is unique, just like us humans. My approach is to not just listen to my clients explain the issues they are having and the goals they want to achieve but to listen to their dogs as well.
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15 customer reviews
Mark Murray
Kathleen has a great rapport with dogs, which I can tell comes out of a deep respect and love for them. She is kind and gentle and I felt the totally comfortable leaving my young pup with her. She is also quite effective at getting the dog to listen and behave appropriately. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
gayle lapoma
I was at my wits end with my Mini Bernedoodle, Barney. I had a few trainers come to my home to try and help me with his behavior but I guess I also wasn’t very disciplined or lacked the patience to implement the things they suggested. They also said he might outgrow some of his bad habits. I wasn’t interested in waiting. I came across NJ Canine Coach and decided to call the number and determine how they would go about training my Barney. I spoke to Kathleen Lota, the owner, and was immediately impressed. She asked me key questions and wanted to know why previous training had not been successful for Barney and for me. My gut told me that NJ Canine Coach and Kathleen Lota might be the answer for me and for Barney. My “gut” was correct. She is such an amazing trainer. She has patience, tireless energy and is very, very consistent with her training style. Barney went to her home every weekday for two weeks. It was the best thing I could have done and it was money well spent. Barney, who was very timid around new people, was comfortable with her by the end of the first day. He learned so much from Kathleen. He would be exhausted when I would get him home each day. Within a few days she started to “train” me as to how I was to reinforce the training at home. He was not all that interested in me telling him what to do, but then after a few more days, he was listening to ME! By the end of the two weeks I had a dog that would walk next to me on the leash. He would sit when I said to sit. He does not run out the door when I open it. He learned “place” and would stay on his cot when told. He has come so far. Kathleen is a born trainer. Her love for dogs is so evident. I am so delighted that I found her and I know anyone else would feel the same way. Gayle LaPoma Succasunna, NJ More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Eva Hoffman
We had such a wonderful experience working with Kathleen to train our dog Cori. When we first started, Cori was struggling with confidence, leash pulling, and reactivity—especially around other dogs and distractions. Kathleen was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and compassionate throughout the entire process. We loved the photos and the updates throughout the day! She took the time to understand Cori’s personality and challenges, and tailored the training to meet her needs. The transformation has been amazing. Cori is starting to be more confident, calm on walks, and responsive on leash. We’ve seen huge improvements in all the areas we were concerned about. We’re so grateful for Kathleen’s help and would highly recommend her to anyone! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Bruce
Dog Training
NJ Canine Coach - Kathleen - is amazing and I highly recommend her services to anyone who cares about their Pup! After adopting "Lenny" , a 3-4 year old Terrier mix from a rescue shelter, he began to show serious bouts of anxiety, lack of confidence and resource aggression. I was also bitten 3 times. We knew we/he needed help as we did not want to return him to the shelter. We placed a request for help on this website and Kathleen responded to our request. She offered to come to our home to observe Lenny. When Kathleen arrived, her demeanor and approach with Lenny along with how quickly he responded to her was incredible. Based on her observations Kathleen provided us with constructive feedback on how to better interact with Lenny along with changes she recommended we implement. We knew we needed more help with Lenny and she offered some training options. We chose the "Day Training" option. Within a few days of training, he could not wait for his daily trip to his training! The positive changes in Lenny were remarkable and have since been ongoing! It turns out the training wasn't just needed for Lenny, it was for us too! The daily feedback, suggestions, and results have far exceeded our expectations! If you're considering a training option for your pet or they need help, Lenny and I highly recommend Kathleen, the NJ Canine Coach! More...
Reply from NJ Canine Coach
Thank you, Bruce! I'm so happy that the work we've done together has been so beneficial to you both. It's essential that dog parents, especially those with rescue dogs, understand how and why their dogs are acting the way they do. You listened to everything I had to say, and as a result, you both gained the necessary skillset to be successful together. It was a pleasure to work with you both 🙂
Bruce Sankowich
NJ Canine Coach "Kathleen" is amazing and I highly recommend her services to anyone who cares about their Pup! After adopting "Lenny" , a 3-4 year old Terrier mix from a rescue shelter, he began to show serious bouts of anxiety, lack of confidence and resource aggression. I was also bitten 3 times. We knew he/we needed help as we did not want to return him to the shelter. We placed a request for help on a website and Kathleen responded to our request. She offered to come to our home to observe Lenny. When Kathleen arrived, her demeanor and approach with Lenny along with how quickly he responded to her was incredible. Based on her observations Kathleen provided us with constructive feedback on how to better interact with Lenny along with changes she recommended we implement. We knew we needed more help with Lenny and she offered some training options. We chose the "Day Training" option. Within a few days of training, he could not wait for his daily trip to see Kathleen for his training! The positive changes in Lenny were remarkable and have since been ongoing! It turns out the training wasn't just needed for Lenny, it was for us too! The daily feedback, suggestions, and results have far exceeded our expectations! If you're considering a training option for your pet or they need help, Lenny and I highly recommend Kathleen, the NJ Canine Coach! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Nicole Kelly
There are so many great things to say about Kathy’s training of our new puppy, Millie, it’s hard to know where to start!
First off, Kathy’s communication before, during and after Millie’s time with her was top-notch. We knew exactly what to expect of Millie’s training. She communicated via email, cell, and phone calls and we were so comfortable dropping Millie knowing that she was in very capable hands.
Millie is a 6 month old Goldendoodle who was definitely a little challenging before her time with Kathy. She was a jumper, terrible walker, and barker. Kathy truly transformed her behavior. It’s a pleasure now to take her on walks and come home knowing she wont jump full force on you!
I know Kathy cared for Millie like she was her own during her time there. I got updated pictures and videos throughout the week which always made me smile. Kathy shared videos to go home with and spent a lot of time educating me on how to work with Millie to continue her positive progress.
Thank you, Kathy, for all you did to help in training Millie! Finally, even after Millie left Kathy’s training week, she is always responsive and open to any questions or concerns I may have. I highly recommend NJ Canine Coach!!!! We truly appreciate all you did for Millie and the love you showed her!
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Nicole Kelly
There are so many great things to say about Kathy’s training of our new puppy, Millie, it’s hard to know where to start! First off, Kathy’s communication before, during and after Millie’s time with her was top-notch. We knew exactly what to expect of Millie’s training. She communicated via email, cell, and phone calls and we were so comfortable dropping Millie knowing that she was in very capable hands. Millie is a 6 month old Goldendoodle who was definitely a little challenging before her time with Kathy. She was a jumper, terrible walker, and barker. Kathy truly transformed her behavior. It’s a pleasure now to take her on walks and come home knowing she wont jump full force on you! I know Kathy cared for Millie like she was her own during her time there. I got updated pictures and videos throughout the week which always made me smile. Kathy shared videos to go home with and spent a lot of time educating me on how to work with Millie to continue her positive progress. Thank you, Kathy, for all you did to help in training Millie! Finally, even after Millie left Kathy’s training week, she is always responsive and open to any questions or concerns I may have. I highly recommend NJ Canine Coach!!!! We truly appreciate all you did for Millie and the love you showed her! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
george conklin
Dog Training
Kathleen is a knowledgeable, patient, and dedicated to helping both dogs and their owners. We noticed a huge improvement in our dog after the first lesson and she showed us how to reinforce the training at home. We highly recommend NJ Canine Coach. More...
George Conklin
Kathleen is a knowledgeable, patient, and dedicated to helping both dogs and their owners. We noticed a huge improvement in our dog after the first lesson and she showed us how to reinforce the training at home. We highly recommend NJ Canine Coach. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Desirae
Kathleen from NJ canine coach is absolutely wonderful to work with. She's not only incredibly flexible, reliable, and talented, but also remarkably kind and patient with my 1-year-old rescue, Kira. I was amazed at how quickly Kira progressed. Within just one week, she was walking beautifully on a leash, without pulling. Kathleen's positive reinforcement techniques were incredibly effective, and her patience with Kira's anxiety /stubbornness was truly appreciated. She also taught Kira essential commands like "No," "Place," "sit," "lay," and "off." My absolute favorite trick is that Kira now sits politely at the door when she needs to go out! We're continuing to work on other training, and I'm so excited to see how much more Kira can learn with Kathleen's guidance. More...
Desirae Nigro
Kathleen from ni canine coach is absolutely wonderful to work with. She's not only incredibly flexible, reliable, and talented, but also remarkably kind and patient with my 1-year-old rescue, Kira. I was amazed at how quickly Kira progressed. Within just one week, she was walking beautifully on a leash, without pulling. Kathleen's positive reinforcement techniques were incredibly effective, and her patience with Kira's anxiety /stubbornness was truly appreciated. She also taught Kira essential commands like "No," "Place," "sit," "lay," and "off." My absolute favorite trick is that Kira now sits politely at the door when she needs to go out! We're continuing to work on other training, and I'm so excited to see how much more Kira can learn with Kathleen's guidance. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Jill, Todd & Lucas
We highly recommend NJ Canine Coach. Kathleen has far exceeded all of our expectations! Her communication, knowledge, patience, and passion for what she does is truly outstanding.
We adopted a very large(75lb) untrained 6 month old German Shepard puppy. And boy was he a handful (Jumping up, scratching, barking, etc)and completely out of control!!! We took him to a local 6 week training school, which helped very little. He was still wildly jumping and nearly pulling us to the ground on our walks. He also began to have some behavioral problems like aggression towards visitors and strangers. We needed some serious help and didn't know who we could possibly trust to train him (and not break him).
My partner and Lucas had a chance meeting with Kathleen at a local Home depot. She came over to say Hi to Lucas and was instantly at ease with him. After careful consideration, we decided to have her come to our home for a free evaluation. She patiently addressed all of our concerns and gave us reassurance that she could help us with Lucas. After our evaluation, we were sent a very professional and thorough proposal. We decided to give her a chance and it turned out to be the best decision we could have made.
Our dog, Lucas, was enrolled in one on one training, 3 days a week. First, for a month and then we kept renewing because the progress has been incredible. Kathleen sent us progress photos and videos of Lucas following commands of sit, heal, go place, come, muzzle training, etc. We couldn't believe it was our dog. She worked with him to calm his excessive prey drive around deer, etc. One of the biggest achievements was crate training. We were concerned Lucas would never be crate trained, especially at one year old. We tried to gently coax him into his crate and he was not having any part of it. He even refused to go into the room where the crate was sitting. Success was achieved by Kathleen in about a day! Now when we give the "crate" command, he runs right in without hesitation.
Lucas is still his quirky exuberant self, but now he’s much more manageable. We can take him out on leash, without being dragged and pulled around....making walks a more enjoyable experience. Lucas's enthusiastic jumping and scratching have been toned down, making us feel more at ease.
What really stood out to us was Kathleen's willingness to go the extra mile. She frequently accommodated special requests during his training—and always made herself available for questions before or after the lessons. She made sure we were as educated as our puppy, giving us extra time to ensure we could continue and reinforce the training at home.
If you’re looking for a dog training service that truly has the talent and cares about you and your dog, Kathleen is the real deal. She is committed to helping you and your dog thrive. We feel so fortunate to have found her. Five stars all the way!
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Jill Schwartz
We highly recommend NJ Canine Coach. Kathleen has far exceeded all of our expectations! Her communication, knowledge, patience, and passion for what she does is truly outstanding. We adopted a very large(75lb) untrained 6 month old German Shepard puppy. And boy was he a handful (Jumping up, scratching, barking, etc)and completely out of control!!! We took him to a local 6 week training school, which helped very little. He was still wildly jumping and nearly pulling us to the ground on our walks. He also began to have some behavioral problems like aggression towards visitors and strangers. We needed some serious help and didn't know who we could possibly trust to train him (and not break him). My partner and Lucas had a chance meeting with Kathleen at a local Home depot. She came over to say Hi to Lucas and was instantly at ease with him. After careful consideration, we decided to have her come to our home for a free evaluation. She patiently addressed all of our concerns and gave us reassurance that she could help us with Lucas. After our evaluation, we were sent a very professional and thorough proposal. We decided to give her a chance and it turned out to be the best decision we could have made. Our dog, Lucas, was enrolled in one on one training, 3 days a week. First, for a month and then we kept renewing because the progress has been incredible. Kathleen sent us progress photos and videos of Lucas following commands of sit, heal, go place, come, muzzle training, etc. We couldn't believe it was our dog. She worked with him to calm his excessive prey drive around deer, etc. One of the biggest achievements was crate training. We were concerned Lucas would never be crate trained, especially at one year old. We tried to gently coax him into his crate and he was not having any part of it. He even refused to go into the room where the crate was sitting. Success was achieved by Kathleen in about a day! Now when we give the "crate" command he runs right in without hesitation. Lucas is still his quirky exuberant self, but now he’s much more manageable. We can take him out on leash, without being dragged and pulled around....making walks a more enjoyable experience. Lucas's enthusiastic jumping and scratching have been toned down, making us feel more at ease. What really stood out to us was Kathleen's willingness to go the extra mile. She frequently accommodated special requests during his training—and always made herself available for questions before or after the lessons. and continued answering emails and texts with other questions between visits If you’re looking for a dog training service that truly has the talent and cares about you and your dog, Kathleen is the real deal. She is committed to helping you and your dog thrive. We feel so fortunate to have found her. Five stars all the way! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Nikki R and Jax
Kathleen was fantastic. She was able to form such an incredible bond with Jax. He truly looked forward to every training day with her. Kathleen's knowledge and understanding of dogs behavior and such insight to the owners love for their dogs. She has helped us tremendously. She was able to tap into Jax's potential. I highly recommend her services. More...
Nikki Rarick
Kathleen is amazing. I was so lucky to have found her. She responded immediately to my inquiry on her website. I trusted her immediately with my dog, Jax. Kathleen won my Jax's trust. She was able to understand his needs. She gave him the confidence he needs to be a better dog. We are both grateful to the NJ Canine Coach. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
What do you love most about your job?
Watching dogs blossom during the training process is what I love most. Guiding and encouraging them through proper engagement and exposure, giving them problem-solving skills, and then watching their AHA moment.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I had two loves in life-art and animals. I chose the first as my career, but after 3 decades in the corporate world, I needed a change. It may sound silly, but I needed a purpose, and I wanted to make a difference in the lives of dogs and their owners, so working with animals was a no-brainer. I had spent the last 10 years working with my reactive dog, so I knew all too well the stress owners might experience, so I walked away and went straight to dog training school. Now, I live a fulfilled life helping other owners and pups.
Why should our clients choose you?
I chose this path to help people who were once in a position like mine: with a reactive dog and no idea how to help him. I needed something that gave me purpose, something that would fuel my soul. Working with dogs was the easy answer. I intend to spend the rest of my life helping owners with their dogs and working with shelters to make those dogs more adoptable.
Can you provide your services online or remotely? If so, please add details.
No online services, but I offer a mix of Day Training, Private Lessons, and Board + Train programs. All are tailored to meet the needs of the individual dog.
Basic Obedience
Basic obedience starts with relationship-based engagement exercises to help build trust, then moves into proper leash handling (teaching your dog to understand leash pressure) and control, using reinforcement techniques to help build confidence. Commands include sit, down, place, come, and leave it.
Advanced Obedience
Distance, Duration, + Distraction. The 3D’s of Dog Training. From a controlled environment to various environments and situations with varied levels of distraction. This is where we go beyond our 6’ leash by preparing for an off-leash life.
Day Training
Day training allows each task to be focused on for a greater length of time, allowing us to maximize our training. It’s an ideal alternative for owners who don’t have the time to commit to training or those who prefer to have the training done by a certified trainer.
At its core, it combines exercise, training, and socialization in a controlled, neutral environment, emphasizing the importance of helping to create a calm state of mind. We begin by discussing your goals and any challenges you’re currently facing with your dog. Then, I build a custom training plan tailored to your dog’s needs.
Day training is especially beneficial for dogs who struggle with impulse control, lack social skills, are fearful, and need exposure training as it allows the time needed for gradual changes in your dog’s thinking and behavior.
Board + Train
Board-and-train programs are an excellent option for families and individuals with busy lifestyles who lack the skills to train their dogs.
It’s especially helpful for dogs who are fearful and/or struggle with behaviors that take longer to modify. If you’re struggling with unwanted behaviors that vary in complexity, a board-and-train program can provide your dog with a solid training foundation to address those behaviors.
Programs are developed based on the client’s needs and can vary in length depending on the issues that need to be addressed. Whether you’re looking for basic obedience, off-leash reliability, or addressing unwanted or dangerous behaviors, we can help.
