Positive Dog Training For Pets & Their People

More Solutions, Less Stress!

Positive Dog Training For Pets & Their People

More Solutions, Less Stress!

Private Training Services

Training and behavior modification for all breeds of puppies and adult dogs, helping to turn problem behaviors into desired behaviors and bring added peace and calm into your life.  Servicing the San Fernando Valley and surrounding communities in Los Angeles, CA.

About PAWSitive Hound Dog Training

Let me help you start changing your dog’s problem behaviors with solutions to real-life issues, and make life with your dog more enjoyable – call me to schedule in-home training sessions!

Individualized training and help provided for many issues including:
  • Polite manners
  • Leash walking skills
  • Barking/lunging on walks
  • Jumping/greeting behaviors
  • Puppy nipping, chewing, digging
  • Potty training issues
  • Recall/come when called
  • First-time puppy/dog parent
  • Recently adopted rescue pup
  • Family/kids concerns
  • And more!

Kim Kurland holds the title of Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, a mark of professional distinction from the leading independent certifying organization of the dog training profession.   She is a Master Class graduate from CATCH Canine Trainers Academy, earning the title of Certified Dog Trainer.  Kim is a Fear-Free Certified Training Professional and a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator, helping families increase their knowledge and skills to safely integrate dogs and children in the home. 

Kim is an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, a preferred trainer with Basset Rescue Network at Daphneyland in Acton, CA and has extensive dog handling and training experience in the shelter environment with Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles, CA.  Her professional memberships include the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers; the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the Pet Professional Guild, devoted to force-free training and pet care.

Dedicated to providing effective and lasting solutions to her clients and committed to strengthening the relationship between dogs and their families through science-base training and behavior modification, Kim pursues continuous learning by regularly attending professional seminars, keeping current on industry literature and protocols, and learning from all the dogs and people with whom she’s had the pleasure to work.

Successful in force-free, fear-free training and behavior problem-solving, Kim has an acute understanding of the way dogs see the world and how they use their body language to communicate with other dogs and people.  She trains with the understanding that each dog is an individual who has a choice in behavior, and appreciates that dogs shouldn’t be expected to come into our lives instinctively knowing how to live in our households – but by utilizing positive, force-free, reward-based methods, and training with consistency, repetition and patience, they can become treasured family members.

A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Kim transitioned from a successful executive career in Entertainment Publicity to a career that paired her expert canine and human communication skills with her passion for dogs, how they learn and how to help people understand their dogs better.

Kim founded PAWSitive Hound Dog Training, which provides positive training for pets and their people throughout the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas of Los Angeles, CA.  She lives in Tarzana, CA.

Servicing Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley
(and surrounding communities) including:
  • Studio City
  • Sherman Oaks
  • Encino
  • Tarzana
  • Woodland Hills
  • Calabasas
  • Malibu
  • Topanga
  • Hidden Hills
  • Chatsworth
  • Reseda
  • Van Nuys
  • Northridge
  • West Hills
  • Canoga Park
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G Kazanian
14 July 2025
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I'm a first-time dog mom and reached out to Kim for some help on training. It is obvious Kim cares a great deal about dogs. She's caring and direct as well as easy to work with. I learned A LOT from her and her training techniques have made my life easier. I would absolutely go back to her for more help and would highly recommend her to anyone in need of dog training!!
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Jennifer Christie
30 March 2025
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I had always been a cat mom until last year. I rescued the cutest two month old Chihuahua/Yorkie mix and I was basically clueless. I reached out to another dog mom for help and she recommended Kim. I will forever be grateful for reaching out to Kim and working with her. She taught me how to be a great dog mom. She showed me how to work with Sunny to get positive results. I learned how to communicate, play, build Sunny’s confidence, introduce new experiences and raise a puppy that feels safe and secure. With Kim’s guidance my little girl can sit, potty and poopy outside, give kisses, fetch, come inside, and knows how to wait. The skills and knowledge that Kim taught me have been priceless. What I would have assumed on my own would not have built the same relationship Sunny and I have. Sunny’s eight months old and I couldn’t imagine life without her and I credit that to working with Kim. I highly recommend her to everyone who has dog. It’s absolutely worth it!!! We PAWSitively think you’re amazing. Jen & Sunny
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Cyndee Ellefson
14 October 2024
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I highly recommend Kim to anyone looking for a dog trainer who is knowledgeable, skilled, and genuinely caring. She truly goes above and beyond. Her patience and care were evident from day one, and her expertise and dedication helped me become a better dog mom. Kim's approach to training was effective and tailored to suit my pup Max's unique needs. She took the time to understand our specific challenges and worked with us patiently to overcome them. Her gentle yet assertive guidance helped me build a stronger bond with Max and improved our communication significantly. I appreciated Kim's commitment to our success, as she provided ongoing support and resources to ensure our continued progress. Her passion for helping dogs and their owners shines through, and I am grateful for her positive impact on our lives.
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Alisa Wilson
19 March 2024
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I called Kim when I was at my wit's end with my 7-year-old chocolate lab, Remy. Remy would pull on the leash and was exceptionally dog reactive. I had tried a Halti, a prong collar and even some punitive methods. Kim was literally my 5th trainer and she was fabulous (and saved Remy from going to the labrador retriever rescue; just kidding about the rescue). Kim worked with me to teach me how to use positive reinforcement and treats to get Remy to walk nicely on the leash and not go ballistic every time we passed another dog. We completed 5 sessions over several months and Remy is almost a pleasure to walk. I feel confident, given the skills I learned from Kim, that Remy will shortly be a true pleasure to walk. I highly recommend Kim and her training methods. Kim was a pleasure to work with and always calm and gentle.
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Carolyn Camras
17 July 2023
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Kim is a wonderful trainer—of both dogs and owners! Her philosophy, patience, and success have helped us grow with our dog in communication and outcomes! We would highly recommend Kim. Her expertise and kind manner are outstanding!
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Gretchen G
13 July 2023
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Kim was extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. I adopted a shy, nervous dog and she gave me tools to help him build confidence and to learn to come, stay and recall. I enjoyed working with her and her training approach: reward and positivity.
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Kristi Anderson
14 May 2023
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I cannot properly express our gratitude for the exceptional training we received from Kim. We originally reached out to get some assistance with Hoagie's problematic jumping on people, but she taught him (and us!) SO many more valuable tools, tricks, and obedience techniques. Kim also comes loaded with tons of recommendations for feeders, toys, harnesses, training treats, and even helped recommend a solution for Hoagie's car sickness! Kim's expertise, patience, and dedication has made a significant impact on Hoagie's behavioral problems. We no longer dread the struggle that used to come with taking him on walks and are fully prepared for how to keep all four of his paws on the ground when we encounter new people or dogs, inside or outside of the house. Thank you so much Kim!
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Melissa Krispin
5 April 2023
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My pup and I had such an incredible experience with Kim! I have a 7 month old pitbull who loves to jump on people to greet them. She gave me such wonderful tools to teach him to stop jumping. She helped me with everything from commands to have him wait or lay down, to proper leash walking in our neighborhood. She is such a pleasure to work with, and my dog absolutely loves her! I love that her method is focused on positive reinforcement, and she has such a kind yet firm approach to training. We have learned so much from her and she has made our daily lives so much easier and more enjoyable. She has always been available over the phone for support if I have additional questions or need specific recommendations. She came highly recommended by our vet, and I feel incredibly lucky that we found her!
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Ira
5 October 2022
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Kim was a great teacher who listened to our goals with respect to training our newly adopted 2 year-old puppy. She provided us with printed material that reinforced the in-home classes she provided. She was extremely professional, on time and patient with not only our dog, but with us as well. I would be happy to recommend her to anyone looking for dog training.
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Irene George
27 September 2022
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Two big paws up for Kim and Pawsitive Hound Dog Training! She worked with me and my Korean rescue dog Daisy on some basic commands and obedience. Kim is extremely knowledgeable and teaches only positive methods to get the dog to respond. Perhaps the most important thing I learned is how to get Daisy to come to me in an emergency situation, and it actually works! I really appreciate Kim’s availability for phone consultations when the need arises. She is a gem!
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Brandonio B
20 August 2022
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Kim at Pawsitive Hound Dog Training has been working with our 4 month old Corgi for a couple of months now. We actually met with her to “puppy plan” a month before we picked him up from the breeder and we were so happy we did that! She educated and assisted us in our home to start planning for his arrival and talked to us about her positive approach towards training which was right in line with what we wanted for our pup! We opted to have Kim work with him four days a week for one month which was incredible and Breauxdy was learning so many great behaviors and manners that it made our lives, and his, much more calm and enjoyable in regard to having a brand new 9 week old puppy! Now Kim comes 2x a week to keep him tuned in to his foundational training skills, and because Breauxdy loves her! We can’t recommend Kim more highly. She is extremely knowledgable, professional, compassionate, and 100% committed to her craft. We are lucky to have found her and her services!
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S Mc
25 April 2022
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Kim's services were life changing for our family. We're now able to enjoy dog walks, guest visits and bedtime so much more with our pups. Plus the are now house trained! Thank you, Kim!
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sithapple
28 February 2022
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Kim was amazing with our new Labrador Retriever puppy. Within minutes she had him behaving better and listening to commands. Through her he learned loose-leash walking, not jumping up on someone when he meets them, and other good habits, and she also was able to explain why he was exhibiting certain behaviors. Kim was also very good with teach our 10-year-old son how to work with our dog as well. I can't recommend her enough.
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Mishel Brownlee
21 January 2022
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Kim is incredible! When she walks into your house to meet your puppy, she is calm and reassuring. Her training methods are easy to understand and she spends the time to make sure you are learning how to implement correctly. We hired Kim after our 6 month old Jack Russell spent time at a drop off training facility with not much luck! Having her come to our home and do trainings in our dog’s everyday environment was exactly what we needed!
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Amaryllis Knight
11 December 2021
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Kim Kurland at Pawsitive Hound is a wonderful trainer, who worked wonders with my dog Tiger. Kim is diligent, methodical, experienced, and credentialed. I trust her and her training methods implicitly, and highly recommend her to anyone looking for an excellent dog trainer.
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Karina de Anda
26 October 2021
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Kim is such a wonderful trainer and so great to work with. She helped us give our dog, Olive, a solid base and training tools that we will be carrying forward in all her lessons. Kim is caring and compassionate. She thoroughly enjoys what she does and that shows in all the effort she puts into each training session. She was very flexible in her scheduling of dates and it was great to work with her in our home instead of group settings.
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Jennifer Mirner
14 September 2021
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I would like to add my name to the list of clients recommending Kim at PAWSitive Hound Dog Training. She is the dog whisperer and did wonders with my stubborn beagle puppy. Not only did he get excited when he saw her, he was like clay in her hands. She is very experienced and and had tons of ideas and recommendations for every issue I threw at her. I hands down would recommend her to anyone without any reservation. I originally found her off of Next-door for my neighborhood and decided to try her out based off of the glowing reviews. I did not regret it!
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JOYCE D
1 September 2021
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We love working with Kim. We have an amazing 2 year old puppy with some medical conditions, including loss of sight. Kim has given us methods to work with him and also given our puppy his own tools to be more independent and follow commands. I highly recommend Kim and PAWSitive Hound Dog Training.
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Erin Arluck
24 August 2021
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I would highly recommend PAWSitive Hound Dog Training. We are very grateful to have been able to work with Kim. We needed help training our 3.5 month old golden retriever. Kim went above and beyond at every training session. She is incredibly caring, passionate and knowledgeable. Her passion for dog training is shown through her work. Kim was a pleasure to work with.
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Mark Wallen
2 August 2021
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We have owned 7 K9 family members through the years and now have a new puppy. We have worked with other trainers before finding Kim. She is very knowledgeable, professional and caring and was helpful with the basics and more importantly in helping to figure out the more complicated issues such as sleeping arrangements (2 story home), potty training without crating!, and just day-to-day house logistics as our puppy has matured and developed. Our "Thumper" loved seeing and working with Kim and the sessions were challenging but NEVER stressful. Kim is a great trainer and terrific person to work with and learn from! Our

Reasons to Choose Us

Science-based Training

Kim is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) utilizing science-based training focused on how dogs (and people) learn. She uses the highest ethical practices in training – no shock collars, e-collars, prong or pinch collars.

Positive Reinforcement

Training is based on positive reinforcement and reward-based methods – giving your dog the opportunity to make a choice in their behavior (and be rewarded for it!).

Focused on Success

Training is focused on setting your dog up for success to help you see an improvement in problem behaviors and an increase in your dog’s skills.

Convenience

Training is conveniently conducted in your home, providing your dog with the opportunity to learn in his/her own environment; management solutions and problem-solving directly related to your home environment can be addressed on site.

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Contact Kim Today!

I look forward to talking to you about your dog and how I can help you! Please fill out the information below to contact me with any questions or requests you may have, I’ll get back to you shortly.

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Dogs do speak but only to those who know how to listen.

– Orhan Pamuk

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.

– Roger Caras

If the kindest souls were rewarded with the longest lives, dogs would outlive us all.

– Unknown

Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog. It merely expands the heart.

– Unknown