About Us
Find out who we are and what we do
Prioritizing the physical and emotional well-being of your dog in everything we do. Kindred Creatures provides professional and qualified, modern canine training and behaviour services using compassionate methods informed by the science of learning, and applied ethology.
About Cate Taylor, KPA-CTP, CSAT
Hi, I’m Cate Taylor, founder and trainer at Kindred Creatures, a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT), a Family Dog Dial Guide, and a Family Dog Mediator (FDM) in the making (working towards qualifications under the L.E.G.S. Total Welfare model).
I have been helping dogs and their families as a professional trainer for 11 years, following 25 years of social and community services work.
In the beginning, a curiosity about ‘the dog’s point of view’ was motivation for pursuing education in dog behaviour and learning. I wanted to see the world through the eyes of a dog; in particular, I wanted to know what a dog’s behaviour says about what it needs and how it interprets the actions of people. Ultimately, I wanted to know how to ‘be’ with a dog in ways that feel safe and non-threatening to the dog.
Becoming a qualified professional has expanded rather than resolved my curiosity. With sustaining passion I continue to pursue learning opportunities about dogs’ natural behaviours, body language subtleties, and emotions, and about the impact of captivity, pain, anxiety, and stress. I frequently attend professional development courses, conferences and webinars, and I learn all the time from collaborations with dogs, human clients and colleagues.
Supporting dog guardians to optimize the well-being of their dogs while increasing the ease and peace in their cross-species partnerships is truly gratifying work.
Committed to Dogs Feeling Safe
A dog’s perception of safety, and the point at which it feels unsafe is influenced by the environment, the actions of others, prior learning, and also by genetics and selective breeding. Respecting that each dog is unique Kindred Creatures trains and interacts in ways that honour each individual dog’s experience of safety.
There is little distinction between physical and emotional safety for a dog.
Uncompromised safety is the greatest gift we can offer our dogs; it’s what a dog’s love for its humans is made of.
Committed to Stress-Free Interactions
Understanding is the gateway to learning; stress is a barricade.
A stressed dog is one who is unable to meet or manage one or more of its basic needs in the moment, such as:
- Felt safety
- Physical exercise
- Adequate food and rest
- Social connection with conspecifics
- Mental stimulation
- Species and breed-specific natural behaviours
Avoiding negative stress in training is critical for creating positive associations with learning and for well-being.
