"Karen Abell, owner of New Beginnings Canine Training LLC, is a wonderful resource for me and my dog, Harry Truman.  Karen’s knowledge of canine behavior and positive reinforcement training techniques have helped Harry Truman and me make a new beginning.  No more problem pup!  No more disobedient dog!  No more misguided owner!

Karen has taught Harry many behaviors using techniques similar to those used at Sea World to train dolphins.  Harry likes our sessions with Karen because with positive reinforcement training, learning is fun.  I like sessions with Karen because positive reinforcement training produces results…humanely. 

Three qualities distinguish New Beginnings Canine Training:

Results! In our first meet and greet session, Karen taught Harry to down, to come, and to sit with a hand signal in about 15 minutes.  An impressive accomplishment, considering that after 10 weeks in a forced training class Harry could not—or would not—cooperate with a down command.  I have been so pleased with Harry’s progress that I enrolled in a third class package with Karen Abell.  In these sessions Harry has learned about 20 behaviors and eliminated several undesirable behaviors too.  My goal is to have Harry able to work as a therapy dog.  First he has to pass the Canine Good Citizen test.  Karen is working with us on that now. 

Flexibility! At the beginning of each class package, Karen and I discuss the material I want Harry to learn.  Karen is helping Harry prepare for the CGC test by teaching him to perform specific behaviors according to established guidelines.  Weekly sessions are spent working with Harry on those behaviors.  Each week Karen develops a lesson plan for Harry’s session and we progress at his pace.  Some behaviors take a long time to master; others only a few minutes.

Convenience! Weekly sessions are held at a mutually convenient time.  Sessions are held at my house or ‘on the road’ depending upon that week’s target behavior.  For example, to help Harry prepare for his CGC, Karen arranged for us to visit residents at a rehabilitation hospital.  She arranged the visit, went with us to the facility, and then coached Harry and me through his interaction with several patients. 

In my opinion, enrolling in positive reinforcement training behavior sessions with Karen Abell’s New Beginnings Canine Training is the single most important action I have taken to build a life-long bond with Harry Truman, my wonder pup.  I highly recommend Karen Abell and New Beginnings Canine Training LLC."

Karen Butler
Union, Kentucky

"Let me introduce myself,

My name is Lexi, a white haired lab.
 
My loving parents are Melissa and Brad.

They sent me to dog training because I was bad.

But with Karen’s help my mommy was glad.

She taught me commands and tricks that I learned real quick, To my favorite teacher here is a lick!

Thanks so much Karen, for your patience and time. We encourage others to give her a try.

She will make a real difference you will see.

Thanks again,"

Brad, Melissa, and Lexi!
Ft. Thomas, Kentucky

"We came across Dewey, a Black and Tan Coon Hound/Jack Russell Terrier mix, by chance.  He was on his third home when we got him having coming the route of an allergic child, abusive hunter and kindly nun.  We took him in and knew right away that this was a dog beyond our experience.  We’d had every kind of animal, dogs included, but this one was so hurt we couldn’t and didn’t know how to reach him.  He was terrified of men, he growled and barked at my husband, he sneaked around the house and hid, he urinated when you touched him and when he was off the leash, he ran and wouldn’t come back, only returning hours later and with bribe of food to return to the house.

We knew we needed someone who had experience in dealing with a situation like this.  I contacted Karen Abell owner of New Beginnings K-9 Training, LLC and told her our situation.  She asked a thousand questions in our initial conversation from where the dog ate to where he slept and how we reacted to the dog.  She could tell from our conversation that this dog had been abused from his behavior.  She first gave us some insight into the behavior of abused dogs such as the problem urination which she described as submissive urination, a type of behavior that was more related to fear than disobedience. 

From that point, Karen worked to clear up misunderstanding about why Dewey was acting as he was.  We arranged for Karen to visit our household and view the dog in his normal surroundings.  Within five minutes of entering the house, Dewey was responsive to her and she was seeing what made him tick.  She helped us to narrow down the trigger for his aggressive behavior which turned out to be not particularly men but people in heavy coats, which my husband always was wearing when the dog encountered him. 

Karen helped develop a ritual for the dog and explained the many benefits of crating from creating a safe haven to facilitating a time-out area for both your and the dog’s sanity.  She was a proponent of positive reinforcement, building confidence and trust in Dewey through kindness, treats and consistency.  She clearly explained dog behavior and how to mold it to yield a fluid human-canine relationship.  Karen had the ability to get to the point quickly treating you with great respect, never upset by the hundreds of questions we had or our inexperience with a dog of this caliber.  She was extremely sensitive to the fact that the dog should blend into our household not vice versa.  Karen was very attentive to our situation having a small toddler in the house and other animals as well.  Karen also made it very clear that our child was top priority in our attentions and that the dog should join the household, not reconstruct it. 

We spoke of the family structure and routines and it was made clear that we did not have unlimited time or resources to deal with correcting Dewey’s behavior.  Karen’s training methods were a perfect blend depending on patience and short sessions which were easy to achieve in our busy household.  Karen was readily available by telephone, e-mail or in person and always brought to the table a calm and sensible response to our issues. 

When we thought we were not making improvements and Dewey seemed hopeless, Karen was there with encouragement and an open ear.  Within four months of working with Dewey, he is a changed dog.  He’s happy, loves my husband and daughter and is a special part of our family.  Few people recognize him as the scared dog we took in almost a year ago.  Dewey’s success encouraged us to take in another abused and stray dog, Dixie, a Siberian Husky mix. 

With the information we gained through Karen with Dewey, we now have a two dog household that runs smoothly with emphasis on positive reinforcement, crating and realistic and practical goals.  We thank our lucky stars to have had Karen owner of New Beginning’s K-9 Training, LLC as a resource.  Without Karen and New Beginnings K-9 Training, Dewey’s outlook would have been so bleak and we wouldn’t have the TWO great dogs we have now. Dewey truly has had a “New Beginning.”"

Michele and Neil Douglas
Kingston, Kentucky

"It is my pleasure to comment on our family’s positive experience with Karen Abell and New Beginnings K-9 Training.  I initially met Karen one summer night when she was walking her three dogs in perfect harmony, while our 6-month old Labrador-mix Cally (first family dog) was pulling and barking, and acting generally out of control.  After a brief conversation, she told me about New Beginnings K-9 Training.

We had previously completed a group class at a local pet store, and learned the basic commands, i.e. sit, down, stay.  My concern with the group class had been the lack of opportunity to discuss Cally’s individual issues.  Cally is smart and gentle, but very energetic, and as a rescue from the shelter came with some established fears and submissive behaviors.

I was excited to find New Beginnings—it offered very affordable training, on a 1:1 basis with flexibility to meet our hectic lifestyle and in the comfort of our home, where Cally could develop appropriate skills in a familiar environment.

The program turned out to be even better than I expected.  Karen was able to immediately “read” Cally and determine appropriate ways to address our key problem areas.  She is an effective teacher, and is able to teach in an encouraging manner, without judgment or criticism (great for those novice dog owners like me!) She involved all family members appropriately with age-appropriate tasks and communication.

This program truly empowered us to take personal responsibility for Cally and her training.  Karen was always available for “hotline” support when the training without her wasn’t going as smoothly as it had during our session time.  She provided complete, timely follow up resource material after each session which enabled us to remember all that we needed to between sessions.

Cally has improved in the areas of door manners, loose leash walking, learning additional “tricks” and overall self-confidence.  

Karen’s compassion for dogs and genuine passion for her work is evidenced in all she does as a trainer. Her desire to see improvement in Cally (and continuous positive encouragement) motivated us to work hard with the training.

New Beginnings has had a very positive impact on Cally and our growing relationship with her.  I highly recommend Karen Abell and New Beginnings K-9 Training."

Nancy Costello
Union, KY

Child’s Testimonial
"Karen is a wonderful trainer! Karen loves to help your dog(s). She is always willing to learn what we want to learn. She also comes to your house and is very funny. My dog has also improved A LOT because of her training. She cares so much about you and will work hard to make you satisfied with your dog. I have had an awesome experience with Karen as a dog trainer, and I hope you will too!"

By Emma Costello, 4th grade

"Professional in every way, New Beginnings sets goals, makes plans, measures success and achieves results...all with a personal touch that pleases both owner and pet."

Sharon Bellan
Union, Kentucky