Training through play!
  • HOME
  • About us
  • What to bring to class
  • VASHON client registration form
  • Laughing Dogs staff
  • Contact us
  • Testimonies
  • TRAINING VIDEOS
  • Training tips Blog
  • Homework hand signals and more
  • Services
    • Vashon
    • Davis
  • DAVIS client registration form

Happy Student & Owner

"Sit & Wait" - Best of


Testimonies:

2019-00-03 We just had an amazing session with Cayce. We walked away with tangible tools and a new insight into requesting behavior from our dog. We have a 10 month old named Makai and he learned a great deal as well. Cayce really knows how to treat dogs in a positive way while getting top results. We highly recommend Laughing Dog!
Tom and Char Kaufer


2016-01-01 Cayce is the most amazing dog trainer we're ever had. We came with two dogs that had very different issues. One was fearful of everything and untrained walking on leash, commands, and was skiddish around kids, noises, and all unfamiliar things (including trash cans, sandwich board signs, etc). Our other dog was sensitive toward other dogs and we were afraid to walk her near other dogs. We have made so much progress and Cayce's "training through play" method has really worked wonders with our dogs-they are so responsive and have fun learning! We've been part of the Laughing Dogs community for about one year and continue to grow with our pups. We participate in the Masters City Dogs Class on Thursday nights. It's so rewarding to have a good partnership with our dogs and be able to take them out with us to cafes and restaurants without being afraid! So grateful to Laughing Dogs! --Sophie Barbu

2016-1-3 Cayce at Laughing Dogs has helped me with my reactive, sweet boy, Ranger. Cayce is wicked-smart and her expertise, confidence and positive attitude have been the foundation of the relationship I have developed with him. I used to be stressed when I was walking him and now we have the confidence to go anywhere. Laughing Dogs has really opened up possibilities for us and we have enjoyed many adventures together. The other awesome part of Laughing Dogs is the great people and dogs I've met while attending classes. I love the Laughing Dogs family!
​--Pat n Ranger McGrew

2015-12-17 Wonderful dog training classes! Dogs learn through play and positive reinforcement. My dog loves going to class. It's fun for her and for me!!! So, when we come home, we play during the week, or is it practice? Who knows? Both! That is what makes it so great! Happy dogs, happy people! Dogs become your best friend and your best companion through the positive methods. I can take my dog anywhere dogs are allowed and not worry about her behavior. --Barbara Levin

2015-12-16 I started training my two puppies with them in March 2015. Ever since, I've seen such wonderful improvement in them. Cayce teaches not only the puppies about compliance, she teaches the owners how to build a trusting and lasting relationship with our best friends. Laughing Dogs is an excellent community filled with wonderful dogs and people. We are taught to train using praise and are taught beyond the basics in class. It's both an affordable and quality dog training. I love them so much! I've attended the following classes and each are wonderful: Puppy Class, Small Dog Class, Master's City Dog Class, Master's Trails Class, and Master's Novice Tricks Class. In puppy class our puppies are taught beyond the basics. There is social time to allow the puppies to learn how to say "Hi" properly, there is a lot of leash work so that they learn not to pull, and there is an integration of both verbal and hand commands. 
In small dog class, our puppies learn to be around other small dogs and further advance what they have learned in puppy class. 

In City Dog Class (my all time favorite), our dogs are pushed to learn more advanced hand signals, circle work, how to sit at a cafe/restaurant without disturbing anyone, manners while walking around town, and acclimating our dogs with a lot of activity without being reactive. 
In Trails class, we are working towards off leash dogs (long line) that come when called 100% of the time as well as exploring nature while staying safe. 
In novice tricks class, our dogs learn how to do various tricks such as: "hide your eyes," "arms up," "spin left/right," "high five up high," "roll over (3x minimum)," "weave," "up and over," "pick it up," "bring it," "bow," "wave," and so much more. 
The ultimate prize our dogs get is to go anywhere with us as we are taught to keep them SAFE on top of building a trusting relationship. Laughing Dogs is the best investment I could have given my dogs as I've learned so much and gained friendships for not only myself, but for my dogs as well. --Rissa Marasigan

2015-11-30 I'm happy to say that my little Billie belongs to this community. Cayce's wisdom and unstinting help have been a huge help to us both. I really appreciate her 'ounce of prevention' approach. Great group of people, excellent and sensible instruction. --Sally McKee


2015 We love Laughing Dogs! Cayce, Alex, and Shea have all worked with our family--in and out of classes--and their enthusiasm for and love of dogs is crazy infectious. Taking our two small, anxious, rescue mutts to weekly classes has helped them (and us!) so much. We look forward to class every week as good family time, and also enjoy the community we get in classes. Cayce does a great job of teaching owners that dogs are SO capable of AMAZING things. She also knows that training dogs is hugely about training owners. She's helped us be more mindful of what we unintentionally teach our dogs in our daily lives and has shown us how to change our reactions so that our dogs learn better manners. So much of the training is done with simple things that can be easily incorporated into our regular routine and our regular play. Our dogs are happier, healthier, and more secure with Laughing Dogs as part of our community! --Natalie Troxel


2015-12 -22    AMAZING! I have been part of the Laughing Dogs community for almost a year and have seen changes in my two dogs that I didn’t even know were possible. With the help of Cayce and the Laughing Dogs staff, I have been learning the skills that I need to be able to keep my dogs safe and happy in any type of environment. The entire staff is very adept at reading dog behavior and helps you to understand why your dog has certain behaviors and responds in certain ways. I have two dogs with two VERY different personalities (one wanting to please, but slightly shy and anxious depending on his surroundings, and one that is overly social and can be overtly stubborn and often defiant). Before taking them to Laughing Dogs, I had my hands full, especially when I would take them both out to public places together. With the help of Laughing Dogs, I have become a much more confident dog owner that is able to handle both dogs in almost any environment, read their (sometimes subtle) behaviors, and respond accordingly to make them feel safe and happy. It definitely takes a lot of work (which also serves as great bonding time with your dog!), but I have seen amazing changes in both dogs. My shy and anxious dog has become more confident when we are out in public, and has learned that I am in control so he does not have to try to be. He is amazingly compliant in even the most stressful situations. My stubborn dog is learning to become more compliant in all situations, and I am learning how to work with him on even his most stubborn days. Through play and positive interactions, he is becoming a much more well-mannered and compliant dog that I can take anywhere. Laughing Dogs offers such a great variety of classes that allow you to expose your dog to all kinds of different situations and environments, all while building your confidence and skills as a dog owner and letting you and your dog learn to work together. I HIGHLY recommend Laughing Dogs! Great staff, great community, great advice, and amazing knowledge and tools to help you and your dog lead a happy, safe, and adventurous life! -- Michelle B.
 
2014-08-23 00:29:14 Taking my Mini Australian Shepherd puppy Bowie to Cayce’s classes has been a 100% fantastic decision. Cayce uses a positive reinforcement approach where the lessons appear as games to the dog. So Bowie loves doing training with me, and it is the opposite of a chore to practice at home! I feel so much more confident and less stressed about being able to communicate with Bowie. I also have a border collie cross cattle dog Loki(who I never did any formal training with) and now I am really feeling the consequences. He is a sweet dog but only listens when he wants to, which has caused a lot of stress. I have watched countless hours of The Dog Whisperer, and while it was informative it had barely no effect because its hard to know where to start. And after just one lesson with Cayce I was on the way to leash training with Bowie. Having one dog with no training made me realise just how stressful it is when your dog doesn’t understand what is asked, or doesn’t want to listen. I used to sound like a tape recorder that kept repeating the word ‘No.’ I will be signing him up for the reactive dog class soon. Two thumbs up from me! —Eileen Simoni
​

2013-04-13    My partner and I used to help  train SPCA foster dogs and Cayce kindly lent her time to teach the obedience  classes. I definitely appreciated the way she led the classes, and I hope to use  her whenever we get our own doggie. --Meggo Waffle 

2013-05-16 13:44:36   Cayce does a great job working  with reactive dogs and rescue dogs. She has donated her time over and over to  work with dogs to train them before finding a home, and Helped my 'feral' dog  becomes a happy interactive member of our family! --Ashley Dunleavy 

2013-05-16   Cayce has helped train two  generations of our headstrong Australian Shepherds. With our current dog, she  worked with our kids to make sure we had a pup that was responsive to all  different family members, and that we were all consistent with our commands and  not making the poor dog crazy. She's gentle, firm, knowledgeable and connected,  and other dog whisperers have nothing on her! I consider her a local treasure  and keep referring friends & their four-footed pals to her with utmost  confidence. We love Laughing Dogs! --Autumn Labbe-Renault 

2013-05-16 14:31:59   There truly are no words that  can express the gratitude I have for Cayce. She has helped me and my canine  companions well beyond my expectations. She makes training fun and has enhanced  the relationship between me and my dogs and opened my eyes to ways of  communicating with my dogs that I didn’t know were possible.  --Jodi Jordan 
 
2013-05-16   When I got my first dog she was  4 months old and so shy she wouldn't come out of her crate on her own for the  first month. I wasn't sure how I could help with her being so timid so I looked  up different dog trainers in the Davis area. I received a flyer advertising  Laughing Dogs from Midtown Animal Clinic so I looked into it. Over the phone  Cayce asked me about my pup which I named Luna and decided to give me a free  meet up to assess her, at the same time requesting I buy her a martingale  collar. During this meet up she taught me how to walk Luna properly so she  wouldn't pull away or just stop which was a huge step as Luna refused to walk up  the street let alone around the block. While going to the puppy classes I saw  improvement in my shy dog and became quite proud every time she learned a basic  command. Eventually I moved to the small dogs class where she became even more  social with the dogs as well as their owners. I am quite pleased with Cayce's  work as she is dedicated and truly cares for the dogs. She informs the owners of  dog logic and is resourceful of supplies. The classes are well within budget  even for a student and welcomes everyone with open arms. --Wendy Arnold 

2013-05-16   Thunder is my first dog. The  first weekend I had him I went to Cayce's class. I was in class for a whole  year. Now I have the pleasure of being able to have Thunder with me all the  time, as he is very well behaved and properly socialized. Even now, whenever I  have a question on what I should after an incident (Thunder is attacked by an  off leash dog at the green belt, for example), Cayce is always available for me  and Thunder. And I know that Cayce is this generous not only with me, but with  all her students. She also trains, for free, foster-dog parents! She is the only  dog trainer I recommend to anyone who asks! --Natalia DeebSossa 
 
2013-05-18    Cayce has a magical ability to  connect with dogs, and their owners, too!  With her vast knowledge and  experience, she trains dogs to be happy, well-mannered companions.  My dog and I  continually strengthen our partnership as we work with Cayce together.  And,  classes are fun.  Everybody wins with Laughing Dogs! --Melinda Hillis 
 
2013-05-20    Cayce is all heart! Her classes  are like therapy for my dog Bear and me, and our relationship keeps getting  better and better!  --Lisa boyce 
 
2013-05-21   I have worked with Cayce on my  both my dogs.  My "big" dog, a mini golden Doodle, was a rescue and we had an  issue with him escaping over our fence.  Through my work at Cayce's class and  through a consultation with her, we have been able to make Bentley be a safe  dog.  He is now well behaved and very happy in our home.  Our little dog, a  yorkie-poodle mix, is still working on not barking at other dogs on a leash.   The classes are very good and Cayce cares about each and every dog and owner in  her classes.  Her techniques work and make sense.  I would use her over and  over.. --Sandra Mansfield 
 
2013-06-05   I initially contacted Cayce  because my dog is reactive and I never thought in a million years that she could  participate in a group class, let alone learn commands without trying to bite  everyone.  Though I wish she could attend class more often, Cayce has given me the confidence to continue working with Lechita (my pup) though she is difficult  to handle at times.  Lechita has made a lot of progress with Cayce's support!!  --Melissa L Knox 
 
2013-06-15    Five weeks ago we adopted a 10  month old Pit Bull/Black Lab mix who is very sweet, but was also very reactive  to other dogs.  Cayce worked with my husband, son and I to teach our dog in a  consistent, positive and clear manner and each week our dog got progressively
better.  Yesterday morning my husband and I were enjoying a relaxing breakfast  date at Café Bernardo with our dog on the other side of the bannister, and up  came a large aggressive German Shepherd.  Our dog stayed in a relaxed "down stay" the entire time.  That was definitely a defining moment for us and we are  so proud of our dog and are so grateful to Cayce.  --DebbieS 
 
2013-09-29    I am experienced dog owner but  found out the hard way that there is no real oversight for dog training  businesses. I originally took my puppy to a supposedly "positive only" trainer  in Davis who was celebrated in magazines like BARK, the SF newspapers and at  UCD, but  used techniques that created confusion and increased anxiety in him  (and many of the other dogs she "trained") so that he ended up being reactive.  Her "solution" was to blame the owner  and charge $90 an hour to watch videos of  fearful dogs, none of which proved to be helpful. I then tried another local  self-promoting trainer who presented herself as a behaviorist and she, like the  first one, was only actually effective with push button dogs. She had no real affinity for my dog and was unable to tap into my desire as a committed pet  owner to train my dog and learn how to keep him safe and happy so he could be my  companion. I was so lucky to find Cayce who immediately understood my dog and  what I was going through. She was able to first of all, correctly assess the  drives, temperament issues, and early training stressors that were causing my  dog's reactivity and secondly give me actual hands on practical methods that  worked! Through her tutelage I also learned that as my dog's  owner I am the the  real expert on him and should never defer to people that are supposedly experts  but do not have our best interests at heart. This newfound confidence in my  abilities to work with my own dog is such a fantastic part of the gift  Cayce  offers. She lets every owner know that by coming to training they already have  been good owners but should expect much from the training and it should never  make things WORSE for the dog. She also loves my dog. She loved him from the get  go -and when I saw how kind she was with him compared to the way the other  trainers approached him, I almost started crying. He is an amazing dog and so is  every dog. And that is what Cayce's class is all about -having our true best  friends in our lives so we can hang out together for their still too short but,  if we are lucky, very long lives. --lori maloney

    Share your personal testimony! 

Submit

  • HOME
  • About us
  • What to bring to class
  • VASHON client registration form
  • Laughing Dogs staff
  • Contact us
  • Testimonies
  • TRAINING VIDEOS
  • Training tips Blog
  • Homework hand signals and more
  • Services
    • Vashon
    • Davis
  • DAVIS client registration form