Vallejo, California · Bay Area Dog Training

Runa K9 Training

Structure and freedom, built together — for dogs at every stage of growing up.

I train adolescent dogs through the hardest developmental window of their lives — whether that's adolescence, or a foundation they missed as a puppy. Two programs, one philosophy: solid obedience, real trust, built to last.

Find Your Dog's Program

Bay Area dog training · Since 2020

Mochi and Clarice sitting together on a park bench

Kate has a wealth of knowledge and experience with dogs. She is kind, caring, and patient. The way dogs respond to her is amazing to watch. She gives a clear picture of the training goals and expectations and she also provides the tools to work with your dog on your own time. I believe the highest compliment you can give someone is to entrust them with your child. To me and my wife, our dogs are our children and we feel blessed to have Kate teach and care for our girls.

Zoli & Maricel

Mochi & Clarice

Where to start

Which path fits your dog?

Both programs share the same philosophy — structured board and train, private sessions with you, and real follow-up after. The right one just depends on your dog's age and history.

Ages 4–12 Months

Teenager to Trail Dog

For active adolescent dogs testing every boundary they can find — reactive, unfocused, and a lot to handle. Five weeks, two stages, and a full year of support after.

Explore the Program

Ages 1 Year+

The Grounded Adult

For adult dogs who never got the foundation they needed — still pulling, still unreliable off leash. It's not too late to build real structure now.

Explore the Program

Who's training your dog

Kate

I didn't start out training dogs. I started my career with dogs in the mid 2000's as a dog groomer and rescue volunteer. I then spent twelve years as a Special Educator working in classrooms across the United States and internationally, teaching students with challenging behavior succeed before leaving that career to become a dog trainer in 2020. Learning theory doesn't change across species — the same principles that build confidence in a struggling student are the ones I use to turn an overwhelmed dog into one who can think under pressure.

I moved to the Bay Area and went all in — shadowing a variety of talented and experienced trainers I still train with, volunteering in shelters/fostering, and pursuing ongoing formal training education. My own pack is three former street dogs and two Belgian Malinois who love to train and explore, and I actively compete in dog sports with a few of them. The same drive and focus I bring to competition is what I use to motivate your dog, every day. Based in Vallejo, California, working with active adolescent and adult dogs across the Bay Area.

Find Your Dog's Program

$Randy, a chocolate Labrador, lying in the grass on a training leash$

Kate is an extraordinary dog trainer whose incredible patience, expertise, and dedication completely transformed our dog. Randy struggled significantly with reactivity and basic obedience — her balanced guidance helped him learn how to stay calm and listen attentively.

Alison

Randy, 5-year-old Labrador

Magnolia the Golden Retriever puppy at the beach with the Golden Gate Bridge

Kate is kind, patient, and an absolute professional. She has an extraordinary understanding of canine behavior and a gift for helping dogs learn, communicate, and thrive. Equally valuable was the in-home session at the end of the stay, where Kate taught our family how to keep reinforcing everything our puppy had learned.

Magnolia's Family

Magnolia, 4-month-old Golden Retriever · Foundational Stay

The name behind the business

Why "Runa"

Pronounced "Roo-Nah"

Runa is a Quechua word from the Ecuadorian Andes, where I met Uma — my first truly wild adolescent dog, and the one who needed taming most. In the Sierra, the mountainous region of the Andes, it's the word commonly used for street dogs. It also just means "wild young spirit."

Both meanings stuck with me. The three dogs in that photo are my own — all former street dogs, each one a little wild when I found them, and each one proof of what real structure can do.

Kate's two Belgian Malinois on a desert trail

These are my two spicy Malinois, honorary Runa's.