What's with the name?
"Benevolent Sun" comes from the song "Jambi" by Tool, from their 2006 album "10,000 Days." This is my favorite song, and describes my life's experiences in a general way and how I imagine the influence that a Communications Coach can have on the relationship with a special dog. The relevant lines are:
"Shine on forever, shine on Benevolent Sun
Shine down upon the broken,
Shine until the two become one
Divided, I'll wither away
Divided, I'll wither away
Shine down upon the many, light our way, Benevolent Sun
Breathe in union, breathe in union
So, as one, survive another day"
Kimberly Geisert, CPDT-KA
I’m certified by the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers as a knowledge-assessed (KA) professional dog trainer. I'm also a certified instructor/evaluator for the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen program, and am a diamond member of the Grisha Stewart Academy of Dog Training and Behavior. I am currently completing my requirements for certification by The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (CDBC). My practical experience includes several thousand hours (and many years) of hands-on professional observation, training, and behavior modification. My educational experience also consists of several thousand hours of instruction through courses, certification programs, webinars and seminars, peer-reviewed scientific research, and the latest evidence-based books and papers published by the experts in the Positive Reinforcement community. I specialize in aggression, fear/reactivity, rescue dogs, confidence building, Service/Therapy, and multi-dog households.
I began my dog training career in 2016, after walking and sitting dogs for 15 years, by working for two pet stores, then at a local training facility. I was certified by the American Kennel Club as a CGC Evaluator/Instructor in 2019, and as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed, by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers in 2020. In early 2020 I founded Benevolent Sun Dogs, LLC, to take what I had learned and bring that knowledge to clients in their homes and environments, where they need it most!
Although by definition I am a "Trainer," I much prefer the term "Communications Coach." I am passionate about helping people connect with their canines on a deeper level, beyond the same old-same old "obedience" classes. We all need to take more time to learn what our dogs are saying to us, not vice-versa.
THE most important component in living harmoniously with a dog is building a strong relationship, which is an ongoing and lifelong process. When there is trust, and both sides feel understood, you will have that beautiful interspecies bond that is like no other! It’s a fantastic feeling to have friends and family come over, bring your pup to their houses, take your dog on “field trips” to dog friendly restaurants and stores, have them interact politely with strangers and other dogs, walk the beach, parks, or your neighborhood without your pup pulling, lunging, or freaking out, and fully enjoy the incomparable experience of bonding with your canine—there’s nothing else like it!
I use modern, evidence-based, fear-free reinforcement methods and am continually updating my techniques with the latest research and education in the field. I do not pretend to have all the answers, as learning concepts and our understanding of the canine brain are constantly evolving, but if I don't have an answer, I have a pretty good idea of where to go to get it. There's some pretty cool geeky stuff going on in the field of canine cognition and learning theory that anyone can learn and apply to their own dogs! I love the fact that I learn as much from my clients and their dogs as they do from me, and I appreciate that I have the best job in the world and that every day is a new challenge!
What Makes Us Different?
A few things make us different from traditional training programs. First, I use my own well-socialized, habituated dogs to help with behavior modification whenever possible. Dogs are a social species, and their learning can be advanced very rapidly through observation and imitation of another "demo" dog. A few of my dogs are bombproof rock stars who thrive on helping under-confident dogs take a chance on doing that scary thing or interacting with unfamiliar stimuli. They have been conditioned against reacting to a fear-aggressive client dog, so we can work on techniques like desensitization, counter-conditioning, Behavior Adjustment (BAT), or Constructional Aggressive (CAT) techniques that can’t be done without a “helper” or “decoy” dog.
Another distinction is that I focus on your RELATIONSHIP with your dog, and how we can come to a better understanding of what each side needs and deserves from the other. Relationship building takes more time and effort than “training” your dog to be a perfectly behaved minion, subservient to you, doing whatever you command “or else!” You need to learn the nuances of dog body language; you need to allow time to build trust between you; you need to think outside the box and allow your dog to be in the driver’s seat at times— let them sniff on the walk, let them explore nature on a long line, let them spend a delightful hour chewing up those cardboard boxes, let them show you the joy of chasing that un-catchable squirrel or biting the sprinkler or hose water or barking at the neighbor’s outdoor cat who’s taunting them. Let them “DOG!”
I’ll be the first to admit that my own dogs don't hold a perfect "stay" for long or walk in a perfect heel for more than a couple minutes, won’t retrieve much that isn’t mutilated beyond recognition, and bark at the Amazon delivery person like Armageddon has arrived Every.Single.Time. But that’s OK. Despite these shortcomings, we somehow make it work as a family, and I celebrate the unique personality quirks of each one of them, as they go through life, blissfully unaware of dominance theory, punishment tools or techniques, the need to be “alpha,” or force or fear as a motivator in driving their behavior. My dogs thrive— and so can yours!
