Tailored, trust-based dog training
that honors your bond—for pet parents who want a remarkable relationship,
ease in any environment, and
lasting behavior alignment.
1:1 Virtual sessions or San Diego in-person.
You’re here because you care deeply about your furry family member, but something's not clicking.
Maybe you've brought home a puppy or rescue and you’re drowning in conflicting advice, so stressed about getting it wrong.
Maybe your dog struggles with fear, reactivity, or big emotions, and you're exhausted from trying to predict behaviors and
white-knuckling everyday life.
How much more expansive would your life feel without
constant vigilance and planning around potential problems?
What if the issue isn't your dog's behavior, but the approaches you've been sold?
Most training approaches focus either on commanding compliance,
or carrying a treat stash everywhere you go and rewarding every tiny action.
So you’ve been pushed into a role either as a “pack leader” or a human vending machine.
Or worst of all, you’ve been blamed and shamed.
We believe you are indeed part of the equation, but that's not a problem—it’s your pathway forward.
We call it Canine Connection Coaching because
we guide the work that happens at both ends of the leash.
Your dog learns what you’d like from them and how to respond confidently.
You learn to read their signals, communicate clearly, and become their ultimate trusted Guardian.
Canine Kin Code™
Rooted in deep reverence for dogs' intelligence, agency, and profound impact on our lives, the Canine Kin Code™ is the methodology that guides our work. Using conscious communication to unleash your kindred connection, behavior alignment flows from trust instead of feeling forced.
Core principle:
Clarity is key—mixed messages are missed connections. So our relationship-first approach utilizes the full range of signals that help a dog understand: verbal, visual, and auditory cues; rewards; body language; energy; and clear corrections in service to being kind, never through pain or fear. Communicating with intention and reading what your dog is telling you in return means clearing the way for more connection.
What makes it different:
Most training prescribes what to do with your dog. The Canine Kin Code™ teaches you how to be with your dog so you’re collaborating to build your daily language.
We see you as your dog's Guardian, not their owner.
We prompt dogs with cues, not commands. This isn't just semantics; it shifts how you show up, and your dog can feel that difference.
It's the only Canine Connection Coaching practice that transforms the dog and the human, together.
What you'll gain:
Fluency in understanding your dog, and the ability to read signals before they escalate. The confidence to guide them clearly without second-guessing yourself. Canine enrichment suggestions. A more harmonious home and enjoyable outings. A partnership in which trust does more work than treats ever could. A deepening of one of the most meaningful relationships in both your lives.
This isn't a quick-fix program. It's the foundation that supports everything you do with your dog.
In the process, you grow into the Guardian you always intended to be... the one your dog already believes you are.
“I felt seen and supported as a dog guardian, not judged or overwhelmed like I have in other training environments...
Her Canine Kin Code™ philosophy feels
both grounded and transformative…
I started noticing shifts not just in my dog,
but in myself. I have more patience, more clarity, and more confidence. I now feel like I'm building a real partnership with my dog, not just managing behaviors.”
—Tracy, Guardian to Cali Blue
Our Story
Hello friend!
I'm Andra, and he’s Rafe (rhymes with safe). His name means "counsel of the wolf"—even as a puppy, he was so clearly an old soul.
He’s also my soul dog. Part of my heart lives outside my chest, prancing around on four paws. I know firsthand how being a dog Guardian is one of the most meaningful relationships a person can have in life. When I was going through serious health issues, Rafe learned to alert me before symptoms hit. So who rescued whom, hm? He takes such good care of me; I want to take at least as good of care of him.
My adoration and reverence for dogs started long before I adopted him or launched Unleashed Kinnection™. One of the only baby pictures in which I’m actually smiling shows me covered in ruffles and puppies. More recently, I volunteered almost daily for over a year with rescues, earning their trust and preparing them for their forever homes. I learned a tremendous amount through that work, and rescue dog best practices became the baseline for every dog I meet.
A mentor once asked me: "What would you wake up and happily do for free, every day?" I realized that not only had I already been doing exactly that by volunteering, I’d also hit a rung on the corporate ladder where I wasn’t interested in my boss’s job. I shook off the VP title and golden handcuffs, and pivoted from a creative corporate career to Canine Connection Coaching, with a mission to start a movement with Guardians like you.
I believe we aren’t owners, because dogs aren’t property—they’re incredible, sentient beings who offer us so much love. So to me, Guardianship isn't about being in charge—it's about being worth following. That's the Guardian I want to help you become.
Your Path Forward
I work with a small number of Guardians at a time—because if you refuse to choose between kindness and clarity, you deserve coaching that's equally intentional. There are two ways we can work together:
First Kinnection Academy
8-week foundational program
This is how pet parents with a new dog set themselves up for success from the start. You'll learn how to read your dog's communication, establish rituals and routines that work for both of you, and grow into the Guardian your dog trusts. Build the bond for behavioral alignment early.
This is for you if…
… You're bringing home a puppy or newly adopted dog
… “Commands” and “obedience drills” don’t feel like your language
… You want to understand your dog, not just manage behaviors
… You're looking for patient, nonjudgmental support that honors the relationship
—7 weekly sessions + Integration Week midway
—Bonus SOS call
—Email support throughout the program
—Virtual or in-person if San Diego local
—Investment: $2,111
Reset and Realignment Sessions
4-session behavior coaching package
When something feels off—or things have gone sideways—this is how we work together to uncover root causes and rebuild. You'll learn to read what your dog is actually communicating, clarify what you're asking for, and restore the trust that makes behavior change stick.
This is for you if…
… You have an established bond with your dog but something is missing
… Specific behavior is creating frequent tension or stress
… You've tried dog training before and it didn't feel right
… You want an approach that gets you a stronger connection, not just rote compliance
—4 sessions, approximately 60–75 minutes each
—Virtual or in-person if San Diego local
—Investment: $777
Not ready for coaching just yet?
You can still grow your Guardian EQ!
Getting more fluent in canine communication is one of the most immediate, impactful things you can do for your relationship, and it's something you can start today.
Decoding Dogs outlines what your dog is constantly saying to you—body language basics, stress cues, calming signals—so you can more clearly understand and respond to what they're telling you.
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Because you're the one living with your dog, not me. Both ways allow me to observe you and your dog in your actual environment, get a picture of your life together, and coach you in real time—so the skills you're building are immediately applicable in your daily life.
You're the most important element in your dog's long-term success, not a trainer’s presence, and this format keeps you and your dog at the center. -
If previous training felt harsh, formulaic, or made you feel like you were the issue, this will be different. Understanding that you're part of the equation is key, but that's not a problem—it's the pathway to success. Here, we work both ends of the leash.
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Absolutely. Rafe is a rescue, and our extensive work with rescue dogs has shaped many of the best practices we use now. Whatever journey your dog took to get to you, we'll help you welcome them to their furever home, build trust, learn their communication, and give them the clarity they need to settle in.
Your Questions, Answered
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No. This connection is between you and your dog—I can't shape behavior built on your bond while your dog is somewhere else with me.
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Sometimes! You and your dog are always the focus, but Rafe can model behavior or demonstrate a technique—especially helpful with puppies—or simply bring calm, grounded energy to the session.
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It's an initial, free, get-to-know-you conversation—no pressure, no pitch. You share what's going on with you and your dog, I share how I work, and together we figure out if we're a good fit. If we are, we'll talk through which path forward makes sense for your kindred connection.
Want to unleash our Kinnection?
Ready to schedule a free Sniff Test?
(aka informal, get-to-know-each-other call)
Curious about the Canine Kin Code™?
Have something on your mind, or heart, that you’d like to share?
Would love to hear from you!
