Blaser's Barks & Breakthroughs
Mind over Matter Training for dogs & their people.
A well balanced dog starts with a healthy relationship between owner and K9-companion! Let us help you build that bridge through clear communication and leadership!
We are bridging the gap.
We are not your old regular dog trainer.
Our focus is all about your dog's overall state of mind & empowering you as their owner.
Consider us your new lifestyle coach; here to give you the know-how and tools necessary to achieve a healthy, fulfilling and rewarding life with your dog!
See what they are saying about us!
"Our dog spent 2.5 weeks with Katlyn for a board and train session. She came to Katlyn with high anxiety and a chaotic, always on high alert mental state. Katlyn worked with her on many of her triggers and created a calm, trusting state of mind for her. Her organized, consistent training style made for a very structured program that our dog thrived in. Her level of communication has exceeded my expectations and I couldn’t be more thankful to her for helping our dog and our family. Thank you, Katlyn!! " Tim & Lisa D, Byron IL
"We sent our dog Ziggy to Katlyn to help with his anxiety. She worked with us prior to the 2.5 week program and really taught us how to communicate with Ziggy. Katlyn is unlike any other trainer we’ve worked with, she really explained the mind set and helped us understand how he was feeling and how to help him switch gears. Our home lives have changed since working with Katlyn and Ziggy seems way more at ease in everyday life. Even after his training program she has kept in contact and is always willing to answer any questions I have! Would recommend her over and over again" McKenna B, Durand IL.
"When we first got our dog, she was a little shy but overall like most of the puppies I had growing up. As she went through the puppy phase she never really grew out of the shyness, though the trainer we used at the time (in another state) said she would. We did a lot of her training in that stage ourself with a trainers “suggestions” for training. When we moved to Northern Illinois our dog became VERY fearful and anxious. She lost the ability to settle down on her own, and walking her was a nightmare because she was suddenly pulling constantly. She had become extremely reactive to all kinds of things that we never had issues with previously (sounds, other dogs, people, doorbells, etc). We tried meeting with a trainer in the Rockford area who couldn’t even come in the same room with our dog without her crying and cowering on the floor shaking. When I messaged Blasers Barks and Breakthroughs I was thankful to hear about her experience and that she would be willing to meet with us and meet our dog. She was going to be our last attempt at finding someone to help us! I really appreciated that she listened to what we were wanting with training and what we were hoping to accomplish. We started with training in our home, and Katlyn made huge strides from the very first session. I have been incredibly amazed at how well she has retrained our reactive dog, and us as well. I love that she not only trains the dog, but trains the humans on how to handle the situations you’re trying to fix or alter. We had no idea we were giving our dog subtle queues that were heightening her reactivity and anxiety. I am not exaggerating when I say literally every person who had come to our house in our first few months of being in the area, to more recently, have commented on how she is a totally different dog, in the best way! She is so much happier. Her anxiety does not rule over her like it used to. We did a few day trains to work on correcting and shifting some other behaviors and it is astounding what she has been able to do with our dog. We are forever thankful and indebted to Katlyn for all that she has done for our dog and our family. I recommend her to anyone and everyone any chance I get because she is THAT good." Alyson & Phil A, Winnebago IL.
"Katlyn is an incredible trainer. Our dog, Jäger, is always so happy to see her and learn. We were tickled every day he was boarded to see a picture or video of him having a great time. And Katlyn is so good at training us to be better dog parents, too. She explains things so clearly and allows us to learn strategies that will work for our dog. A bonus this year was that she taught him how to walk on the treadmill when the weather is horrible! How fun!! We have already booked future boarding dates because she is amazing!" Beth M, Madison WI
"Katlyn was amazing about teaching ME how to train my dog lemon. I had never trained a puppy and was completely in the dark. Lemon is 8mo old and she now (thanks to Katlyn) is a great listener and understands her boundaries well. Our house would be a disaster without Katlyn’s knowledge and guidance. She is not afraid to correct my mistakes which is 100% what I and Lemon needed to succeed. I recommend her to anyone and everyone who is looking for help with their fur babies!" Lizzie S, Monroe WI
"We recently sent our Ruby to a board and train program at Blaser Barks & Breakthroughs , and we couldn’t be happier with the results! From start to finish, the experience was exceptional! Katlyn was professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely cared about Ruby’s well-being and progress. She posted videos throughout the training process, showing the progress Ruby was making.
Ruby returned home with improved obedience, better manners, and a noticeable boost in confidence. Commands like kennel, place, sit, stay, and recall are now second nature, and leash walking has become so much easier. Katlyn also took the time to teach us how to maintain the e-collar training at home, ensuring lasting results.
We highly recommend this board and train program to anyone looking for effective and positive training for their dog. It’s been a game-changer for our household, and we’re incredibly grateful for her hard work and dedication!!" Michelle K, Pecatonica IL
"We are so blessed to have found Katlyn! Our rescue Chowder, a very high energy, pushy dog was in need of structure and training in a big way. He was running (literally) the house, not us! He had some leash reactivity, pulled when walking and several other bad habits that needed some correction. We took him to Katlyns 3.5 wk training program and Im wondering if I actually got the right dog back!! He is well mannered, calmer, knows his commands, walks nicely on his leash. Its amazing. We will have to continue the work of course, but Katlyn is nothing short of a miracle worker. With this new training lifestyle even my other dog is following suit! Its awesome! I would recommend BBB and Katlyn to anyone that will listen!!" Paula D, Pecatonica IL
"We live a house of chaos. Like most families, we have kids screaming and dogs running with us trying to get some quiet. After only a few sessions, our two year old rescue dog has shown so much improvement. Katlyn is wonderful at addressing our house issues and being honest with a solution. She is not just going to teach your dog sit. She's going to give you the skills to have a well-balanced dog. This program is worth every penny. Before I thought I was going to pull my hair out, now, I am able to have harmony within my house. I can not recommend her enough."Micki & Corey V, Freeport IL
"Having our little guy (Dunkin' - 1 year & 3 month old Golden Doodle) back after BB&B's 2 1/2 week board & train is like having a new dog. It's been a true, complete 180!! It's clear that Katlyn knows what she is doing! Her approach and understanding made us feel at ease. Katlyn didn't lie when she wrote (in the greatly written graduate handbook) that she's a call or text away. She told no lies when she noted that the work really starts with us at pick-up. However, now that we are at home, even as his parents, our attitude and outlook has changed. We're more patient and understanding. This learning curve is now appreciative. As one who relies on reviews, I want to share a specific example that just occured today (keeping in mind that Dunkin' completed his training May 12):Dunkin' had a vet visit today. Today's visit was the BEST. The last time we said that was when we took him at just shy of three months old. We did have to stim him but once the vet got down next to him, he stayed there. During his visit, Dunkin': -went right onto the scale-stayed in his down command (he would never stay, especially once the techs/vet came in).-got a FULL exam which also included shots & blood drawn. Dunkin's vet has NEVER been able to exam him. He even stayed down while laying next to the vet. During his shots, he didn't wince nor cry....NOTHING! Vet was all in his business and he let her. Moral of the story: we highly recommend Katlyn and BB&B!"Katie & Jasmine S, Oshkosh WI
"Katlyn has been an absolute joy to work with! Our Golden Retriever, Sunny, spent 2.5 weeks with Katlyn. We sent Sunny to work with Katlyn with the main goals of impulse control, good doggy manners(sit, stay, place, drop it, etc) and also to help our family be on the same page for dog training! Truly, Sunny’s time with Katlyn has surpassed our expectations. Katlyn is an extremely professional, organized, and has a high level of communication! We loved that her program has guidelines but she will also adjust to the needs of the dog and family; it’s very personalized!! The biggest change we have seen in Sunny upon her return- are structured walks. Is unbelievable! Sunny will remain in heel and not loose focus on walks. This has helped us in two ways: 1) she’s now exhausted after walks!! 2) walks are now very enjoyable for our family. The second biggest change we have seen- is now Sunny will go (and stay on!) her dog bed by choice and when directed to. This helps her calm her body and also she has a place to be that is her own. Thank you Katlyn!" Anna & Henry A, Madison WI
"I initially started working with Katlyn in order to get my dog Ace to stop jumping on everyone, since he was so happy to see people. After a couple sessions I learned the tools I needed to keep Ace from jumping whenever he wanted. We then moved on to learning how to get Ace to stop pulling when we went for walks, and while that is still a work in progress, he's shown noticeable improvement in that area as well. I truly appreciate the tools and knowledge that Katlyn has given me to start living a more enjoyable life with Ace. I would definitely recommend her for anyone's dog training needs!" Jakob B, Monroe WI- "This review is long overdue, but I can't say enough how thankful I am to have met Katlyn. We love the drop-in training option. We have such a busy family calendar, but by completing the sessions at home, Katlyn has been able to witness and work on our dogs' reactive behaviors both in the house and in the yard. Katlyn is incredibly attentive. At the beginning of each session, she takes the time to listen to any concerns I have and will adjust the plan for that day to focus on that concern. Additionally, she is amazing at identifying what works, and when something doesn't, what else to try. This level of personalization in training is more than I could have anticipated. I think the most important thing to point out is that during training Katlyn is helping me be a better owner for my dogs. With each session, she's teaching me. Her passion and dedication for helping both pups and their owners is apparent with every session. Katlyn is a trainer who will go that extra mile to ensure you and your dog(s) can thrive. 5 out of 5 stars!" Michelle J, Pecatonica IL
"Hi! I have a 8 month old rescue dog from the Green County Humane Society in Monroe. Max has a lot of energy. Katlyn is great. She showed me how to train Max in just a few classes. He has become well behaved. Plus she also trained me. I need more help than Max. All my friends are amazed. Excellent training!" Rhonda M, Monroe WI- "Me & Aku both got to learn a lot from Katlyn. She was extremely helpful in suggesting different tools and all-around making things easier and a bit more refined. Not to mention simple for the both of us to understand. 10/10 definitely suggest!" Ryan S, Monroe WI
- "I'm so glad that Katlyn was recommended to me when searching for training help. It was so nice to have her come to us and give us advice and the tools we needed to help with training our four little 5lbers. I definitely would highly recommend her!" Julie N, Brodhead WI
- "Katlyn has been great! Everything about our experience was phenomenal! She came to our house and had my dog happily doing recalls within 5 minutes, something I hadn't been able to accomplish before Katlyn. I really wish I had known about her sooner because she has definitely changed our lives for the better! Can't recommend her enough!" Amy B, Pecatonica IL
- "Working with Katlyn has been great! She was recommended to us by a family member and we called her when Gus was 4 months old to start doing some puppy work. She introduced him to leash training and place. We decided to do the board and train to help him with car manners and e-collar training. During his time with Katlyn, she helped him become more confident and comfortable with all things "scary". She laid the foundation for us to keep building his confidence and gave us the know-how to deal with new situations. She posts the dog's progress on her Instagram story, each post felt like a lesson in what to do and how to handle his response. Katlyn is very responsive to texts and questions. Just like she says, she puts the dog's state of mind first and has really help us understand why he does certain things and explained some of his quirks. She is so transparent and it was very easy to trust her completely with our doggo. I really can't recommend Katlyn enough!" Sarah & Devin B, New Glarus WI