Kate Peterson Koch CPDT-KA CSDT-2

Accredited Mantrailing Global Instructor

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Kate (she/they) is originally from St. Louis, Missouri (USA) and has trained dogs in a professional capacity since 2007. Her dog training interests as part of her company Canidapt Dog Training & Working Dogs include solid basic foundations for puppies and adults, scent detection, cooperative care, and training service dogs. Adjacent to training, Kate is a qualified service dog evaluator in the province of Alberta and is passionate about accessibility in dog training as well as supporting team relationships between handlers and their dogs. 

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She holds a CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed) designation as well as a CSDT-2 (Certified Sport Dog Trainer - Level 2) certification from Ford K9, an internationally renowned professional and sport detection training school. In November 2023, Kate became an accredited Mantrailing Instructor through Mantrailing Global.

 

Kate has competed in earthdog, barn hunt, racing/coursing and rally obedience over the years, and currently competes in NASDA with her dog Shirley, who is the first basset hound to achieve versatility titles in the organization. Additionally, Kate has owner-handled her longhaired miniature dachshund, Disco, in conformation, and is preparing both Shirley and her golden retriever, Gilda, to compete in scent detection.​

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Kate is a longtime educator with a people-first, positive reinforcement approach to teaching. She attended the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (Oberlin, Ohio) and Webster University (St. Louis, Missouri) and holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Composition with a minor in Music Theory. She taught piano and classical voice full time for many years and can still be found playing piano or accordion (sometimes) and singing, mainly to her dogs.

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Kate is a member of the Alberta Force Free Alliance (AFFA), Pet Professional Guild, and Doggone Safe™.