My name is Kevin Clarke. For a decade, I walked dogs in New York City — across all five boroughs, in every kind of weather, with every kind of dog you can imagine. Labs, pit bulls, fearful rescues, anxious seniors, puppies who'd never been on a leash. Hundreds of dogs. Thousands of hours.
Where it started
That experience taught me something most training programs never address: you can't separate a dog's behavior from their whole life. Their environment, their history, their daily routine, their relationship with their owner. It all shows up in how they move through the world.
I read everything I could get my hands on. Behavioral research, learning theory, classical conditioning, ethology. Not to collect credentials, but because I genuinely wanted to understand what was happening under the surface.
When I moved to Portland, I brought everything I'd learned and built what I'd always wanted: a training practice that treats every dog as the individual they are. That's Dog Vibes.
How I think about training
I'm not a punish-the-bad-behavior trainer. I'm not a bribe-them-with-treats-and-hope-it-sticks trainer either. I'm a build-the-foundation trainer.
Everything I do is rooted in classical conditioning and positive reinforcement, not because it's the fashionable approach, but because the science backs it up and, more importantly, because it works. When dogs understand what you're asking and have a genuine reason to comply, behavior changes. And it sticks.
Before I teach anything, I learn your dog. Reactivity, leash pulling, anxiety, basic obedience: whatever you're working on, the real solution starts with understanding why the behavior is happening in the first place. That's the holistic part. That's the Dog Vibes part.
"Training works best when it's designed around the specific dog in front of you — not the average dog."
This is personal, not transactional
I keep my client list intentional. I'm not running a volume business. I work with a focused group of owners and dogs, and I put real attention into each one.
When you work with Dog Vibes, you're not getting a franchise method or a junior trainer following a script. You're getting me: someone who genuinely cares whether your dog makes progress and will stay in it with you until they do.
You'll walk away from our work together knowing why your dog does what they do, and exactly what to do about it. That's the goal. Not just a trained dog, but an owner who understands their dog.
A little more about my background
Experience: 10+ years professional dog care and behavior work
Dogs worked with: Hundreds, across breeds, temperaments, and behavioral challenges
Methods: Classical conditioning, positive reinforcement (force-free only)
Location: Portland, OR, serving clients remotely nationwide
Philosophy: Holistic. Individualized. Owner-empowerment focused.
Limited sliding scale spots available for families who need it. Reach out to ask.