Tomoko Nakagawa started Napilialoha (which means “beloved companion” in Hawaiian) with the sole purpose of trying to find ways to make dogs and dog owners enjoy their time together more. The revelation came when she started raising a dog that had spent the first years of his life in a puppy mill. Fear, aggression, and frustration towards people and other dogs was something that took time to overcome, but looking back it changed both our lives. She has been working with Karen Hashimoto (Kolohe K-9, LLC) since 2010 and also as a volunteer trainer at the Hawaiian Humane Society, but having to deal with her own dog’s aggression steered her towards Grisha Stewart’s Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT). She became CBATI (Certified BAT Instructor) in 2014.
Training Philosophy
Tomoko Nakagawa emphasizes communication, trust, patience and observation as the key principles to successful training. She strives to solve problems by applying force-free methods based on trust and clear communications with your dog, and then letting him or her tell us what’s up.
Services
- Private Sessions
- Walk & Train
- Group Classes (referrals only)
- Helping Dogs Thrive: Workshop with Lori Stevens
Certifications
- CBATI (Certified BAT Instructor)
Specializations
- Rehabilitation of Fear, Reactivity and Aggression
- Behavior Modification
- Basic Obedience
- Prep for Vet / Grooming Visit
- Puppy Training
Training Methods
- Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT)
Customer Reviews
Darcey Iwashita:
My dog Bodhi and I have been working with Tomoko for over a year, and she has been incredibly knowledgeable, supportive, and encouraging during our appointments, through email, and on our dog walking outings with her pup, Kolohe.
Stacie Beaman: It is with great confidence that I recommend Tomoko Nakagawa for her dog training and walking services. Tomoko is truly the dog whisperer. Her experience and knowledge working with animals and their humans is exemplary.
Sheila Pagliaro: I adopted Duffy, my 3 year old mixed terrier from the Humane Society. He was great in the house and got along really well with with my other dog. When out for a walk he became a different dog. He reacted to everything by barking and lunging and becoming uncontrollable. Nothing I did seemed to help. Going for walks became a nightmare for both of us. Working with other trainers did not help. We finally started working with Tomoko. She is the calmest person I know. She taught me that my anxiety was just making things worse.
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