Training Contributor
Karen Doyle is a certified professional dog trainer and former shelter behaviour assessor who writes Zookie's training and behaviour guides.
Her training philosophy is simple: reward what you love, manage what you don't, and never underestimate the power of cheese.
Karen writes Zookie's training and behaviour guides — from first-week puppy routines to lead reactivity and recall that actually works at the dog park. Her approach is force-free and practical: small steps, honest expectations, and methods that fit real Australian households rather than idealised ones.
Before writing for Zookie, Karen assessed behaviour in a shelter environment, where she saw first-hand that most "problem dogs" are simply under-stimulated, under-socialised, or misunderstood. That experience shapes everything she writes: prevention over correction, and enrichment over punishment. When Karen recommends a technique, it has worked on hundreds of dogs — including the hard cases.