About Katia

Hi. I’m Katia (pronounced Kay-tee-ah), the founder of Urban Dogs HQ.

I train people to train their dogs. 

After many years living overseas and a long career in Visual Arts, I found a new passion and career path in dog training. My degree in Psychology (Monash University) has proven incredibly useful in this work (my English Literature and IT degrees are somewhat less useful!).

I did five years of practical, hands-on mentorship with various trainers, where I had the opportunity to work with many different types of dogs.

In 2022 I began offering group classes for the dog owners of Melbourne’s inner north. Classes were full within months, and I realised there was a real demand for a different type of dog training.

Urban Dogs HQ opened in Brunswick in December 2023.

I love supporting people through the early years of dog ownership, and really enjoy helping dogs and their owners work together as a team while learning new skills.

I hold a current Working With Children Check and Police Check. I also hold a current First Aid Certificate from St John’s Ambulance and Animal First Aid Certificate from PetTech.

My husband Sylvain provides much of the practical support around Urban Dogs HQ. Our two Australian Shepherds, Freya (blue merle) and Missy (black tri), are an extremely important part of the Urban Dogs HQ team, and are present in many classes and assessments.

Freya was the reason I began dog training, attending group classes and Keilor Obedience Club. Raising a litter with Freya was an extraordinary lesson in creating happy, resilient pups. We are working on furthering her Tricks titles in 2026.

Our second Australian Shepherd, Artemis (aka Missy) has bounced around the show ring a couple of times, and we’re hoping to do some dog sports together in 2026. 

Sylvain and I also have two Burmese cats, Mika and Melody. They have vehemently insisted they do not want to be involved in Urban Dogs HQ, but they are enthusiastic fans of raw feeding and will do anything for fresh rabbit!