You’re not here because your dog is perfect. You’re here because you love them enough to get real help. And that’s exactly what we do.

We teach with clarity, compassion, rewards, and realistic expectations — for real families living real lives with real (sometimes spicy) dogs.

Get to Know Who You’re Trusting With Your Dog

With a rewards-based, balanced approach, we help dogs go from unsafe, unruly, or misunderstood to stable, confident companions and their overwhelmed humans go from feeling embarrassed and out of options to capable and in-control.

Whether you’re managing aggression, anxiety, or just want a dog who listens, we guide you through a judgment-free process built on trust, education, and proven methods that create real, lasting emotional change and a positive relationship with obedience.

PROMISE

our

STORY

our

Quest K9 is a multi-faceted name that we hold near and dear. In 2017, Catey, our founder, finalized the adoption of a senior dog she connected with the moment they locked eyes while working at the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County. When she adopted him, she was told a biopsy of a growth he had showed that he had three months left to live. He lived one and a half beautiful years before passing away in 2018. This dog was Quest - Quest Cuesta - and he was perfect in every sense of the word.

Our Name

experience the difference ➔

Quest K9 was created like most businesses - a need was seen, so a need was filled. Except filling this need is a passion project for us. We found the widespread misunderstanding of balanced training methods and learning theories genuinely mindblowing. This wealth of science and knowledge was just out of reach for the common dog owner - they knew their dog needed more, but they didn’t know what more was. And we held the answers, even used them daily to help dogs of all walks of life. So naturally, we wanted to bring our knowledge, experience, and perspective to the community around us. We started the quest of educating dog owners, one learned behavior at a time - we started Quest K9.

Our History

This is

Sue & Mylo

Knowledgeable, intuitive, funny, she is there with just what you need. And there is always something more to learn from her. Now, wherever we go, and we go EVERYWHERE, from Palafox to wooded trails to the city streets and parks of Atlanta, I am asked about my well behaved dog and questioned about his training. Which brings me to my original point...It's not just Mylo living his best life...I am too, and I can't imagine life without him. So if you want to live your best life along with your four footed friend, who ya gonna call? Catey!”

The best decision I ever made was reaching out to Catey for help.

“

The Whitfords, Luna, Moose, & Buddy

My family has trusted Catey and Maria with all three of our dogs.

“

mackenzie & Laz

“Catey saw his potential and rose to the challenge. He was facing euthanasia in the shelter, and now he’s living his best life with my family. Catey gave me the tools and confidence to help Laz become his best self, and that has been one of my greatest accomplishments. Catey does more than train—she builds relationships and creates a community of support."

Laz started as a highly insecure shelter dog who lunged at strangers and was especially reactive to children.

“

jess, jay, & iko

"With her expert guidance, we learned how to communicate effectively, establish clear boundaries, and ensure our dog is mentally and physically fulfilled. We used to struggle daily with dog reactivity, but thanks to Catey, we're now able to enjoy every outing with him, stress-free. The community Catey has built is unparalleled, and we can't recommend her and Quest K9 enough!”

Catey has truly transformed our lives and our relationship with our high-energy, highly intelligent rescue dog.

“

The Elliots & Tucker

“He was so crazy active and had some aggression towards other dogs. We are more than happy with our results! Tucker follows so many commands.. We got more than we asked for! I highly recommend Catey!”

Catey did an amazing job training our Chocolate Labrador Tucker!

“

Why Families Choose Us (And Keep Sending Their Friends)

Our team is small, intentionally.

Every trainer is hand-selected, extensively educated, and aligned with our philosophy of ethical, reward-based balanced training.
We collaborate on cases, support each other, and obsess (professionally) over your dog’s progress.

We’re not just co-trainers, we’re good friends. And your dog’s soon-to-be new favorite people. We call ourselves Auntie Catey and Auntie Maria, you’ll understand why soon enough.

Trainers Who Actually Care

TRAINERS

meet the

Born and raised in Memphis, Catey started her career at The Humane Society of Memphis. This organization only accepted injured or abused animals, often leaving dogs with troubling behaviors - a need Catey saw needed to be addressed. So she began educating herself further with books, videos, hands-on training practice, and consulting local trainers. She developed training protocols and structured daily playgroups for each dog that come into the shelter, allowing them to grow into happy, well-behaved dogs for adopters.

Catey was simultaneously attending community college, and after finishing her Gen Ed credits, she moved to Oxford, MS to attend the University of Mississippi. In 2020, she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Psychology. While attending Ole Miss, Catey was a supervisor at a local boarding and daycare facility, where she implemented protocols for dogs of sociabilities to have fun, safe care. After graduating, Catey began working at Dogs Playing for Life, an aggressive dog training facility in Lake City, FL. After a while of working and learning at DPFL, Catey moved to Pensacola full time to pursue a job with ReviveK9. 5 years later, she has started Quest K9 to continue her dream of helping dogs.

Throughout her life, Catey has fostered numerous dogs and volunteered at many animal shelters to assist in behavior cases. Her passion is shelter dog behavior, because every dog deserves a chance. She has volunteered and fostered for the Escambia County Animal Shelter for 5 years, assisting in behavior needs, assessments, and implementing playgroups.

Whether she’s working with a reactive dog, guiding a frustrated guardian, or reshaping tough behavior patterns, her goal is always the same:

Make training feel doable. Make progress feel real. And make sure everyone — human and dog — feels understood.

Reactivity, Aggression, and Shelter Behavior Specialist

Catey Cuesta

Playing hockey

non-dog hobby

Downtown

best place to train

Bully breeds

favorite breed

token grumpy friend

Kaan

Rex is Maria’s sport dog. He is reliable and solid in all aspects, making him the best helper dog. He has his CGC, CGCA, CGCU, and Novice Trick titles. Maria and him are currently prepping for their PDC and PSA 1 trials. You can usually find Rex carrying a giant stick, posing for a photo, or waiting eagerly for his mom’s next command.

cuteness hire

Melon is a mutt puppy - we say that lovingly. She came into the pack after being the only surviving puppy of the premature litter of a stray pregnant dog Catey and her partner found in the middle of the road. She was bottle-fed and handfed by Catey herself, which is why she couldn’t let her go. Now Melon attends group events to boost morale, get told how cute she is, and demand more snacks. She is training to be a sport dog.

Melon

study buddy

Bindi is a 5 year old Boxer and Catey’s first daughter. When Catey met Bindi when she was 8 months old, she was insane. Breaking out of kennels, not potty trained, extremely nervous and anxious - essentially a hot mess. But Catey saw the genius behind the madness (literally, she was crazy) and their relationship blossomed from there. Now you can find Bindi helping other dogs progress in their social skills, teaching puppies recall, and hanging out in Catey’s lap at events.

Bindi

Kaan was originally a client of Catey’s, but the elderly couple wasn’t able to keep him after a big move and some serious health conditions. Maria fostered him for a year, ultimately deciding life would not be the same without him and finalizing his adoption. Kaan’s genetics cause him to struggle with stranger danger, but having an educated and dedicated mom makes him the most perfect example of a good dog who lives life with a different definition of success.

professional show off

Rex

Helpers

PACK

Our

We envision a world where all dogs — whether in shelters or at home — get the support, understanding, and training they need to thrive. A world where pet dogs are loved and supported, aggressive dogs are given a fair chance, muzzles aren't shameful, and owners feel empowered instead of helpless.

STAND FOR

what we

Our Vision

Quest K9 exists to help perfectly imperfect dogs and their owners become the best versions of themselves through rewards-based, balanced, and shame-free training that focuses on building a positive relationship with obedience on both ends of the leash.

Our Mission

Our Values

We stand up for the dogs other trainers write off because we've seen firsthand what they're capable of when someone actually believes in them. With years of shelter and rescue experience working with sick, injured, abused, and behaviorally challenging dogs, we know that "unadoptable" or "too far gone" is rarely true. We've saved dogs from euthanasia, rehabilitated dogs with bite histories, and proved over and over that the right intervention changes everything. We normalize muzzles. We push back against compulsion-based training that suppresses behavior instead of addressing it. We believe behavior is communication, not defiance. And we train from a place of understanding, not shame. Just as we’ve done for countless shelter dogs, we also help our clients advocate for their dogs and themselves when the world tells them to give up.

Advocacy

Training should feel good on both ends of the leash. That’s why we bring lightness, humor, and warmth to every training session or interaction. We do ridiculous dog voices. We post training bloopers. We celebrate every win, no matter how small. And we greet every dog like they're our favorite. The hard work matters but so does enjoying the process.

Fun

This is a space where no one’s the odd one out. Not you and not your dog. You deserve support without shame. Your dog deserves understanding without labels. You both deserve to belong here. Training can feel isolating, especially if your dog is reactive, misunderstood, or “too much” for other spaces. We create a no-judgment zone where people feel seen, supported, and encouraged, even when it’s hard. Whether you’re brand new or totally burnt out, you’ll be met with warmth and patience as we do our best to make training feel accessible and human, instead of stiff or scary.

Belonging

We stay sharp so we can train smarter. Our approach is rooted in behavior science and learning theory, not just tradition or what’s trending on social media. We’re constantly learning from mentors, courses, dogs, and the people who live with them, and we bring that knowledge to every session.

Education

We won’t ever speak in riddles or overwhelm you with jargon. We will give you clear steps, explain the why, and make sure you leave every session knowing exactly what to do next. Because confused people don’t train consistently, and confused dogs don’t thrive.

Clarity

We don’t deal in fluff or empty promises. You're paying for real, measurable progress. And we deliver. Our results stick because they're built on consistency, behavioral science, and addressing the root cause of problem behaviors instead of just suppressing symptoms.

Results

Ready to Get Started?

explore our programs ➔let's makeit happen ➔

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