Science-Backed
Ethical Training

Where Positive 
Relationships Begin

At Clickstart, we’re passionate about helping dogs and their guardians thrive at every stage of life. Based in Orange County, we combine hands-on experience with science-backed, ethical training to create a fun, stress-free environment for you and your pup.

By grounding our curriculum in positive reinforcement, we’re able to strengthen the bond between you and your dog—because happy pups make happy homes!

Our Services
A woman smiles while petting a gray and black husky dog outdoors on a sunny day.
A hand holding a heart with a dog's face inside it, on a blue background.

Science-backed,
Humane training

Illustration of a person holding a cat, with a purple background.

Expert Team of
Trainers

Line drawing of a dog with an anatomical overlay on a green background.

Dog-centric
Approach

Illustration of a dog sniffing a human's legs, with the dog on a yellow background.

Ongoing
Education

Our Story

Hi, we’re Cassie and Liv -- founders of Clickstart Dog Training Academy. As two of Orange County’s top dog behavior experts, we’ve made it our mission to raise the bar for modern dog training—ethical, effective, and backed by science. As a proud woman and LGBTQ+ owned small business, we’re passionate about helping dogs and their humans thrive at every stage of life with positive reinforcement training that works.

We first crossed paths in 2015 while working for the same training company and quickly bonded over our shared obsession with behavior science and learning theory. In 2019, we launched Clickstart, and since then, we’ve built a team of expert trainers specializing in everything from puppy development to service dogs. In 2023, we opened our first campus in Lake Forest, where we continue to expand our programs and provide top-tier training for dogs of all ages and abilities.

Two people stand proudly in front of a colorful illustrated mural.

Meet The Team

We pride ourselves in representing the very best of modern dog training: educated, ethical, and effective. Our team holds ourselves to a higher industry standard and make it a point to participate in ongoing education so you and your pup receive the best of the best training.

  • Cassie estana

    Cassie Pestana (she/her)

    #fhtogglels/+/+/eb

    Clickstart’s Co-Founder & Certified Behavior Consultant BA, KPA-CTP, CBCC-KA, PetTech Pro.

    Areas of Expertise: Reactivity & Aggression, Fear & Anxiety, Remedial Socialization

    Read more about Cassie at this link.

    Founder
  • A person training a golden retriever dog indoors, with colorful murals of dogs and people walking dogs on the wall behind them.

    Liv Healy (they/them)

    #fhtogglels/+/+/eb

    Clickstart’s Co-Founder & Certified Behavior Consultant
    MA, CBCC-KA, FFCP, Atlas CT

    Areas of Expertise: Service Dogs, Cat/Dog Integration, Advanced Obedience, Puppy Raising

    Read more about Liv at this link.

    Founder
  • A man training a dog in a dog training academy. The man is standing on a black mat with a platform, and the dog, a husky, is standing on the platform. The man is looking down at the dog, who is looking up at him, with a colorful mural with dog illustrations in the background.

    Michael Louria (he/him)

    #fhtogglels/+/+/eb

    Clickstart Trainer since 2018

    Areas of Expertise: Puppy Training & Socialization, Obedience Training, Shy Dogs

  • A woman training a dog indoors. The woman is smiling and wearing a black shirt, jeans, and has tattoos on her arms. The dog is a large breed with a dark coat, wearing a purple collar and a plaid bandana, and is kissing her face. The background features colorful artwork on the wall.

    Amanda Alvarez (she/her)

    #fhtogglels/+/+/eb

    Clickstart Trainer since 2022

    Areas of Expertise: Puppy Training & Socialization, Trick Training, Shelter & Rescue Dog Acclimation

Happy Tails

  • I am in love with Clickstart's positive training philosophy. The keep things light and low stress on everyone (dogs and people). We've done 2 courses so far (High School and College). Baloo just finished college and PASSED his Canine Good Citizenship test on the first try! We are so proud of our boy! Clickstart is a great way improve our relationship with our dog and honestly a good excuse to get out of the house. We'll probably continue to take Clickstart courses until we run out.

    Kimberly J.

  • We enrolled our puppy, Chai, with Clickstart starting at nine weeks old. Since the beginning, all of the staff have been super accommodating and welcoming. They answer every question we have and consistently go out of their way to meet our specific puppy's needs. After puppy kindergarten, we started doing private sessions at home with Michael- who has been the absolute best. Michael is always on time, shows up with a great attitude, and is very patient with us and Chai! Chai LOVES Michael (we're pretty sure he's chai's favorite human.) Michael has taught us so much - how to loose lease walk, teaching chai to settle, and much more. We will be continuing to use Clickstart and work with Michael to set our puppy up for success.

    Raina J.

  • I would highly recommend Clickstart for any new or seasoned dog owners, especially those with reactive dogs. Our journey with our dog started over a year ago with the reactive rover classes lead by Cassie. The online format allows for comfortability practicing at home, and the lessons and homework were excellent reinforcement. After those classes were done, we decided to continue with 4 one-on-one training sessions with Cassie to help further our dog's skills and reactivity, allowing us to become better advocates for him as well. We've seen him come a long way and are so grateful for Cassie's guidance on this journey. We look forward to future classes at Clickstart. The investment is highly worth it and we are thankful to have them as a resource.

    Rei A.