I am Tom, the owner of Pawsitive Experiences Training. I graduated with Distinction (with my dog Bo as my student) from the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training https://karenpryoracademy.com/about/, getting a combined 96% for carefully tested dog and class teaching skills.

Using reinforcement and non-force methods Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner members and others using these methods train not only assistance dogs, sporting dogs, pet dogs and teach cat training and tricks.  The idea that cats are untrainable is not true.  Take a look-Karen Pryor cat clicker training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q787R2DNDJI.   If you are curious about a pet rat they are affectionate and quick learners when tamed from an early age.  You’ll be amazed at what Shadow the Rat has learned with clicker training, complete with how to instructions.   

Marker training works for all sorts of animals.  The dolphins in shows were clicker/marker trained, and for them the clicker is a high pitch whistle we cannot hear or a sound on an underwater speaker.  This dolphin was trained with all fish at the start of training, but like our dogs later the rewards for this dolphin are mainly affection and the chance to have to do things with us  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcg2jYvGlRc .

Clicker training is used for the care of zoo animals such as Fiona the hippopotamus, https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6rqxt1 at the Cincinnati Zoo, and even hyenas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs-tAHqGruY .

Using positive reinforcement I trained my goldfish Bart to swim through a hoop https://youtu.be/zv5fcoyfoAs. Bo loves scent work, and with success-based training he learned to scent detect bed bugs (which I kept safely in vials with tight mesh lids) https://youtu.be/wL3r2pG-ZSc  and to alert only to live finds instead of dead bugs or what they leave behind, and that matters to an extermination professional.  We did not reach the ‘bomb dog’ level of training needed to go commercial, but it was a training exercise we both enjoyed.

Our relationship is focused on his trust in our bond, clear communication, mutual respect and his counting on and looking for my leadership. He learned all the basics with self-control,eyond that learned  knowing his right versus left for understanding which things to interact with and as a direction to turn.  I also taught him to imitate me actions with the  Do As I Do cue, a type of learning that may especially make training assistance behaviors quicker.  Here he imitates me ringing a bell and spinning with the cue Do It.

Training with Bo has made nail trimming and tooth brushing fun for him, and easy for me
https://youtu.be/jpod9OLuOXE ---and here is a hippopotamus trained for tooth brushing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNAnnG6CcVI.

Dogs communicate all the time if we read their body language.  You can tell if they like something by stopping and seeing if they want to start again. We took that an extra step and using success-based teaching to learn Bo ‘saying’ “Yes” or “No” https://youtu.be/IEhjuTEbVMg  about what he wants by touching my left palm or right hand. He appreciates being able to do so.

A similar feat was accomplished by Stella who communicates using recorded word buttons.  Her ‘mom’, Christina Hunger, MA, CCC-SLP,  is a children’s speech therapist.  She realized Stella could also use similar assistive technology to communicate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJCxrc7Ns_g.

Bo, like so many dogs in our area, was saved by a rescue-Sierra’s Haven where he stayed for two years because he was so reactive in many areas. But we were right for each other and with my KPA training foundation I learned how to help him.

The unsung heroes of the animal world for dogs, cats and other animals are the staff and volunteers at rescues and dog pounds who feel the worth of our fellow creatures and reach down every day to provide them another chance. Thank all of you.

Keeping in mind animals that are currently in rescues, the added up training successes of owners and dogs at Pawsitive Experiences Training will be put together in monthly contributions to local shelters from Pawsitive Experiences Training.

I believe we are in this together, and I believe that all owners and dogs deserve the best lives they can have.  If financial pressures leave no room for regular training in your budget I have a section with websites put together to help you train on your own.

Pawsitive 1st Step Training Skills class for $65 teaches you training skills basics you can begin with right away,  a high quality training book, sample treats and a consult with your dog as a starting place that hopefully is within reach for almost everyone.