Philosophy and Methodology
I am a Fear-free, force-free animal trainer and behavior consultant.
My approach involves training and consulting about animals based on love, kindness, and science-based principles. I aim to strengthen desired behaviors while preserving the playful and joyous personality each animal possesses.
To communicate with the animals I train, I use a marker, called a clicker. When you mark (click), it signifies that whatever behavior occurred at the moment of the click will be rewarded. These rewards can take various forms, including food (a primary reinforcer), praise, or play. The choice is dependent on what the animal loves and finds rewarding. In the beginning, I use food, because food is highly desired by animals and I can get a high rate of reinforcement.
My training philosophy is straightforward: I recognize animals as sentient, cognitive beings deserving of respect and compassion. So rather than trying to suppress an animal’s natural behavior, our role as teachers, guardians, and pet parents, is to preserve their sweet, playful personalities—the very essence with which they were born. I equip you with the tools and skills necessary to communicate peacefully and non-threateningly with your animal, fostering a lifelong relationship built on trust, cooperation, and mutual respect. Isn’t that what we all want in life?
In addition to teaching pet parents peaceful philosophies and methodologies, I help them better understand what their animals are communicating through verbal and nonverbal behaviors. While we excel at interpreting human verbal and nonverbal communication, we fall short when it comes to non-human animals, and that is often the missing link in our relationship with them. Becoming a skilled interpreter of your pet’s communication allows you to enhance your animal’s well-being by identifying calming behaviors, anxiety, stress and fear and advocate for them. Conversely, recognizing moments of relaxation, joy, and playfulness enables you to nurture and grow these positive emotions and behaviors, creating a happier, more joyful animal with less behavior issues.
If my approach aligns with your values and beliefs, please reach out to me through my contact form. I will be in contact with you within 24 hours to schedule a 15 minute discovery call and then we can get started on building a life of happiness and joy with your animals.
Scroll down to watch a short video about clicker training narrated by one of the first marker trainers in the world, Karen Pryor.
