Elaina is a fear-free, force-free animal trainer who works with all species of pets and trains using the principles of positive reinforcement.  Research has proven that positive reinforcement training is the most effective way to train any animal, as animals repeat behaviors when they have favorable consequences while punishment increases stress and suppresses emotions. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior also recommends following the scientifically based guidelines of positive reinforcement training. You can read about their position statements here  https://avsab.org/resources/position-statements/ .

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Elaina believes that the foundation of positive reinforcement training stems from developing a strong, trusting relationship with your pet and building an amazing reinforcement history behind each behavior.  This teaches your pet to do things for you because they want to, not because they are being forced to do it.  She has found the most effective way to do this is by helping the owner to develop an enrichment schedule that meets their animal's needs and provides them with the appropriate balance of mental and physical exercise daily.

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As you may notice Elaina uses the term “behaviors” instead of  “commands”. That is because when you train using positive reinforcement, you and your pet are working together as a team using clear communication to modify/train behaviors which have been associated with specific cues to elicit that behavior, not in a dictating relationship where the owner just orders commands. Would you rather do something for someone who is barking orders at you or forces you do to something? Or would you rather do something for an amazing teacher who has taken the time to build a trusting relationship with you and has taught you clear expectations?

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Elaina loves to work with rescued animals who are aggressive, fearful, anxious, and/or nervous and helps give them a second lease on life. She believes the key to their success is to get to the root of the problem, address the emotions involved, and determine the cause (triggers) of the animal's stress or anxiety. These triggers are not always obvious so Elaina will work with you to determine any anxiety producing triggers that may be affecting your animal's behavior.  From there she will develop a behavior modification plan that will set the owners up for success by teaching them how to handle any new triggers if they may encounter any, how to bring their pet's stress level back down, and how to refocus their animal's mind. 

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Elaina has trained a variety of animals such as dogs, cats, dolphins, river otters, nurse sharks, and even a guinea pig all with the power of positive reinforcement!  She knows that ALL animals can be trained using positive reinforcement so why would you train any other way?

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