Heather is a certified dog trainer with more than 10 years of experience training animals. She started when she was a teenager, volunteering at wildlife rehabilitation centers and animal shelters. Her fascination with training led her to study Behavioral Biology, earning her a Bachelor’s Degree with honors from Johns Hopkins University. She then spent the next 6 years working as a zookeeper, where she learned to train everything from tigers to lizards. Her experience with exotics led to giving training presentations at zoo conferences and achieving a Professional Bird Trainer Certification.
Heather started Pawsitive Reinforcement in 2018 to use her training experience to help people and their pets. In 2021, she opened the Bala Cynwyd studio. To learn the most current positive training techniques for dogs, Heather completed additional certification through the Victoria Stillwell Dog Training Academy She also has an ongoing lecture series about exotic animal behavior for PennVet students.
Training Philosophy:
Positive reinforcement is a science-based style of training that means we only reward the good behaviors and never use any type of punishment, force, or dominance. Using treats and toys to train mean your pet will always be excited and attentive, ready to earn their rewards. It builds respect and communication. Alternatively, using punishment or force can lead to fear, aggression, or an unwillingness to participate. No matter the goal or problem, we can find a Pawsitive way to suit your training needs and build strong relationships with happy, healthy pets!
