When Georgette was a volunteer dog-walker for Animal Humane New Mexico she met, and learned from, someone in the organization’s Behavior Department. When that person shared with Georgette that the KPA DTP program was held in highest regard within the shelter community, she enrolled in the course in 2014 completing it in early 2015 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Georgette found all parts of the KPA DTP program useful and illuminating, and she was definitely challenged. “I had the least amount of knowledge and practice of all the students. I found most of the program difficult since it was my first in officially training a dog,” she remembers. Her KPA canine partner, Ivan, had been with her less than a year when they started the program. “Ivan, a red-and-white Siberian husky/cattle dog mix, was a bit reactive and not comfortable around dogs his size or larger, although he loved little dogs and wanted to play with them. Driving Ivan to and from the KPA class was tough because he did not like going for car rides.”

The most challenging part of the program came at the end, on the day of the final assessment. “We had drilled the 10-part chain and Ivan was ready… until he froze.” Georgette says that her KPA classmates recognized Ivan’s stage fright, re-arranging the room and stepping back so that Ivan was more comfortable. “He missed the first cue and then hit the next nine. He did great with the individual sequences and we passed! I couldn't have been prouder of him.” Ivan died of intestinal lymphoma in late 2019 but remains Georgette’s “forever heart dog.”

With the confidence and knowledge she gained through KPA, Georgette launched Pawsitive Training ABQ. “I saw that dogs usually learn best in a lower-distraction environment, so training in dogs’ and clients’ homes makes sense to me.” Her business model of in-home private lessons has allowed Georgette to grow her business without worrying about finding the right facility. She works for herself, again eliminating a potential concern about partnering with someone with a different training background or philosophy.

Georgette has found clicker training to be a tremendous advantage when she is training puppies. She works with many young puppies and their pet parents to give them all a great start to life together. With the clicker, there is greater focus. “Pet parents who start off using words see how the clicker is sharper and more immediate in achieving results.” And the dogs accept and see the value of the clicker quickly, too. “I often see puppies try different movements to find out if those offered behaviors get a click.” One golden retriever puppy learned to scoot to a new position while Georgette and his owner chatted. Georgette clicked and treated for the first movement and the dog caught on, continuing to scoot as Georgette continued to click and treat. The pup’s mom, herself a retired psychologist, at first thought it was a coincidence, but then realized her dog was making use of the information Georgette was providing and that the training was advancing due to this positive reinforcement.

Her KPA training has led Georgette to a career she loves. “I can't believe I am making money working with dogs and their amazing pet parents. I meet the best people in this city, people who are dedicated to improving the lives of their puppies and dogs.” Some of Georgette’s clients have become great friends! With the stress of her old job gone, replaced by the joy of her new career, Georgette looks for the positive in situations more than ever, and tries to help others see that, too—in their interactions with their dogs and in their interactions with people. “It may sound corny, but KPA literally changed my life for the better in so many ways. I have met incredible CTPs, instructors, behaviorists, and othe

When Georgette was a volunteer dog-walker for Animal Humane New Mexico she met, and learned from, someone in the organization’s Behavior Department. When that person shared with Georgette that the KPA DTP program was held in highest regard within the shelter community, she enrolled in the course in 2014 completing it in early 2015 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Georgette found all parts of the KPA DTP program useful and illuminating, and she was definitely challenged. “I had the least amount of knowledge and practice of all the students. I found most of the program difficult since it was my first in officially training a dog,” she remembers. Her KPA canine partner, Ivan, had been with her less than a year when they started the program. “Ivan, a red-and-white Siberian husky/cattle dog mix, was a bit reactive and not comfortable around dogs his size or larger, although he loved little dogs and wanted to play with them. Driving Ivan to and from the KPA class was tough because he did not like going for car rides.”

The most challenging part of the program came at the end, on the day of the final assessment. “We had drilled the 10-part chain and Ivan was ready… until he froze.” Georgette says that her KPA classmates recognized Ivan’s stage fright, re-arranging the room and stepping back so that Ivan was more comfortable. “He missed the first cue and then hit the next nine. He did great with the individual sequences and we passed! I couldn't have been prouder of him.” Ivan died of intestinal lymphoma in late 2019 but remains Georgette’s “forever heart dog.”

With the confidence and knowledge she gained through KPA, Georgette launched Pawsitive Training ABQ. “I saw that dogs usually learn best in a lower-distraction environment, so training in dogs’ and clients’ homes makes sense to me.” Her business model of in-home private lessons has allowed Georgette to grow her business without worrying about finding the right facility. She works for herself, again eliminating a potential concern about partnering with someone with a different training background or philosophy.

Georgette has found clicker training to be a tremendous advantage when she is training puppies. She works with many young puppies and their pet parents to give them all a great start to life together. With the clicker, there is greater focus. “Pet parents who start off using words see how the clicker is sharper and more immediate in achieving results.” And the dogs accept and see the value of the clicker quickly, too. “I often see puppies try different movements to find out if those offered behaviors get a click.” One golden retriever puppy learned to scoot to a new position while Georgette and his owner chatted. Georgette clicked and treated for the first movement and the dog caught on, continuing to scoot as Georgette continued to click and treat. The pup’s mom, herself a retired psychologist, at first thought it was a coincidence, but then realized her dog was making use of the information Georgette was providing and that the training was advancing due to this positive reinforcement.

Her KPA training has led Georgette to a career she loves. “I can't believe I am making money working with dogs and their amazing pet parents. I meet the best people in this city, people who are dedicated to improving the lives of their puppies and dogs.” Some of Georgette’s clients have become great friends! With the stress of her old job gone, replaced by the joy of her new career, Georgette looks for the positive in situations more than ever, and tries to help others see that, too—in their interactions with their dogs and in their interactions with people. “It may sound corny, but KPA literally changed my life for the better in so many ways. I have met incredible CTPs, instructors, behaviorists, and other trainers through this community. I could not have made those connections any other way than through the KPA world.”