A Pawsitive K9 Training, LLC
"Here dog training is play ... and that's the trick!" The area's original "positive" dog Trainer Licensed, Insured. Manners are learned in a safe environment.
Marj Spence, Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed Recognition since 2006; AKC Canine Evaluator since 2006. I offer years of experience and a variety of training methods for you to build your relationship with your dog. Positive reinforcement training will naturally create a more happy, willing obedient dog. We offer private lessons with one-on-one attention to build foundations
07/28/2024
“With every summer sunrise, dogs teach us to embrace each new day with enthusiasm and love, no matter the heat it brings.”
07/01/2024
More Summertime Graduates and accomplishments ! These early morning Teams are not Lazy Bones!
Check out & see their pictures for accomplishments!
06/22/2024
Another June Graduate!
AKC Puppy STAR Stella! Loved and trained by Julie & John Moxley!
Another rescue success story. Stella came all the way from Texas!
Assistant 4 legged trainers: Jolie Malinois, Heelers: Syd And Dually.
05/25/2024
Huge Congratulations to Liberty, a German Shepherd, who achieved her Canine Good Citizen today! A 6 y.o. rescue, who with much patience & commitment achieved her goals. Liberty was handled & loved by Debra Slayton. 3 Cheers & Hats Off!
Puppy STARZ Students
Pictures in order:
*Fez & Sarah Freeland
*Stella, rescue German Shep pup from Texas! Loved by John & Julie Moxley.
*Lainey, Aussie pup loved by Sarah Allen & family.
*Congratulations to Winter, the Schipperke, who took 2nd Place at her Nationals!!!
Nancy Holloway’s Skywalker, German Shepherd, continues to hone his Agility skills. He had been running Master/Excellent course without fault first time thru!
04/01/2024
Easter is fur real!
03/09/2024
* A Puppy STAR is born!
Tigger, a 7 months Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. Congratulations! Great job Debbie Brauneck! Next class is Canine Good Citizenship.
*Family, Working & Sports Dogs
Jolie Malinois -Trainers Demo, Jr assistant
Emma German Shepherd-Therapy Dog
Liberty Rescue German Shepherd-Family manners, Agility and Tracking
*Honoring Senior Dogs
Tala Schanze, German Shepherd
Syd Shenanigans, Australian Cattle Dog
Skywalker, German Shepherd
03/04/2024
It always makes my heart skip a beat when I hear “We go to the dog park.”
Did you know.... the IAABC has created graphics which are FREE for anyone to download to educate people on proper dog park etiquette and safety. Check them out at https://iaabc.org/en/dog-posters
02/22/2024
Godwins’s Rusty earns Canine Good Citizen!
Rusty Labradoodle will be registered as a an AKC Canine Partner. He will earn his AKC Therapy Dog by doing 50 documented visits to an institution such as a nursing home, hospital, or helping with letting kids read to him at a condoning Library.
02/22/2024
Here Are The 7 Best Dog Training Books, Ranked We've narrowed that down to the top seven best dog training books most often recommended by canine experts across 10 well-respected websites.
02/14/2024
A Pawsitive K9 love!
This months brags….
Graduate Puppy StarZ now 4.5 month old Japanese Spitz named Harrison!
Shelly & Dolly Aussie, attend their first Agility CPE Trial at Bratty Paws and take 2 Blue ribbons home on their first day!
Skywalker has returned to finish his Rally Advanced Virtual title! One more qualifying leg needed!
Broadcreek’s Jolie Malinois, qualified “QQ” last week and also earned an UKC Scent Work Title.
01/01/2024
Snickers ended 2023 with a Canine Good Citizen Ribbon today! He is loved and handled by Mindy Workman & her husband Greg. Both participated in training! Toast the future of the many years to come of having a great family dog!
Happy New Year!
12/20/2023
First picture,Taz, a rescue, Dog of the Season!He started training here in August. Taz had a few behavior issues such as nipping. He was trained with positive reinforcement to do AKC Tricks and earn a Canine Good Citizen/basic obedience to build bond, trust & communication with his new dog Mom, Ruth Kersey. So happy to tell you that he is doing fantastic. The hard, distrusting look he had is no longer! He is happy & bright eyed & adores his Mom, and new life.
He earned Novice, Intermediate and Advanced Trick Titles!
A link to a newly learned trick…”Open door.”
https://youtu.be/r0dIctvldFQ?feature=shared
Using shaping to teach Jump over Legs”
https://youtu.be/VgZXGyBiE3c?feature=shared
See all other dog pics and check out their accomplishments! See our newest pupils, Bella the Great Pyranees, Harrison, Japanese Spitz and Riley Springer Spaniel.
12/04/2023
11/23/2023
Happy Thanksgiving to you & yours!
Grateful that you are in our lives to share the smiles and wagging tails!
Cindy Harrington & Gracie at Agility practice
UF student Emma taking time out to train with her young teen Romeo. Here she is shaping the behavior of sending to a tunnel. They are exercising, bonding and learning to be a team for the sport of Agility. In lesson 1, he first learned “Front!” Which is a recall back to Master and a sit facing her. Next Romeo did a “Swing” to position himself back at her side. Such a smarty but exuberant teen male.
10/31/2023
Happy Howl-laween!
10/30/2023
Today rescue Taz did 10 AKC Novice tricks! These tricks are really helping with owner bonding, and fun exercise with focus, as well as shaping good behaviors. It’s the making of a great confident family dog.
1. Go To mat, 2.Sit, & Down using hand signals only 3. Tunnel, 4. Go to crate. 5. Dog walk or Bridge 6. Retrieve ball & bring back. 7. Kiss, 8. Step Up on to a platforms platform with only 2 feet on it 9. Spin circles right and left
10. Jump over a small short hurdle.
His heeling coming along and fantastic recalls back to his handler! This was lesson #3!
Last 2 pictures are of 12 week old Nova Scotia Duck Toller named Tigger! Debbie Brauneck’s new fur child ! In two lessons he has learned recall Front, Sit, Touch, Swing, beginning heeling with turn! Socialized with my sweet Jolie.
09/25/2023
Meet Taz! A rescue from Second Chance, now in the loving home and arms of Ruth Kersey. Yesss!
Great rescue job Second Chance!
This morning we introduced him to my assistants Jolie and Sydney. He does do well with other dogs. The assists though are polite and are not pushy or overbearing so it was a positive outcome in the meet.
In one lesson he learned a prompt recall, touch, take treats politely, catch a treat, practice sit/ stay, Watch me, and for focus & fun break, an agility mini dogwalk and A frame.
Do you and your dog love to be the life of the party by showing off her/his arsenal of tricks?
Here is Cindy Harrington’s Gracie and working on her list of Intermediate level of Tricks!
Shelley & Dolly this Sunday evening. With Shelley’s hectic job schedule, lessons have been sporadic since Valentines but Dolly the Aussie loves the game. The power of fun & positivity are the main factors.
Rusty, Vinton Labradoodle handled by Kevin Godwin for Canine Good Citizen training. This is a fun break from obedience to keep focus, fun and continue to build the bond.
Rusty just came back to his human family from a week stay at Vinton Valley.
09/07/2023
Big things on my mind. Big projects that have occupied me for years (almost a decade). Big projects unfolding. Trying to keep my head above water and not feel weighed down by my own big damn ideas. And for all that bigness in my life at times, without fail it is the exquisite beauty of small things that bring me back to my senses, reminding me that if every big thing I've created falls flat on its face, it will not change the magic of the pure connection I see in my puppy's eyes, or the weight of my old dog's head draped across my hip as we drift off to sleep in a room bathed in moonlight, or my husband's comforting embrace.
On a hot humid day, trying to get dogs out to potty so I could return to my computer, I was mentally ticking off all that needed doing, a bit annoyed that the dogs were taking their sweet time exploring the yard and finding the perfect place to p*e. With a sigh, I resigned myself to just taking some time to let things unfold on animal time. Slowly, it all sank in: the mild breeze, the color of the sunlight filtered through the old maple's leaves, the unhurried sound of my dogs moving through the grass, the birds flitting here and there on birdy business. I felt the warm ramp under my bare feet, and glanced down to see this little bit of perfection p*eking through the fence, a glorious gem that I've moved past thoughtlessly so many times in the past few days.
Setting all the big things aside, I stopped to just really look at the touch-me-not. An exquisite flower rivaling any orchid or exotic plant, the farm is now awash in these beauties, and so many others - the glorious goldrush of goldenrod offset by the New England asters that are abundant here.
Put down the big things. The world will keep turning. Rejoice in the small wonders that - despite their size - are miracles in their own right. Turns out they feed my soul far more than the big things. On my death bed, I won't be asking for a review of the big things I've accomplished or built. Instead, I'll climb into the astonishing beauty that literally everywhere around me, if only I can stop long enough to see.
08/29/2023
During the Dog days of August ….
3 Dogs earned the AKC Intermediate Trick Title!
Congratulations:
Nancy Hollloway’s Skywalker
German Shepherd
Lisa Davenport’s Beija
Barbet
Cindy Harrington’s Gracie
Aussie
Happy Labor Day!
08/26/2023
Happy National Dog Day!
https://youtube.com/shorts/d54fReBzbmw?si=j-sW6p6ep255AKJY
https://youtu.be/vTcicblG0Wc?feature=shared
Sara Jo & Henri!
Here at 7:30 am to have a lesson on a Novice Jumpers with Weaves agility course. They had a “clean” run with no faults or dropped jumps. We did a second run with the my double dog dare of her saying NOTHING and direct with arms and body language. She was successful and gloating!
Their first Agility Jumpers course run! Building drive, and forward motion as a game ending in lots of praise and a jackpot of treats or game of tug.
Dually, Close the door! This feat was taught in small steps. See our Novice Trick dogs practicing their successes below this post.
Gracie, practicing her homework with Mom Handler, Cindy Harrington! Close the Door!
Homework for AKC Intermediate Tricks level was “Close the door!”
This is 10 month old Beija!
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Our Story
Marj Spence, her credentials: Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed Recognition by C.C.P.D.T.; A.K.C. Evaluator since 2006, Therapy Dog International since 2008. Licensed, Insured by Carolina Business Insurance. “A PawsitiveK9 Training, L.L.C.” has certified and professional trainers with Association of Professional Dog Trainers network. We offer years of experience and offer a variety of opportunities & methods for you to build your relationship with your dog. Positive reinforcement training will naturally create a more happy, willing obedient dog. We offer private lessons with one-on-one attention at your residence to build foundations and your dog's focus. Choices are private or group lessons, where there is more socialization with other people and their dogs. Manners are learned in a safe environment and then “proofed.” Assertive/agressive dogs are assessed and may be given desensitization training before joining groups.
We do believe that dogs and their people are happiest when they’re given the opportunity to learn new things as well as get regular exercise while doing so. Our fenced acreage and agility equipment do offer this. We always mix play with training…and that’s the trick!
So whether you’re looking for a basic obedience class, prefer one-on-one lessons, or want to check out a new dog sport, such as A.K.C. Rally, Beginning Obedience (Manners) or Agility, Tracking, please send an email ([email protected]) or text me 352 474-0243 for a talk on your goals.
My professional mission is to train animals and their humans using modern, effective methods based on sound scientific principles of learning and behavior, with an emphasis on positive reinforcement. We endeavor to do no harm to dogs and we do not advocate physical hitting for transgressions in the name of ‘greater good.’” We never use the "E" collar, a fluffy name given to the Electronic shock collar.
I am a dog seminar and Conference groupie, since 2000! “A Pawsitive” dog training programs are based on behavioral science concepts developed by some of the most respected experts that are in the field. Here are a list of mentors that have been at APDT Conferences I have attended over the last 15 years. Dr. Ian Dunbar, “Good Little Dog”, Karen Pryor, “Please Don’t Shoot the Dog”, Dr. Patricia McConnell, ”Treating Dog-Dog Reactivity”, Pat Miller, of Peaceable Paws, Leslie McDevitt, “Control Unleashed”, Susanne Hetts, “Pet Behavior Protocols, Trish King, “Terrible Teens: Canine Adolescence” and Dr. Pamela Reid. I attended U.F. Vet conferences for several years until they were replaced with N.A.V.C. conferences.
I can say with conviction that the basic foundations of positive training are based on this premise, that behaviors that are positively reinforced will become stronger and more frequent; behaviors that are not reinforced will become less frequent and may eventually extinguish.
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Located Off SW 122nd St ; Connects Archer Road To Newberry Rd
Gainesville, FL
32607
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