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Pawsitive Steps Dog Training

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Grafton, MA
Pawsitive Steps Dog Training

Pawsitive Steps specializes in family dog training using only reward+ methods. Private in home training, behavior modification, references by request.
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Pawsitive Steps Training specializes in dog training and behavioral modification for the whole family using only reward+ methods and motivational techniques both in your home or in an agreed upon location for even more training specifically designed for your dog. Group training by request. Puppies starting at 8 weeks old through adulthood. Tania Chaisson has 20 years experience training and caring

for dogs professionally. She has taught hundreds of dogs and their owners in group classes and private in-home training, started and managed a successful dog daycare, has been an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and has worked with several local rescue groups. She has been a professional member of APDT since 2003. More about me:

I found my passion for dogs early in life while training my childhood German Shephard mix, Suki. After giving it my all and trying to fit myself into a variety of more "traditional" jobs, I finally gave up on the 9-5 corporate life in 2002 to apprentice as a dog trainer. In 2003 I started teaching classes and after teaching what is now considered to be a "balanced" way of training for a couple of years - using aversives such as prong collars, for example - I did not feel comfortable using punishments and causing dogs pain and discomfort, both physically and mentally. I began seeing the unfortunate behavioral outcomes of using such techniques and read everything I could about science-based approach of teaching behavior. I embraced the motivational teaching methods of trainers like Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor, and Patricia McConnell and like them and many other trainers like myself believe early reward+ training and proper socialization are key to a dog's success as a well mannered family pet. My methods are motivational and relationship-based and rooted in scientific study, meeting the dog's and owner's needs to foster effective communication and strengthen their relationship for years to come. I am proud to be considered a "cookie pusher" but as my dogs would tell you - if they could speak - I am not permissive. Management is a key component of training and I am no pushover. If you and I work for our food, our dogs are working for theirs too. When I'm not training, talking about, or generally obsessing over dogs, I'm the mother of two daughters and I have shared my home with a siberian husky and four labrador retrievers. Dogs are infinitely easier to train than children but all respond pretty well to hot dogs. Keep checking this page for more information! [email protected]

08/26/2024

Raven wants to wish a happy national dog day to all who celebrate. She also believes every day is dog day and should be celebrated accordingly. She’s not wrong.

08/06/2024

Have you ever seen a more soulful face? Luna is the sweetest girl, and SO smart, but little kids freak her out. So she needed a little help with that.

Kids and dogs aren’t always a natural combination and some dogs need to be taught how to act appropriately around them. But honestly, most kids have to be taught how to act around dogs. I just so happen to teach both. Get in touch if you’re struggling with either - or both!

07/29/2024

Ellie and Josie had professional photos taken by local photographer Tricia Charles. These are a few of the best ones. Can’t wait to display them

07/24/2024

I’m no photographer so Rosie is doing all the heavy lifting with her cuteness

07/09/2024

Do dogs smile? Kobe seems to think so.

07/04/2024

Keep them safe!

06/27/2024

It isn’t always easy being so cute, but someone has to do it - Willow

06/25/2024

It’s hot. It’s only Tuesday. You woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Your lunch was boring. You’re in a bad mood, I get it. Here’s a happy puppy. Now don’t you feel better?

(Thanks for cheering everyone up, Oliver)

06/20/2024

I found this clutch last weekend in a boutique in Chatham. I had zero reason for buying it so I didn’t. Not sure if that was a mistake or not

06/09/2024

So glad the sun came out for Paws in the Park at Polar Park and the WooSox. Can’t wait to do it again (Josie particularly liked the hot dogs)

05/30/2024

How we react when someone asks how we’re liking having a new little sister
Vs
How we react when we remember how she can be a little pest but we have to be on our best behavior because we’re supposed to “know better”

(Casey and Callie❤️)

05/27/2024

Proof of a good long weekend.

05/22/2024

A tale of two labs - hot weather edition.

One thickly coated - honestly thick everything - lab who hates it when the weather gets above 50, laying in front of the air conditioning.

The other wants to lie on the hot deck, in the hot sun, during the hottest part of the day.

Who’s the smart one?

04/26/2024

Bella the cavagolden doodle is like a broken refrigerator. She has no chill…

Thank you! I’ll be here all week. Don’t forget to tip your waitress!

But seriously, Bella can’t calm down when guests come over. It’s not only an issue for her owner and her owner’s guests, it’s also terrible for Bella because she’s obviously unhappy with how the whole situation is unfolding and she will vocalize her displeasure loudly and constantly. Nobody needs that kind of stress in their lives.

Mat training is definitely something we’ve implemented and it’s going very well. So well that Bella doesn’t want to leave her mat. Like ever. I mean she will eventually but until then she will bore holes into the back of your skull with that stare. So I wouldn’t say she’s learned to relax yet but she’s making progress.

03/23/2024

It’s National Puppy Day and I have major puppy fever

03/03/2024

My Ellie is 10 today! This is a milestone I didn’t think we would reach.

In September of 2021 Ellie had a mast cell tumor removed. I’ll never forget the phone call with her vet who told me the average life expectancy for a dog with her type of tumor is four months. I felt like someone had reached into my chest and ripped out my heart.

Her first week of recovery was tough but soon, like the resilient girl she is, was back to her old self, running on the beach and being attacked by Josie. We were so fortunate to have the oncology team at Tufts and her regular care team at Community Animal Hospital take such great care of her.

Every day is a gift. Celebrate every moment you have with those you love. Ellie will be celebrating with a hamburger and fries and extra belly rubs.

02/15/2024

Looking back on just a few of my former clients from years ago. Great or small,I love them all.

(Does anyone do anymore?)

02/02/2024

Hey girl. Warren here. I’d like to talk to you about that food you’re holding. How’s about you share that with me, huh? I’ll just lay here staring at you with these big brown eyes until you do. Or how about a little smolder? Does that work? What if I remind you what I looked like as a puppy. Yeah. That did it. I’ll take all that food off your hands. You’re welcome.

(Oh Warren, you sweet block of big headed lab)

01/30/2024

“Um, hey… guys? Not sure you’ve noticed but our guest has come in the door, walked into our home, and you walked with them but I’m still here waiting. On my station. Like you told me to. Ready for you to give me the cue to get up and go say hi to our guest like a polite girl. Guys? Anyone?”

(Daisy, sweet girl excelling at her training. ❤️)

01/24/2024

When you’re working on your “Down” cue and the cat comes along so you work on distraction training as well

01/17/2024

*Sigh* I just really like puppies, you know? Yeah you do. You get it.

01/12/2024

Muppets? Dogs? Either way, Ella and Asher are working hard at maintaining their spot on their station at the door.

01/09/2024

I’d like more of these in 2024 please
(Phoenix, some mix of dogs and cute nugget of love)

12/29/2023

Pretty sure she’s a cat

12/24/2023

Merry Christmas from Ellie, Josie, and the person who does their bidding 🎄🎄🎄

12/12/2023

Why Frankie, what big feet you have.
All the better to jump all over you because I’m a puppy and that’s how I greet right now.

And what a big nose.
All the better to smell those treats you’re carrying.

And what BIG ears!
All the better to hear you… when you teach me correctly and in a way that makes sense to me, and reward me with those treats I smell in your pocket so I learn to do what you ask again and again.

12/08/2023

An outtake from our holiday card session. They were so over it but I paid them handsomely for their troubles.

12/05/2023

Beautiful Willow loves most dogs but loses her mind and acts like a ferocious beast if she sees them when she’s on leash or when they walk by her house.

Sound familiar?

Lots of dogs struggle with barrier frustration. It causes stress in the dog and, since most people don’t know how to deal with it, stress in the family. But our job as their guardians is to make their life as pleasant and anxiety free as possible. They don’t need to be “fixed” because they’re not broken, but they do suffer and if you have a dog like this so are you.

If you have a dog like Willow - smart, sweet, but no chill when faced with triggers, contact a force free trainer with experience with these types of dogs. We can help.

11/28/2023

Christmas is coming and bernerdoodles seem to be the popular puppy of the moment. It’s important to remember puppies are not presents - they’re 10-15 year commitments. It’s also important to know that your puppy won’t be like your neighbor’s/sister’s/second cousin’s puppy, even if they have the same parents. Every dog is different, like snowflakes (I love a holiday metaphor).

Zoomi the bernerdoodle is a standard size… so a standard poodle x Bernese mountain dog = BIG puppy. She’s got the sweetness of the berner but you can see the genius of the poodle in her as well. If you’re not up for raising a dog who can outsmart you, maybe this isn’t the dog for you. Because if you think you’re getting the laidback personality of the berner you might be surprised by the cleverness of the poodle.

Bottom line, do your homework before committing to a dog. If that means your family gets an Earth Day present, so be it. Probably for the best, because who wants to house train a puppy in the middle of winter?

11/23/2023

From mine to yours, happy day of thanks. Hope you’re spending time with friends and family and eating WAY too much food.

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Grafton, MA
01519

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+17742930275

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Videos

Some dogs really need to be experienced to understand the magnitude of their cuteness. This is Beans. He is one of those dogs. #dog #dachshund #minidachshund #minidoxie #puppytraining #canineenrichment #positiverewardtraining #dogtraining #dogtrainerslife #forcefree #forcefreedogtraining #fortheloveofdog #dogtrainingmassachusetts #centralma #Worcester #Shrewsbury #Westborough #Northborough #Grafton #Southborough #Upton #Boylston #Uxbridge #Sutton #Douglas

Another session of getting Josie to accept things she’s afraid of - this time it’s bubble wrap. She showed mild interest when I held and popped it but quickly moved away if I moved toward her holding it. She doesn’t have to love it but I don’t want her to be afraid of such trivial things. This is about two minutes into our training. She knows “paw” and she knows “touch” (the simplest way which is bopping my palm with her nose) but we’re also working on the difference between “touch paw” and “touch nose”. So this looks simple but there’s a lot more going on here. Counter conditioning and desensitization and targeting. Fun! I started by rewarding her any time she touches the bubble wrap, either with her paw or nose, on her own and giving her a little extra when I use the verbal cue. She’s picking it up very quickly but I had to stop because I’m learning my back can’t take sitting on the floor for long periods of time. #dog #puppy #positiverewardtraining #dogtraining #dogtrainerslife #forcefree #targeting #forcefreedogtraining #fortheloveofdog #counterconditioning #dogtrainingmassachusetts #centralma #labradorretriever #labpuppy #yellowlab

Better than a security blanket or stress ball #labrador #labradorretriever #labpuppy #yellowlab #puppyears #dogowner #securityblanket #stressrelief #stressreliever

🎄

I just can’t #dog #puppy #positiverewardtraining #dogtraining #dogtrainerslife #labpuppy #labradorretriever #sleepypuppy #yellowlab #dogtrainingmassachusetts #centralma

Among the biggest rivalries in history - Luke vs Vader, Alien vs Predator, Sharks vs Jets, Tom vs Jerry - puppy vs nail clippers is up there, but it’s not nearly as entertaining. Josie has had her nails clipped, both by me and her friends at Waggy Tails dog grooming, but she does not love the clippers. In the video Josie acknowledges the clippers and gets a reward so, to her, clippers = tasty treats. This is the beginning step to get her accepting them instead of fighting me or running away when they’re introduced. It’s a slow process but this, plus gentle reinforcing handling, will hopefully produce an adult dog who will happily lift her paw at her next spa day. #dog #puppy #positiverewardtraining #dogtraining #dogtrainerslife #dogtrainingmassachusetts #cutepuppy #labradorretriever #yellowlab #yellowlabpuppy #nailclipping #puppynailtrim

Josie vs the lemon! Most dogs don’t like the smell of lemons and limes - Ellie won’t even touch them - so the lemon eventually won. But it was fun to watch. #dog #puppy #positivedogtraining #dogtraining #dogtrainerslife #dogtrainingmassachusetts

Josie is still working for her meals. I’ve started incorporating a snuffle mat into her routine and she seems to enjoy it. There are lots of different snuffle mats on the market, some more challenging than others, so make sure you assist your dog the first couple of times so they don’t get frustrated or fatigued. Josie’s mat is perfect for beginners, is super durable, and goes in the washer when it gets gross. And when she can’t find the last few pieces of kibble I pick it up and shake out the rest so she can forage on the floor. #puppy #dog #yellowlab #labradorretriever #dogtraining #canineenrichment #dogtrainerslife #snufflemat #puppytraining #centralmass #dogtrainingmassachusetts

“Down” is one of the verbal cues we work on a lot since it’s really important in many different situations. Josie picked up the verbal cue quickly so we’re moving on to adding distance and distraction. Here she is in front the glass door (distraction), tethered so she can’t run to me while I go approximately 10 feet away (distance). Bonus points for staying in the down while I approached with her reward. #puppy #dog #yellowlab #labradorretriever #dogtraining #positivedogtraining #dogtrainer #positivereinforcementtraining #trainyourdog #centralmass #massachusetts

Josie is 11 weeks and it’s time she got a job, so she’s working for her meals now. #puppy #dog #yellowlab #labradorretriever #canineenrichment #Kong #KongClassic #NoFreeLunch #puppiesofinstagram