Michelle Charboneau, CPDT-KA, has a BA in Psychology and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri. She has been training dogs since 2009 when she volunteered at an animal shelter.
While working at the shelter she discovered that adorable puppies adopted today were often returned within a few months as unruly adult dogs. The bad behavior was typically due to a lack of appropriate training or lack of timely socialization. Often these “bad” dogs were euthanized.
In 2010, Michelle completed the Assistant Trainers course offered by the Greater St. Louis Training Club, and learned the magic of positive reinforcement dog training. Ultimately R+ training is about teaching pets and their people how to communicate with each other. In 2013, Michelle completed the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Program, and in 2014, she earned her Animal Welfare Certificate through the St. Louis Community College. In 2017 she completed the Fear Free Animal Trainer Certification.
Training Philosophy
Pooch Positive Training LLC uses positive reinforcement rather than punishment. We never use any aversive training methods. Force-free training is based on scientifically proven principles of behavioral psychology, including operant and classical conditioning. Simply, dogs repeat behaviors that are rewarded, and cease behaviors that are not.
We do not shock, prong, or choke our dogs to get them to engage in appropriate behavior. We reward, praise, pet, play and LOVE them.
Services
- Private In-Home Lessons
- Puppy Socialization & Vet Prep
- Virtual On-Line Training
Certifications
- CPDT-KA
- Animal Welfare Certificate
- Fear Free Animal Trainer Certification
Specializations
Puppy training, basic manners, behavior issues, socialization, vet prep, virtual training
Training Methods
Positive reinforcement, force-free training
