Kelsey has multiple certifications and partnerships with various organizations. All of them require a LIMA approach to training. This stands for Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive. Essentially, we will always set up the animal learner to be successful and prioritize their emotional experience throughout the learning process.

We will never intentionally cause harm to an animal in our program. This includes, but is not limited to: never kicking, hitting, choking, shocking, pinching, whipping, or pinning. We will also not recommend training tools that work primarily through creating discomfort, such as electric collars, prong collars, stud chains, twitches, whips, spurs, or slip leads.

We also believe that the human learners in our program should be treated with respect and compassion. We understand that many of the above mentioned tools may be used to create safety for the humans when working with animals. Therefore, while we won't add these to a program, we will only remove the use of these tools once you feel comfortable handling your animal using our recommended methods and equipment. We will never shame our human participants for methods or equipment used prior to working with Kelsey in this new way. Our goal is to educate and build skills so that we can all do better moving forward.

Reinforcement will be our primary motivator in a training program. This means that we will often use food rewards to encourage our animal learners to participate in the exercises, as well as to create positive associations with the activities. Play, affection, praise, enrichment, connection and other reinforcers will also be incorporated into the learning process, so we can use "real life" rewards as well. Kelsey believes that every human and animal needs a tailored training approach to best meet their needs. This keeps the training time flexible and cooperative among all involved parties.

Additionally, our "training" program is really more similar to a parenting program, therapy program, and/or coaching program. Our role as the animal's teacher is to help them learn how to cope and even thrive in the environments we place them in. They need a structured approach to learning these real life skills that involves being empathetic to their needs and considerate of their experience. That being said, they also need to be able to respond to cues, be a safe and civil citizen, and fit harmoniously into the family. All of this can be accomplished when we appreciate the unique, sentient beings they are.

By joining our program, you are signing up to learn more about your animal and yourself. You will learn how to build resilience, work on emotional regulation, create a deeper relationship, and teach a variety of skills. You will be the primary trainer for your animal, so it's crucial for you to learn how your pet learns, so you can successfully navigate daily life together. We can't wait to coach you through this process!

Kelsey has been training horses and dogs for over 20 years. In high school she was taught how to raise Guide Dogs for the Blind and worked with multiple professional horse trainers. At that time, the training methods used were a bit different than the approach she uses today. These are now referred to as Natural Horsemanship and Balanced Dog Training. While these methods are effective at changing behavior, Kelsey felt like they missed the mark on helping the animal learners be emotionally healthy. Plus, these methods required force and physical abilities that not every owner is able to master (or wants to inflict on their pet).

In college, Kelsey took multiple Animal Science and behavior courses, as well as human education courses. She went through the Petco Dog Training Mentorship program and eventually became the Mentor Trainer for multiple store districts. Next, she graduated from Animal Behavior College with honors and began her training certification process through multiple organizations, receiving her ABCDT, CPDT-KA, and LFDM-T credentials. This was the period where she became a "crossover trainer" - switching from more forceful training styles to a more force-free approach.

In 2013, Kelsey started Pawsitively Trained, LLC. This push to start her own business was mostly due to the desire to focus on the dogs who struggled with more severe behavior issues and weren't successful in the pet store environment. She began her continued education to better serve these dogs by diving into the sciences of psychology, ethology, neuroscience, and trauma-informed care. She then added a therapy dog program, Paws for Responders, to her repertoire so her training approach could benefit both the dogs and the humans they interacted with.

10 years later, Kelsey relaunched her horse training program with the added skillset she acquired from her years of working with hundreds of dogs and people across the pet industry (including working with breeders, veterinarians, groomers, pet store staff, rescues, shelters, and more). An effective positive reinforcement-based training program for horses requires extensive knowledge in behavior and body language, and Kelsey brings all that and more to every session.

Her skills are not only appreciated by the individual clients Kelsey works with on a daily basis. She also has spoken at conferences, been interviewed by experts across the country, and has published her book, Everyone Needs a Timeout: Self-Care Strategies for People and Pets. Kelsey has dedicated her entire adult (and teenage) life to studying how animals learn, how humans can better care for and communicate with their animals, and how to create happier healthy lives for people and their pets.

For more information about what Kelsey is up to now, check out our Projects page on the website!