Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Cataline.
Hi Denise, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been training animals for over 30 years. I started at the early age of 12 when my parents brought home Pockets (my first pet) and, from that day on, I have been training ever since.
My first training opportunity was at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago training a variety of small animals. However, I knew that I wanted to work with larger animals so when the opportunity presented itself, I applied for and received an internship at the Shedd Aquarium where I instantly fell in love with marine mammals. This internship was the beginning of my 15 year career training marine mammals. I have had the good fortune to train dolphins, pacific white sided dolphins, beluga whales, seals, sea lions, turtles, sting rays, sharks and even killer whales. When I was offered the opportunity to work and train primates, I again jumped at the chance. My time as a primate trainer included training gorillas, orangutans, lemurs, spider monkeys, baboons and sloths. During my marine mammal and primate training career I learned many tools to help me gain success in training. The 3 key principles I utilizes in all of my training is the importance of building and having a relationship, consistency with training and the effectiveness of positive reinforcement.
After retiring from the exotic animal industry, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in the dog training field utilizing these 3 key principles. With much encouragement from my clients, friends, and family, I decided to open up my own dog training company, The Pawsitive K9 Coach, LLC, where I continue to apply my knowledge of training to furry family members.
Throughout her years in the training industry I have achieved several awards through my past employers and have been interviewed for several articles for my achievements. I achieved my certification as a professional dog trainer from the The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT) and have my accreditation from the American Kennel Club (AKC) to be an evaluator for the Canine Good Citizen test and the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program. I am a member of the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association (IMATA), The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). I am certified for Canine CPR and First-Aid and have a plethora of knowledge in the veterinary field where she has spent several years as a technician and behavior consultant.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
To be honest, it has been a fairly smooth road. Everyone has been supportive throughout the years and my clients are truly amazing which makes everything so much better. The only thing that has been difficult is that I wish I could see more clients. I get so many referrals and I wish I could clone myself. But, not to worry we are expanding the business so here at The Pawsitive K9 Coach we can help everyone.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Pawsitive K9 Coach, LLC. is exactly that we train on a positive approach using the R+ method. I am most proud of using positive reinforcement training which is based on a humane ethos, one that prioritizes building a strong bond with your dog. Instead of relying on coercive techniques or physical punishment, positive reinforcement teaches dogs through a reward system: When the dog performs a desired skill or exhibits a wanted behavior, they are rewarded.
At the Pawsitive K9 Coach we focus on a variety of different training programs. First is our In-home lessons that are customized according to the needs of each client and pet. We can focus on anything from your first puppy and getting it right, to basic or advanced obedience behaviors. Perhaps you have a fearful dog that needs social skills or a reactive dog on a leash? We can help with that. For those that have a disability we can help train your dog to be a service dog or perhaps you would like to help out the community and make your dog a therapy dog. All of that and more can be accomplished in in-home lessons.
Our board and train kamps which tend to be the tool that our clients are looking for to begin accomplishing their training goals. Clients choose our kamps for many reasons – they may not have enough time to devote to training, are going away on vacation and want their dog trained while they are gone, or simply want to maintain the training their dog has already accomplished. We offer 1, 2 or 3 week board and train kamps. Our daily board and train kamps for those weekend getaways or a quick jump start for young puppies are also available.
And lastly we also offer The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Preschool is a program designed to get dog owners and their puppies off to a good start. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Preschool classes are a combination of: puppy socialization, behavior solution/prevention and an introduction to basic obedience. Training classes teach you how to best communicate with your puppy. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy training is a natural lead in to the AKC® Canine Good Citizen® Program on the beginning with Puppy Manners with everything in between to Advanced Obedience out in public. We offer in home lessons were we come to the client and teach the client how to train their dog. We offer board and train kamp programs, where your furry friend stays with us and we do the training and when they come home the owner just needs to follow through with the training. We also offer classes such as AKC Puppy Preschool Classes at one of the local Veterinarian hospitals.
The Pawsitive K9 Coach, LLC. we have our dog trainer accreditations with CCPDT (Certification Council Professional Dog Trainers), and our associated with the following organization’s: APDT (Association of Professional Dog Trainer), AKC (American Kennel Club),and IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), just to name a few. We will also be celebrating our 10 year anniversary in 2026, which we are so excited about and we are expanding our location to West Palm Beach and other services we will offer.
What’s next?
Our future plans is to reach out to others in 2026 in Miami and West Palm Beach area. We want to make sure that everyone has a positive experience training their dog and making them the best companion. We are growing and are able to service more areas. We plan to have more dedicated classes such as: working your dog out at restaurants, beach, or brewery and also plan to hold some agility & pet acting classes just to name a few.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thepawsitivek9coach.com
- Instagram: thepawsitivek9coach
