Pawsitive Walks

Alaina helped me with a 1 year old lab/​shar pei mix I was fostering. Raven had been given up by her family and was experiencing an adjustment period of learning to be alone in my apartment, when she was used to being with another dog and having 4 children in the house. She would bark non-​stop when I would leave her, which was so stressful as I was afraid I couldn’t keep her in my apartment if she didn’t stop. Also, she was so severely carsick that I couldn’t drive her more than a mile without her drooling excessively and vomiting. She was miserable! Alaina worked through these issues with me one by one, as I was completely overwhelmed. She gave me baby-​steps to try, and by the time Raven was adopted, she was fully prepared for life with her new family, and was able to make the car ride over an hour to her new home. She’s now thriving in her new home and has a family who loves her dearly and has continued to make progress with them. I could not have done it without Alaina! She’s the best — I highly recommend her!

First — Check References! And I don’t mean her friends, real people that have had success with Alaina’s style of dog/​puppy training. While I do appreciate the fact that Alaina offered to refund her fee, I was trying to be nice and thought that she had given us her time, etc. However, after some time away from the situation and after attending MUCH cheaper /​MORE helpful classes at our local PetCo, I now know that we didn’t get really anything out of the two partial days she spent with us. Lesson learned.
First example, she contradicted herself on more than one occasion confusing us and maybe even herself. We rescued a puppy from a shelter, a puppy that had been in quarantine and had come from another high kill shelter. She told us to get over where the puppy came from because the puppy got over it already… however she sites Pavlov and how dogs learn from positive reinforcement but how can they only learn from the positive, don’t they also learn from the negative? She admitted that she misspoke and didn’t mean to. She mentioned that during our meetings, she has limited time so she sometimes rushes through things. Not good.
Second example, on to our first actual meeting (the consultation), she spent AT LEAST ½ of ours telling us about how she had clients that lived in $ 10 million dollar homes and other similar comments, as if this would impress us, really? It felt a little slimly, used car salesperson anyone? She did not give us the full two hours ‘we didn’t need it’.
Third example, she wanted to take my dog for the day, I do not know where and was very confused because she hadn’t made this clear to me. She said she didn’t have enough time during our training sessions to really work with the dog. For whatever reason, this made me very uncomfortable. How are we going to work with our dog if we are not there? I think she was probably going to take the dog to her trainer because she was more than a little perplexed by our crazy puppy.
* Her walking technic would have killed the dog if we had implemented it. She wanted us to pivot the other way when she pulled. This would have never worked with our dog.
* Walking should be fun, not THAT MUCH work for the dog or us!
* The ‘bonk’ she wanted us to smack the puppy with pissed the dog off to no end, created more anxiety in all of us and the dog.
* There is not a one size fits all for training any dog.
* She sites ‘bad dogs’ for barking at her dogs while walking or standing in front of them. These ‘bad dogs’ are on their property, behind a gate. Why are they bad? Aren’t dogs supposed to bark at times? My dog, without her help, walks by similar barking dogs every day, looks at them and keeps walking.
* We felt that she was always watching the clock, not really giving us the full hour training we expected.
Live and learn. I have learned, love our local PetCo, Bridgitte gets our crazy dog and loves her.

We contacted Alaina to train our wild Beagle, Basil. She is a master trainer. After one session he walked perfectly on leash. Now he can be off leash and behaves perfect. Before he would jet after squirrels and rabbits, now he is a perfect pup.
After we had such success with the training we decided to switch our dog walking service and go with Alaina. Not only are her prices very reasonable she does a great job. He is tired after their walks/​hikes every time and that is not easy to do with him. Basil loves Alaina, as do me and my wife. She helps us whenever we work late, have an emergency, go out of town, etc.
It has been over a year that she has been walking Basil and I am proud to say that Alaina is part of our family!!!

Alaina is wonderful. I called her semi last minute to arrange for dog walking and she came to meet my dogs at my apartment that night which I thought was very accommodating. You can tell she truly loves dogs and training is her passion. While I only needed dog walking she also trained them to sit by gently pulling up on the leash which I thought was a great new manner for them to learn. I would definitely use her if I ever wanted a trainer! She will also text you pictures of your dogs while they are on their walk so you can see how happy they are.

We love Alaina! We adopted two adult golden retrievers (Tessie and Henry) who loved each other but not other dogs. Alaina «diagnosed» Tessie with leash reactivity and that Henry was just reacting to her anxiety. Using prong collars and other training techniques, Tessie has made a lot of progress. In addition, Henry and Tessie have become part of Alaina’s dog walking pack. We can’t recommend Pawsitive Walks high enough!

I met Alaina recently, when I needed someone to walk my two little dogs while I was out of town. I had screened a few services and hadn’t found anyone I was willing to trust with my precious babies, but when Alaina came for our initial meeting, she immediately put me at ease. She has a wonderful, natural affinity for dogs, and I knew I was leaving my pups in great hands. Additionally, even though our arrangements were a bit complicated, Alaina was extremely professional and proactive in her communications with me, which I really appreciated. She even sent me a sweet little picture of the dogs on her first visit, to let me know they were happy and doing well.
Since then, sadly, one of my dogs has passed away. Alaina happened to call me that sad day to discuss an upcoming visit, and she was so sweet, caring and comforting. I highly recommend her services, she is trustworthy, competent and an all around great person!

My new girlfriend was having a rough time keeping her two furry kids from misbehaving around the house. They would disobey and sleep on her bed, scratch at doors and people to get their attention, and were nervous on walks outside. I introduced Alaina to her and Alaina was able to come out to her home and assess the dogs over a two hour period. I love that Alaina took the time and effort to carefully observe and document all the problem behaviors and record the two dogs while out on walks in order to go over, point by point, what my gf SHOULD be doing. I was so impressed and surprised that once her suggestions were used, the dogs behaviors have both vastly improved — everything from whining and startling around other animals to their behavior on a leash. I cannot recommend Pawsitive Walks services and Alaina’s expertise enough! Such a fantastic and committed trainer you will definitely find easy to work with! Cheers Alaina and thank you!

It’s taken me a few weeks to write this because I wanted to find the perfect words to describe our experience with Alaina. Other than, it was perfect.
First, a little background info… we adopted an amazing, loving, high energy pitbull who wanted nothing more than to go on walks and lick your face. The problem with the walks was she would pull me down the street, I had no control and she had zero manners. The last straw came when she got her front feet tangled in her leash, and as I bent down, she brought her head up full force to give me a kiss. The result was a concussion and loads of frustration on my part. We also have a high strung miniature poodle who thought he ran the house.
After doing some research, I came across Alaina and was impressed with how highly people spoke of their experiences with her. I called her, she came over, we talked and decided the best course of action would be a two week board and train for our girl.
Alaina kept in constant contact with us while our pittie was with her, sent tons of photos showing the progress being made and also came to our house to work with us and our poodle.
When the time came for Zelda to come home, I couldn’t believe the difference between her now and the dog that left! She sits, does a down/​stay, I can open my front door and she still stays in place and best of all are the walks! She walks right by my side and I’m able to loosely hold the leash!
We worked on these same skills at home with our poodle and got the same amazing results! Alaina explained how important it is to work their minds as well as their bodies and provided us with a wealth of knowledge.
One more thing I want to point out — Alaina worked with my kids and taught them the same skills that I learned. My kids range in age from 9 to 16 and Alaina said she didn’t have much experience working with kids, but you’d never have known. She was patient and wonderful with my kids. Alaina trained our human family and our fur family with respect and loads of encouragement. The money is beyond well spent and everyone is much happier now.
Thank you, Alaina!

Alaina did an excellent job getting my dog to walk on a leash without pulling. My neighbor, who walks my dog daily, said my dog was always pulling at the leash and it was starting to hurt her back from all the tugging. I met Alaina at a dog park and explained my situation. She explained the different collars to me and suggested the collar I should get my dog. For a great price, I got a collar and a training session. My dog adjusted so quickly and so nicely from Alaina’s training my neighbor couldn’t believe it. Within two walks my dog no longer pulled on the leash. When I walked my dog without the new collar, she didn’t pull at all anymore. She actually leaves slack on the leash now.
Thanks Alaina!!! Your clients, moreover their dogs, are lucky to have you. Finding a person who cares as much as Alaina is difficult.
Tom

Alaina + Max = 1 very happy dog.
1 happy dog = 1 VERY happy dog mom.

We have 2 rescued Terriers named Buddy and Baby who had Major leash and home behavior issues. Before we met Alaina they collectively ate the wooden baseboards, door mouldings, antique doll cabinets and ottomans, leather decorative couch pillows, shoes, carpets and would jump into my prized 12′ tall indoor Palms and dig to the bottom destroying the roots and eating the leaves, trunks and branches. One day I came home from work and there was an inch of soil covering the entire living room! They also treated our large «L» shaped couch as an INDY 500 race track chasing each other at record breaking speeds. Baby would scratch me with her paws when she wanted attention so violently that I had bleeding scabs on my forearms when I interviewed Alaina the first time. On walks they would explode at the sight of any dogs even as far away as a Block! They would even «Go Off» on women pushing their children in stollers. Stacey was VERY unhappy and happened to see Alaina walking a pack of perfectly behaved dogs of every imaginable size and shape together in perfect harmony. Stacey jumped out of the car and got Alaina’s phone number. We set up a Board and Train with Alaina for two weeks and went on vacation. When we returned Alaina gave us back two completely different well behaved dogs in the same fur as the previous ones! We now have the tools and skills to continue the successful training process thanks to Alaina.
It has been three weeks now and NOTHING has been chewed, we walk them in a relaxed fashion and they are now in our command with most flare ups being a thing of the past. I am also recovering my dignity as a proud local dog owner. Alaina’s Pawsitive walks training Program has brought so much joy and control to our lives! Buddy and Baby are much happier and secure and Stacey is HAPPY! Thanks Alaina!

I contacted Alaina because of the reviews I found on Unilocal and she was absolutely amazing to work with! I have a German shepherd who was nervous being around other dogs and we dreaded taking her to the dog park due to her reaction. Working with Alaina I got fast results and we were able to have my shepherd go on pack walks! Her methods are safe and positive and she truly cares about each person and animal she works with!

We originally ran into Alaina at PetSmart when we went to buy a training aid because our pup was pulling on the leash while out for a walk. She explained to us that the «prong» collar was the way to go — we bought it but really didn’t use it properly. She told us she also trained dogs so because of her enthusiastic and knowledgable attitude we researched her reviews and then signed up for the Pawsitive Puppy training. What a wonderful and remarkable behavioral change we got starting with the first session. She corrected his pulling & door darting in the first session & then instructed us how to properly use the prong collar & walk the dog. What a tremendous difference — he walks so nicely now. If you open the door, he sits patiently until you go out first & waits for the command to exit. In subsequent sessions, she trained him on remaining in «place» & staying in that spot even while distracted. There is much more that he learned in these 4 sessions (5 hours total) that I won’t elaborate here. Suffice to say that you will not be sorry if you allow Alaina to assist you in training your dog. She’s well worth it.
Akiko

Alaina has been a wonderful friend to my dog and me from the moment we met! She is knowledgable, patient, and kind, while still being confident and assertive with her training. Alaina has been AMAZING in helping me train my dog to walk on leash without pulling or dragging me around. Previously, a walk with my dog would be frustrating and exhausting and her pulling would often exacerbate my old neck/​shoulder injury. Now it is more fun for both of us and we are able to get out more often, which is a win-​win :) This is especially important now, as I have a baby on the way and I needed to feel that I could safely bring my dog on walks with the baby/​stroller — or be forced to leave her at home. I am so grateful to Alaina for making it possible for me to give proper attention and adequate exercise to my human baby and fur baby alike! Thank you so much. XOXOX

I don’t have enough positive things to say about Alaina, she is wonderful!
She’s watched my dog several times plus this last time she did some training. In a span of two days, she completely turned my dog around! He went from crazy hyper to laying calmly in his spot for hours.
Truly amazing.
And he’s gone from pulling on his leash like a train to being the most docile and well behaved boy. IN LESS THAN TWO DAYS! I can’t imagine what she could do in a week.
I’ll be using Pawsitive for any dog sitting needs and any future training issues.

Alaina came to my home and looked after my 2 beautiful black kitty’s. She came by twice a day to feed them and play with them so they didn’t have to go into boarding. I felt totally comfortable giving her a key while I was away for over a week. It’s obvious how passionate she is about pets, and how much she cares for their well being. Alaina is trustworthy, reliable and conscientious, something that seems to be in short supply in LA.

Alaina has been taking my girl on walks ever week for over a year now. Every time she shows up I see the Joy and happiness that she brings my pup. My dog is my child and if you want your kids to be as happy as they can be and socialize with other happy puppies give Pawsitive Walks a go. They also offer training and swim lessons for my baby! If you love your pet. Show them and let Alaina and her team treat your special one to a weekly retreat of pure excitement and happiness.

Alaina is a reliable, professional and trustworthy. She is amazing with animals in her knowledge and in their care. I have learned from her the importance and how to care for my dogs during these extreme hot summer days: keep them cool, make sure there is always plenty of water available to them, keep their tender paws off the hot black asphalt. She is always aware of safety when walking group dogs and is careful to introduce dogs utilizing separate humans along with her dog/​manager, Kona, to judge animal behavior. She communicates with them constantly reinforcing positive behavior with lots of love and kind words. They’re happy to be with her. I recommend her to all family and friends that need someone dependable honest and caring to help with their beloved pets too. Anyone who posts anything negative about her is misinformed.

When it comes to taking care of your beloved animal, it’s very hard to know who to trust. I can tell you that my 3 legged dog & angel Sara Bear was the harshest judge of character. and after seeing her not only trust, but love Alaina the way she did. There is no question in my mind that Alaina is simply the finest quality of person that you can trust to take care of your cherished family member.
If anyone says different, I will meet them in public face to face, anytime, any place, any where. Alaina is someone that can not only be trusted, but has proven herself to be worthy to care for any animal. You can trust Pawsitive Walks, I have and recommend them to all my friends with dog walking /​training needs…

Alaina has been wonderful in helping us transition into a new hectic schedule with our dog Lucky. We couldn’t be more relieved knowing that he is in such good hands and he feels comfortable with her. We just started using Pawsitive Walks on ⁴⁄₂₂ and not only as pet owners are we happy but our little fur ball is kept busy and is too tired to stress about when we are coming home or the fact that he is alone (when he is not out on adventures!)