Olivia with her two dogs, Teddy (left) & Wilbur (right)
Olivia is the owner and lead trainer at Olive Branch Dog Training. She also trains with Unleashed Joy and Canine Prep School.
Olivia is a Fear Free Certified Trainer and Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA). She has completed Pat Miller's Peaceable Paw's intern academies; Canine Behavior & Training and Canine Behavior Modification.
Olivia is a member of the Animal Positive Coalition (APC) and the Pet Professional Guild (PPG). She plans to continue her education her entire career, using the most humane and up-to-date methods.
When Olivia is not training, you will find her at home with her own two dogs and husband. Teddy is a senior Shih-Tzu mix. Wilbur is a bulldog mix.
Olivia Bainter
Meet the Trainer
Our Methods
Understand
Discuss the dog's history, understand the dog's body language, and attempt to understand the root of the situation
Manage
Change the dog's environment to reduce the likelihood of the behavior occurring, always keeping the dog's welfare in mind
Enrich
Create healthy outlets for the dog to perform innate species behaviors; like sniffing, digging, chewing, running, chasing, etc.
Train
Create a personal training plan for the dog and go at their pace. Set each dog up for success and make training fun and exciting for both the dog and human
What is Positive Training?
The methods you use to train your dog are incredibly important and can make a massive impact on the relationship between you and your pet.
I use science-based, positive, and fear-free methods. This form of training requires constant education, as new studies are always being done. I am proud to teach each human and dog I meet with kindness and respect. I follow The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s recommended training methods in their position statement. The statement is below.
AVSAB Position Statement on Humane Dog Training
“Evidence supports the use of reward-based methods for all canine training. AVSAB promotes interactions with animals based on compassion, respect, and scientific evidence. Based on these factors, reward-based learning offers the most advantages and least harm to the learner’s welfare. Research supports the efficacy of reward-based training to address unwanted and challenging behaviors. There is no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification.
Reward-based techniques should be used for teaching common training skills as well as to address unwanted behaviors. The application of aversive methods – which, by definition, rely on the application of force, pain, or emotional or physical discomfort – should not be used in canine training or for the treatment of behavioral disorders.”