Head To Pawsitive

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Whitehorse, YT
Head To Pawsitive

I believe that every pet deserves a life without fear, anxiety and stress, even when it comes down to unpleasant business such as nail trims.
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Animal Care & Behavior
Fear Free Certified Veterinary Technician, Low Stress Handling Silver Certified, Karen Pryor Academy - Certified Training Partner
Whitehorse, YT I have combined my skills as a Veterinary Technician (2008 graduate), Karen Pryor Academy, Certified Training Partner (2022 graduate) and Fear Free Certified Professional (completed in 2023) to offer in-home, force and stress free n

ail trims. This service is designed for people who do not have means of transportation or pets who don’t travel well, animals who are fearful of new environments and pets who may have had negative experiences with nail trims in the past. I am also welcoming nail trimming champions and puppies who you want to start off right with nail trims and other handling procedures! I use positive, humane training methods that have been proven to be the most effective but also long lasting. Positive training involves a lot of treats and happy tails. I will not use aversive methods as they can have negative consequences, including increased fear and aggression. Be mindful that I have a zero tolerance policy for abuse or bullying. All my mobile services include:
- Compassion/Empathy/Patience
- Rewards (Food, toys or anything else your pet may love)
- Building Your Pet’s Confidence
- Pet Owner Education

My mobile services will not:
- Push Your Pet’s Boundaries
- Disregard Your Pet’s Emotional Well-Being
- Use Aversive Methods and/or Tools

Sincerely,
Alexandra Rochat

07/21/2026

“It’s not just about YOUR dog”

07/17/2026

🐾 New Service Available! 🐾

I'm excited to expand the services offered through Head To Pawsitive!

After dedicating countless hours to continuing my education and gaining hands-on experience, I'm now offering Mid-Day Potty & Training Breaks.

Working long hours and worried your dog is spending the day bored or under-stimulated? I can come directly to your home and provide your dog with a fun, positive training session tailored to their needs. Each visit includes a potty break, movement, mental enrichment, and reward-based training to keep both their mind and body engaged.

Have a specific behavior you'd like your dog to learn or improve? I can work on those skills during our visits and later transfer the training to you, making it easier to maintain at home.

Rates
🐾 30-minute visit: $60
🐾 60-minute visit: $110

Give your dog something to look forward to while you're at work! Feel free to reach out if you'd like to learn more or book a visit.

07/16/2026

Set your dog up for success. 🐾

One of the biggest mistakes we make is expecting our dogs to perform the same way in every environment.

🎥 These two videos show the exact same dog working on the exact same high-arousal modulation exercise... only about two hours apart.

Can you guess what may have changed between Session 1 and Session 2?

If your dog suddenly "forgets" how to sit, look at you, or respond to their name, they are rarely being stubborn or defiant.

More often than not, they're overwhelmed.

Before assuming your dog is choosing not to listen, ask yourself:
🐾 What time of day is it? Are they tired or bursting with energy?
🐾 How hot or cold is it?
🐾 Have they had enough sleep and downtime?
🐾 Are there unfamiliar people, dogs, wildlife, or exciting smells nearby?
🐾 Is this environment much more distracting than where they learned the behavior?
🐾 What is their emotional state? Excited? Worried? Frustrated? Over-aroused?

Our dogs are constantly processing the world around them. The environment has a huge impact on their ability to think, learn, and respond to cues.

Training isn't about proving your dog can obey despite difficult circumstances. It's about creating conditions where they can learn and make good choices.

If your dog struggles with a behavior they normally know well, don't keep repeating the cue.

Instead, change the environment so they can succeed.

✔️ Increase the distance from the distraction.
✔️ Move to a quieter location.
✔️ Lower your criteria for that moment.
✔️ Use higher-value reinforcement.
✔️ Give them a chance to decompress before trying again.

Every successful repetition strengthens the behavior.

Every unsuccessful repetition gives us information that the challenge was simply too great in that moment.

The next time your dog "can't" perform an easy behavior, don't ask, "Why isn't my dog listening?"

Ask instead, "What can I change so my dog can succeed?"

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Based on these two videos, what environmental factors do you think changed between Session 1 and Session 2?

07/13/2026

A great reminder from our friends at Wise Canine!

When dogs repeatedly practice unwanted behaviors, those behaviors can become stronger and more likely to happen again. Many behaviors are self-rewarding, meaning the act itself provides reinforcement for the dog.

Management is an important part of behavior change. By preventing repeated rehearsal of unwanted behaviors, we create more opportunities for our dogs to practice the behaviors we do want to see.

Set your dog up for success, then reinforce those choices! 🐾

07/06/2026

One of the greatest gifts we can give our dogs is the opportunity to express natural, species-typical behaviors. 🐾

Today, Tank and the crew discovered the perfect digging spot. What started as a small hole turned into a 10-minute excavation project, making it bigger, investigating every inch, and happily stuffing half their bodies into it!

Digging isn’t “being naughty.” It’s a normal canine behavior that allows dogs to explore, problem-solve, burn energy, and engage their senses. Activities like digging, sniffing, chewing, and foraging help meet important behavioral needs and can leave dogs feeling more fulfilled than simply going for another walk.

Sometimes, the best enrichment is letting dogs be dogs. 💛

06/28/2026

Something crazy happened in Montreal!

A woman from Switzerland wanted to introduce me to “her vet”, they had travelled together from Geneva.

We started chatting, and after our initial interaction I realized… she wasn’t just any vet.

She was the veterinarian I did my one-week internship with before deciding to pursue veterinary technology.

But here’s the really crazy part…

She remembered me.

It’s been 22 years, and we hadn’t seen each other a single time since that week.

What are the odds? 🤯🐾

It’s such a small world, and moments like this remind me how amazing this profession is. The connections you make have a way of coming full circle, even decades later.

06/27/2026

Never enough learning! 📚🐾

I’m spending the weekend at a dog behavior symposium, and the learning has only just begun!

Today I had the opportunity to attend a fantastic presentation on dog behavior by my friend and veterinary behaviorist, Dre Isabelle Bazin - Vétérinaire Comportementaliste . It’s always inspiring to dive deeper into the science of behavior, challenge what we know, and come away with new ideas that ultimately help the dogs and families I work with.

As if that wasn’t enough, I also had the incredible opportunity to meet Dr. Karen Overall, a true legend in veterinary behavior. I never imagined I’d get the chance to meet someone whose work has shaped so much of our understanding of behavior and inspired countless professionals, myself included. Needless to say, I was pretty starstruck!

One of the things I love most about this field is that there’s always more to learn. Staying current with the science allows me to provide the best support possible for my clients, and I genuinely enjoy every opportunity to expand my knowledge.

A big thank you to everyone who shared their expertise today. I’m already looking forward to two more full days of learning, connecting with incredible people, and bringing even more knowledge back to the dogs and families I work with! 🐾❤️

06/23/2026

Ellie Mae is one of my regular nail trim and injection clients, and she never fails to make me smile!

This sweet bulldog has so much personality and keeps everyone entertained with her comical antics. While nail trims aren’t exactly her favorite activity, she has come such a long way since we first started working together.

It’s always a good day when I get to visit Ellie Mae and her awesome mom. Thank you both for trusting me to be part of Ellie’s care journey! ❤️🐾

06/20/2026

The science behind a well-trained dog is often simpler than people think:

🐾 Dogs learn emotions before behavior
🐾 Behaviors you reinforce are the behaviors you'll see more of
🐾 Stress shuts down learning
🐾 Relationship is the foundation of everything

Training isn't just about teaching cues, it's about creating the emotional state where learning can happen.

Thanks to Train me please for the infographic!

06/12/2026

📅 June & July Availability! 🐾

A few appointments remain for Fear Free Nail Trims this June.

Looking ahead, I am now accepting new Behavior Assessment and Training clients for July. If your dog is struggling with fear, reactivity, excitement/arousal, or relaxation, or if you'd like to build a stronger relationship and better communication with your dog, let's chat!

Address

Whitehorse, YT
Y1A

Telephone

+18673346890

Website

https://www.headtopawsitive.com/

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