The Official Victoria Stilwell Website

VSPDTs Offer Loose Leash Walking Course

Do you have a dog that pulls on the leash? It's a common problem facing dog owners today. Two Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Trainers (VSPDTs)--Dale Ward and Daniela Cardillo--have teamed up to offer a loose-leash walking course for both dog trainers and dog owners. Register Now. *Use promo code EARLY10 to receive a 10% discount Read More

VSPDT Holds Dog and Baby Safety Class

New Jersey-based VSPDT Dee Broton, founder of Holistic Behavior Solutions, is conducting an educational series next month to help child caretakers learn how to keep dogs and babies happy and safe before, during, and after a baby's developmental stages. The event will include refreshments and a prize raffle, and will take place on Thursday, May Read More

VSPDT Holds Dog and Baby Safety Class

VSPDTs Offer Loose Leash Walking Course

Become a VSPDT Trainer

Talk to a VSPDT Trainer

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VSPDT

While her filming and professional schedule unfortunately prevent her from making private house calls, Victoria has responded to the dog-owning public's ever-growing need for more positive training professionals by creating a global network of hand-picked, world-class positive trainers – Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training (VSPDT). Victoria herself personally oversees the recruitment of the very best Read More

Book VSPDT Phone Consultation & Get Free Personalized Book!

For a limited time, book a phone or skype consulation with a VSPDT and receive a free personalized copy of Victoria's latest book, "Train Your Dog Positively." These consultations are a fantastic way to speak directly with one of the world's top dog trainers from the comfort of your own home. Book now to take Read More

The New VSPDT Phone Consultation Program – Talk to a VSPDT Trainer!

Victoria Stilwell Positively has made its global network of world-class dog trainers available to every person in the world who is looking for science-based, professional help with their dogs via the new VSPDT Phone Consultation Program.

Snowshoeing with VSPDT Trainer Louisa Morrissey and Her Dogs

I'm not much of a skier (learned too late, much too cautious, etc), but I do love being in ski-country during the winter. Last year, I visited Aspen, Colorado and spent some awesome days hanging out with avalanche dogs, sled dogs, the Aspen Animal Shelter, and learning about the very cool sport of ski-joring with Read More

Victoria’s Interview with Italian VSPDT Giorgio

Il Cane Norma’s Giorgio Guglielminotti Garmot is one of the first international members of Victoria’s exclusive global network of world-class positive reinforcement trainers – Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training (VSPDT). We recently caught up with Giorgio to ask him about the movement towards positive reinforcement training in Italy, his training center outside of Rome, and Read More

Victoria Chats With Italian VSPDT Daniela Cardillo

Greendogs’ Daniela Cardillo is among the first international members of Victoria’s exclusive global network of world-class positive reinforcement trainers – Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training (VSPDT). I recently caught up with Daniela to ask her about the movement towards positive reinforcement training in Italy, and her training business near Milan. Leggi in italiano Victoria: Read More

What Is VSPDT?

Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training (VSPDT) is the world’s premier global network of professional dog trainers dedicated to providing the public with a humane, positive reinforcement-based option in dog training under the most trusted name brand in modern dog training. VSPDT's mission is to provide a worldwide network of professional dog trainers whose goal is Read More

Episode 819 – Animal Shelters During the Pandemic

Victoria is joined by VSPDT Kat Kekel, Behavior Tech at Cherokee County Animal Shelter to talk about sheltering, fostering and adopting animals during the pandemic.

How To Manage Aggressive Behavior

If you live with a dog that displays aggressive behavior (lunging, growling, or even biting), using management to keep everyone safe is the first priority, along with a good behavior modification plan. What Is Management? One of my favorite descriptions of management is from the book “Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0: New Practical Techniques for Fear, Read More

Episode 815 – Victoria Talks to DBC Presenter Zazie Todd

Is your dog happy? Victoria is joined by Zazie Todd, author and creator of Companion Animal Psychology to discuss her upcoming Dog Behaviour Conference presentation.

Dog Behaviour Conference Now A Global Online Event

The International Dog Behaviour Conference is a global online event bringing together the most influential, progressive and inspirational pet industry experts with dog lovers, owners, trainers, and professionals from around the world.

What is Resource Guarding?

What is Resource Guarding Resource guarding (also known as 'possession aggression') is behavior a dog may display in order to control access to a valued item or space. A valued resource includes anything of value to that particular dog. Just as people value different items, so do dogs. A dog may feel the need to Read More

Is It Mouthing Or Biting?

The difference between mouthing and biting It is not at all uncommon for puppies to use their mouths in nearly everything they do. This behavior is called 'mouthing' and is a completely normal part of development. Though this is very similar to biting, the intention is different. Distinguishing between the two is very important. Why Read More

Should We Even Talk To ‘The Other Side’?

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about the pros and cons of engaging (publicly or privately) with people in the dog world who hold views different from your own. This can be an especially thorny topic when the opposing (or at least not compatible) viewpoints relate to a core belief of yours – beliefs that we often safeguard and protect more dearly than anything else. This got me thinking about the best ways to handle such situations, and I figured I’d share my thoughts with you here.

New Industry-Changing Online Professional Dog Trainer Course Launched

Following years of development, renowned dog behavior expert Victoria Stilwell and her Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior educational arm announce the launch of the Online Dog Trainer Course – a game-changing new online-only course designed to teach those aspiring to become professional dog trainers.

Food Issues

Follow a positive trainer around for a few days and you will quickly come to realize that we humans have food issues. Of course he is doing what you ask. You have food in your hand! (As in, I am paying you for this?) You’re sure giving a lot of treats. (Usually said in a Read More

Positively Dog Training Episode 710

Victoria and Holly ring in the new year with a special guest in studio and discussing several of the new projects and developments coming in 2018 in the Positively ecosystem.

Positively Dog Training Episode 707

K9 officer Shawn Humphreys talks with Victoria and Holly about the world of police dog training, its challenges, and the changes he’s noticing with his move towards more positive training. Also, new VSA course dates, how to find a licensed trainer as well as leash-walking and separation anxiety issues.

Consider the Source

Before I started my career as a dog trainer, I studied broadcast journalism in college. I remember one of my professors constantly repeating the phrase "consider the source." That phrase has stuck with me throughout the years, and I've found it to be quite relevant to my work as a trainer.

5 Little-Known Puppy Training Tips You’ll Be Glad You Found

I spend much of my time as a trainer working with young puppies. They’re little sponges, absorbing every bit of information we send their way – both good and bad. You’ll hear the same puppy training advice over and over: make sure to socialize your puppy, start potty training immediately, and the like. But in Read More

Isn’t It Amazing?

I firmly believe that any decent trainer is always learning – we should never feel we know ‘enough’, and I thoroughly enjoy being inspired, educated and challenged by our amazing roster of presenters at this conference year after year. It has developed into one of the most sought-after dog behaviour experiences available in the UK, and I’m incredibly honoured to be able to bring such a diverse, passionate, educated, engaged, and dog-literate group of people together in the name of better understanding our canine companions each June.