Anne-Lise Nilsen the founder and trainer for A "Pawsitive" Experience NW has over 15 years experience training dogs for a variety of disciplines. She graduated from the University of Washington with college honors in Psychology/Animal Behavior and a minor in Education. After graduation from UW in 2014, Anne-Lise was the Manager for Camp Canine, a large Dog Daycare, Grooming and Boarding Facility in Mukilteo WA. She left this position in 2022 to pursue dog training full time.
Anne-Lise is the official trainer for Dubs II, the University of Washington's live mascot. Go Dawgs! She has been working with the Athletic Department since 2018 and was responsible for selecting Dubs, his alumni family and continually selecting and training the student handlers and of course training Dubs for all of his mascot duties! As a student handler for Dubs I she was able to tailor the training of Dubs II to fit the needs of UW and make sure he is well prepared for his Top Dawg honors!
During her years at UW she has also completed two research projects on canine behavior investigating social behavior and cognition which were both presented at International Conferences. Anne-Lise is a firm believer in using scientifically backed training methods based in positive reinforcement, and has found that her clients also value this knowledge. Her extensive knowledge of canine cognition and behavior will help you learn to better understand and asses your dog's behavior and learning style to achieve the most optimal results for you and your dog. Anne-Lise was also an intern for Dr. James Ha CAAB, where she gained hands on experience on many difficult cases, many of which were due to fear based reactivity. This experience made dog reactivity one of her favorite specialty to train as there is a drastic improvement in both the dogs and owners lives while training these behaviors.
Dog training started as a fun after school hobby for Anne-Lise as she joined a local Dog 4-H club with her puppy, B.J. He was a feisty Bichon puppy who had a mind of his own, and it was their teamwork and bond which turned this hobby into a career path! Through 4-H and AKC dog shows they competed in Jr. Showmanship, Obedience, Rally and Agility, bringing home many top honors! Dog 4-H was such an important part of her life, she continued to volunteer after high school and was the King County Dog 4-H Superintendent for 4 years in addition to being a club leader and Judge for neighboring counties. Anne-Lise loves working with the whole family, especially kids, when they want to be apart of the training process for their family dogs! Her countless hours of experience working with children training dogs and the education minor, make her the perfect fit for any family with children that are looking for training with their dogs.
Anne-Lise is the official trainer for Dubs II, the University of Washington's live mascot. Go Dawgs! She has been working with the Athletic Department since 2018 and was responsible for selecting Dubs, his alumni family and continually selecting and training the student handlers and of course training Dubs for all of his mascot duties! As a student handler for Dubs I she was able to tailor the training of Dubs II to fit the needs of UW and make sure he is well prepared for his Top Dawg honors!
During her years at UW she has also completed two research projects on canine behavior investigating social behavior and cognition which were both presented at International Conferences. Anne-Lise is a firm believer in using scientifically backed training methods based in positive reinforcement, and has found that her clients also value this knowledge. Her extensive knowledge of canine cognition and behavior will help you learn to better understand and asses your dog's behavior and learning style to achieve the most optimal results for you and your dog. Anne-Lise was also an intern for Dr. James Ha CAAB, where she gained hands on experience on many difficult cases, many of which were due to fear based reactivity. This experience made dog reactivity one of her favorite specialty to train as there is a drastic improvement in both the dogs and owners lives while training these behaviors.
Dog training started as a fun after school hobby for Anne-Lise as she joined a local Dog 4-H club with her puppy, B.J. He was a feisty Bichon puppy who had a mind of his own, and it was their teamwork and bond which turned this hobby into a career path! Through 4-H and AKC dog shows they competed in Jr. Showmanship, Obedience, Rally and Agility, bringing home many top honors! Dog 4-H was such an important part of her life, she continued to volunteer after high school and was the King County Dog 4-H Superintendent for 4 years in addition to being a club leader and Judge for neighboring counties. Anne-Lise loves working with the whole family, especially kids, when they want to be apart of the training process for their family dogs! Her countless hours of experience working with children training dogs and the education minor, make her the perfect fit for any family with children that are looking for training with their dogs.