About Eileen
Eileen Thorne offers puppy socialization, adolescent dog and therapy classes, training lectures, therapy/educational visits and private consultations through Pawsitive Puppy and Community K9. She serves as a dog behaviour and training consultant for the staff and animals at the Bermuda SPCA, provides periodic animal assisted therapy and animal training at Windreach and is a member of the Animal Assisted Psychotherapy team, Theratails.
Eileen has been working with dogs in Bermuda since 2003. She spent 16 years on the board of the Dog Training Club of Bermuda serving a term as president. She has also served on the SPCA Management Committee and is a current member of the Veterinarian Practitioners Council.
Eileen has trained and trialed in Obedience, Agility, Rally Obedience, and Schutzhund and has been offering public dog training classes including puppy socialization, obedience, life skills, and therapy dog classes since 2006.
Working through behavioural issues with her American Bulldog led her to become a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) in 2007 focusing predominantly on training with pet dog owners. In 2023 she added Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant (CDBC) under the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC), Certified Animal Assisted Therapy Professional (CAATP) under the Animal Behavior Institute and Service Dog Coach (SDC) under Cooperative Paws, to her credentials. Her goal is to help her students understand their dog’s communication system and create a training relationship based on science, cooperation and mutual respect.
Her love for the natural world led her toward her Masters Degree in Biology. She believes understanding and communication should be extended to all animals, learning from her experiences at Salmonier Nature Park, The Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo, WindReach, The Bermuda SPCA, and The Dog Training Club of Bermuda.
About Jodi
Jodi Gibbons has been assisting Eileen with Pawsitive Puppy classes (puppy, super puppy, and adolescent angst) for approximately five years. She teaches LifeSkills and Canine Good Citizen (CGC) courses for the Dog Training Club of Bermuda (DTC) and has served as a Board Member for approximately six years along with teaching and consulting under her own banner: Dog Training Diva.
A surprise puppy set Jodi on her dog training journey in February 2018 when a family member acquired an adorable Doberman puppy. The challenges she experienced raising this puppy into adulthood led her to become a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and Accredited Dog Trainer (IAABC-ADT) in 2022. In 2023 she completed two extensive courses with industry professionals Kim Brophy and Michael Shikashio earning her Family Dog Mediator (FDM) title and Aggression in Dogs Certification.
Jodi is a passionate Obedience and Rally Obedience competitor but focuses mainly on assisting pet dog owners understand and connect with their dogs by providing in-home consultations for various behavior issues. Her goal is to assist clients with their dogs to ensure a harmonious life together.
Jodi can be reached at: dogtrainingdiva@hotmail.com