About the Trainer - Karen Harvey

I have always been a dog lover. As far back as I can remember I have always shared my life with a dog. When I was a child, the family dog was always my best friend, always listened to me and never judged. The unconditional love I received was amazing and so comforting, no matter how I was feeling, he was always there for me, my best friend.  My passion for dogs has only gotten stronger throughout my life.  I have belonged to many dog clubs over the years, my dogs have participated in obedience competitions and agility, which was all great fun and certainly helped cement the bond I had with my dogs. I realised that in order to train and educate my dogs I had to be able to communicate with them in a way they understood, which is where I discovered Balanced Training Techniques.

Having trained therapy dogs throughout my 30 years as a dog trainer has been an extremely rewarding and eye opening experience, as it allowed me to witness first-hand the empathy and understanding a dog can have for people. A perfect example of this is when I used to take my dog to visit an aged care facility to spend time with the Alzheimer’s residents, and my dog always knew to be calm and gentle with them.

Having such a beautiful and undeniable connection with dogs fostered a yearning and lifelong dream to help people understand their dogs and teach them how to educate their dogs in a positive, kind, and gentle way. In my 30 years as a dog trainer, I’ve had the pleasure of working for many wonderful dog training businesses, including DogTech, Bark Busters and of late, Jordan Dog Training here in Queensland. In addition to this, I’ve also been lucky enough to work overseas with clients in the United Kingdom and in New Zealand.

During my career I have concentrated on one on one in-home behavioural training, obedience classes and puppy schools. I feel that the younger you start working with your dog, the better outcomes you will achieve.  In the end, it's your choice as to which dog training method you choose for your own dog.  But please, don't jump in uninformed!  At the very least, research the benefits of different methods.  With years of experience in testing different dog training techniques, I can confidently say that I feel the balanced dog training methods are the best choice for a myriad of reasons.  I want you to have the same relationship and bond with your dog that I share with mine!