About Us

Nina - Flounder's Mom

As an experienced Animal Behaviorist with over 15 years of expertise, I specialize in behavior modification using positive reinforcement for a wide variety of species including dogs, cats, dolphins, river otters, harbor seals, and even monitor lizards. My focus has been on both training new behaviors and skills while reducing undesired ones.

All of my training is focused on using positive methods which result in a great experience for your pets which leads to more eagerness to train.

Recently, I have developed a passionate interest in Augmentative Interspecies Communication (AIC), aiming to delve deeper into the psychology of animal behavior.

Pet trainer Nina with her cat Flounder on her back

By teaching animals to use our language accompanied by a solid understanding of body language, we can better understand and communicate with them.

I went to the University of Pittsburgh where I majored in Psychology with a focus on Animal Behavior. Then, I began training dolphins in Bermuda where I learned a lot of positive reinforcement and shaping techniques. I also learned how to implement cooperative care tactics to make medical procedures less scary for the animals, and easier for the humans performing them. After realizing the impact of captivity on the dolphins' mental health, I transitioned into dog training where my focus was primarily on obedience and basic behavior training. After a few years doing this, I then moved onto more advanced training with dogs where I implemented capturing techniques. I have also done some basic target training with other species such as monitor lizards, otters, and seals along the way, learning how different species learn in different ways.

Once I welcomed Flounder into my life, I quickly realized that she needed me to work with her a lot as she is very intelligent and VERY energetic. This is where I began to dive into training some animal acting and dancing behaviors to help keep her mentally stimulated, and I also introduced buttons to help her with enrichment in her day to day. Once I saw how much the buttons really helped her, I expanded on them, and began training her more extensively.

Join Flounder and I on our exciting training journey, where we blend traditional behavior training with innovative AIC techniques to enhance the relationship between you and your pets. Together, we can create a more harmonious and understanding bond with our beloved animal companions!

15+

Years of Experience

Heart with four paw prints on it

150+

Pets helped

Flounder a bengal cat walking

Flounder

Flounder is a high-energy cat who has a passion for learning new things. She began her training when she was only a few months old, learning how to target. From there, she learned how to give high fives, and her training has snowballed since then. She currently knows over 40 behaviors which include "yawn" on command, “cover your eyes”, foot stalls, jump through arms, "airplane", and more!

Being the diverse kitty that she is, her training is supplemented with adventures where she goes to the beach, goes on boat rides, swims in the ocean, paddle boards, and explores nature preserves. She of course is leash trained and backpack trained and has the purrfect “heel” and recall.

Flounder’s button journey began when she was a little bit over a year old, with her first words being “outside” and “play”. From there, she has expanded on her vocabulary and she currently has 90 words and counting, with her most pressed button being “Ugh”.

Flounder’s training can be separated into 6 parts which is definitely recommended for all animals who are looking to enhance the bond between them and their humans. The 6 parts are basic obedience training, enrichment training, ballet training, cooperative care, adventure training, and button teaching.

How I can HELP

Online Pet training class

From Basic Obedience to Adventure Training Classes.

icon of a girl doing ballet for pet ballet

Fun way to build a stronger connection with your pet.

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Minor issues to personalized 1-on-1 Zoom lessons.

Happy Clients

Read what clients have to say about me

5 stars

I have a really active border collie mix. I struggled for years to get him to settle down, looking for ways to help keep his brain and body active. Flounder's Pet Training Academy is the perfect solution! A lot of great advice for active pets for both mental and physical enrichment! Thank you!

Ben Hughes

Dog Dad

5 stars

I've been thinking of these buttons for well over a year for both my cat and dog but it was watching Flounder and her thought processes and how the buttons helped her that made me jump in. This has helped us so much as well!

Cindy Steer

Cat/Dog Mom

5 stars

I did not previously work on training with my 2 cats and we did the ballet class and it has helped us so much on a daily basis. My cats both listen better and are more engaged and focused even when we aren't doing training sessions. I definitely recommend doing this class!

Sharon Miller

Cat Mom

Get Consulting Today

Begin your journey towards a better relationship with your pet today.

Flounder's Pet Training Academy

Address

18 Hunter Rd, Ste 3

Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

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