Barbara founded Positive Puppies in Sydney in 2005. In 2015 she moved to Singapore due to her husband’s job and passed on the reins of Positive Puppies to Carolina Silva. Barbara continues being involved in Positive Puppies from abroad as a consultant for training and business matters. She also continues to pass on knowledge to the current staff and trains new team members for Positive Puppies.

Her experience in the animal training world includes “Guiding Eyes for the Blind” in the USA, “Pets as Therapy” in the UK and the bird show at Taronga Zoo. In 2013-2014 Barbara also supported the training program of Assistance Dogs Australia by providing the training to the puppies being raised on the Lower North Shore.

She studied Canine Psychology in London with the Animal Care College (2003), has a Certificate for Training and Canine Behaviour Counselling from the San Francisco SPCA run by Jean Donaldson (graduated 2004 with honours) and completed the Certificate of Excellence – LLA with Susan Friedman in 2014 . She  thrives on  keeping her scientific approach to dog training current by attending various local and International conferences regularly (see education list below).

Barbara has supported and trained a number of Sydney novice trainers to become professional dog trainers as well as she is heavily involved in the training and ongoing education of the staff on the Positive Puppies team.

Barbara has written articles for local newspapers and has appeared on European and Australian TV.  

She enjoys understanding all aspects of dog ownership and hence she has participated in many dog and animal training related activities such as visiting Sydney Children’s Hospital with her therapy dog (Bodhi, black Labrador, died in 2014), agility, sheep herding, scent training. Barbara also has been known to clicker train her chicken. She, researches all over the world for the newest and best products related to dogs and animal training.

It is Barbara’s mission to pass her knowledge to her clients in order to ensure that their family’s dog is safe, well behaved and healthy. This includes many aspects such as healthy and humane breeding and correct choice and acquisition of puppies, family friendly and achievable training methods, safe and damage limiting home set up, ongoing training and support etc.

Barbara is a mother of four, two children, Ace, a 3 year old border collie x and a free flying cockatiel called Ecco.

2014       APDT Australia Conference (Australia)

2014       Certificate of Excellence –Learning and living with animals S.Friedman (long distance)

2014       Kathy Sdao Seminar (Australia)

2014       Canine Science Forum (UK)

2014       Life Skills for Puppies Instructor course (UK)

2013       APDT Australia Conference (Australia)                                                 

2012       APDT Australia Conference (Australia)

2012       Assistance Dogs International Conference (Barcelona)

2012       Canine Science Forum (Barcelona)

2011       ADPT Australia Conference (Australia )

2010       APDT Australia Conference (Australia)

2010       Canine Science Forum (Vienna)

2010       NDTF Conference – Steven Lindsay (Australia)

2009       AVBIG Inaugural Conference – Ray Coppinger (Australia)

2009       APDT Australia Conference (Australia)

2008       APDT Australia Conference (Australia)

2008       Ian Dunbar Seminar (Australia)

2007       APDT Australia Conference (Australia)

2005       Zoology Conference– Ken Ramirez (Australia)

2004       Ian Dunbar Seminar (Australia)

2004       APDT Australia Conference (Australia)

2003       Terry Ryan – Instructor course (USA)

2003       Bob Baily – Chicken camp (USA)

2003       APDT USA conference (USA)

2003       San Francisco SPCA Academy graduate – Certification Canine Behaviour Councillor (USA)

2003       John Rogerson – training camp (USA)

2002       Ian Dunbar Seminar  (Australia)

2002       Graduate – Animal Care College – Canine Psychology (UK)