About Cassie
The positive approach to training.
Cassie Cole (B.A., Psych, Hons. Delta Institute Dog Trainer) is a Melbourne based qualified Dog Behaviourist and Trainer. Teaching dogs has been a lifelong passion for Cassie which started back when she got her first dog, Tommy a Cavalier, when she was eight. An expert in shaping and training complex behaviors, Cassie has successfully trained her own dog Scout in competition obedience, rally-o and agility where they have won countless titles and awards. As well as behaviour modification of unwanted behaviors, Cassie enjoys training tricks and making learning fun.
Theory meets practice
Cassie’s other interest have helped developed and shaped her dog training philosophy. Having completed both a Bachelor and Honours degree in Psychology, Cassie has developed a very deep understanding of learning theory and how it applies to both people and animals alike. Cassie has worked for many years a Youth Support Worker for homeless young people and has gained experience in modifying challenging behaviours of young people who have experienced trauma. Cassie applies the same principle of working with these young people when working with dogs and that is, showing unconditional positive regard, consistency, patience and empathy. Cassie trained her dog Scout to be a therapy dog who joins her in creating better outcomes for the young people they support.
Passion and drive
As well as training dogs Cassie also has a passion for conservation and volunteers for the Australia Dingo Foundation. In this role Cassie takes care of the dingoes, trains them and also holds presentations for the foundation’s puppy encounter program. Cassie's interest in canid learning theory and psychology has again been amalgamated where she has been a research assistant for Yale University where Cassie has assisted in dingo cognition studies. Cassie herself has written many papers on cognition and learning and won the Honours in Psychology Presentation award for an outstanding dissertation presentation for her work at Deakin University.
A better way
Being a vocal opponent on punitive and outdated dominance-based methods, Cassie strives to promote relationship based and scientifically efficacious dog training methods. Cassie lives by the philosophy that if there is a quicker and kinder way to modify unwanted behaviour then what have you got to lose?
