Trainers
Kristina M. Rosinia, MPH, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA*
Kristina has a passion for helping families learn how to communicate better with their animals. She is both a technically skilled trainer and compassionate for the humans and animals she supports. A desire for science-based methods and an approach through which animals enjoy learning led Kristina to pursue training with the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA). The KPA Professional Dog Training Program helped Kristina master the art of rewarding the behaviors we want to see and to better understand how force-free training, using positive reinforcement, creates positive bonds between humans and animals while providing exceptional training results. Kristina has extensive experience training both cats and dogs, has trained hedgehogs and created widely distributed resources on hedgehog body language, and works with a variety of other domesticated animals including bunnies and fish. Kristina is dedicated to lifelong learning with animals and works with clients from the time they bring a new pet home, through their desired certifications and continued enrichment throughout a pets life.
Kristina has had almost every shape and size of pets personally but also fosters with local rescues. With hundreds of animals coming through her family on their journey to find a home, Kristina has personally experienced shy, aggressive, wild, sick and everything in between. Between her personal experiences and thousands of clients, Kristina can empathize with the struggles and stress of everything from a mouthy puppy to a reactive dog, a feisty kitty to nail trimming drama, and just about anything you are dealing with.
Kristina also combined her career experiences of running nonprofits and passion for animal welfare to run the largest no-kill shelter in the midwest, PAWS Chicago, as their Chief Operating Officer and Chief Mission & Innovation Officer for over three years. Kristina oversaw all aspects of animal operations from intake, assessments, medical care, surgery, foster, adoption and post-adopt in her role at PAWS, for over 25,000 animals served every year. Kristina was also a Canine Behavior Trainer and Instructor at PAWS Chicago, where she created and taught classes for all obedience levels including training in the wild, cautious canine, relaxing reactivity, and nose work. Additionally, Kristina was previously the Marketing and Communications lead and on the Board of Directors for As Good as Gold (AGaG) – Golden Retriever rescue.
Kristina is a participating trainer for the Humane Alliance of Rescue Trainers, a nonprofit organization consisting of professional animal trainers and behavior consultants who share a passion for supporting animal rescue. As part of this network, Pawsitive Pup Training provides behavior resources to rescue organizations and foster families.
Kristina holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida, a Master of Public Health from Washington University in St. Louis and is a graduate of the extensive Karen Pryor Academy dog training professional program. She is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Professional (KPA CTP), is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), is a Supporting Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), and is a Professional Member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). Kristina is also a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy “Puppy Start Right for Instructors” course, specifically focused on socialization and development needs of puppies as they start their training journey and a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy “Shelter Training and Enrichment” course which focused on helping improve the quality of life and adoptability of shelter animals, as well as making them more successful in their forever homes. Additionally, Kristina is a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy “Train Your Cat” course with an expansive knowledge of cat behavior, enrichment and even clicker training your cat! Kristina is also an approved American Kennel Club evaluator for the Canine Good Citizen program, Urban CGC, S.T.A.R. Puppy, Tricks and Home Manners programs.
*MPH (Master of Public Health), KPA CTP (Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner), CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed)
