About Us

Your Canine Coach - Miki Kanamaru Psychologist

Miki is a Registered Psychologist in private practice for humans in Sydney. She has a Behavioural Sciences Honours Degree (Psychology) and a Masters Degree in Counselling. Having had over 30 years of experience with caring for and training dogs coupled with her interest in animal behaviour, she is passionate about creating happier dogs and happier humans. She is well known for being able to bring about positive change in the most challenging behavioural issues in dogs where other 'dog trainers' have tried but failed.

There's no such thing as a bad dog...

Our motto is - There's no such thing as a bad dog. Any problems with dog behaviour is almost always to do with poor training, lack of boundaries, and issues around the physical and /or psychological environment of the dog. Essentially, it's more to do with what you are or aren't doing in your day to day interactions with your dog. We can teach you to better understand your dog's psychology, behaviours and needs, and demonstrate the kind of productive interaction all dogs need to be balanced and healthy. We only use compassionate, caring and gentle methods that are results-orientated, that brings out the highest potential in your dog.

Canine Coaching with Pawsitive Mindset

Pawsitive Mindset is about using the principles of Positive Psychology to change the behaviour of dogs by creating a better mindset in them. It's about changing your mindset as the owner and helping you to relate to your dog and communicate with them so that they can be a relaxed, calm and highly responsive companion.

Positive Psychology and Dog Training

What is Positive Psychology?

Positive Psychology is a scientific approach to studying thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, with a focus on strengths instead of weaknesses, building the good in life instead of just fixing the bad, and helping take life into not just 'surviving' or 'normal' but to 'THRIVING'!

Within the field of Psychology, Positive Psychology specialises in looking at character strengths, optimism, life satisfaction, happiness, wellbeing, gratitude, compassion, self-esteem and confidence building, in order to help humans thrive and live their best lives.

One of the most important benefit of Positive Psychology is that it teaches us the power of shifting one’s perspective and changing one's mindset. Studies show that a relatively small change in mindset can lead to profound changes in wellbeing and quality of life.

At Pawsitive Mindset, this is exactly what we do with our Canines. We focus on building on your dog's confidence, positively reinforcing them, and changing their mindset so that they can become a highly responsive, calm, relaxed and happy companion, irrespective of age, size or breed.

canine coaching - because it's never just about the dog

Canine Coaching is about coaching you on how to get the best out of your dog.

Dogs are called "Mans Best Friend" for a reason. For over 30,000 years, dogs have lived along side humans, evolving and adapting to our lifestyle, behaviours and needs. Being pack animals, they are wired to be sensitive to their pack moods and behaviour and respond according to what is happening within their pack and pack leader. Naturally, for domestic pet dogs, their pack is their human family. This is why dogs are sensitive to and heavily influenced by the mood, behaviours and lifestyle of their human family.

When we see developmental issues, behavioural and psychological problems in dogs, it is almost never just about the dog. It is always something that needs to be looked at in the context of their physical and psychological environment and their human pack.

Pawsitive Mindset deals with puppy development, canine behavioural and psychological issues in a holistic way. It's about your dog's mental and physical wellbeing, but in the context of you, your family and your lifestyle and bringing out the best in your dog.