Heleen VS (She/Her/Hers)

Heleen has been training for 8+ years. Her passion for training and behavior began in Belgium in 2017 as she explored scent-based sports and Control Unleashed training with the sweetest dog in the world, Ghost.

She is an easy-going behavior nerd who prioritizes emotional and physical welfare over obedience. Heleen is passionate about understanding behavior and helping pets and humans find connection and thrive. She trains client' animals as she trains her own; with understanding and fun.

She has 5+ years of experience working with rescue animals both as a foster and as the Behavior and Training Director of a local rescue.

At Nosewise our training philosophy can be summarized as welfare over obedience; the physical and emotional welfare of our clients are prioritized over obedience to cues. Our approach to animal training emphasizes positive reinforcement, relationship building, and force free training. These terms can be difficult to parse so here are some concrete examples:

What we will do:

• Training sessions will be short and fun, using breaks to help animals and humans process and decompress

• Observe and respect body language as a guide for length and intensity of training sessions

• Choose environments where animals will be set up for success

• Use management to prevent practicing undesirable behaviors

What we will not do:

• Intentional corrections as part of training (includes the use of prong collars, e-collars, leash corrections, airhorn, spray bottle, etc.)

• Force pets into situations they are too stressed or too uncomfortable in to regulate and learn

• Use flooding as desensitization

But sometimes you have to do something the animal doesn't want....

Yes, in an emergency we sometimes have to make decisions/handle our animals with force. This is different from setting up intentional training sessions. 

While dog training is not a regulated industry Heleen has taken various courses and hands-on trainings about behavior, body language, behavior modification techniques, scentwork, and other dog sports since 2017. She is committed to continuing to learn and improve to provide the best support to clients and her own dogs.

She is a supporting member of and preparing to certify through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She is also working towards taking the Certified Control Unleashed Instructor course.

For a list of Heleen's various courses and trainings go here.

As a queer and immigrant-owned business, we are committed to creating an inclusive space for all pet families. We recognize that systemic racism and implicit biases affect the pet service industry, just as they affect all areas of society, with marginalized communities bearing the greatest impact. We acknowledge that we are not immune to these biases, and we actively work to examine our own assumptions and challenge discriminatory practices to ensure our services welcome everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or background.