Laura Nativo, CPDT-KA® KPA CTP

Laura Nativo is a TV host, pet lifestyle expert, Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Karen Pryor Certified Training Partner and her favorite title, proud dog mom. After appearing on the CBS reality series Greatest American Dog in 2008 Laura embarked (pun intended) on a mission to make the world a better place for pets, in honor of her Pomeranian sidekick, Preston. 10 years later, Laura remains more passionate than ever, about the power of positive reinforcement training to better the human-canine bond. Laura served for four years as the resident pet expert “family member” on the Emmy-nominated lifestyle show Home & Family on Hallmark Channel. She hosted two seasons of Dog Park Superstars for the Game Show Network, and has appeared on countless news and talk shows, including The TODAY Show and Inside Edition. Laura is currently in the final stages of development for a new dog TV series that will air on a major cable network.

Laura’s three dogs, Preston Casanova (15) Penelope Supafly (8) and Delilah Jane Sassafras (4) all #embraced their work as professional actors, models and their mom’s demo dogs. Look for them starring in the feature films A Dog & Pony Show and The Puppy Swap. They are the inspiration for Laura’s dedication to helping pet parents communicate with their four-legged best friends. Laura train dogs all along the California coast, and is determined to make dog training easy, accessible and fun for both ends of the leash.

"When I first brought home my heart dog Preston 15 years ago I was determined to create a joy-filled relationship based on trust, reciprocity, and communication. He was my first dog, and all I knew about dog training was from one of those “Idiot’s Guide To…” books. I was pursuing a career in show business and that meant long hours on set and jet-setting around the country. Dog training became a natural side effect in my quest to help him feel comfortable in my world.

My journey towards becoming a dog trainer was awesome, though accidental. I needed Preston to remain quiet in a crate while on a movie set, chill in a bag while I ran errands, relax on a mat while I had business lunches, and become trained enough to pass a therapy dog test because I wanted to help him bring joy to children in the hospital. Preston, the son of an aspiring actress, started booking his own work as a doggie actor and model. Over time, my brilliant little Pomeranian learned over 100 words and phrases – he could surf, skateboard, play the piano, he knew the difference between CRY, SPEAK, GROWL, and SNEEZE."