Andrew Ballantyne is the owner and head trainer at BigPicture.Training.

 

Growing up I always longed for a dog but our situation didn’t allow for it. When I was nineteen and living on my own, my first dog Y-Lee came into my life. We had a phenomenal 11 years together. I lucked out! Y-Lee was an amazing, well trained, and socialized pup (though he would find new ways to get into the garbage can).

After Y-Lee’s passing, I found myself spending more time with my “nephew” dog, Bludger. Bludger was my first brief introduction to clicker training. When Bludger had a new sister come along, I attended training classes with my sister-in-law and new pup Tonks (I was thinking about getting a new puppy too). I was blown away by the class headed by Laura Monaco Torelli of Animal Behavior Training Concepts. The welcoming environment and explanation of positive reinforcement really clicked with me (pun intended). I was hooked and attended the next Karen Pryor Academy “Dog Trainer Professional” class taught by Laura. It was an amazing learning experience and solidified the next phase in my life: dog training and working with dogs.

 

I continue to gain more knowledge of training and animal behavior by attending conferences, taking courses, and working with veterinary behaviorists.

Education and Experience