Olivia Connatser, CPDT-KA joined the What a Great Dog! team in May 2021, and she completed the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations course and the WAGD Trainer Education Program in 2021. Olivia graduated with a degree in Animal Science from the University of Arkansas in 2021 just before joining WAGD.
Olivia has always been an animal lover, and grew up working with horses for many years at a horse camp in Michigan. She started taking classes at WAGD in 2013 with her Golden Retriever, Sadie, then again in 2019 with her Cattle Dog mix, Samoa. In 2020, she interned with the Dallas Zoo Wildlife Show where she worked with species like Macaws, Capybara, Beavers and Birds of Prey; this is where she discovered her passion for positive, reward based training.
In her free time, Olivia volunteers at a local animal shelter, enjoys playing golf, going on hikes and artwork/drawing. She also loves training with her newest dog, a Great Pyrenees mix named Sylvie who loves Nose Work, Tricks, and Manners!