Andrea Quattrucci adores those “wow” moments when a client suddenly realizes they can communicate with their dog.
Born in South America with Italian heritage, Andrea moved to England in 2019. She had worked in packaging and design and never considered a career with animals until she began watching the “It’s Me or the Dog” television show featuring Victoria Stilwell.
“I just clicked with it,” says Andrea. “The way she could problem-solve and create that magic of understanding between humans and dogs fascinated me.”
Overcoming the Language Barrier
Determined to learn more, Andrea embarked on an educational journey, starting with canine psychology courses through Animal Care College in Devon. As a native Spanish speaker, the first challenge was to master the vocabulary of dog training in English. This required tremendous dedication.
“It was so, so hard at the beginning,” Andrea admits. “I didn’t even know what the word ‘breed’ meant!”
She spent countless hours reading books, Googling terms, and filling folders with careful notes. By the time she enrolled in VSA’s online Dog Trainer Course, she also had a young family.
Taking Her Education to the Next Level
A pivotal moment in her education was taking VSA’s add-on In-Person Track (IPT). “The in-person track was eye-opening!” she enthuses about the intensive week of working in person with Victoria, Jo Pay, Adam Daines and other world-class trainers, plus nearly 90 dogs.
During the IPT, Andrea learned to refine her communication style—no small feat for someone who describes herself as “passionate and fiery” with a tendency toward animated hand gestures.
“It helped me to clean up my technique, to be more specific and direct, and to understand how dogs truly perceive our communication,” she says. “I had to learn how to cool down, how to communicate—not just with dogs, but with their owners too. It took time, but now I feel confident in my abilities.”
She even stays in touch with IPT classmates. “Meeting so many people from different countries—I have a friend from Singapore now and another from Denmark —it’s amazing. But we all had one thing in common,” Andrea says. These relationships have endured beyond graduation, creating a supportive international network of like-minded, positive dog professionals.
Building Her Own Brand
Today, Andrea runs The Pawsitive Coach, based in a village outside Manchester. Starting with just a few flyers in the local supermarket, she’s built a thriving business through word-of-mouth referrals.
Andrea credits her past experience in packaging design for helping establish her brand. “I built everything from scratch—my website, flyers, business cards,” she explains. “It was magical to see my passion take form. Part of believing in yourself as a professional is looking the part. I always tell new trainers: get a branded jumper, put your logo on your car, create a professional website. If you don’t believe in your business, no one else will.”
For those considering a career in dog training, Andrea’s advice is straightforward: “Don’t overthink it. We always doubt ourselves a lot – am I going to be good enough? Am I going to love it?” She recommends exploring VSA’s introductory courses to get started. “If you like positive training, if you like kindness, if you like actually working with emotions and understanding there’s always something behind a behavior – VSA’s the place.”
Despite the hard work, Andrea doesn’t see dog training as a job. “It’s fulfillment because you see the change in the dog, you see the change in the person, and you can fix a relationship. It’s beautiful. I don’t feel like I’m working—I’m helping people connect with their dogs. Witnessing those ‘wow’ moments when an owner realizes their dog understands them, that moment makes everything worth it.”
Learn more about preparing for a rewarding career as a dog trainer with VSA’s premier Dog Trainer Course.
