© 2013 APDT. All rights reserved.
Ken Ramirez
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| Ken Ramirez |
Ken Ramirez, executive vice-president of animal care and animal training, develops and supervises animal care programs, staff training and development as well as public presentation programs for the entire animal collection at Shedd Aquarium. He joined Shedd Aquarium in 1989.
A 35+ year veteran of zoological animal care and training, Ramirez is a biologist and animal behaviorist who served nine years at Marineworld of Texas. He was also a trainer and coordinator at Ocean Safari in South Padre Island, Texas, as well as a consultant to many zoo and aquarium programs throughout the world. He began his training career working with guide dogs for the visually impaired and has maintained a close affiliation to pet training throughout his career. He hosted two seasons of the pet training television series Talk to the Animals that compares pet training to the important work done with training and caring for animals in zoological facilities. He has also worked closely with several search and rescue dog organizations as well as with bomb and narcotic dogs.
Ramirez has been active in several professional organizations, including the International Marine Animal Trainer's Association (IMATA), of which he is a past president, and the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, where he served on the board of directors for nearly 15 years. He also has served on the board of the American Cetacean Society. Ken is actively involved in the creation of a certification process for animal trainers in zoo settings. He is also on the faculty of the annual Karen Pryor Clicker Expos – designed to introduce advances in positive reinforcement to the world.
Ramirez has written for several scientific publications, including Marine Mammals: Public Display and Research and Soundings, the IMATA Quarterly. He teaches a graduate course on animal training at Western Illinois University and has authored the book ANIMAL TRAINING: Successful Animal Management through Positive Reinforcement, published in 1999.
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Denise Fenzi
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| Denise Fenzi |
Denise Fenzi is a 30 year veteran of training, competing, and titling in the sports of schutzhund, obedience, tracking, agility, Mondioring, conformation, and herding who has earned multiple High In Trials in the sports of obedience and schutzhund. Denise's positive training methods are widely recognized for producing dogs with exceptional attention, accuracy and enthusiasm for their work.
She uses her extensive knowledge of canine behavior to motivate the dog and turn training into a positive experience for an enthusiastic and accurate performance. She has extensive experience working with all kinds of dogs.
Denise's personal passions are motivating dogs with alternatives to food, and introducing as many dog sports enthusiasts as possible to dog friendly techniques. Denise is well known for her clever problem solving and relationship building techniques.
Denise is the owner of www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com
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Colleen Pelar, CPDT-KA
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| Colleen Pelar, CPDT-KA |
Colleen Pelar, CPDT-KA has over more than 21 years of helping parents navigate the challenges of living with kids and dogs, Colleen Pelar has honed a unique perspective filled with humor and practical, easy-to-implement tips for success. Colleen wants to ensure that kids and dogs have happy, healthy relationships. To further that goal, she has written three books, Living with Kids and Dogs . . . Without Losing YourMind, Kids and Dogs: A Professional's Guide to Helping Families, and Puppy Training for Kids.
As training manager of All About Dogs, LLC, the largest dog-training facility in northern Virginia, Colleen oversees numerous group classes, private lessons, behavioral evaluations, and behavior modification programs. Named one of the best training facilities in the D.C. area by Washingtonian magazine, All About Dogs caters to families and looks for ways to help parents successfully integrate a dog into their busy lives.
Colleen gives presentations around the country, educating people about how to live safely with kids and dogs. She also was an instructor at the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Academy where she taught police officers how to interact with the many dogs they encounter on the job.
An active member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), Colleen regularly attends dog-training seminars and has earned the Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) titles.
e with a Labrador Retriever, a Belgian Tervuren and a Papillon who reigns over it all.
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Virginia Broitman
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| Virginia Broitman |
Virginia Broitman is a nationally recognized clicker trainer who began her dog training career in 1981. Over the years her business, North Star Canines, has provided group and private training, and in-home behavior counseling where gentle and positive techniques are used for effective problem solving. She has also trained a number of Service Dogs, and is co-producer of the Bow Wow series of clicker training DVDs.
Since Jan. 2007, Virginia has been Head Trainer for Pixie's Pen Pals, an organization that places shelter dogs with qualified inmates at prison facilities. Here the dogs receive training and behavior modification before being adopted to the public.
Since 1998, Virginia has presented training workshops around the US and overseas, and was a faculty member of ClickerExpo for six years. She was also a contributing writer for the curriculum of Karen Pryor's Academy for Animal Training & Behavior, and has written training articles for numerous publications.
Virginia's dogs have participated in pet therapy visits, agility, herding, and TV/advertising work. The current menagerie includes a shepherd, papillon, sheltie mix, two min pins, and four rats.
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Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA
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| Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA |
Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP, owns Pawsitive Results, L.L.C., and has been a professional dog trainer for more than 17 years. Teoti is the author of Your Outta Control Puppy, Super Simple Guide to Housetraining, Quick and Easy Crate Training and Terra-Nova Puppy Care and Training. She is also a columnist for Modern Dog magazine, and a contributing author to The Dog Trainer's Resource: An APDT Chronicle of the Dog Collection (Parts I and II) and APDT's Top Tips from Top Trainers.
Teoti served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) for six years, serving as President from 2004-2006. She's been interviewed for Southern Living, DogFancy, The New York Times, Whole Dog Journal, Puppies USA and other national publications.
She is a popular presenter at conferences across the country and in Japan, sharing information on training, dog behavior, bite prevention, and volunteering with animals in healthcare facilities. Teoti is also a founding member of the Carolinas Trainers Forum, a networking group of dog trainers in North and South Carolina. She assists local and national dog rescue groups with fostering and training consultations.
A licensed Pet Partner for more than a decade, Teoti visits healthcare patients with her animal companions. Teoti also serves as a Pet Partners Instructor and Evaluator, teaching others how to volunteer with their pets and screening teams for the program. She also serves as Co-Chair of the National Team Evaluator Advisory Council. Teoti is the founding member of Prescription Paws, a Pet Partners® affiliate group. She shares her home with a Labrador Retriever, a Belgian Tervuren and a Papillon who reigns over it all.
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Malena DeMartini-Price
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| Malena DeMartini-Price |
Malena DeMartini-Price is renowned in the dog-training world for her expertise on canine separation anxiety disorder. She is an honors graduate of the esteemed San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, where she studied under Jean Donaldson, and is a member of the Association for Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).
Malena has been training dogs professionally for over 10 years, and in this time, she has worked one-on-one with hundreds of separation anxiety cases. Her particular strength lies in reading the subtleties of dog body language and guiding owners patiently and with great enthusiasm through the gentle process of healing their dogs. Today, her practice is focused exclusively on the disorder. When she isn't working with dog owners in person, she counsels, lectures, and writes to further develop awareness and comprehension of this agonizing behavioral disorder.
Malena lives in Northern California with her husband Kevin—also a certified dog trainer—their two rescue dogs, Leia and Tini, and their forever-hungry cat, Kana, who by all estimations will live to be a hundred.
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Brian Hare, PhD
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| Brian Hare, PhD |
Brian Hare, PhD, 37, is an ASSOCIATE professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University and is a member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience which is a division of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University, founded the Hominoid Psychology Research Group while at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, and subsequently founded the Duke Canine Cognition Center when arriving at Duke University. Dr. Hare also recently helped found and acts as Chief Science Officer of Dognition.com, a new service that helps dog owners develop a deeper understanding of and enrich their relationship with their dogs. His book, "The Genius of Dogs,"written with co-author and wife Vanessa Woods has since its release become a New York Times bestseller.
Dr. Hare has published dozens of empirical articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals including Science, Current Biology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the Royal Society, PLoS Biology, Animal Behavior, Animal Cognition and the Journal of Comparative Psychology. His publications on dog cognition are among the most heavily cited papers on dog behavior and intelligence. In 2004 The German Federal Ministry of Research and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation named him a recipient of the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award, Germany's most prestigious award for scientists under the age of 40. In 2007 Smithsonian Magazine named him one of the top 37 U.S. scientists under the age of 36.
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Chris Lee
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| Chris Lee |
Chris Lee is Senior Director of Information Technology
at Rikter Corporation, a web development and design company headquartered in Los
Angeles, California. He is known for his high-energy and engaging lecture style.
He leads organizational teams that are responsible
for the strategy, development, implementation, maintenance and business partner
support of web and software applications—from the corporate environment to the non-profit
organization sector.
Originally a television editor for ABC Television, Inc., Chris has been a professional
web developer for over 17 years. He brings a vast and diverse background of design
creativity, usability, and digital media into the web application medium. He regularly
works with application development, software development, cloud, Microsoft .NET
Framework, VB.NET, C#, jQuery, JSON, ASP.NET, HTML5, XML, CSS, ADO.NET, video production
and editing, database design, and electronic newsletter automation.
He is a specialist in the use of HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript responsive design technologies
for web portal applications and corporate intranets, as well as mobile apps on iPhone/Android/Blackberry. He also regularly serves as a technical
consultant for clients looking to incorporate additional social media strategies
into their online presence. Chris regularly conducts lectures at seminars around the
world and advises corporations on adopting a standards-based architecture for their
web applications.
When not developing web applications or lecturing, Chris oversees the IT operations
of Rikter Corporation as well as several other technology companies, where he serves
on the Board of Directors. Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and
certificates in programming languages.
Chris resides in Los Angeles, California, with his wife, two children, and one
amazing Shetland sheepdog. His daily dose of web design advice and news can be followed
on Twitter (@Pal2Tech).
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Denise Fenzi
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| Denise Fenzi |
Denise Fenzi is a 30 year veteran of training, competing, and titling in the sports of schutzhund, obedience, tracking, agility, Mondioring, conformation, and herding who has earned multiple High In Trials in the sports of obedience and schutzhund. Denise's positive training methods are widely recognized for producing dogs with exceptional attention, accuracy and enthusiasm for their work.
She uses her extensive knowledge of canine behavior to motivate the dog and turn training into a positive experience for an enthusiastic and accurate performance. She has extensive experience working with all kinds of dogs.
Denise's personal passions are motivating dogs with alternatives to food, and introducing as many dog sports enthusiasts as possible to dog friendly techniques. Denise is well known for her clever problem solving and relationship building techniques.
Denise is the owner of www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com
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Terry Ryan
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| Terry Ryan |
Terry Ryan is one of the most recognizable names in the dog training world. President of Legacy Canine Behavior and Training, Terry lectures and conducts workshops around the world. She is a best-selling author whose Coaching People To Train Their Dogs is a staple on dog trainers' book shelves. Terry's programs for dog trainers, including the famous Chicken Camps, are attended by trainers from across the country as well as by international students.
Terry and her staff teach community classes including Puppy’s Head Start, Pet Dog Manners and several different continuing education courses such as agility, freestyle, scent work and training games. She also provides private consultation concerning behavior issues.
Terry Ryan has maintained membership and held various offices in local, national and international organizations including past president and Life Member of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors. She is a charter member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and serves on the behavior and training advisory board of the American Humane Society.
Terry was one of six chairpersons who wrote the national standards for humane dog training funded by the American Humane Association published at Guidelines for Humane Dog Training by the Delta Society.
Terry has written for several national dog magazines including the American Kennel Club Gazette, Dog Fancy, Off Lead, and Clean Run Agility magazines. Her books and booklets include: Puppy Primer, Leadership Education for Anyone with a Dog, Games People Play… To Train Their Dogs, Life Beyond Block Heeling, The Toolbox for Remodeling Your Problem Dog, The Bark Stops Here, Outwitting Dogs, Sounds Good CD series, Toolbox for Building a Great Family Dog, and Textbook for instructors: Coaching People to Train Their Dogs.
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Lauren Fox, BA, CPDT-KA
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| Lauren Fox, BA, CPDT-KA |
Lauren Fox, CPDT-KA has been the Executive Director of Colorado Springs' All Breed Rescue & Training since 1998. On the training side of the organization she teaches group classes, provides private consultations, evaluations, and counseling. Through its rescue arm she rescues and re-homes more than 100 dogs a year, and has personally fostered over 100 dogs. She presents training demonstrations and seminars at animal shelters, schools, libraries, and veterinary practices. She has taught both high school and college level courses in animal behavior, and has clicker trained and rehabilitated hundreds of animals, including many breeds of dogs, wolves, wolf-crosses, cats, parrots, donkeys and horses.
Lauren's roots in training and rescue began when she worked in veterinary clinics in Florida and Colorado while completing degrees at Florida State University (BA – Theater) and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (BA – English). As she became more involved with abandoned and abused rescue dogs, she recognized the need for rehabilitation through training.
She became interested in positive reinforcement methods of dog training in 1995 when, after numerous correction based classes, her two-year old American Pitbull Terrier, Obsidian (aka "Sid"), stopped working for her in the middle of an Obedience trial. She knew she needed a non-forceful way to train Sid, and sought a method of training that they would both enjoy. When research led to Lauren's discovery of both Karen Pryor and Ian Dunbar's methods, she and Sid were hooked! This inspired her to study under an accomplished animal behavior counselor and develop training methods which worked on the most problematic of dogs.
Within a year, Sid entered the world of Agility and became the first American Pitbull Terrier to compete in the state of Colorado, earning over ten titles during his record-breaking career. Additionally, Lauren and Sid's relationship deepened to a level she never knew could exist between a dog and his owner. Although she lost Sid at age 16 in August 2010, he remains Lauren's inspiration for why she is so passionate about teaching others positive reinforcement methods of dog training.
Lauren is a frequent contributor to print, radio and televised media, including Dog Fancy and Bully Breed magazines, and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers The Chronicle of the Dog. She is a recognized speaker and presenter at national conferences, among them: Pet Sitters International Quest Conference, and Continental Kennel Clubs Breeders Conference, as well as past APDT conferences.
Lauren currently shares her home with six dogs, a cat, an umbrella cockatoo, three donkeys, two twelve-year-old human children and one amazing spouse!
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Veronica Boutelle, MA Ed, CTC
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| Veronica Boutelle, MA Ed, CTC |
Veronica Boutelle, MA Ed, CTC, is the founder and co-president of dog*tec. She is the author of How To Run a Dog Business: Putting Your Career Where Your Heart Is, co-author of Minding Your Dog Business, and writes the business column for APDT's Chronicle of the Dog.
Formerly Director of Behavior & Training at the San Francisco SPCA, Veronica now teaches and consults one-on-one across the country, helping dog professionals to achieve business success and put their careers where their hearts are.
Prior to working in the dog field, Veronica taught curriculum development and instruction to graduate students and classroom teachers.
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Imbi Kiiss, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP
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| Imbi Kiiss, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP |
Imbi Kiiss owns Animal Behavior Services of Cape Cod, which also operates GO Puppy! Good-Dog School. She is certified via CCPDT (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers) as a CPDT-KA, (Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed), via Karen Pryor Academy as a KPA-CTP (Certified Training Partner), and via TAGteach International at the Primary level. She is a long time professional member of APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) and supporting member of the IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants).
Behavior of many species has interested Imbi since she pursued her BA in Psychology, and her interest is ongoing as a practitioner of applied behavior analysis. Having been fortunate to learn directly from many of the pioneering experts in learning and behavior, she enjoys the sharing and exchanging of ideas and critical thinking that benefit the professionalization of dog training practitioners. Imbi has offered workshops, trainer career development, group sessions and private consults since 1992. She provides services supporting local shelters, 4-H groups, therapy visitation groups, and at the invitation of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, traveled to Beijing, China to provide shelter worker education. She currently specializes in trainer education, behavior consultations, and pet dog classes, and participates actively in educational events such as Clicker Expo, and conferences hosted by the APDT and IAABC. Imbi also enjoys being the human teammate for her own pet dogs in activities such as Agility, Rally, and community events.
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Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, Diplomate, ACVM
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Dr. Ronald D. Schultz,
Diplomate, ACVM |
Dr. Ronald Schultz is Professor and the Founding Chair of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, having held that position for the past 30 years. Prior to joining the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1982, he was on the faculty at the Veterinary Colleges at Cornell University, 1970-78 and at Auburn University, 1978-82.
Dr. Schultz has long-standing scientific interests in the following areas: immunopathogenesis of viral diseases; developmental aspects of immunity; effects of environmental factors on immune systems; vaccinology. Research projects in his laboratory are numerous and varied. Primary emphasis is on the pathogenesis of viral infections, Canine Distemper Virus, Canine and Feline Parvovirus, Canine and Feline Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex and Feline Leukemia Virus.
Studies are ongoing on development and/or testing of various adjuvants and vaccines for numerous bacterial and viral diseases of domesticated species. The role of various environmental factors on the immune system is being determined in an effort to explain the mechanism that nutrients, hormones and environmental toxicants have on susceptibility to infectious disease.
Dr. Schultz was the first president of the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists and received the first Distinguished Veterinary Immunologist Award. He has also served as President of Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases. He was a member of the American Animal Hospital Associations' Canine Vaccine Task Force, the American Association of Feline Practitioners' Feline Vaccine Task Force, and the Veterinary Vaccine Group of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. He was also a member of the AVMA Feline Vaccine Associated Sarcoma Task Force.
He has been actively involved in Shelter Medicine for the past 15 years. His laboratory provides diagnostic services for shelters through a grant from the Maddie's Fund. In addition to the diagnostic services, he also gives seminars to shelter veterinarians and provides advice to shelters with outbreaks of various infectious diseases on prevention and/or control through vaccines and diagnostics!
Dr. Schultz has authored numerous articles on immunology and on infectious diseases. He has trained many graduate students and post-doctoral fellows and has received many grants for his research and holds a number of patents.
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Lisa R. McCluskey, BS, CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA
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| Lisa R. McCluskey, BS, CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA |
Lisa R. McCluskey, BS, CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA has been working intensively with companion animals professionally for over 16 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with a strong focus on Companion Animals and Canine Behavior from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1997. Lisa was the first Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) in the state of Illinois, has become one of the first in the USA to earn the Certified Behavior Consultant Canine - Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge and Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA) credentials, is one of only a few (in the U.S.) Accredited Dog Training/Pet Behaviour Specialists of the Pet Behaviour Institute of the United Kingdom and she strives to enrich her education in canine behavior through hosting and attending continuing education seminars every year.
Lisa assisted world renowned canine behaviourist John Rogerson on the first 21 day international dog training/behavior course at Canines Can Care Dog Training Centre, Kusur, Pune District, India; is a Professional Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), an American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator, the Secretary and a CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA & CBCC-KSA exam committee member for the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), chair of the Public Education Committee (PEC) of the Akita Club of America (ACA), a co-founder of Midwest Akita Rescue Society (MARS), was a Certified Delta Society Pet Partner with her rescue Akita "Tess" (an animal-assisted activity and animal-assisted therapy dog), and qualified for the silver level at the first ever USA Rally Working Trials (RWT) competition with her SiberCaan Dog "June".
Lisa also presented her research, "Utilizing the Companion Sniffer Dog Training Method to Develop Aptitude in Locating Target Scents" (poster session) at the 2010 APDT Annual Educational Conference in Atlanta, GA. Additionally, she has shared her two award winning research projects, "An Evidence-Based Canine Companion Training Curriculum Assessment Methodology" in the "Meet the Experts" scientific track at the 2011 APDT Conference in San Diego, CA and "Using a Canine Companion Training Curriculum to Reduce Return Rates in a No-Kill Animal Shelter Environment," at the 2012 APDT Conference in Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati, OH. For more information, please refer to her curriculum vitae at: www.moongazer.com/training/docs/McCluskeyCV.pdf
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Nicole Wilde, CPDT-KA
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| Nicole Wilde, CPDT-KA |
Nicole Wilde, CPDT-KA is an internationally recognized, award-winning author and lecturer as well as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). Her nine books include So You Want to be a Dog Trainer, Help for Your Fearful Dog, and Don't Leave Me! Step-by-Step Help for Your Dog's Separation Anxiety (www.nicolewilde.com). In addition to working with dogs, Nicole has worked with wolves and wolfdogs for over fifteen years and is considered an expert in the field.
Nicole is the recipient of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers' prestigious Ian Dunbar Member of the Year Award for 2006, and is a popular speaker at the organization's conferences. She is on the Advisory Board of the Companion Animal Sciences Institute, the educational branch for the International Institute for Applied Companion Animal Behavior. Nicole educates professional trainers and others online and in print, and writes an "Ask the Expert" column for Modern Dog Magazine.
Nicole lives in southern California with her two northern breed dogs, sled loads of dog hair, and one very understanding husband. She runs Gentle Guidance Dog Training, and continues to write and publish books and to teach seminars worldwide. Her blog, Wilde About Dogs, can be found at nicolewilde.com. You can also find Nicole on Facebook at https://facebook.com/NicoleWildeAuthor and Twitter at http://twitter.com/NicoleWilde.
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Allan Bauman
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| Allan Bauman |
Allan Bauman has been actively training dogs for over 28 years. He started his early career successfully competing in Obedience Competition. This developed into a career of Pet Care and Dog Training. He operated Goldenbrook Kennels for 18 years, where they handle over 300 dogs per week.
Through his pet care facility Allan discovered the need for training the family pet. He set the goal of helping the family pet owner to be able to get their rambunctious adolescent puppy under control using gentle, effective methods that even the youngest family member can apply. Allan has become well known for his gentle yet effective methods.
Allan is a Charter Member and Past President of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. He currently serves on the Board of the APDT Foundation. He has lectured both Nationally and Internationally. Allan's book "Paw-sitive Dog Training is a recommended reading by Dogwise through its reader's polls. The video version of his book has been named a Top Video of the year through The Whole Dog Journal.
His new book… Games and Rhymes for Dog Training Times- a children's dog training book has just been released. Also available is a full day children's workshop using the exercises in the book. It is on DVD.
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Aubrey Fine, Dr., Lic Psychologist
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| Aubrey Fine, Dr., Lic Psychologist |
Aubrey Fine, Dr., Lic Psychologist has been in the field of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) for over thirty years. His work and insight into the human animal bond has placed him at the cutting edge in the field. His greatest asset is his capability to translate his insights in a warm and receptive manner. Dr. Fine's clinical practice focuses on the treatment of children with developmental, learning, attention and behavioral disorders. He received his license as a psychologist in 1987.
Dr. Fine has also been an active faculty member at California State Polytechnic University 1981. He is presently a Professor in the Department of Education. His leadership among faculty and teaching excellence earned him the prestigious Wang Award in 2001, given to a distinguished professor within the California State University system, in this instance for exceptional commitment, dedication, and exemplary contributions within the areas of education and applied sciences. Dr. Fine has received numerous other awards for his professional contributions including the Educator of The Year Award given by the California Learning Disability Association.
He is the editor of the most widely accepted book on the subject, The Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy which is now in its third edition (Elsevier/Academic Press, 2010. He also has had a featured monthly column in Dog Fancy Magazine on the human animal bond entitled the Loving Bond. He has also been a guest on numerous national TV and Radio Shows including on programs on ABC, Animal Planet, KTLA, and CNN.
Dr. Fine has published other academic books, numerous articles, and video documentaries on related subjects such as parent/child relationships, learning/attention disorders, and sports psychology.
His book Afternoons with Puppy (released by Purdue University in 2008 is a heartwarming account about the evolving relationships and outcomes among a therapist, his therapy animals and his patients over the course of over two decades. This book documents some of the magnificent outcomes and discoveries that I have witnessed and made over the past few decades working with these animals, showing how the reader can apply these observations and discoveries to their lives. Afternoons with Puppy pays tribute to his first "therapy dog" Puppy and all the other animals he has worked with that eventually altered his approach to psychotherapy.
Over the past 30 years, Fine has researched and studied the value of AAT with children as well as the elderly. In addition, he has strongly integrated the foundations of AAT into his clinical practice, which primarily focuses on the treatment of children with attention, behavioral, adjustment and developmental disorders. Over this period, he has applied AAT with a variety of children with diverse forms of etiology and has witnessed many moving outcomes as a result of incorporating animals as therapeutic agents.
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Irith Bloom, CPDT-KSA, CDBC, KPA CTP, VSPDT
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| Irith Bloom |
Irith Bloom, CPDT-KSA, CDBC, KPA CTP, VSPDT has been training animals since the 1980s, and has worked with everything from chickens and rabbits to dogs and horses – not to mention humans. A biologist by training, Irith continues to be fascinated by the science of learning, and loves taking part in seminars and conferences. Irith is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge & Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA), a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), and a Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Trainer (VSPDT). She is also certified in TAGteach, an R+ method for coaching humans.
Irith has written for a variety of online publications, and has had her work published in The APDT Chronicle of the Dog and Everydog Magazine. She is a member of the Steering Committee of the Los Angeles County 2020 Healthy Pets Healthy Families Coalition, a One Health Initiative focused on improving the health and well-being of pets and their people. She also volunteers with National English Shepherd Rescue.
Irith is the owner of The Sophisticated Dog, a pet training company based in Los Angeles, California that specializes in private training and behavior consulting. She shares her home with a rescued English Shepherd named Franklin and her husband Aaron (not a rescue).
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Don Hanson, BFRAP, CDBC, CPDT-KA
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| Don Hanson, BFRAP, CDBC, CPDT-KA |
Don Hanson has been the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, Maine since 1995. Green Acres Kennel Shop (www.greenacreskennel.com) is a Pet Care Services Association VFA accredited facility offering boarding daycare, grooming, training classes, behavioral consultations and the sale of wholesome pet food and quality supplies.
Don is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP). He consults with pet parents on a variety of behavioral problems such as separation anxiety and aggression. Don and his training staff teach as many as 17 classes per week, focusing on companion dog training.
Active in the community, Don is a past President of the Madison Audubon Society, the Bangor Humane Society Board of Directors and is a past Chair/President of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) Board of Trustees. He is currently serving on the APDT Board as Treasurer and as a member of the APDT Education Advisory Group.
Don has presented seminars on pet behavior, dog training, pet nutrition and Bach Flower Remedies in Canada, the Caribbean, Japan, and throughout the US. He has been the producer and host of "The Woof-Meow" show, a weekly radio program on WVOM-FM/WVQM-FM, since 2005. Past episodes of the show are available as podcasts and at the Apple iTunes store.
Don and his wife Paula currently share their home with three cats; Batman (a domestic short haired cat) and Thelma and Louise (Green Acres feline retail associates). Having recently lost their Golden Retriever Tikken at 16 years of age, they are reviewing plans for the next canine to join their family.
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Julie Hecht
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| Julie Hecht |
Julie Hecht is a canine behavioral researcher, lecturer and science writer. She manages Alexandra Horowitz's Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College in New York City, where they have investigated olfactory preferences, dogs' understanding of "fairness," dog-human play behavior, and common anthropomorphisms. Julie teaches the Applied Animal Behavior course to Anthrozoology Masters students at Canisius College.
In 2010, Julie founded Dog Spies with the motto, "What good is all this dog behavior research if it remains holed up in academic journals?" In March 2013, her blog, Dog Spies, joined the Scientific American Blog Network. She lectures and holds programs for the general public, student groups and dog enthusiasts on the science behind dogs and the dog-human relationship.
Julie is also a regular contributor to The Bark magazine and runs a joint, pen-pal blog with fellow canine science researcher Mia Cobb called Do You Believe in Dog?. Julie received a Masters with distinction in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare from the University of Edinburgh, and she starts PhD work in the Fall. She has conducted research with the Family Dog Project in Hungary, pioneers in the field of canine ethology.
She would really like to meet your dog.
Follow on Twitter @DogSpies * Facebook or visit Julie's website www.dogspies.com
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Mary McNeight, CPDT-KA, CCS, BGS
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| Mary McNeight, CPDT-KA, CCS, BGS |
Mary McNeight, CPDT-KA, CCS, BGS has been fascinated by dogs and the science of health as long as she can remember. While attending her final semester at the University of Michigan she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and social anxiety. When she arrived in Seattle in 2004 she was so consumed by it she was locking herself inside of her house for months upon end. Knowing that what she was doing was not healthy, she decided to finally get her own dog. The dog forced her to get out of her house and interact with the public. Knowing that mental disabilities were now covered under the American's With Disabilities Act she decided to train her own dog to assist her with her disabilities. Finding no one in her area that believed in Psychiatric Service Dogs, she had to make tasks and training methods up as she went along.
After several years of service she ended up having to transition to a new dog. She got an 8 week old puppy and enrolled him in 6 hours of puppy classes a week. Knowing what a service dog did for her and still not finding any resources in the area for self service dog training she decided she would have to become the resource she could not find. She obtained her state certified dog training degree and opened up Service Dog Academy in 2008 to try and help other disabled individuals train their own service dogs. Service Dog Academy now helps people around the world train their own dogs for service work via in studio classes and online programs with their main focus being Diabetic Alert and Medical Alert Dog training.
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Pam Nashman
Pam Nashman is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, (CPDT-KA) and owner of All About Dogs, which has been recognized as being among the best by the Washingtonian Magazine for working with family pets. All About Dogs has been training dogs since 1993 and now has opened it third location in Virginia.
She has lectured to various groups including rescue organizations, shelters and veterinary clinics, trainers and at the DC Police Academy on bite prevention and how to better understand dogs.
Living with a reactive dog and leading the reactive dog classes at All About Dogs in addition to her extensive experience working with owners in their homes has led to Pam becoming highly regarded for her work with reactive dogs and their owners.
Before working with dogs full time, Pam was a Human Resources Consultant. This combination is what makes Pam so good at working with both dogs and people. She is compassionate, patient, and intuitive. Pam enjoys reading books and attending seminars related to animal behavior and dog training. Pam earned a B.A. degree from George Washington University.
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Jacqueline Munera, CCBC, PCBC, CAP2
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| Jacqueline Munera, CCBC, PCBC, CAP2 |
Jacqueline Munera, CCBC, PCBC, CAP2 is an IAABC CCBC and is co-instructor of the Companion Animal Sciences Institute's Diploma of Feline Behavior program. As owner of Positive Cattitudes in Tampa, FL, she coaches human clients on how to live in harmony with their cats and dogs, while encouraging people to push the boundaries of what they think cats are capable of. Jacqueline presents internationally on a variety of cat training and behavior topics and has published multiple cat related articles.
Jacqueline and Jazzmanda are the first human-cat team in the world to pass level 2 of Kay Laurence's challenging test of clicker training skills, the Competency Assessment Programme (CAP). You can contact her or see some of her cat training and behavior videos at www.PositiveCattitudes.com.
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Pam Nashman
Pam Nashman is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, (CPDT-KA) and owner of All About Dogs, which has been recognized as being among the best by the Washingtonian Magazine for working with family pets. All About Dogs has been training dogs since 1993 and now has opened it third location in Virginia.
She has lectured to various groups including rescue organizations, shelters and veterinary clinics, trainers and at the DC Police Academy on bite prevention and how to better understand dogs.
Living with a reactive dog and leading the reactive dog classes at All About Dogs in addition to her extensive experience working with owners in their homes has led to Pam becoming highly regarded for her work with reactive dogs and their owners.
Before working with dogs full time, Pam was a Human Resources Consultant. This combination is what makes Pam so good at working with both dogs and people. She is compassionate, patient, and intuitive. Pam enjoys reading books and attending seminars related to animal behavior and dog training. Pam earned a B.A. degree from George Washington University.
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Gail Fisher
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| Gail Fisher |
With 40 years professional experience, Gail's background in dogs covers virtually all aspects of the field. A pioneer in many aspects of dog training, education and behavior, Gail developed the first University program for dog trainers and instructors in the world, a two-year certificate course, which she taught at the University of New Hampshire. Through her All Dogs Academy, she has continuously provided education and training for instructors and trainers for over 30 years. In 1976 Gail pioneered puppy classes for puppies as young as eight weeks. In 1993, she opened All Dogs Gym, pioneering the field of multi-dog interactive daycare. She founded and built All Dogs Gym, which is the largest dog activity center in the Northeast and one of the largest all-clicker-training programs in the country.
Gail is a past Board Member and President of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). Gail’s commitment to learning and sharing knowledge benefits dog owners, professionals and the dogs themselves. Her latest book, THE THINKING DOG—Crossover to Clicker Training is the quintessential manual for dog trainers interested in clicker training. She is also author of two award-winning books, training manuals, countless articles in major dog publications, and a weekly newspaper column. Gail’s programs and seminars have earned her acclaim as an International presenter.
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Grisha Stewart, MA, CPDT-KA
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| Grisha Stewart, MA, CPDT-KA |
Grisha Stewart, MA, CPDT-KA is a seminar presenter and dog trainer who specializes in dog reactivity. Canine and human behavior fascinates her and she is highly motivated to help improve the techniques for rehabilitating and training dogs. Her professional interest in reactivity, along with the need to find an efficient rehabilitation technique that would work with her own fearful dog, led Grisha to develop Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT).
She owns Ahimsa Dog Training in Seattle, which has earned many awards, including Best of Western Washington. "Ahimsa" is a Buddhist doctrine of nonviolence to all living things, which reflects Grisha's focus on force-free methods to promote the well-being of dogs and their humans.
Grisha has a Master's in Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College. Her first career as a theoretical mathematician and college instructor serves her well in dog training and behavior consultations, because she relies heavily on the problem solving, critical thinking, and teaching skills she gained in that field.
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Ken McCort
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| Ken McCort |
Ken McCort owns and operates "Four Paws" training center in Doylestown, Ohio. Along with his wife, Marilyn, a veterinarian, he has and does live with multiple animals including dogs (multiple breed types including New Guinea Singing Dogs), cats, birds (parrots and other species), lizards, llamas, goats, a pony, a marmoset, mini horses and a donkey. In his profession, he works with owners and their animals with behavioral concerns primarily acquired by referral from veterinarians or other clients. He has been training animals full time and on a one-on-one basis since 1986.
In addition to his business, Ken is a certified evaluator and was an evaluator instructor with the Pet Partner program. Not only does he evaluate and certify animal/handler teams for activity and therapy programs, but he also helped to develop the Pet Partner Skills and Aptitude Test which he has taught both nationally and internationally. Currently he sits on the national Therapy Animal Program Advisory Team that looks into incidents and policies for the Pet Partner program.
Ken has presented on the subject of animal behavior at the University of Akron, Columbus State University, the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Midwest Veterinary Conference (all in Ohio), the Society of Anthrozoologists, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Chienposium (in Canada), D.I.N.G.O. (in Japan and Taiwan) and many, many other animal related groups.
In addition, Wolf Park in Battleground, Indiana, which is a research facility that studies wolf, coyote and fox behavior, utilizes Ken for some of its presentations and research projects, and has been allowing him to train with their wolves for over 18 years.
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Simon Gadbois, PhD
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| Simon Gadbois, PhD |
Simon Gadbois is an ethologist and behavioural neuroscientist from Dalhousie University, Canada. His Ph.D. research was completed at the Canadian Centre for Wolf Research, in Nova Scotia (Canada). He studied social behaviour in wolves (agonistic and affiliative) and its hormonal correlates. Over the years, he developed a passion for canine olfaction and started in 2006 the Canid Behaviour Research Laboratory. The team is involved in wild canid research (mostly coyotes) and research on volunteer dogs (mostly in olfaction). The team has focussed on Wildlife Conservation Canines (tracking dogs used to non-invasively find and monitor species-at-risk and other wildlife), as well as Hypoglycemia Detection and Assistance Dogs.
Although not involved in invasive neuroscience research with canines, Gadbois uses neurophysiological models to shape the conceptual and theoretical basis of his research in canine ethology and psychology. He grounds all of his research in neuroethological and zoosemiotic models. He is also a proponent of a strong integration and critical synthesis of animal ethology, experimental psychology and neuroscience.
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Dr. Ian Dunbar, PhD, MRCVS
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| Dr. Ian Dunbar, PhD, MRCVS |
Veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and dog trainer, Dr. Ian Dunbar received his veterinary degree and a Special Honors degree in Physiology & Biochemistry from the Royal Veterinary College (London University) plus a doctorate in animal behavior from the Psychology Department at UC Berkeley, where he researched olfactory preferences and the development of aggression in domestic dogs.
Dr. Dunbar has authored numerous books and DVDs about puppy/dog behavior and training, including How To Teach A New Dog Old Tricks and the SIRIUS® Puppy Training video. In 1982, Dr. Dunbar designed and taught the world's very first off-leash puppy socialization and training classes — SIRIUS® Puppy Training. Subsequently, he created and developed the San Francisco SPCA's Animal Behavior Department, the American Kennel Club's Gazette "Behavior" column, and the K9 GAMES®, which are still annual events in Japan and Europe. He hosted the popular UK television series Dogs With Dunbar for five seasons and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including the Today Show (US) and Dash Village (Japan). Additionally, Dr. Dunbar has consulted on a variety of movies — full-length features, documentaries and animation (including Pixar's UP) and he has twice spoken at the prestigious e.g., Conference (TED).
Over the past 40 years, Dr. Dunbar has given well over 1000 one-day seminars and workshops for dog trainers and veterinarians in an effort to popularize early puppy socialization, temperament modification, and owner-friendly and dog-friendly dog training. After he founded the Association of Pet Dog Trainers in 1993, Dr. Dunbar was inducted into the Dog Fancy Hall of Fame along with four of his heroes, James Herriot, Konrad Lorenz, Lassie, and Balto.
Currently, Dr. Dunbar is CEO of the Center for Applied Animal Behavior, Inc. and Scientific Director for www.dogstardaily.com — a free online, multi-media educational website for puppy and dog owners.
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