Kathy Sdao, MA, CAAB

Kathy Sdao, MA, CAAB

Kathy Sdao is an associate certified applied animal behaviorist who has earned her living as a full-time animal trainer for the past two decades. Kathy graduated summa cum laude from Niagara University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1983.  She went on to obtain her master’s degree in experimental psychology at the University of Hawaii, where she worked with Dr. Louis Herman as part of a team that trained dolphins to solve complex cognitive puzzles.  

She later worked for the U.S. Navy (Department of Defense) training dolphins for applied open-ocean tasks and for the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, training whales, walruses, porpoises, and seals.

After leaving the zoo, Kathy co-created Tacoma's first dog daycare facility, where she began teaching dog-training classes for pet owners.  Three years later, she created Bright Spot Dog Training. Services include: consultations for canine behavior problems, educational workshops, seminars for pet owners and/or training professionals, program development and staff training for service-dog training organizations, and consultations for zoo animal behavior problems and enrichment.
Kathy is passionate about the science of animal training.  She is fortunate to travel around the country, leading workshops that make this technical information accessible and practical for dog trainers and owners alike.  She is also on the faculty of Karen Pryor’s ClickerExpos.

Kathy has written for The Clicker Journal and The APDT Chronicle of the Dog and is currently a contributor to MSN’s “Dog Talker” column.

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