Overview
Schedule
CEUs & Pricing
About Your Instructor
Event Begins: 26 de noviembre de 2022
Duration: 2 días
CONDUCTA 2022, el congreso de la IAABC Foundation en idioma español, es un encuentro de los más reconocidos expertos del mundo del entrenamiento y comportamiento canino.
Acompáñanos este 26 de noviembre 2022 de 11:00.00am a 7:00.00pm hora Chile y 27 de noviembre 2022 de 10:00.00am a 4:30.00pm hora Chile, durante 9 horas de presentaciones más cinco horas de preguntas y respuestas en vivo con nuestros presentadores.
Este evento virtual de excelencia durará todo un fin de semana y podrás asegurarte el acceso a todas las ponencias hasta un día antes del evento. No se podrán comprar las grabaciones después de esa fecha.
Las presentaciones estarán a tu disponibilidad durante al menos 1 año después de la compra, o mientras tengas una cuenta activa de la IAABC Foundation, para esto es importante hacer al menos una compra al año.
¡No te pierdas esta increíble oportunidad y compra tu entrada ahora!
Gracias a nuestro patrocinador:

26 de noviembre de 2022
Chile/Arg (GMT -3)
11:0:00 AM – Aprendizaje social en cachorros (Claudia Fugazza, MSc, PhD)
1:00:00 PM – ¿Es posible una clínica veterinaria sin miedo y sin estrés? (Rosana Alvarez MV, MECBA)
3:00:00 PM – Salud y Comportamiento (Karen Covalin, MVZ, MC-UL)
5:00:00 PM – Estrategias de reforzamiento – Enriqueciendo la experiencia de aprendizaje* (Jennifer Puglisevich, CTAC-TAC y Julio Vasquez, Dipl. TAA)
27 de noviembre de 2022
Chile/Arg (GMT -3)
10:00:00 AM – Ansiedad por separación de la A a la Z: Modificación de comportamiento en acción * (Moira Hechenleitner, MV, CSAT)
12:30:00 PM – Efecto de la nutrición y microbioma en el comportamiento canino* (Samantha Rosales, MVZ y Lucy Matricardi MV, Dipl. NC-UNAM)
2:30:00 PM – Cómo surfear umbrales. Una mirada práctica a la desensibilización * (Uli Grodeke, UW-AAB, CDBC, IAABC-ECA y Charlotte Iglesias, MV, Dipl. Etología Clínica, IAABC-ECA)
*La duración de estás charlas es de 1.5 horas más preguntas/respuestas.
CEUS:
- 12.5 (IAABC pendiente)
Costo para miembros:
- $65 *
Costo para externos:
- $75
* Miembros IAABC - presiona AQUÍ para obtener tu código de descuento desde tu cuenta de miembros IAABC
Instructor:
¿Es posible una clínica veterinaria sin miedo y sin estrés?
Rosana Alvarez, MV, MECBA
La principal función del veterinario y del asistente veterinario en la clínica veterinaria es preservar por encima de todo el bienestar del paciente canino y felino. La identificación precoz de la posible falta de bienestar es fundamental para llevar a cabo este cometido. El estrés, el miedo y el dolor son tres de los principales factores que habitualmente afectan al bienestar de los pacientes en la clínica veterinaria. Aprenderemos a identificarlos, diagnosticarlos y tratarlos, así como a prevenirlos mediante la modificación del manejo en los diferentes procesos que se llevan a cabo en la clínica, así como del entorno de la misma.
Acerca de Rosana Alvarez MV, MECBA:
Licenciada en Veterinaria y en Ciencia y tecnología de los alimentos, y Máster en Etología clínica y bienestar animal. Acreditada AVEPA en Medicina del comportamiento y Fear free certified professional.
En la actualidad está acreditada por AVEPA (Asociación española de veterinarios especialistas en pequeños animales) en Medicina del comportamiento donde también es miembro y del grupo de etología (GEMCA) y de la European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology (ESVCE). Colabora activamente en diversos portales y webs con artículos y entrevistas.
Aprendizaje social en cachorros
Claudia Fugazza, ME-UP, Doctorado Etología por Eötvös Loránd University
En esta charla se describirán los resultados de los últimos descubrimientos científicos sobre el aprendizaje social en cachorros y su relevancia para el campo del adiestramiento de perros.
Acerca de Claudia Fugazza, ME-UP, Doctorado Etología por Eötvös Loránd University:
Investigadora del Departamento de Etología de la Universidad Eötvös Loránd (Budapest). Actualmente está estudiando el aprendizaje y el procesamiento del lenguaje en los perros. Sus investigaciones anteriores también se centraron en las habilidades cognitivas sociales de los perros. Desarrolló un método de adiestramiento llamado Do as I Do (llamado así por Hayes&Hayes 1952 y Topál et al. 2006), que se basa en las habilidades imitativas del perro y lo ha utilizado como paradigma para estudiar la cognición de los perros. Debido a su eficacia, este método también se extendió en el campo aplicado del adiestramiento canino y dedicó parte de su investigación a estudiar su eficacia.
Obtuvo su doctorado en etología en la Universidad Eötvös Loránd (Budapest) realizando investigaciones sobre el aprendizaje social y la imitación en los perros.
Obtuvo su licenciatura en Cría y Educación Canina (TACREC), un máster en Etología de
Animales de Compañía y un Máster en Adiestramiento Canino en la Universidad de Pisa (Italia).
Ha publicado un libro sobre el uso del aprendizaje social en el adiestramiento de perros, Fugazza C. 2011 “DO AS I DO
Uso del aprendizaje social para el adiestramiento de perros” – Ed. Haqihana (Milán) traducido en otros 5 idiomas y un DVD, Fugazza C. 2013 “Do as I Do. Un nuevo método de adiestramiento basado en el aprendizaje social” Ed. Tawzerdog (EEUU)
Conferenciante en varios seminarios sobre cognición canina, aprendizaje social en perros y su uso en el adiestramiento canino en varios países de Europa, EEUU, Japón, China y América Latina.
Salud y comportamiento
Karen Covalin, MV, MC-UL
En esta plática veremos cómo se relaciona la salud del perro con su comportamiento y los cambios conductuales de algunas de las enfermedades más comunes.
Acerca de Karen Covalin, MV, MC-UL:
Médica Veterinaria Zootecnista especialista en Etología Clínica, egresada de la FMVZ- UNAM y con Maestría en Ciencias por la Universidad de Lincoln en Inglaterra. Certificada por el CONCERVET y miembro de SOMEBA. Trabaja desde hace más de 10 años impartiendo consultas de Etología clínica para mejorar el bienestar animal, prevención, diagnóstico y tratamiento de problemas conductuales en perros y gatos y ha participado como ponente en congresos nacionales e internacionales.
Estrategias de reforzamiento – Enriqueciendo la experiencia de aprendizaje
Jennifer Puglisevich, CTAC-TAC y Julio Vasquez, Dipl. TAA
Durante la presentación desarrollaremos unas de nuestras temáticas favoritas: cómo enriquecer la experiencia de aprendizaje por medio de la implementación de estrategias de reforzamiento durante los entrenamientos. Nos adentraremos en el análisis conductual aplicado profundizando en el concepto de reforzamiento diferencial para intencionar el aprendizaje.
Acerca de Jennifer Puglisevich, CTAC-TAC:
Entrenadora de perros de intervención, Animal Trainer certificada por Bocalán Confiar y además es Psicóloga y Terapeuta Ocupacional de la Universidad de Chile actualmente es una de las directoras de Centro Pitanga, institución pionera en Chile en el ámbito privado en otorgar atención interdisciplinaria de terapias asistidas con perros a niños con trastorno del espectro autista y otros trastornos del neurodesarrollo. Es Especialista y Técnico en Terapia Asistida con Animales certificada por CTAC Barcelona, cuenta con formación en Chile, Brasil, EEUU y España. Ha sido relatora en diversas instancias formativas (seminarios, cursos, Universidades), además ha formado parte de equipos de intervenciones asistidas con animales en diversas instituciones de salud y educación.
Acerca de Julio Vasquez, Dipl. TAA:
Instructor de perros de asistencia y entrenador de perros de intervención. Es diplomado en Terapia Asistida con Animales, desempeñándose en esta área hace 14 años. Ha sido docente en Chile, España, Costa Rica, Brasil y Guatemala de instructores de perros de asistencia con formación en entrenamiento animal avanzado en Chile, Brasil, España y EEUU. Es actualmente uno de los directores de Centro Pitanga, institución pionera en Chile en el ámbito privado en otorgar atención interdisciplinaria de terapias asistidas con perros a niños con trastorno del espectro autista y otros trastornos del neurodesarrollo.
Ansiedad por Separación de la A a La Z: Modificación De Comportamiento En Acción
Moira Hechenleitner, MV, CSAT
¿Estás cansada(o) de intentarlo todo para ayudar a perros a superar su ansiedad por separación, sin obtener mayores resultados?
En esta charla se describirán casos de ansiedad por separación reales de principio fin, en los cuales se ejemplificará, no sólo la importancia del lenguaje corporal, sino además, cómo implementar técnicas de trabajo simples y prácticas puede promover progreso real y llevar tu programa de modificación de conducta al éxito.
Acerca de Moira Hechenleitner, MV, CSAT:
Médico Veterinaria de la Universiad Mayor de Santiago de Chile y Adiestradora Certificada en Ansiedad por Separación (CSAT), con un diplomado universitario en Terapia Asistida con Animales.
Moira es uno de los directores fundadores de la Asociación de Adiestradores Profesionales de Chile (APDT Chile). Ha pasado los últimos 14 años ofreciendo ayuda a perros y a sus familias, además de dictar cursos para profesionales del área del comportamiento canino.
Moira es una expositora en el tópico de Ansiedad por Separación y dicta seminarios internacionalmente tanto en inglés como en español. Actualmente reside en Noank, Connecticut y ayuda a perros y a sus familias alrededor del mundo a superar la ansiedad por separación.
Efecto de la nutrición y microbioma en el comportamiento canino.
Lucy Matricardi, MV, Dipl. NCUNAM y Samantha Rosales, MVZ
Conoce los efectos que tienen los micro y macro nutrientes, además del microbioma en el comportamiento de los caninos domésticos, basado en los estudios y literatura científica disponible a la fecha.
Acerca de Lucy Matricardi, MV, Dipl. NCUNAM:
Médica Veterinaria por la universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, con 3 premios a la excelencia académica durante la carrera, diplomado en nutrición clínica de perros y gatos por la UNAM, Certificación en nutrición Canina y felina por la Southern Illinois University, además de varios otros cursos de formulación y balanceo de dietas caseras. Con 5 años de experiencia como formuladora de dietas caninas cocidas y crudas, individuales y comerciales, para perros sanos y con patologías, balanceadas acorde a NRC. Ponente nacional e internacional en formulación de dietas caseras balanceadas.
Acerca de Samantha Rosales, MVZ:
Médico Veterinario Zootecnista, egresada de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Ha tomado varios cursos de capacitación en las áreas de Etología/ Adiestramiento y Nutrición, con ponentes como Grisha Stewart, Turid Rugaas, Roger Abrantes, Ian Dunbar, Dra. Amber Batson, Dr. Conor Brady. Así mismo soy miembro de la Raw Food Veterinary Society, especialista en alimentación natural por Dogs Naturally Magazine, entre otros cursos de formulación y balanceo de dietas caseras. Cuento con 10 años de experiencia con mis propios perros en alimentación natural, y 4 formalmente balanceando para pacientes con diversas patologías y perros sanos. He participado como ponente en diversos cursos de alimentación natural, y actualmente doy clases solo para veterinarios dentro de las mentorías de Neus Candela.
Cómo surfear umbrales. Una mirada práctica a la desensibilización
Uli Grodeke, UW-AAB, CDBC, IAABC-ECA y Charlotte Iglesias, MV, Dipl. Etología Clínica, IAABC-ECA
Independientemente de si se trata de lograr que un perro se sienta cómodo con su arnés o que deje de lanzarse contra el motorista del delivery, la desensibilización es una de nuestras herramientas más importantes. Si bien, el concepto teórico es fácil de entender y planificar, la dificultad está en cómo extender gradualmente el umbral de este perro en la práctica, surfeando por la fina línea entre su comodidad y discomfort. Navegaremos entre los puntos clave que nos indicarán cuándo el perro está preparado para avanzar al siguiente nivel y abarcaremos cómo podemos empoderar a nuestros clientes en este proceso.
Acerca de Uli Grodeke, UW-AAB, CDBC, IAABC-ECA:
Uli trabaja como entrenadora canina y consultora de conducta desde hace más de 25 años, en Alemania y Chile, donde fundó CityDogs – Entrenamiento & Conducta Animal. Aparte de sus acreditaciones y certificaciones por IAABC (IAABC-ECA, CDBC), obtuvo el certificado en Comportamiento Animal Aplicado de la Universidad de Washington, es instructora de deportes caninos y Animal Trainer certificada por Bocalán Confiar. Su experiencia comprende clases grupales de obediencia y deportes caninos, asesoría y entrenamiento para familias de perros y gatos y sesiones de socialización para cachorros. Además, durante cuatro años (2018 – 2022) dirigió la División Español de la IAABC.
Uli vive en Santiago de Chile con su marido, sus tres hijos, tres gatos, dos tortugas mediterráneas entrenadas con target y su Border Collie Luke, perro detector de tortugas.
Acerca de Charlotte Iglesias, MV, Dipl. Etología Clínica, IAABC-ECA:
Charlotte es Médico Veterinaria de la Universidad Mayor, Santiago de Chile, diplomada en Etología Clínica en animales de compañía por la Universidad Santo Tomás. Además, es Entrenadora Canina Acreditada (IAABC-ECA) y Animal Trainer certificada por Bocalán Confiar. Trabajó en la Fundación Bocalán Confiar en el área de la medicina veterinaria y tomó el cargo de Jefa del área de entrenamiento de los perros en los programas de terapia asistida y de asistencia médica. En su tiempo libre, Charlotte asistió como entrenadora voluntaria a las sesiones de socialización PUPPY PLAY de CityDogs para integrarse en forma definitiva al equipo de CityDogs, en 2020.
Ambas, Char y Uli, son parte de los equipos voluntarios de la IAABC y de la IAABC Foundation.
Dr. Wailani Sung is a Board-Certified Veterinary Behaviorist dedicated to improving the wellbeing of animals and strengthening the human–animal bond. Dr. Sung currently serves as Senior Director of Animal Admissions and Wellbeing at Joybound People and Pets in Walnut Creek, California. In this role, she oversees three key areas: the transfer of pets from municipal shelters, the assessment and management of the shelter’s behavior population, and the training classes and consultations provided to privately owned pets. She also advises animal shelters nationwide on individual case evaluations and the development of effective behavior programs.
Valli Parthasarathy, DVM, DACVB, is the owner of Synergy Veterinary Behavior, a veterinary behavior specialty practice in Portland, Oregon. She works with families whose dogs, cats, birds, horses, and other species display behavior concerns, focusing on strengthening the human–animal bond through improved understanding and evidence-based treatment.
A passion for animal welfare, canine behaviour, has been the cornerstone of Tom’s (he/him) career, spanning over 15 years in shelter and rescue. This experience, alongside a drive to better support shelter animals, led Tom to found Simplifying Shelter Behaviour.
Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior, a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner.
Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University and the owner of Behavior Works Consulting, LLC. Susan has co-authored chapters on behavior change in five veterinary texts, and her popular articles have been translated into 17 languages. Susan teaches seminars and courses on animal learning online (How Behavior Works: Living & Learning with Animals), which has been attended by students from 64 countries so far. Susan consults with zoos and animal organizations around the world and teaches yearly for the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) Animal Trainer Accreditation program. She was appointed to the Fish & Wildlife Service’s California Condor Recovery Team from 2002 – 2010, after which the team was retired due to the success of the birds in the wild. Currently, she is the Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Committee of American Humane Association (AHA) Film and TV Unit. In 2022, Susan was honored to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.
Mindy is a clinical assistant professor in the Animal Behavior Program at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI and instructor at Virginia Tech. She is a board-Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB).
Melissa, a lifelong equestrian and student of the horse, is a Certified Connection Training Coach, a Shawna Karrasch R+ Mastery Course – Santa Fe graduate, a Recognized Compassionate Equestrian member and facility owner, founder of Compassionate Horse Click and has been certified by American Riding Instructor’s Association in Dressage, Hunt Seat and Western Equitation for 25+ years.
Lindsay Palmer is a social and behavioral scientist with a PhD in Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. In her research program, she examines psychological mechanisms that impact human and animal relationships in her work. In particular, she is interested in the complexity of human behavior and social cognition in relationships with animals to inform interventions geared toward improving these relationships.
Laurie Lawless, CDBC is a nationally recognized expert in shelter dog behavior, with over 16 years of in behavior, sheltering, leadership, consulting, and animal cruelty response. Her career was sparked in 2008 when she rescued an 85‑lb Boxer named Charlie – his behavioral challenges launched her into the world of professional dog behavior work, and she’s been “blaming Charlie” ever since.
Dr. Kristyn Vitale is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and an internationally recognized expert in cat behavior. She is a researcher and educator in animal behavior, companion animal welfare, and human-animal interaction. Vitale received a Master of Environmental Science from Miami University (USA), where she studied free-ranging cat social behavior, and a Ph.D. in Animal Science from Oregon State University (USA), where she researched cat social cognition and human-animal interactions. She also served as a Visiting Research Fellow at Kyoto University (Japan) where she studied cross-cultural differences in the human-cat relationship. Vitale’s main area of expertise is focused on human-cat interactions, cat social behavior, and the impact of life experiences, such as cat training and socialization classes, on cat cognition. Her research has been internationally featured in media outlets such as Science and National Geographic, and in documentaries such as How the Cat Conquered the World (ARTE France) and Inside the Mind of a Cat (Netflix). She is the founder of Maueyes Cat Science and Education, an organization dedicated to enhancing cat welfare and strengthening the cat-human relationship through education, behavior consulting, and science outreach.
Dr. Spaulding has a PhD in biopsychology—the study of the biological basis of behavior—and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. She is the author of The Stress Factor in Dogs: Unlocking Resiliency and Enhancing Well-Being. Dr. Spaulding teaches a variety of online courses and webinars on the science of behavior through her website, www.sciencemattersllc.com. She also co-teaches the Carefree Companion Certification with Irith Bloom and serves as Vice President for the IAABC Foundation.
Katenna Jones accidentally discovered her career as a shelter volunteer in the late 90s and soon went on to earn a master’s from Brown University where she studied animal behavior, learning and cognition. Since then, Katenna has provided cat and dog behavior support to pet owners as well as educational services to various pet organizations around the World. Katenna is a published author and contributes regularly to publications, podcasts, and more. She is an Associated Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Certified Cat and Dog Behavior Consultant, and Certified Fear Free Trainer. Katenna recently relocated to northern NY with her two cats and four chickens.
Dr. Julie Churchill is a Professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine–Nutrition. She completed dual residencies; internal medicine and clinical nutrition, and her PhD, at the UMN before joining the faculty.
Dr. JoAnna Platzer is an animal trainer and Zoos, Exotics, and Companion Animals lecturer in the department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Vermont. She earned her PhD in the Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare lab at Virginia Tech under Dr. Erica Feuerbacher. Her research interests spanned several facets of behavioral and welfare and included studies with pet dogs, shelter animals, horses, and dairy cattle. Before that, she attended the University of Florida where she majored in Zoology with an emphasis on animal behavior. After graduation, she participated in research on site fidelity of Mockingbirds with the University of Florida, social behavior of Fairy-wrens with Cornell University, and comparative cognition of canines with Yale University. She has worked as a professional dog trainer for pet and shelter dogs and has trained various domestic and exotic animal species for enrichment and low-stress husbandry in zoos, conservancies, and sanctuaries.
Jessica Wheatcraft is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and professional dog trainer who has worked with thousands of dogs for over 18 years. She specializes in dog to dog leash reactivity cases, with an emphasis on understanding each dog as an individual and thinking outside of the box to implement the most effective and humane training solutions. She mentors other trainers via her Leash Reactivity Mentorship for Professionals and works with pet parents virtually from all over the world. She is the founder and host of the Rethinking Reactivity Podcast and is passionate about helping reactive dogs and their humans live better lives together.
Irith Bloom helps people create choice-rich environments that enable companion animals to live in greater harmony with humans and make the entire household happier. She is faculty at both Victoria Stilwell Dog Training Academy and Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, on the Board of Directors of the IAABC Foundation, a member of the Advisory Board for Pets for Vets, Chair Emeritus of the Education Committee of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), and a former CCPDT Board Member. She is a sought-after presenter, and her writing has been published many times, including in her book “Your Puppy and You: A step-by-step guide to raising a freak’n awesome dog.”
Dr. Gabriel Lencioni is a veterinarian and PhD student in Animal Welfare at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (FMVZ) of the University of São Paulo (USP). His passion for the study of animal behavior and welfare ignited during his college years, prompting him to actively engage in organizing seminars, symposiums, courses, and other educational activities on the topic. Under the guidance of Professor Adroaldo José Zanella, Gabriel had the privilege to develop scientific projects and interact with esteemed professionals in the field. His research focuses on various aspects of animal welfare, with a particular emphasis on assessing affective states in horses using artificial intelligence, learning theory, ethical training for solving unwanted behaviors, and fear-free methodologies for veterinary interventions.
Since 2014, Dr. Berger has been a licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst providing a variety of behavior change services to human clients. In 2020, she completed her Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis, and in 2021 published research on combined therapy interventions for health and behavior. Dr. Berger has worked in the field of psychology as a clinician for over a decade, and has served as a psychology professor for many years. Dr. Berger additionally completed her study of positive reinforcement training strategies at the Victoria Stilwell Academy and became a VSA certified and Fear Free certified dog trainer. She currently runs a training private practice and serves as Director of Research for the IAABC Foundation.
Erin Jones, PhD, is a scholar-practitioner in canine behaviour and ethics based in Aotearoa New Zealand. As founder of the Merit Dog Project, Erin helps organisations and practitioners design agency-centred approaches to education and care. She is a Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant (IAABC ADT, CDBC; CANZ-ABC) and is an international speaker.
Emily Lewis has 24 years of professional experience as a dog trainer, shelter behavior consultant and vet tech. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the IAABC and operates Vermont Dog Behavior, LLC. She specializes in a wide variety of behavior issues, including human directed aggression. Due to the nature of the cases that she sees, Emily is often faced with families who have experienced trauma due to their dog’s behavior. She loves working with these clients to repair and improve their relationship with their dog, with an emphasis on meeting the needs at both ends of the leash.
Dr. Courtney L. Sexton is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and member of the Dog Aging Project research consortium. With a background in evolutionary biology and the human-dog relationship, her current canine science research centers One Health and One Welfare principles. As a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), Courtney focuses on guiding people toward intentional living and bond forming with dogs. Courtney is a member of AAAS, the Animal Behavior Society, and the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ). She also serves as a member of the Communications and Community Building committee for ManyDogs Project. An accomplished writer, Courtney is passionate about scientific outreach and journalism, and often ropes her hound, Sonder, into helping out. As both a researcher and a communicator, she works with a diverse cadre of humans, animals, institutions, agencies, and organizations. She is a Virginia Tech Research & Innovation Scholar (2024), Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute Fellow (2022), AAAS Mass Media Fellow (2020), and DCCAH Arts & Humanities Fellow (2018; 2023; 2025; 2026).
Catja lives with a retired older cocker spaniel, who still loves to work, and a younger Australian Koolie, who is starting his first competitions. Since 2009, where she finished her instructors’ course via Canis academy, Catja has been working full-time with teaching on the topic of training, both online and at in-person workshops and at conferences. She is always on the path of continued education and curious to learn.
Amy Learn, VMD, DACVB is a board-certified specialist through American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.
Lawrence was born and raised in Washington, D.C. before relocating to NC to earn his bachelor’s degree in business management at North Carolina A&T State University. Upon graduating he was commissioned as an Army officer, where he served in duty stations in Arizona, Germany, and Iraq. While at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to recover from an illness during deployment, Lawrence became one of the first Servicemembers to complete the inaugural Dog Tags Program under the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA; then-called the Washington Humane Society).







Michelle Mullins CDBC, KPA CTP is the owner of Honest To Dog, LLC in Richmond, Virginia, USA and currently serves as the President of the IAABC Foundation Board of Directors. Michelle has been training dogs for 20 years and all of her work has the same objective – developing long, enriching relationships between pets and their people. In addition to her work in the pet product industry, she has worked with private clients for basic manners, puppy socialization, cooperative care training and through aggression issues. Michelle is passionate about a team approach, working closely with other trainers, certified behavior consultants and veterinary professionals.










Catja Pedersen lives with 2 Australian Koolies that develop her skills every day. Since 2009, when she finished her instructors’ course via Canis clicker training academy, Catja has been working full-time with teaching on the topic of training, both online and at in-person workshops and at conferences. She is always on the path of continued education and curious to learn. 
Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Cat Behavior Consultant who has been working with cats professionally for almost 25 years. She worked as a cat behavior specialist at the San Francisco SPCA for eight years before co-founding Feline Minds, where she offers assistance for cat owners, animal shelters, and corporations.
Dilara Göksel Parry was raised in Istanbul, Turkey and holds degrees in Psychology and in Comparative Literature from Oberlin College. She has worked in the animal welfare field for the majority of her professional life, including 12 years as the Cat Behavior Coordinator at the San Francisco SPCA. In 2008, she co-founded Feline Minds with Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado, where they focus on private consultations to help cat guardians live harmoniously with their cats and consult with animal welfare organizations with an emphasis on improving cat sheltering practices. In addition to staying busy with Feline Minds, Dilara works part-time at Cat Town Oakland, an innovative, cage-free rescue for cats deemed unadoptable in traditional shelter settings.








Dr. Kristina Spaulding has been in the dog training and behavior profession for over 20 years. She has a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and a PhD in Biopsychology—the study of the biological basis of behavior—and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. She is particularly interested in stress, neurobiology, cognition, emotion, and well-being and how to apply these concepts to the prevention, early intervention, and treatment of behavior problems in dogs. She is an adjunct professor for Virginia Tech’s graduate program in Animal Behavior and Welfare. In addition, Dr. Spaulding teaches a variety of online courses and webinars on the science of behavior through her website and for the IAABC Foundation. She is the author of The Stress Factor in Dogs: Unlocking Resiliency and Enhancing Well-Being and regularly presents on canine behavior science at conferences and other events.