Meet Katie
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR & TRAINING CONSULTANT
I always knew I wanted to work with animals. I am a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and I received my Bachelors Degree in Biology: Animal Physiology and Behavior from Arizona State University. I have continued to grow through conferences and workshops including The Animal Behavior Management Alliance, the Global Online Animal Training Summit, ClickerExpo Live by Karen Pryor Clicker Training and Natural Encounters, Inc. I am big on education and take courses on a continuous basis to stay current on modern training and ethical behavior change methods. I have experience monitoring natural behaviors of multiple species during field research in Mossel Bay, South Africa and Anchorage, Alaska. I have worked as a veterinary technician, avian rehabilitation coordinator and animal keeper/trainer. Throughout these experiences, I found that training animals of all species has been my true passion.
Training using operant conditioning with a focus on positive reinforcement has allowed me to train husbandry and medical behaviors such as kenneling, voluntary injections and stationing for Red Fox, Black Bear and Sitka Black-Tailed Deer just to name a few. Knowing an animal’s natural behavior and what it means allows us to analyze comfort compared to stress which gives us the tools to train focused on compassion. After opening my business in 2019, I have continued to work with both domestic and exotic animals to increase quality of life and animal welfare using training techniques. I would love to help you with any behaviors you are hoping to create or improve.
My Approach
It all begins with a goal. Maybe you want to teach your dog to sit. Maybe you need to train a horse to take eyedrops. Or maybe you have a parrot that bites every time they step-up. Whatever it is, there’s a path to meet the needs of your animal and build behaviors to reach your goal.
Goals
Any behavior will take time and consistency. I start by hearing what your goals are and determining how many sessions it may take. Next, I’ll create a personalized training plan for your specific needs starting with the foundations of training. Each behavior will take approximations or small steps to get to the desired outcome. Once a behavior is established we always want to continue training to keep the behavior reliable.
Make it a reality
Training should remain fun and motivating for our animal. Learning is a process and the more we include our animal by giving choice, the more progress we will see. When training animals I strive to find the least intrusive methods in training behaviors where the animal is a willing participant through the entire process. We do this by understanding what is motivating the behavior while building trust and consistency.
ENRICHMENT
Is your animal showing maladaptive behavior (destructive chewing, excessive barking, seperation anxiety)?
Enrichment plans combined with training plans reduce unwanted behavior. An enrichment plan should include things like vet care, exercise, security, foraging, mental stimulation, socialization, etc. Providing intentional enrichment opportunities also allows our animals to display their natural behaviors in a healthy way. It is absolutely normal for dogs to display behaviors like digging, chewing, and barking. New scents, novel objects, toys, puzzle feeders, safe spaces, exercise can all be used to meet our animal's’ needs in appropriate ways through positive interactions within their environment. Training is also a fantastic way to provide enrichment and mental stimulation.
CONTINUED EDUCATION
Staying current on modern training methods is extremely important to me. I try to attend at least one conference a year that covers animal behavior & training, enrichment, animal welfare, etc. for continued education.