IAABC works to promote evidence-based best practice in behavior consulting for all species of companion animals, in homes or shelters. We provide certification and education for consultants all over the world, with the goal of helping clients prevent, manage and modify challenging behaviors in their pets and working animals.
This Summer we’ve been focusing on developing high quality educational resources for animal behavior consultants, animal trainers, and the general public.
New formats for online learning
We’ve been working with Board members, subject experts and promotions team to diversify the types of courses we offer. Now there’s something to suit every style of learning, time commitment, and schedule.
Our Mentorships program is a completely new style of online course. Mentorships are small class groups where mentees can communicate with expert mentors through an online discussion group and a weekly group video chat session. The mentors will lead discussions and offer help and guidance with mentees’ individual cases. There’s also an option to audit the course for a reduced price and limited access to materials.
We’re also in the process of expanding our range of self-paced courses, so everyone can study in a way that suits their schedule. Parts one and two of Genetics for the Behavior Consultant with Dr. Jessica Hekman are available right now, as well as our popular Defensive Handling for Aggressive Dogs webinar with Michael Shikashio and Trish McMillan Loehr. Our courses team will be developing more self-paced materials in the next few months.
Principles & Practice scholarship essay contest
Twice a year, we offer a scholarship to our Animal Behavior Consulting: Principles & Practice course in honor of Rebecca Park. Principles & Practice is our 12-week, modular, online intensive course, covering every aspect of behavior consulting in all species. It has recently been approved for 43 RACE credits, as well as 36 IAABC, KPA and CCPDT CEUs.
The scholarship is awarded through an essay contest, with a place on our course starting January 9th for the winner. The deadline is November 1st, and all the information you need is on our website. The contest is open to everyone—you don’t have to be an IAABC member to enter. If you need some inspiration, we published Heddie Leger’s winning essay in the last issue of the journal.
Poster projects for cats and horses
We’ve teamed up with illustrator Lili Chin once again to create two new educational poster series aimed at horse and cat owners.
How a cat’s environment is set up can go a long way towards preventing inappropriate scratching and elimination. These posters give tips on how to choose and situate the perfect scratching post and litterbox for maximum catisfaction.
Our poster for horse owners highlights the need to properly fit a noseband so as not to cause discomfort.
We encourage everyone to share these on social media: IAABC members can also access the print-resolution versions, which can be found in their member accounts under “Resources.”
Position statement gets attention
Recently, there has been significant attention surrounding a new e-collar device from Garmin, which interfaces with a smartphone app. IAABC released an official position statement highlighting the specific, technological issues this device has, which we believe makes it an especially risky tool. Our information was picked up by a number of online magazines, including Dogster, The Bark, Gadgets and Wearables, Care2 and the Animal Rescue Site blog.
Conferences
APDT 2016
Come and say hello at the Association of Professional Dog Trainers’ annual conference and trade show in Las Vegas on 12th-15th October. IAABC will have a booth where you can learn about who we are and what we do from Executive Director Marjie Alonso, Project Manager Mychelle Blake, and Board Members Ruth Crisler and Renee Hall.
IAABC is also sponsoring a full-day track at APDT. “Aggression Cases: Safety, Defensive Handling, and Case Resolutions” will be an all-day session presented by Trish McMillan Loehr, MSc, CPDT-KA, CDBC and Michael Shikashio, CDBC. Attendees will learn how to safely work with dogs with a history of aggressive behavior using proactive planning, defensive handling techniques, and leash handling skills. Case studies demonstrating application of various behavior modification approaches and safety protocols will be included.
IAABC 2017
The venue is booked, the speakers are being confirmed, and registration is open: Join us for the IAABC Conference on the 4th-6th April 2017. We’re taking over the Los Angeles Hilton DoubleTree Westside for two days of multi-species, multi-track learning and networking opportunities.
Tracks include Parrot, Horse, Dog and Cat, as well as a full-day track on building and promoting your behavior consulting business. The latest details will be on our LinkedIn Showcase page and our Twitter page.
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Mike is an emerging animal behaviorist sitting in Minnesota in the US. He carries an MSc in social science research methods (U. of Kentucky) and brings a passion for understanding how the methods we favor shape the knowledge we privilege. Coming from careers in teaching and non-profit program evaluation, he found companion animal behavior by accident helping anxious feline friends in a unique shelter in Ohio. It is a privilege and a joy to combine these and advance the journal in this exciting time of growth.
Alexandra is a certified dog behavior consultant and holds a PhD in neuroscience. She has spent over a decade in academic research and is author of numerous scientific articles on different aspects of brain development, including olfaction, neurogenesis, and memory formation. Her work as a behavior consultant focuses on creating trusting relationships between humans and their dogs through communication, respect, and science-based knowledge. Alexandra is very dedicated to promoting more science within the dog training world. She supports dog guardians and professionals to build a solid understanding of scientific principles and provides guidance on how to apply these to life with dogs. She runs Canine Mindscape in Alicante, Spain.
I’m an Argentinean-Italian dog trainer and CSAT who spent eight amazing years in Brazil learning and working with dogs. Now based in Europe, I volunteer with the IAABC as a translator and, in my free time, help rehomed dogs settle into their new families. I love bridging languages—and hearts—between people and their dogs.
I’m a translator, editor and journalist, as well as canine educator for children and families, specialized in canine body language. I am part of the IAABC Family since 2019, as Language Director at the IAABC and Translators Team Lead at the IAABC Foundation, at the moment. I volunteer at local shelters and promote bite prevention and animal welfare at schools and events all over my country, Uruguay.
I’m a Chilean veterinarian and certified dog trainer, based in Madrid and working at a veterinary clinic. I’ve been volunteering with the IAABC and the IAABC Foundation for over seven years. In my free time, I help dogs and their guardians strengthen their bond, and I love spending quality time with my own dogs.
Master’s Degree in Natural Sciences, with a strong interest in environmental sustainability and the protection of natural ecosystems. Passionate about writing and science communication, she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on research projects, such as Equine International, and with non-profit initiatives in the environmental and cultural fields. She is writing for different magazines, including IAABC Foundation. Her major goal is to improve horse’s welfare through behaviour research and empirical practice.
Adrienne Hovey is the copy editor for the IAABC Foundation journal and the owner of 
I believe that knowledge from a wide range of disciplines fosters a more empathetic, curious, and engaging world. I am passionate about social, environmental, and minority rights issues (both human and non-human), and this has invariably led me down the road of multi-species anthropology. Perpetually curious about the world we live in, I hope to contribute towards making the world a kinder place for all of us earthlings to live on!
Beckie Wheldon is based in England, UK, and has been supporting the IAABC Foundation Journal team as a volunteer journal content editor since early 2025. She has a BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and has recently completed a MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour. With a passion for both practical and theory, Beckie is proud to be a part of the journal submission journey and support the process of applied animal behaviour information and research getting from our writers to the readers. As her full-time career, Beckie is currently part of the UK veterinary charity, PDSA, as a Learning and Development Business Partner for Veterinary, where she supports the professional development of people in their Veterinary Hospitals. Her last position was with the rescue charity, Dogs Trust, as a Canine Behavioural Welfare Manager, where she worked on embedding evidence-based behavioural welfare best practices throughout policy and practices, with both internal and external professional stakeholders, such as the police and military. With a varied background in kennels, caregiver education, and charity dog training classes, Beckie is also an accredited Animal Training Instructor (APDT UK) and an Associate Clinical Animal Behaviourist (APBC).
Erin Jones, PhD, IAABC-ADT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CANZ-ATI, CANZ-ABC, is the Journal Director of the IAABC Foundation Journal. She holds a PhD in Human–Animal Studies, an MSc in Anthrozoology, a PG Dip in Animal Welfare, and a BSc (Hons) in Anthropology and Psychology. An international presenter, editor, writer and mentor, Erin’s writing bridges research and practice with a focus on the intersection of philosophy, ethics and dog-centered behaviour practice. She is the author of Constructing Canine Consent and co-editor of Topics in Non/Human Coexistence and numerous academic and trade journal publications.