As a professional working in animal behavior and training, I have always enjoyed the partnership of human and non-human animal, and what a better way to embrace that than to start teaching young people to respect and love animals. That was my inspiration to create a couple of programs for children at the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA where I lead the Behavior Department.
Kid-dog assessment class
At the shelter, the dogs need as much enrichment, training, and socialization as possible; in turn, we need as much information about their behavior as we can get to match them appropriately with potential adopters. When doing assessments I wanted to find a way to gather more information about dogs and children. The idea of testing with a child-size doll was not enough for me, so I created the Kid-Dog Assessment Class.
For our starting group we recruited from among our volunteer pool. Parents who were already volunteers and wanted to do something with their young children could join this program.
I started this class a few years ago It runs once per week year round. We have one behavior staff member leading the group, and two volunteer assistants. Families participating have children between the ages of 2 and 12, and one parent has to stay in class with the kids.
The goals of the class are:
- To assess dogs with young children in order to provide information for potential adopters
- To socialize dogs with young kids
- To teach kids about dog safety and basic training tips using positive reinforcement
The class is structured in a way where we first introduce the dog on leash and I observe what their behavior is in the presence of the group. Based on the dog’s behavior we proceed with the following steps.
Parents and children are sitting down and the dogs gets the chance to sniff them if interested. This is a non-invasive way of presenting a group of people of different ages and let the dog decide what they want to do. Children learn the basics of reading dog behavior and present themselves in a non-threating way to a new dog.
If all goes well with this interaction, we proceed to create positive associations for the dog by having the kids feed them treats while teaching some basic cues such as Watch Me, Touch, or Sit.
The trained volunteer assistants will handle the dogs and monitor their reactions while I guide the children taking mental notes on the dog’s behavior.
The last piece is a short walk on leash. Children learn to keep the dog interested in them while moving, and the dogs learn to follow instructions from a young trainer.
Impulse Control with Cherry from IAABC on Vimeo.
The information gathered is extremely useful for our behavior and adoptions team. It allows me to add detailed notes on each dog that participates in the class, and recommend a specific type of home (adult only, families with older kids, or families with young children). Many of these families participate in this class until the kids age out. Children learn to respect and kindly interact with dogs, developing a sense of training with positive reinforcement.
Dog training club
Another offering PHS/SPCA has is the Dog Training Club for middle schoolers. This class teaches kids the basics of clicker training, and they can earn service hours for school.
We have a behavior staff, a volunteer assistant, and six children between the ages of 11 and 14 attending an hour-long class once a week for five weeks.
The goals of this class are:
- Kids earn five community service hours, while learning dog body language and training with positive reinforcement.
- Dogs get socialized with middle schoolers, get less barky in kennels, and show better for potential adopters.
- Kids help organize dog gear for TLC (Tender Loving Care) volunteers who walk dogs, do laundry, or prepare Kongs for enrichment.
This class is divided into four segments: a classroom presentation, work with the dogs from outside their kennels, a service project, and training hands-on with the dogs. Some of the topics discussed during classroom time are how to use clickers, and why they are effective for dog training; safety around dogs; and dog body language.
Our adoption center is beautiful, but the dog rooms have glass doors and windows, so some dogs get overwhelmed or get barky when there is high traffic of people in front of their rooms. During the Dog Training Club class, children walk in front of dog dorms and reward dogs for keeping four feet on the floor and not barking at visitors. Additionally they learn that timing and the way they present themselves is important as trainers, and they teach dogs to accept onlookers happily, since the dogs are learning that people looking at them signal the coming of treats for them.
Some of the service projects include organizing dog collars, harnesses, and leashes for volunteer dog walkers; help with the preparation of Kongs for the enrichment team; help with the enormous amount of laundry that the shelter deals with; or any other easy tasks that might be needed at the time.
Every week we spend 20 to 30 minutes working hands-on with a dog or several dogs. The dogs brought to class are a sample of the dogs up for adoption, anything from a German Shepherd to a Chihuahua, and from a senior dog to a puppy.
During this time the kids learn how puppies are sometimes more difficult to train due to their lack of attention, how shyer dogs need time to warm up to them, and that they need to tailor the training exercise to the individual dog they have that day.
It is extremely rewarding for me to see how children who might not have any idea about training finish the program asking parents to sign them up for more classes. It is a win-win situation, since dogs get training and socialization while enjoying the company of kids, and the children take home what they have learned in class and increase their kindness toward animals. When asked what they enjoy most during the class, the answer is unanimous: spending time with the dogs and finding out that some of them got adopted after they participated in their class.
Maria Eguren, CABC, is the Director of Behavior and Training at the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA Adoption Center in San Mateo, California.
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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.