IAABC Foundation

Mary R. Burch, PhD, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) and a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. She has more than 25 years of animal experience, has trained dogs to advanced levels of obedience and is considered an international expert on the topic of therapy dogs. Dr. Burch is the author of twelve books, more than 200 articles, and has been a lobbyist on legislation pertaining to dangerous dogs and responsible dog ownership. She is frequently interviewed as an expert by newspapers and magazines for articles related to all aspects of animal behavior.

Dr. Suzanne Hetts PhD, CVJ, CAAB and Dr. Dan Estep PhD, CAAB are certified by the Animal Behavior Society as applied animal behaviorists and Suzanne is certified as a Veterinary Journalist. They co-own Animal Behavior Associates, Inc. Drs. Hetts and Estep are award winning speakers, educators, and authors and have helped thousands of pet owners improve their pets’ behavior and their relationships with them. Dr. Hetts’ newest book Twelve Terrible Dog Training Mistakes has been an Amazon Best Seller, and her first book Pet Behavior Protocols was one of American Animal Hospital Association’s best-selling titles. In addition, Suzanne and Dan co-authored two award winning books, Raising a Behaviorally Healthy Puppy and Help! I’m Barking and I Can’t Be Quiet. Dr. Estep and Dr. Hetts consult with major corporations in the pet industry, are internationally recognized experts in animal behavior, and have lectured on four continents to pet owners and pet professionals. They’ve served as expert witnesses in several high profile fatal dog attack cases, and many more dog injury cases. Dr. Hetts served as the curriculum co-chair on Colorado’s Dog Protection Task Force, charged with developing a canine behavior education course for law enforcement. Their courses and videos, including their acclaimed DVD Canine Body Postures: A Professional’s Video Guide, produced by Animal Care Technologies, Inc. are used in nationwide training programs for pet professionals and pet owners. Drs. Estep and Hetts now focus on providing scientific education about pet behavior online for pet parents and pet professionals and have over 75 webinar courses. They also maintain two blogs. Dr. Estep received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology with specialization in animal behavior from the University of Florida and was a faculty member in the Psychology Department at the University of Georgia for almost 20 years. Dr. Hetts’ graduate and undergraduate degrees are from Colorado State University in zoology, wildlife biology and microbiology and medical technology, respectively. She was a co-founder of the grief education and support program at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and also developed all the original materials and procedures for the Behavior Help Line at the Denver Dumb Friends League. Suzanne and Dan have become “snowbirds”, operating their business from both Denver, Colorado and Sun City, Arizona along with Coral, the diva Irish Setter who provides daily inspiration and laughter.

Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University and 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. She 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) Level 3 Animal Trainer Accreditation program. She was appointed to the Fish & Wildlife Service’s California Condor Recovery Team from 2002 – 2010, after which time the team was retired due to the success of the birds in the wild and is currently 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.

Dr. Lore Haug graduated from Texas A& M College of Veterinary Medicince in 1993. She completed a rotating Internship at Louisiana State University. Later she did a residency in Veterinary Behavioral Medicine at TAMUI and became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists in 2003. After leaving a faculty position at TAMU in 2007, she sees referral behavior cases in the Houston area at Texas Veterinary Behavior Services. Dr. Haug is a past president of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant through IAABC. She is a frequent speaker at veterinary and animal behavior conferences. She has a particular interest in neurobiology, learning and behavior modification.

Dr. Suzanne Hetts PhD, CVJ, CAAB and Dr. Dan Estep PhD, CAAB are certified by the Animal Behavior Society as applied animal behaviorists and Suzanne is certified as a Veterinary Journalist. They co-own Animal Behavior Associates, Inc. Drs. Hetts and Estep are award winning speakers, educators, and authors and have helped thousands of pet owners improve their pets’ behavior and their relationships with them. Dr. Hetts’ newest book Twelve Terrible Dog Training Mistakes has been an Amazon Best Seller, and her first book Pet Behavior Protocols was one of American Animal Hospital Association’s best-selling titles. In addition, Suzanne and Dan co-authored two award winning books, Raising a Behaviorally Healthy Puppy and Help! I’m Barking and I Can’t Be Quiet. Dr. Estep and Dr. Hetts consult with major corporations in the pet industry, are internationally recognized experts in animal behavior, and have lectured on four continents to pet owners and pet professionals. They’ve served as expert witnesses in several high profile fatal dog attack cases, and many more dog injury cases. Dr. Hetts served as the curriculum co-chair on Colorado’s Dog Protection Task Force, charged with developing a canine behavior education course for law enforcement. Their courses and videos, including their acclaimed DVD Canine Body Postures: A Professional’s Video Guide, produced by Animal Care Technologies, Inc. are used in nationwide training programs for pet professionals and pet owners. Drs. Estep and Hetts now focus on providing scientific education about pet behavior online for pet parents and pet professionals and have over 75 webinar courses. They also maintain two blogs. Dr. Estep received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology with specialization in animal behavior from the University of Florida and was a faculty member in the Psychology Department at the University of Georgia for almost 20 years. Dr. Hetts’ graduate and undergraduate degrees are from Colorado State University in zoology, wildlife biology and microbiology and medical technology, respectively. She was a co-founder of the grief education and support program at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and also developed all the original materials and procedures for the Behavior Help Line at the Denver Dumb Friends League. Suzanne and Dan have become “snowbirds”, operating their business from both Denver, Colorado and Sun City, Arizona along with Coral, the diva Irish Setter who provides daily inspiration and laughter.

Dr. Karen Overall holds BA, MA and VMD degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behavior and is certified by the Animal Behavior Society as an Applied Animal Behaviorist. Dr. Overall has given hundreds of national and international presentations and short courses and is the author of over 100 scholarly publications, dozens of textbook chapters and hundreds of abstracts, columns, commentaries, et cetera. Dr. Overall has also authored the texts Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals (Elsevier, 1997) and Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats (Elsevier, 2013), and the DVD, Humane Behavioral Care for Dogs: Problem Prevention and Treatment (Elsevier, 2013). She is the founding editor-in-chief for Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research (Elsevier). Dr. Overall has been named the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) Small Animal Speaker of the Year and in 2010 was named one of the The Bark’s 100 Best and Brightest - Bark Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the dog world over the past 25 years. She is currently a senior research scientist at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Overall serves and has served on numerous governmental committees focused on canine health and behavior, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Canine Health Board to which she was appointed by former PA Governor Rendell. She serves on the US Department of Defense’s Blue Ribbon panel on canine-post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) and frequently consults with governments locally, nationally and internationally about legal and welfare issues of pet dogs and issues pertaining to working dogs. Dr. Overall’s research focuses on neurobehavioral genetics of dogs, the development of normal and abnormal behaviors and how we assess behavior, especially as concerns working dogs, as part of a collaborative effort with her husband, Dr. Art Dunham, at the University of Pennsylvania. Having decided that the carrying capacity of their canine household was 4 dogs, they continue to live with 4, much loved rescue Australian shepherds.

Chirag entered the field professionally in 2004 and has since become a leading figure in the profession internationally. He is highly sought after for consulting with private clients and organizations as well as running workshops for professionals internationally. Chirag consults on the behaviour management and training of domestic animals kept as pets, exotics, zoo and laboratory animals. His passion is the application of behaviour change science and ethics to improve the life of animals living under human care, especially applying training principles to teach animals to be active participants in their own daily and veterinary care in a stress-free manner. Currently as well as running Domesticated Manners, Chirag works for Dogs Trust as Assistant Head of Canine Training & Behaviour. Chirag also consults for Guides Dogs for the Blind Association and the Kong Company. In 2015, Chirag was invited to join the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), Animal Training Focus group as the scientific officer and external consultant. He has also been invited and accepted as a Certified Parrot Behaviour Consultant (CPBC), with the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC). Previously Chirag managed the Animal Behaviour Centre at Dr Roger Mugford's Company of Animals in Chertsey, Surrey. He has also held a post at the University of Lincoln, as a research technician responsible for the training of Rats and Degus in a sponsored odor discrimination and Indiction project. In addition to this Chirag worked in veterinary practices part time for over 6 years while studying. Chirag earned his BSc(Hons) in Veterinary Sciences from the Royal Veterinary College in London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Animal Behaviour from the University of Lincoln, UK. He also holds an Advanced diploma in practical aspects of companion animal behaviour and training from the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology. Chirag is also currently continuing his education by studying further in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis. In 2005, Chirag completed an internship in dog behaviour and training with a focus on aggressive behaviour under the mentorship of Jean Donaldson at the San Francisco SPCA and developed his understanding and skills in puppy training under the mentorship of Ian Dunbar PhD, BVetMed, MRCVS. He is also a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK (00923) and has previously served on their committee.

Ken Ramirez is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Training Officer for Karen Pryor Clicker Training where he helps oversee the vision, development and implementation of training education programs for the organization. Ken previously served as the Executive Vice-President of animal care and animal training at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, where he developed and supervised animal care and animal health programs, staff training and development as well as public presentation programs for the entire animal collection of more than 32,000 animals. He worked at Shedd for nearly 26 years. In October 2014 Ken began a new role as a training advisor at Shedd as part of his responsibilities with Karen Pryor Clicker Training. A 35+ year veteran of animal care and training, Ramirez is a biologist and animal behaviorist who served nine years at Marineworld of Texas. He also was a trainer and coordinator at Ocean Safari in South Padre Island, Texas, as well as acting as a consultant to many zoo and aquarium programs throughout the world. He began his training career working with guide dogs for the visually impaired and has maintained a close affiliation to pet training throughout his career. He hosted two successful seasons of the pet training television series Talk to the Animals that compared pet training to the important work done with training and caring for animals in zoological facilities. He has also recently worked closely with several search and rescue dog organizations, service dog groups, as well as with bomb and narcotic dogs. Since 2005, Ken has brought his experience as a trainer of many cognitive projects with marine mammals and primates to the dog arena. Most notable has been his work with modifier cues, adduction, matching to sample, mimicry, and counting. The latter two projects: teaching dogs to mimic or imitate other dogs; and to learn the concept of counting are in the process of being prepared for scientific publication. Both of these projects have documented cognitive abilities in dogs that have not been previously well documented or understood. Ramirez has been active in several professional organizations, including the International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association (IMATA), of which he is a past president. Ken has been actively involved in the creation of a certification process for animal trainers in zoological settings. He has been on the faculty of Karen Pryor’s Clicker Expos since 2005. Ramirez has written for numerous scientific publications and authored countless popular articles. He authored the book ANIMAL TRAINING: Successful Animal Management through Positive Reinforcement, published in 1999. He also teaches a graduate course on animal training at Western Illinois University.

Kathy Sdao is an associate certified applied animal behaviorist (Associate CAAB). She has spent 30 years as a full-time animal trainer, first with marine mammals and now with dogs and their people. As a graduate student at the University of Hawaii in the 1980s, she was part of a research team that trained dolphins to solve complex cognitive puzzles. She received a master’s degree in experimental psychology and was then hired by the United States Navy (Department of Defense) to train dolphins for applied open-ocean tasks. After that job, Kathy spent five years as a marine-mammal trainer at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma Washington. There she expanded her training skills by working with beluga whales, walruses, porpoises, sea lions, otters and polar bears. After leaving the zoo world, Kathy and a colleague created Tacoma’s first dog-daycare facility, Puget Hound Daycare, where Kathy first began teaching clicker-training classes for pet owners. Since selling Puget Hound in 1998, Kathy has owned and managed Bright Spot Dog Training. Services include consulting with families about their challenging dogs (~50-75 per year), teaching private lessons to dogs and their owners, and coaching novices and professionals to cross over to positive-reinforcement training. In addition, she has trained animal actors, written for The Clicker Journal and the Seattle Times, consulted with Guide Dogs for the Blind and with Susquehanna Service Dogs, served as a subject-matter expert for the Delta Society’s “Service Dog Education System” and taught at the Instructor Training Courses hosted by Dogs of Course. And, in a sillier moment, Kathy appeared as the “Way Cool Scientist” on an episode of the television show Bill Nye the Science Guy. Kathy is proud to be one of the original faculty members for Karen Pryor’s long-running ClickerExpos and has taught at twenty-five of these popular conferences since 2003. Kathy also has traveled extensively across the United States, Canada and Europe, and to Australia, Israel, Japan and Mexico, educating students about the science of animal training. She’s taught more than 150 seminars, workshops, conference presentations & webinars, enjoying these opportunities to share her passion for the incredible power of positive-reinforcement training, confirmed over decades of working with dozens of species.

Mychelle has over 13 years experience working in animal sheltering both as a staff member and a volunteer, and is passionate about promoting training and behavioral health for dogs and cats to increase adoptions and reduce pet relinquishments. She had her own dog and cat training and behavior consulting business for several years in Los Angeles, CA and Lancaster, PA. Her current focus in the companion animal world is improving educational opportunities for behavior consultants and trainers using online technology. She is a writer for PetHealthNetwork.com, specializing in cat and dog behavior, since 2004. Mychelle holds a Masters of Social Welfare from UCLA and a BA in Political Science from New York University, and has completed a 12 week intensive program in front end engineering at the Iron Yard. She has her own business providing web design and development services as well as social media consultations and services. Mychelle lives in Las Vegas, NV with her husband Jake and three dogs, Kaylee, Jack and Odie.

Veronica is the founder of dog*tec. She is the author of How to Run a Dog Business: Putting Your Career Where Your Heart Is and the co-author of Minding Your Dog Business: A Practical Guide to Business Success for Dog Professionals, and writes business columns and articles for multiple industry journals. Veronica is a sought-after speaker at conferences and dog training schools across the country and internationally. She is former Director of Behavior & Training at the San Francisco SPCA.

Kristin Buller is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in private practice in Chicago, specializing in veterinary social work. In addition to her clinical training at University of Chicago, Kristin was educated at CanineLink Academy in dog behavior and is currently pursuing a certification in veterinary social work (VSW-CP) from the University of Tennessee. As a component of the VSW-CP, Kristin is completing her externship under Kelly Ballantyne, DVM, at Medical District Veterinary Clinic. Their ongoing research focuses on the impact of pet behavior problems on owners and the range of ways to support them. Kristin and Dr. Ballanytne have presented their research at the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) Conference and are authors of an article on the experience of veterinarians in behavior practice recently published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior. In addition to counseling and support groups for owners, Kristin conducts seminars and lectures for veterinary and training professionals on the following topics: supporting pet owners in emotional distress, the human-animal bond, pet grief and loss, professional self-care, and compassion fatigue.

Brian Burton, Co-Founder has worked with hundreds of owners and dogs with aggression, fear, and anxiety issues. His primary role with Instinct Behavior Consulting. Brian is currently working toward his MA in Animal Behavior & Conservation at Hunter College. Brian grew up fearful of dogs but overcame his fear and found a lifelong passion through shelter and rescue group volunteer work. He owns a 1-year-old rescue rat terrier mix, Joey, currently in training. Brian's previous rat terrier mix, Sammy, CD, CGC, RAE2 finished as the top-ranking mixed breed in the 2013 and 2014 AKC Rally National Championships.

Steve Dale, certified animal behavior consultant (CABC), has reached more pet owners over the past few decades than any other pet journalist in America. He is the host of two nationally syndicated radio shows, Steve Dale’s Pet World and The Pet Minute (together heard on more than 100 radio stations, syndicated Black Dog Radio Productions, since 2005). He’s also a special contributor at WGN Radio, Chicago, and program host of Steve Dale’s Pet World (since 1997). He formerly hosted the nationally broadcast Animal Planet Radio. Steve is a founder of the CATalyst Council and served on the Board of Directors from 2008 to 2012. After six years, in 2012, he cycled off the Board of Directors of the American Humane Association and served as a National Ambassador. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Tree House Humane Society, Chicago (2005 to 2016). He’s also on the Board of Directors of the Winn Feline Foundation (2007 to present), American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians (2016 to present). He’s an Advisory Board Member of Chicago Friends of Animal Care & Control (2013-present) and SPCA Puerto Vallarta (2016 to present). Steve’s a regular speaker at veterinary and shelter conferences around the world, and for shelter fundraisers, and other special events. Steve’s presented at each of the major U.S. veterinary conferences (numerous times), and at state and regional meetings as well as at veterinary schools, and several times for the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. He’s also spoken at the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Conference (Sydney, Australia); Latin American Veterinary Conference (Lima, Peru); Congreso Veterinario de Leon (Leon, Mexico); Caribbean Veterinary Conference (Sr. Kitts); and (via Skype) Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists Veterinary Behaviour Chapter Science Week, Brisbane, Australia.

Dr. Sheila Segurson D’Arpino completed veterinary school and then a specialty training program in animal behavior with a focus on sheltered pets at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1996 and 2005, respectively. Dr. D’Arpino has worked as an emergency veterinarian, private practice veterinarian, shelter veterinarian, dog trainer, veterinary behaviorist, and foster-based adoption program director. Currently, Dr. D’Arpino uses the knowledge she gained and skills that she learned in her role as Director of Research for Maddie’s Fund. In her current role, Dr. D’Arpino’s goal is to develop and support research that increases pet adoptions from rescue groups and shelters and improves pet well-being. She relies upon her background working in and with animal shelters, pet foster care programs, and veterinary medicine to lead Maddie's Fund research efforts. Dr. D’Arpino is also a courtesy lecturer for the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida and is the lead instructor for the Shelter Animal Behavior and Welfare online course.