Accessible Version
IAABC Foundation
Animal Behavior Consulting: Principles & Practice

Sessions

2026-02

 

 

Course Dates:

Feb 4, 2026 - Apr 29, 2026

Instructor(s):

Michelle Mullins CDBC, KPA CTP

Michelle Mullins CDBC, KPA CTP is the owner of Honest To Dog, LLC in Richmond, Virginia, USA and currently serves as the IAABC Foundation president. 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.

In addition to her IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant credential, she holds certificates as a Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Certified Training Partner (CTP), a Fear Free Certified Animal Trainer, TAGteach Level One Certified and has completed the Master Course – Aggression In Dogs.

Currently, Michelle focuses on providing educational content, presentations, and mentorships for pet professional organizations and as a guest speaker. She contributes to conferences, panels, podcasts, and consultations both on behavior case and pet product development.
Register

Closes Feb 10, 2026


The IAABC Foundation Animal Behavior Consulting Principles & Practice Course is a unique twelve-week multi-module course providing a comprehensive overview of the many facets of animal behavior consulting for all species. The course is appropriate for experienced behavior consultants and practitioners as well as those newer to the field with a strong interest in animal behavior. The course features weekly online meetings with a Course Mentor discussing each learning module.

 

Course Highlights

  • 27 renowned experts in the field
  • A comprehensive overview of Animal Behavior Consulting for all species
  • The only course to cover all facets of Animal Behavior Consulting
  • Weekly online Mentor Meetings for ongoing support and further learning

Topics Covered

  • Learning Science
  • Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Functional Analysis and Intervention Design
  • Biology
  • Ethology
  • Genetics
  • Marker Training
  • Case Studies
  • Desensitization and Counterconditioning
  • Program Management
  • Behavioral Medicine
  • LIMA Practices
  • TAGteach
  • Business Promotion and Social Media Strategies
  • Interpreting Scientific Studies
  • The Human Side of the Equation
  • Sheltering, Fostering and Enrichment
  • Animal Welfare Science
  • Compassion Fatigue
Students should expect to spend an average of 5-7 hours per week on course material and viewing, depending on individual speed of learning and the week’s materials.

** IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT WEEKLY ONLINE MEETINGS **

  • Meetings are not recorded
  • Meetings begin 1 week after course opens
  • Meetings are 1 hour in duration with the exception of Week 7, which is 2 hours in duration
  • There are 12 meetings for this course

CEUs:

 

Full Students

 

CCPDT

30.00 (CPDT-KA; CBCC-KA)

 

IAABC

36.00

 

KPA

30.0

 
Speaker(s)