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Course Catalog
IAABC Foundation
Fundamentals of Ethology

Sessions

No sessions available.

Meeting Time: Mondays at 1pm (EST), beginning February 26th


Think outside the Skinner box! Ethology is the scientific and objective study of how animals behave in the real world. This course will teach you the core concepts of ethology — how animals see their world, and why they behave the way they do.

 

You’ll learn how the environment, individual personality, and genetics all interact. This course is great for anyone new to ethology, working or interested in sheltering, zoos, training, and behavior, and everyone interested in getting the most out of their relationship with a companion animal, personal or professional.

 

Ethology is the study of animal behavior and its evolution, and is a key factor in having true expertise in the understanding of animals.

 

  • How do animals see and interact with their world?
  • What does this mean in terms of how they behave?
  • How will this change and enhance your understanding of behavior?
  • How can this understanding dramatically improve your ability to work with, and help animals?
An understanding of ethology, and the exploration of these questions will forever change how you think about the animals we live and work with.

** IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ONLINE WEEKLY MEETINGS **

  • Auditors do not attend online meetings
  • Meetings are not recorded
  • Meetings begin 1 week after course opens
  • Meetings are 1 hour in duration
  • There are 4 meetings for this course

CEUs

Full Students

CCPDT (CBCC-KA and CPDT-KA), IAABC, KPA: 8 CEUs

Auditors

CCPDT (CBCC-KA and CPDT-KA), IAABC, KPA: 6 CEUs

CEUs:
 

Full Students

Auditors

CCPDT

8

6

IAABC

8

6

CCPDT

8

6
Speaker(s)
Kristina Spaulding PhD, CAAB

Kristina Spaulding PhD, CAAB

Dr. Kristina Spaulding has been in the dog training and behavior profession since 1999. She earned her undergraduate degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While in college, she worked for the Dane County Humane Society and volunteered as an assistant trainer at Dog’s Best Friend, then owned by Dr. Patricia McConnell. She runs Science Matters Academy of Animal Behavior LLC. She completed her PhD in biopsychology—the study of the biological basis of behavior—in 2016. In 2017, Dr. Spaulding became a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. She is particularly interested in stress, neurobiology, cognition, emotion, and wellbeing and how to apply these concepts to the prevention and early intervention of behavior problems in dogs. Dr. Spaulding has a passion for teaching and offers a variety of online courses and webinars on the science of behavior. During graduate school she taught undergraduate courses for several years. She was trained in innovative and effective teaching skills through the Institute for Teaching, Learning, and Academic Leadership and the University at Albany. In 2012, Dr. Spaulding received the Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student Award through the local chapter of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. In 2019, Dr. Spaulding received the Association of Professional Dog Trainer’s (APDT’s) Member of the Year Award. In addition to teaching other professionals, she regularly presents on canine behavior science at conferences and other events. She also continues to work with private training clients where she specializes in fear, reactivity, and hyperactivity/impulsivity. She currently serves on the IAABC Foundation Board and the Fear Free Advisory group.