VICTORIA STILWELL ACADEMY - Key Persons
Alicea Howell graduated from Purdue University with her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology in 2003, and received her animal training certification through the prestigious Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior in 2008. She was one of the first veterinary technicians to earn her VTS in Behavior in July of 2010.
Alicea works as a behavior technician in a small animal and exotic practice in Franklin, Indiana, where she has been teaching puppy classes, clicker training classes, behavior modification and cooperative behavior for more than twelve years; working with both dogs and cats. Alicea is a leader in veterinary technology, consulting veterinary hospitals on adding behavior wellness and intervention to general veterinary practices, including ways to decrease stress in patients.
Alicea is a nationally recognized speaker, providing lectures and hands-on labs for veterinarians and veterinary technicians at state, regional, and national veterinary conferences. She has written many articles for veterinary publications and is published in the North American Veterinary Clinic journal "Veterinary Technicians and Exotic Animal Training." She authored the Behavior Review chapter in Mosby's Review for Veterinary Technicians and is currently working on a book for Wiley publishing entitled Low Stress Veterinary Procedures: Guide to Training Cooperative Behavior.
Alicea is a past president of the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians and is the current president-elect of the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians. In her free time, Alicea loves hiking, camping and traveling with her husband Mark and their Jack Russell terrier "Piper" and two retired rescue greyhounds, "Moeselle" and "Honu."
Job Titles:
- Certified Professional Dog Trainer
Brad Waggoner is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a graduate of Karen Pryor Academy of Animal Training & Behavior (KPA) and a KPA Certified Training Partner (CTP), a dog∗tec Certified Dog Walker/Instructor, and a professional member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). Brad is also a Pet Tech Inc. pet First Aid and CPR instructor.
A veteran of professional dog training, Brad was awarded the prestigious B.F. Skinner scholarship to attend the Karen Pryor Academy. During his internship at Peaceable Paws, he received top honors in the practical exam, demonstrating his ability to use positive reinforcement training to get great results with dogs.
Brad keeps his knowledge and skills finely honed through classes, seminars, and workshops with such dog-training luminaries as Ian Dunbar, Kay Laurence, Patricia McConnell, Pat Miller, Kathy Sdao, Pia Silvani, Suzanne Clothier, and Ken Ramirez.
Christina is a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy and a 500-hour certified yoga teacher. Christina has been quoted in Dog Fancy Magazine's Popular Dog Series "Training Secrets For Siberian Huskies", Orange Coast Magazine, Whole Dog Journal, the elephant journal, and has authored several articles for clickertraining.com. Christina has presented at Clicker Expo San Diego and Long Beach. Christina lives in Oregon with several dogs, goats, and a potbellied pig named Tofu.
Professor Daniel Mills is a RCVS, European and ASAB recognized specialist in clinical animal behaviour, who has been developing and exploring new interventions for behaviour problems at University of Lincoln for over 20 years. This includes physical aids such as the use of semiochemicals to control the emotional reaction of animals (pheromonatherapy) and the welfare impact of different training regimes. He has a strong research interest in the comparative psychology underpinning behaviour and behavioural interventions, with a particular interest in what makes an individual different and how this arises from their interaction with the environment. To this end, he has been exploring how we can more reliably assess the emotional state of an animal in real-world settings.
More recently he has had opportunities to scientifically explore his interests in the potential value of our relationships with animals. His research in this area focuses on the benefits of companion animals using a multidisciplinary approach, for example through collaborations with biologists, health care professionals, psychologists, lawyers and economists.
Daniel consults at the specialist behaviour referral clinic and teaches on both undergraduate programmes and the MSc in clinical animal behaviour offered at the University of Lincoln.
Professor Daniel Mills is a leading international authority on companion animal behaviour and human-animal interactions. He is a Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln, and a pioneer in the use of pheromone therapy within the field of clinical animal behaviour. He is lead author of Stress and Pheromonatherapy in Small Animal Clinical Behavior. Read more →
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology at Barnard College
Dr. Alexandra Horowitz is an Adjunct Associate Professor of psychology at Barnard College and the Director of The Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab, which conducts research on dog olfaction, play behavior, and attributions of emotions to dogs. She is author of many scholarly articles on dog behavior and cognition as well as the NYT #1 best-seller Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know. Read more →
Dr. Alexandra Horowitz is an Adjunct Associate Professor of psychology at Barnard College, Columbia University. She earned her Ph.D. in Cognitive Science at the University of California at San Diego. Horowitz is the Director of The Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, which conducts research on a wide range of topics including dog olfaction, inter-species play behavior, and attributions of secondary emotions to dogs. In addition to many scholarly articles relating to dog behavior and cognition, she is author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know (Scribner, 2009), On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes (Scribner, 2013) and editor of Domestic Dog Cognition and Behavior (Springer-Verlag, 2014).
Job Titles:
- Scientist
- Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University
Dr. Brian Hare is a scientist and New York Times bestselling author. Hare is an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University in North Carolina and a member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, which is a division of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. Hare received his Ph.D. from Harvard University, and subsequently founded the Duke Canine Cognition Center when arriving at Duke University. Hare's publications on dog cognition are among the most heavily cited papers on dog behavior and intelligence.
Dr. Jones is a veterinarian and the owner of Peachtree Hills Animal Hospital in Atlanta, GA. Having attended the University of Notre Dame, he received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1999 from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. He is currently on the Board of the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association and has recently become a WebMD Pet Health Community guest expert, and has contributed articles and podcasts for Victoria Stilwell's Positively web site.
Job Titles:
- Co - Editor of the Acclaimed Book Decoding Your Dog
Dr. Ciribassi is co-editor of the acclaimed book Decoding Your Dog: Explaining Common Dog Behaviors and How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones and a frequent media spokesman on animal interests.
DVM, DACVB Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist with the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, Dr. Ciribassi is devoted to educating veterinarians and technicians about animal behavior and the benefits of improving their animal clients' vet-visit experience.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Professor
- Adjunct Professor at the Research Center for Human - Animal Interaction
- Resident Veterinary Contributor
Dr. Marty Becker, "America's Veterinarian," has spent his life working toward better health for pets and the people who love them.
Dr. Becker was the resident veterinary contributor on "Good Morning America" for 17 years. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the American Humane Association as well as its Chief Veterinary Correspondent, a founding member of Core Team Oz for "The Dr. Oz Show," and a member of the Dr. Oz Medical Advisory Panel.
He has written 22 books that have sold more than 7 million copies, including three New York Times best-sellers - one of which is the fastest-selling pet book of all time, Chicken Soup for the Pet-Lovers Soul. He has been a contributor to Parade magazine, Reader's Digest and AARP.com. Animal Radio hosts him monthly as their Chief Veterinary Correspondent.
He also writes the weekly nationally syndicated newspaper feature Pet Connection with his writing partner, Kim Campbell Thornton, and is featured in Dogster, Catster, and onVetstreet.com.
Dr. Becker is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and also at the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine at both Colorado State University and the University of Missouri. Additionally, he has lectured at every veterinary school in the United States, and is on the advisory board of World Vets, an international veterinary and disaster relief programs to help animals.
A passionate advocate for the human-animal bond, Dr. Becker serves as an adjunct professor at the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine. He is an honorary board member of Pet Partners and the Humane Society of New York, as well as a past board member and strong supporter of his local pet rescue group, Second Chance Animal Adoption of Bonner Ferry, ID, as well as a supporter of the Panhandle Animal Shelter in Sandpoint, ID, the Kootenai Humane Society in Coeur d'Alene, ID, and the Whitman County Humane Society in Pullman, WA.
Dr. Becker also serves as the Chief Veterinary Correspondent for the American Humane Association, with a strong focus on supporting their efforts to end the use of gas chambers in animal shelters, a cause for which he has successfully advocated since his earliest days as a veterinarian. His special fondness for older pets has led him to a spot on the Advisory Board of The Grey Muzzle Organization, which is dedicated to helping homeless senior dogs.
He practices at North Idaho Animal Hospital because he loves veterinary medicine, pets and the people who care for them.
The resident veterinary contributor on "Good Morning America" for 17 years and author of 22 books, Dr. Becker's Fear Free program encourages veterinary practices to learn about and implement fear-free vet visits for their patients.
Irith Bloom, CPDT-KSA, CDBC, VSPDT, KPA CTP, CBATI, certified TAGteacher, has been training animals since the 1980s, and has worked with everything from parrots and rabbits to dogs and horses - not to mention humans. A biologist by training, Irith is fascinated by the science of learning, and loves taking part in conferences and seminars. Irith has presented at a variety of venues both in the U.S. and internationally, including the VSPDT Conference, ClickerExpo, and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers' Annual Educational Conference, among others. She is a member of the dog*biz Dog Walking Academy Faculty and she has given webinars for the APDT and the Society for Veterinary Behavior Technicians. She has also written numerous articles for online outlets, and has been published in The APDT Chronicle of the Dog and Everydog.
Irith volunteers with National English Shepherd Rescue, and is on the Steering Committee of the Los Angeles County 2020 Healthy Pets Healthy Families Coalition, a One Health Initiative aimed at improving the health and well-being of people and their pets throughout Los Angeles County. Irith is the owner of The Sophisticated Dog, a pet training company based in Los Angeles, and shares her home with a rescued English Shepherd named Franklin and her husband Aaron.
Job Titles:
- CEO and Founder of Canine Assistants
- Founder and Executive Director of Canine Assistants
Jennifer Arnold is the Founder and Executive Director of Canine Assistants, located in Milton, Georgia. Founded in 1991, Canine Assistants is a non-profit organization that teaches service dogs to assist children and adults who have physical disabilities, seizure conditions, or other special needs. Jennifer first recognized the need for this program when she was sixteen years old and diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Understanding the need for physical assistance and companionship, Jennifer pursued the development of a service dog program. She also began working to enhance her knowledge of the extraordinary relationship between humans and animals and how they could best work together. Canine Assistants has now placed over 1,300 service dogs with recipients from 48 states and 5 countries and continuously has over 120 dogs in various stages of teaching in an effort to accommodate the more than 2,200 people on its waiting list.
Jennifer is the New York Times bestselling author of Through a Dog's Eyes, published by Random House in 2010, and the subject of a PBS Special of the same name. Her second book, In a Dog's Heart, was released to critical acclaim in October 2011. She has been featured in The New York Times, London Times, People, Mademoiselle, Family Circle, Atlanta Magazine and various other publications, has been seen on numerous television programs, and currently serves on the Advisory Board of NBC/Universal's petside.com. She has been profiled on CNN's HLN Leaders with Heart, awarded the Jefferson Award for Community Service, WTBS's Super Citizen Award, Buckhead Woman of the Year, MS Society of Georgia's Woman on the Move 2011, Atlanta Magazine's Women Making a Mark, and the Greater Atlanta Veterinary Medical Association's Humanitarian of the Year Award. In 2011, she was invited to participate as one of 50 Amazing Women in the UN's International Year of Youth. Jennifer and her husband, Dr. Kent Bruner, and their son, Chase, live in Milton, Georgia.
Jennifer is the CEO and founder of Canine Assistants. She has written two best-selling books and appeared in a PBS special about Canine Assistants. Read more →
Job Titles:
- European Coordinator & Faculty
Jo is the European Manager for Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training (VSPDT), the European Coordinator for Victoria Stilwell Academy, a Faculty Advisor and Mentor for Victoria Stilwell Academy students and a blogger for Positively. She is a proud member of The Pet Professional Guild, a qualified Agility Instructor, IABTC C&T Certified and has qualified as an Associate Member of the Animal Care College. Jo is a qualified and accredited Agility and Hoopers Instructor.
Jo has completed the Higher Certificate of Cynology achieving a distinction and is now a member of the Institute of Animal Care and Education. Training and continued development is very important and with this in mind Jo is now studying for the Advanced Diploma in Canine Behaviour Management with Compass Education. Jo is also a Kennel Club Rally Obedience judge.
With over 18 years' experience training and showing both dogs and horses, Joey Iversen has worked with all breeds of dogs and their owners. She has taught seminars around the world, including China, Taiwan, Australia, Denmark, Tokyo, Sweden, France, Switzerland and Canada. Joey received her Certified Pet Dog Trainer title from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She is a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior. Joey is also TAGteach Level 2 Certified.
In 2007, Joey relocated to Washington from Iowa where she developed and co-owned a successful training, daycare, agility center and boarding facility. There, Joey developed and taught all levels of dog and puppy obedience classes, agility, CGC, Rally-O, private lessons, and behavior counseling. She coached competitors in all canine sports and personally holds titles in Obedience, Rally-O, and Agility.
Job Titles:
- Marketing Consultant and Dog Expert
Nicole is an internationally recognized, award-winning author and lecturer. Her ten books include So You Want to be a Dog Trainer, Help for Your Fearful Dog, and Don't Leave Me! Step-by-Step Help for Your Dog's Separation Anxiety. Nicole is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer who presents seminars worldwide at conferences, training clubs, shelters, and for other groups. She is the recipient of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers' prestigious Ian Dunbar Member of the Year Award, and a popular speaker at the organization's conferences. Nicole is also on the Advisory Board for the Companion Animal Sciences Institute, the educational branch for the International Institute for Applied Companion Animal Behavior.
Nicole writes training and behavior articles for various publications, including ongoing assignments for Modern Dog Magazine, and blogs for the Huffington Post as well as her own blog, Wilde About Dogs. She co-stars in the DVD Train Your Dog: The Positive Gentle Method, and co-hosted the Dog Talk radio show, where her experience, humor and quick wit were put to good use. She was also featured in the Paul Owens DVD The Dog Whisperer (not to be confused with the television show by the same name!).
Nicole has always had a special place in her heart for dogs in need. She served as Volunteer Coordinator for the City of Los Angeles' Animal Services, where she instructed volunteers in canine handling and behavior, handled hundreds of dogs, and acted as an adoption counselor. She was also Executive Director for Villalobos Rescue Center, a sanctuary for rescued wolves/wolf hybrids, pit bulls and exotic animals. Nicole's specialty was socializing the fearful wolves who were to live out their lives at the center. She trained wolves and other canines, and co-presented seminars to animal control officers, schools and specialty groups. Her experience is rounded out by having supervised 40-50 off-leash dogs daily at a doggy daycare, working at a veterinarian's office, serving as Editor/Chief Writer for Get-A-Pet magazine, and teaching group classes as well as private instruction.
Nicole is originally from New York, and moved to Los Angeles in 1987. She has been a professional gymnast, driven motorcycles, played bass guitar in various rock bands, and lived with wolves for over ten years.
Nicole owns and operates Gentle Guidance Dog Training in southern California. She lives with two rescued northern breed mixes, sled loads of dog hair, and one very understanding husband. With warmth, humor and positive techniques, she trains owners to train their dogs. She continues to teach seminars worldwide for professional dog trainers, rescue and shelter workers, veterinary groups and others, and to educate the public on canine behavior issues.
Nicole Wilde is an internationally recognized, award-winning author and lecturer, Canine Behavior Specialist, and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). Her ten books include So You Want to be a Dog Trainer, Help for Your Fearful Dog, and Don't Leave Me! Step-by-Step Help for Your Dog's Separation Anxiety (www.nicolewilde.com). In addition to working with dogs, Nicole has worked with wolves and wolfdogs for over fifteen years and is considered an expert in the field. Read more →
Paula Bloom is a practicing clinical psychologist, author, TEDx speaker and frequent on-air CNN contributor. She is called on by the media to offer perspective on a wide range of events and topics including national tragedies, international events and mental health topics such as happiness, resilience and relationships. Paula is the co-author of Why Does He Do That? Why Does She Do That?, has contributed articles to PBS's This Emotional Life and The Huffington Post and has been featured in Men's Health, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Woman's Day and CNN.com. Paula is a proud pet parent of a 5-lb chihuahua-terrier mix and a 35-lb boxer puppy.
Sarah Fisher is a canine and equine behaviour advisor and educator. She has worked with animals for over twenty years and is the founder of Animal Centred Education. Sarah teaches Animal Centred Education (ACE) courses for trainers, groomers, veterinary nurses, physiotherapists and animal behaviour counsellors who wish to broaden their expertise by learning detailed observations combined with ACE Free Work, TTouch bodywork, and techniques inspired by animals and other professionals working in the fields of animal welfare, education and behaviour.
Sarah is experienced with a wide range of breed types and teaches staff workshops for many of the UK's animal welfare organisations including Battersea. She has also worked in Europe teaching staff workshops for shelters and has taught workshops and clinics for dog trainers and behaviourists in Holland, Greece, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, South Africa, Ireland, Cyprus, Romania and Poland.
Sarah gives presentations on a variety of topics at dog training and behaviour seminars in the UK and abroad, and is a regular speaker at the annual Dog Behaviour Conference organised by Victoria Stilwell Positively. Sarah serves on the faculty of the Victoria Stilwell Academy and also conducts behaviour assessments for private clients, animal welfare organisations, and court cases. Sarah is a published author and has participated in numerous television and radio programmes over the years including the recent Nightmare Pets SOS for BBC1.
Job Titles:
- Veterinary Surgeon from Bristol University
Sarah Heath qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Bristol University in 1988 and spent four years in a mixed general practice before setting up Behavioural Referrals Veterinary Practice in 1992. She is an honorary lecturer in Behavioural Medicine within the faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Liverpool and responsible for the behavioural medicine curriculum for undergraduate veterinary students. In addition to her clinical and teaching work Sarah has written a number of books and regularly contributes to veterinary publications on behavioural topics. She also lectures at home and abroad on the topic of animal behaviour.
She became the first veterinary member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors in 1990. In 2001 she was awarded the Melton Award by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) for meritorious contributions to small animal practice and in 2002 was awarded the Vetlink Award for outstanding service to the Veterinary Nursing Profession. She was a founding member of the BSAVA affiliated Companion Animal Behaviour Therapy Study Group and served as its secretary for 7 years. Sarah is the co-founder of the International Veterinary Behaviour Meeting which is now established as the most important international congress on Veterinary Behavioural Medicine and is held every other year. In 2002 she became a Founding Diplomate of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine and served as the second President of that College from 2003 to 2008. She is a European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine (Companion Animals). She is Immediate Past President of the European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology.
Most of Steve White's 39 year law enforcement career has been in K-9. He is the only person to have served as a handler, trainer, and supervisor for the Seattle Police Canine Unit. Accredited as a Master Trainer in 1993 by the Washington State Police Canine Association, Steve is also a past Executive Board Member of that body. He served as Vice President of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, and is a consultant and instructor for the K9 Academy for Law Enforcement. Steve has instructed at seminars in the U.S., Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Finland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom. He has served as a primary instructor for Karen Pryor's ClickerExpo and the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior. His articles have appeared in police K-9 and dog training publications in the U.S., Australia, Japan, and Canada. He specializes in teaching behavior modification, tracking, and scent work through the use of positive reinforcement-based operant conditioning. He provides consultation and training to K-9 units on administrative and legal issues, and has been recognized as an expert witness by Washington and Federal courts in Police K-9 and dog behavior matters.
For over 40 years Steve White has been passionate about humanely training police dogs that are safe, effective, reliable, and in true partnership with their human handlers. A highly sought after presenter and consultant, Steve is on the leading edge of positively training dogs that just plain work in our increasingly complex modern world. Read more →
Job Titles:
- Founder of the Villalobos Rescue Center
Tia is the founder of the Villalobos Rescue Center and host of the hit show "Pit Bulls and Parolees," which follows her inspiring rescue, training, rehabilitation, and placement work. She attributes her determination to that of all the animals she has had the honor of meeting and learning from. Tia says it was the compassion and understanding she received from animals of every size, shape, and species, that made her the human she is today.
Her love for animals started with a love of horses. She became an avid equestrian in every genre of horsemanship. Her Mother taught her discipline and very strong morals, and instilled in Tia that it is a privilege and honor to own any animal as a "pet," and that when you take on the responsibility you must be willing to put the animal's needs first. Tia has continued this tradition with her own children and their animals are treated like royalty!
As a young adult Tia took in a wolf/dog mix - or "wolfdog" - that a relative was giving up. Tia says "the magnificent snow white ‘beast' took me on a journey that I would never be able to re-pay him for, my life with wolves began." Wolfdogs were a current trend, but few people were equipped to adequately care for them, so sadly many were being given up or worse. Tia's captivation with her own wolfdog was the impetus that led her to rescue other wolfdogs - and it was then that the Villalobos Rescue Center ("village of wolves" in Spanish) was born.
Years later on a chance visit to a local animal shelter, Tia discovered her first pit bull "Tatanka," she had been confiscated from a double homicide/methamphetamine lab crime scene. Tia says that taking her in would ultimately prove to her that rescuing wolfdogs was a walk in the park compared to what she would go through with the most notorious breed of dog in the world.
It was the early 90's and pit bulls were the most unpopular breed in the country, shelters were euthanizing them and only rarely adopting them out. Tia says that to call her rescue efforts an uphill battle was putting it mildly. Between the wolfdogs and the pit bulls, life at Villalobos was tough. Tia was approached by the City of Los Angeles to form a training program for all pit bull owners. Over the years the weekly obedience classes proved highly successful for hundreds of thousands of dogs and their owners. The classes went on for 11 wonderful years until Tia and Villalobos relocated to Louisiana.
Once in Louisiana Tia was given an opportunity to work with exotic animals in the film industry. She says that work, which took her all over the world and advanced her dog training skills, also made her realize that the animals themselves would prove to be the most invaluable mentors one could ever ask for.
Soon after, she took a chance on hiring a young man who was recently released from prison. He would turn out to be the start of something very big for Villalobos Rescue Center. At first, having a parolee on board seemed only to add to the stigma of owning pit bulls and wolfdogs. But a well-known magazine in Los Angeles wrote an article about the hard yet rewarding work they were doing. In 2007, Tia and Villalobos were voted one of the "Most Important People of Los Angeles." It was then that their lives took an unexpected turn.
Production companies began contacting Tia about doing a reality show. She initially had no interest in such a project, but times were hard for the non-profit and donations were scarce. Tia says that hunger eventually won over her pride and she gave in to the idea of documenting their lives on national television. "Pit Bulls & Parolees" was born under the protective arms of Animal Planet.
Tia is extremely grateful for what they have accomplished through what she describes as a successful and "real" reality show. Through the show they have been able to survive and save more dogs than ever before. Tia adds, "But what is also so important is that we've been able to show that being the ‘underdog' is all about being strong, resilient, tenacious, loyal and yet forgiving. Wait a minute … I think I just described some of greatest dogs in my life."
We are excited to have Tia as a member of the Victoria Stilwell Academy dog training school advisory board!
Founder of the Villalobos Rescue Center and host of the hit show "Pit Bulls and Parolees," which follows her inspiring rescue, training, rehabilitation, and placement work. Read more →
Job Titles:
- Certified Professional Dog Trainer
- Operations Manager / Enrollment Coordinator
Tiffany is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) and excels in both dog training and client communication skills. Tiffany had the honor of becoming the very first graduate in the country with a specialty of Animal Assisted Interactions (AAI). Tiffany was also the top scoring graduate of the Pat Miller Peaceable Paws Level 1 Intern Academy and Level 2 Behavior Modification Academy. She is a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) and co-instructor of Malena DeMartini's Separation Anxiety Certification Program.
Tiffany got her start as a professional trainer at Cold Nose College with Lisa and Brad Waggoner as her mentors. She took her dog through all of their classes, couldn't seem to leave, and the three mutually decided that she belonged there. She is a native speaker of force-free training, having never used aversive methods.
Tiffany has a special love for helping anxious and fearful dogs learn that the world around them is safe. She is expert at bridging the gap of understanding that can exist between dogs and their guardians and never tires of "light bulb moments" at both ends of the leash.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Marketing and Business Development Manager for the Victoria Stilwell Positively
Van serves as the Marketing and Business Development Manager for the Victoria Stilwell Positively brand in his role as Vice President of various Victoria Stilwell entities and CEO of the Victoria Stilwell Academy. Formerly a successful actor, Van oversees the ongoing development of the Victoria Stilwell brand across many platforms including products, licensing, digital, television and video.