Dr. Spaulding has been in the dog training and behaviour profession since 1999. She has a PhD in biopsychology—the study of the biological basis of behaviour—and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviourist through the Animal Behavior Society. She is particularly interested in stress, neurobiology, cognition, emotion, and wellbeing and how to apply these concepts to the prevention and early intervention of behaviour problems in dogs. In addition to working with behaviour clients, Dr. Spaulding teaches a variety of online courses and webinars on the science of behaviour through her website, www.smartdogtrainingandbehavior.com.
In 2019, Dr. Spaulding received the Association of Professional Dog Trainer’s (APDT’s) Member of the Year Award. She serves on the APDT Education Committee, the IAABC Foundation Board, the Fear Free Advisory group, and the Quality of Care task force facilitated by Fear Free. Before opening Smart Dog, Dr. Spaulding earned her B.S. in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. In college, she worked for the local humane society for several years. She also served as an assistant trainer at Dog’s Best Friend which was owned at that time by Dr. Patricia McConnell.
