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Emily has a Master of Science in anthrozoology from Canisius College and a Certificate in Applied Animal Behavior from the University of Washington. She’s currently pursuing her Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational and Professional Practice with a specialization in humane education from Antioch University.

Emily is a certified professional dog trainer and graduated with honors with a Certificate in Training and Counseling from The Academy for Dog Trainers. She’s also a certified Fear Free Animal Trainer and a member of their Speakers Bureau.

Additionally, Emily is a co-founder of the Humane Alliance of Rescue Trainers, which matches shelter and rescue organizations with credentialed trainers for behavior consulting and support. She also owns Coexistence Consulting, which strives to improve the interactions and relationships between humans and other animals through consulting and humane education.

Originally from Canada, Erin spent the majority of her life working with a variety of nonhuman animal species, but began specializing in dog training and behaviour while working at Companion Veterinary Clinic in Alberta, Canada under the mentorship of Jessica Benoit. While working there, she first became a certified professional dog trainer with the Certification Counsel for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), teaching puppy classes and offering one-on-one training sessions. Later, while focusing more on behaviour modification plans for dogs experiencing issues of fear, anxiety, aggression (among other behavioural maladaptations), she became a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Professional Dog Trainers (IAABC).Erin then moved to Nova Scotia, Canada, while completing my Master’s degree in Anthrozoology at Canisius College. This is where the Merit Dog Project first came to fruition (formerly Merit Professional Dog Training and Behaviour Consultation). The name change encompasses more than just behaviour consultations, but also my extensive dog related research, seminars and writing related work.

She now lives in Christchurch, New Zealand where she is completing her PhD at the University of Canterbury as a part of the New Zealand Centre for Human Animal Studies. Her research focuses on the human-dog relationship, humane training and the concepts surrounding canine consent. Her research agenda examines dog biographies and individualism while employing a mixed methods approach combining canine cognitive behavioural research, a sociological and animal ethics approach. Since moving to New Zealand, she has become a committee member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers New Zealand and is an Accredited Animal Behaviour Consultant with Companion Animals New Zealand.

In addition to Erin’s academics and behaviour consultation work, she is the Education Initiative Lead and Science Editor for the IAABC, creating and supporting animal behaviour related educational material for members, certificants and the general public. She formerly wrote weekly dog training and behaviour articles for K9 of Mine, occasional “Ask a Behaviour Consultant” articles for Journey Dog Training, and contributed frequently to other dog-related media such as PetMD. She is also a sessional tutor at the University of Canterbury and run behaviour related seminars for community dog lovers both online and in person.

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), and host of Steve Dale’s Other World (2020). He formerly hosted the nationally broadcast Animal Planet Radio.

He’s currently a writer and contributing editor for CATster, columnist for DVM 360 where he also serves as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board. He’s also a columnist for the Journal of National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America and contributing editor American Association Pet Parents (myaapp.org). Steve is Chief Correspondent at Fear Free Happy Homes.

Clive D. L. Wynne is a British-Australian ethologist specializing in the behavior of dogs and their wild relatives. He has worked in the United States, Australia, and Europe, and is currently based at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. He was born and raised on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, studied at University College London, and got his Ph.D. at Edinburgh University. He has studied the behavior of many species – ranging from pigeons to dunnarts, but starting around 2006 melded his childhood love of dogs with his professional training and now studies and teaches about the behavior of dogs and their wild relatives.

Leslie Irvine received her Ph.D. in sociology from The State University of New York at Stony Brook. Her research focuses on the roles of animals in society. At the graduate level, she teaches Sociological Theory, Qualitative Data Analysis, and Social Psychology. At the undergraduate level, she teaches Animals and Society and is the Director of the Animals and Society Certificate Program. She also teaches Classical Theory, and The Self in Modern Society. She is the recipient of the Excellence in Leadership and Service Award from the University of Colorado Boulder Faculty Assembly, the Helena Lopata Mentor Excellence Award from the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction, and the Marinus Smith Teaching Award from the University of Colorado Parents Association.

Leslie has authored a number of books, including My Dog Always Eats First: Homeless People and their Animals, Filling the Ark: Animal Welfare in Disasters, If You Tame Me: Understanding our Connection with Animals and Codependent Forevermore: The Invention of Self in a Twelve Step Group. She is editor of The Self in Society and We are Best Friends: Animals in Society. She is co-author of The Social Self and Everyday Life: Understanding the World through Symbolic Interactionism, with Kathy Charmaz and Scott Harris, and the forthcoming second edition of Regarding Animals, with Arnold Arluke and Clinton R. Sanders. She is co-editor of Narrative Sociology, with Jennifer L. Pierce and Robert L. Zussman. She also edits Palgrave Macmillan’s Studies in Animals and Social Problems book series.

Leslie’s research on animal sheltering, animal abuse, animals in popular culture, animal selfhood, the feminization of veterinary medicine, and other topics has appeared in journals and edited volumes including The Oxford Handbook of Animal Studies, Society & Animals, Anthrozoös, Gender & Society, Social Problems, The Sociological Quarterly, Qualitative Sociology, and Symbolic Interaction.

Maya Gupta earned her B.A. from Columbia University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Georgia. Her interests center on the psychology of animal cruelty; assessment/intervention with cruelty offenders; connections between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence, particularly domestic violence; and using this knowledge to improve community response to violence in all forms. Dr. Gupta previously held roles as Executive Director of the Animals & Society Institute and as Executive Director of the Ahimsa House domestic violence safe haven program for animals. She has also contracted for animal welfare organizations on program development and evaluation, served as a consultant for research projects on human-animal interaction, and provided expert witness services for animal cruelty cases. She is currently Senior Director of Applied Research with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

In addition to teaching for Canisius, she is an instructor for the Veterinary Forensic Sciences Program at the University of Florida. Her current professional service includes the Steering Committee of the National Link Coalition, the Animal Cruelty Advisory Council of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the Board of Directors of Mojave Animal Protection, the Advisory Council of Ahimsa House, the Advisory Team of Pets for Vets, the Governing Body of the Section on Human-Animal Interaction in the American Psychological Association, and serving as an Action Editor for the Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin.

Alexandra Horowitz teaches psychology at Barnard College, Columbia University. She holds a PhD in Cognitive Science from UC San Diego. She has written 6 books on dogs, several becoming New York Times Best Sellers including “Inside of a Dog”. She has been published more than 30 times in various journals. Before her scientific career, Horowitz worked as a lexicographer at Merrian-Webster and served on the staff of The New Yorker. She and her husband live in New York City with Finnegan, a dog of indeterminate parentage and determinate character.

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