This Scholarship Program is based on the honor system.
I offer a lot of free resources to help pet owners and animal professionals get happier animals that are reasonably well behaved and thrive with people.
But some of my courses are paid. These paid courses constitute my living and fund the production of my free courses and all the other free educational content that I create. I’m really grateful to host a global audience, and I’m acutely aware of the vast range of economic realities that my audience is facing.
So, I’m offering a handful of scholarships – I don’t want financial constraints to limit people’s access to this information!
This Animal Emotions 2025 Scholarship program is based on the honor system. Please, only submit an entry for a potential scholarship if it’s truly needs-based. I’m entrusting you — on your honor — to apply for a scholarship because without it, taking the course would not be financially possible right now.
In my selection efforts, I’ll strive to focus on finding candidates that can somehow make an impact in their community – among animals and people. Check out the details below, and get to it. (Act fast, because the deadline is Tuesday, January 21st at midnight PST)
The Animal Emotions 2025 Scholarship Program.
What it is: Complimentary access to the 2025 Animal Emotions Course.
How to be considered: Read the following questions and post your answer in the comments below.
Make sure your response is 250 words or less.
- Where do you live?
- How many animals would directly or indirectly benefit from your taking the course?
- Do you do any animal-related teaching?
- If admission to the Animal Emotions course landed in your lap, how would it help you, the animals in your care or your community? What difference would it make to you and the animals and people around you?
Everything You Need to Know
- You apply with a written comment below. Yes, it must be public. No email entries will count.
- Keep the total word count below 250 words – longer applications will be disqualified. If you’re unsure of whether you’re at the limit, count them here.
- The entry deadline is Tuesday, January 21st at midnight PST, and the recipients will be announced within 12 hours, on Wednesday!
- No purchase is necessary to receive a scholarship.
- I’m the judge and my decision is subjective and final.
- I’ll award a handful of scholarship seats. A specific number is not predetermined.
- Remember: I’m looking for heart, compassion, drive and the ability to follow directions. Show me how this course will help you create meaningful change.
I can’t wait to see your entry!
ps – when you write your entry, it doesn’t become visible immediately – you’ll just be brought to the top of the page. The comment is in limbo waiting for my approval, which should occur within 12 hours. If it’s been more than 15 hours and you still don’t see it, let me know!
40 replies on “The Animal Emotions 2025 Scholarship Program”
Hi Karolina,
My name is Pernille, and I live in Copenhagen, Denmark. For the last 25 years, I have dedicated my free time and professional life to working with dogs. I am a certified dog trainer and canine massage therapist. This is a job I am very passionate about, and 95% of my work is voluntary. My greatest motivation is to help dog owners provide a better life for their dogs and help them create a good, loving, and safe relationship. My volunteer work is important to me because I want to give everyone the opportunity to gain greater knowledge about dogs.
I have a rescue dog myself, who is also my best friend and my teacher. As a dog trainer and therapist, I have a wide reach and will work with at least 100 dog owners/dogs in a year. I would love to participate in your course, Animal Emotions, to gain more tools in my toolbox and, in this way, help dog owners and dogs even more.
Thank you so much for reading this.
Ik ben heel geïnteresseerd in deze cursus maar helaas laten de financiën op dit moment weinig ruimte om te doen.
Ben hondentrainer en wil graag altijd op de hoogte blijven van nieuwe ontwikkelingen en deze overbrengen naar mijn cursisten.
Helaas heb ik op dit moment zelf geen hond meer na het overlijden 5 maanden geleden. Ik geloof stellig dat de emoties die wij maar al te goed kennen, ook dieren treft.
Ik hoop dus dat ik de gelukkige wordt om een beurs te krijgen zodat ik niet nog een jaar moet wachten om deze te gaan volgen.
My name is Amanda, and I live in rural West Virginia. I share my life with 6 Dachshunds, and also run a small dog training business with a friend. We usually work with 100-150 dogs per year. We see a variety of dogs, from nearly feral rescues to well-bred show and sport dogs to service and therapy dogs in training. With our business, it is about helping the dogs and the people they live with. We’ve worked with students that just can’t afford to pay for classes, and have gone without pay ourselves many, many times to keep the doors open. We have assisted with training and dog evaluations at our local animal shelter, and offered free training to Veterans living in a volunteer-run home so they wouldn’t have to give up their dogs. We want every dog to feel safe and valued, to feel comfortable offering behaviors and learning, and to never be afraid of making a mistake. I would be so grateful to be awarded a scholarship for the Animal Emotions class. Learning about behavior is a passion of mine and I am sure the course would be invaluable to me. It would benefit not only my own dogs (two of whom I’m working with on reactive behavior), but the knowledge gained from the course would also directly benefit the dogs of my clients. Thank you for your consideration!
I live in Denmark where I work as a profession detection dog handler. Besides working with dogs as a profession, I also teach classes, seminars and trains 1on1 as a volunteer in a Danish dog sport association. I would say that between the dogs I meet at work and in my sparetime, I would say that I am in direct contact with around 100 dogs a year that would benefit from me taking this course.
For me the most important factor in wanting to take this course, is to be able to really take on the emotions of the dog in training. To be able to identify what emotions drives the behavior we are working on or having problems with. That applies to both dog sports, but also with behavioral challenges. I think this would be very helpful in putting more focus on how important it is to also think about the emotions in the animal, and not rely only on the behavior we are able to see. Besides that I have a huge motivation as to be able to push the training concept used on our professional working dogs. Often in the operational side of working dogs, there are situations where the dog has to do something that isn’t necessarily pleasant for the dog. I want to be better at coping with the emotions the dog has in these situations and to help to prepare the dogs for those situations.
My name is Emileigh and I live just north of Columbus, OH. I unfortunately don’t have a number of animals that I can provide as it varies greatly. I have 6 pets that live with me that would benefit, but I interact with so many more in the community. I am a solo RVT and trainer that provides pet sitting, vet tech services, training, and enrichment through my business. My business model is “wholistic” pet care, catering to the whole animal – body, mind, and spirit. This course would give me new views and ways to approach the pets I interact with by enhancing my ability to support their emotional needs.
1. UK, rural England.
2. As a budding behaviour consultant, I hope many hundreds of animals would benefit from my learning in the course. In the short term my current clients and my own dog would greatly benefit.
3. I work with dogs and cats on individual basis, educating their humans in our interactions, through resources I send and I am starting to hold open information sessions in my local community.
4. The piece about emotions is a key I don’t yet have skills to communicate about, but it is the glue keeping us humans engaged in trying to do better for our animals, and the key to truly understand underlying emotions and meaningfully being able to support the animals in our care, living in the often confusing and scary human centred world. I am particularly passionate about supporting anxious and fearful animals, as I live with a dog that finds many things overwhelming, and I am constantly on a learning journey to support her. My dog, Ronja and previous street dogs I have lived with, with their own challenges, fuel my motivation, curiosity and dedication to learning more, so that I can do better for them, and increase all of our wellbeing. My life is in many ways centred around Ronja’s special needs, and I believe we can all reach more freedom, and I believe this course can help us swell as my clients, and the many animals in our local community too.
Hi Karolina,
I’m from Melbourne, Australia.
I am a dog trainer running puppy classes for a local animal shelter. I also have a very small (word of mouth only) dog training business and I am an instructor at the local dog training club. I have the potential to interact with and influence many new dog owners. My focus is on puppies and getting their foundations right, teaching their owners how to understand their pup and how to help the pup navigate the human world. I also do 1 on 1 sessions with people who are having basic behavioural problems that respond to training, I don’t have any qualifications as a veterinary behaviourist so I am unable to work with true psychological problems, however, I would love to delve deeper into what makes animals tick. (Including the human animals) My finances are very limited as I am semi-retired except for the dog training which only just covers operating expenses, leaving little for education, and my husband retired recently
With this course I hope to help pet owners better understand that their pets experience emotions, how emotions can affect their behaviour, and how emotions affect the bonding and connection they have with their pets. I hope I can have even more compassion and tolerance when my own dog exhibits unwanted/distressing behaviours.
1. I live in Mecklenburg, Germany with my family with special needs.
2. I can´t say how many cats. At the moment there are three anxious and/ or traumatized cats living with us. Also I work with four anxious cats and their mommies on a volunteer basis. I hope that there will be more to come! But quality comes before quantity. And in Mecklenburg it will need time (patience, perserverance) and trust (to well educated experts and cat parents) and open minds for changes.
3. Yes, of course! My mission is to help people understand the perspective and natural needs of cats in general and then of their own cats as well. I help them getting this understanding and the ability how to handle their dears respectfully. So they can help to create a trustful environment and build up a respectful/ loving communication/ atmosphere etc. for/ with their cats. I work for free- shelters and People with less income don´t have a lot.
4. Our own financial situation is not at its best- I´m depending on a scholarship. But honestly I already received a scholarship for the RCB-Course- which is great as well! That´s why I hesitated with another application. But my heart is dedicated to these anxious cats and I would benefit a lot from more insights- and directly my “little stars” will benefit via better explanations, training, therapy and sharing my experiences/ knowledge with co-workers and cat parents. Life is not about surviving- but thriving! Thank You!
Hi
I currently have 2 dogs. Nick a Border Collie a retired stockdog. He is wonderful and not the problem dog. I also now have a large mixed breed dog (Colt) that belongs to my new partner and I am his full time caretaker as my partner works and I am a now a retired licensed veterinary technician in surgical and emergency medicine. We used to have a house with a backyard , but I fled a domestic violence situation this past July and lived in a shelter where I had to walk him. He is extremely reactive. He has 3 bites on him and one serious attack. I have only known him for 2 years. He is 5 yrs old. There were warning signs earlier in his life that were never dealt with. We finally found a place to live and I have to walk him. I am an older woman, experienced dog handler, but I have never seen anything as bad as his aggressive behaviour. He has been to vets and I have tried all that I know and nothing seems to work. He goes ballistic with absolutely no body language at all. None. He is loveable with us and Nick, but any human or dog approaching and hell breaks loose in a nanosecond. He is constantly on alert and I would say extremely nerve wracked anytime he is outside the house. I am hoping for this scholarship, because I just don’t have the disposable income to pay for it. I left my living situation with nothing but my clothes, my computer and my dogs. I am trying to rebuild my life and heal from the six years of abuse I endured. Having to walk him at age 70 is beyond difficult and stressful for me, even with 40 + years as a vet tech. I would be so grateful for your help.
1. Salem, Oregon
2. My own dog which I am in process of adopting, and the dogs I meet in real life, approximately 20-30 dogs per year.
3. Yes, in my very small, private training service, I do my best to educate about force-free training and encourage pet people to really listen to their dogs.
4. My training is all done solo and the business is very, very small. Being able to take part in this course will increase my knowledge, and I believe that with increased knowledge I can help more dogs and their people. Thank you for considering my application.
I live in Estonia.
Directly benefiting would be my 3 dogs and 46 sheep(breeding herd). Indirectly all the lambs who will be born in april(60) and my future herding and protection dogs and also chickens and ducks who will arrive this summer to our farm.
I teach my animals – working dogs and sheep.
This course would help me to understand my animals better and therefore improve their life. I also share my knowledge of my animals and their welfare in instagram so my followers would also benefit from my new insights.
hello, I’m from Scotland and work as a trained and accredited sports dog trainer. [Agility and Hoopers.] I continue to learn from the best people who hold my values and can teach me more of what I need to know about shaping required behaviours. I am getting old now but still feel I have so much to give to help people and their canine companions form a good and loving connection. I walk my talk. We humans can help our dogs grow in confidence if we learn to read their body language. I love it when the person I am teaching becomes as curious as I am to learn more of this. And I know that once they begin to experience that connection with their dogs, then there will be a spin off with their friends and family. Who will learn more from my students and their loving and willing canine companion. I know its all about trust and the more we understand the science behind the behaviour the more we can work with our dogs in equal partnership. I wish I had known all of this when I ran my livery yard but I do now and believe this course will help me further my understanding. I am a pensioner and those of us who do not quite qualify for benefits in the UK are finding finances a bit tight to say the least. Hence my request for a scholarship to further my own understanding and education. Thank you.
Hi! I’m from Sweden
I work at a veterinary clinic as a veterinary nurse and I meet and take care of many dogs, cats and other small animals everyday.
I also have two horses, a cat and a 6 year old dog whom we took over two months ago.
I do not teach any classes or train any animals other than my own but I try to make the visit to the veterinary clinic as pleasant and safe as I can for both animals and their owners!
I would love to be able to better meet and help all animals and their owners at the clinic to make their visit a bit more pleasant and safe. And to, hopefully, never find us in the position of full blown panic even if it is unpleasant and scary to go to the veterinary clinic! Also to meet and better understand the feelings of my own animals, especially the newest member of our family.
We have many different types of patients that visit my workplace. Some just in for a vaccination but we also do a lot of medical examinations, surgery and we have sick animals in for treatment, sometimes for many days. Many patients are often worried and scared, even if it is just for a quick visit. Some animals are so scared and stressed they are a danger to us and sometimes the owner and themselves.
Hello Karolina,
I am Sergej and I live in Croatia. I am a volunteer in a non-profit organization that trains service dogs and therapy dogs, which are then given to individuals or institutions after training. For the past ten years, I have been implementing the r.e.a.d. program and working mainly with children on the correct attitude towards pets. This would directly affect about 40 dogs per year in training, and indirectly, I hope, much more through various presentations to children in schools. I hope that it would help the community the most through the education of school-age children. I consider it my duty to educate young people about coexistence with animals, especially dogs. Without education, this is not possible, and like most non-profit organizations, ours is also trying to raise the level of knowledge through such scholarships.
Thank you
1. I live in Central Portugal
2. There will be many animals benefiting (specially dogs) from my taking the course, a rough guess would be about 50 a year.
The Animal Emotions course would help me to teach or advice my colleagues in dog shelters, the adopters of dogs and the general public around me. As a volunteer I work closely together with several animal rescues on adoption of the dogs in their care. I help out in a very small shelter, where I clean and entertain the dogs. What I like most about my volunteer work is to match dogs with adopters so the adoption will be a success for both dog and adoption family. I also supply the aftercare for those adoptions. Adoptions generally are in Portugal or Holland, to Portuguese, English or Dutch families. Adopted dogs have specific emotional needs so the Animal Emotions course would help me very much in my work as a match maker and as support to adopter families.
3. I advise adopter on how to treat their adopted dogs especially in the first few weeks. I teach adopters in my neighborhood in Portugal if they have any problems. I advise other volunteers on how to treat the dogs.
4. The understanding of the animals would increase, and thus, the treatment would become better and therefore the animals would benefit and be happier.
I am extremely interested in this course, but as a volunteer I cannot afford it.
I live in western Washington and believe R+ is the only way. I thirst for all the knowledge I can find to be a better steward and communicator with the animals I come into contact with. I am currently creating connections all over Kitsap county with horse, dog and other pet guardians, including barns that work with the neurodivergent community. Having recently being diagnosed as AuDHD and struggled my entire life, I know firsthand the divine healing power of an animal’s love. My heart dog stopped me from taking my own life when I was 22. That moment showed me that power and I want nothing more than to give the gift of that power to those like me. I want to bring their knowledge and understanding of their animal to a higher place to create space for that healing power. I also plan to help those animals who have only known fear and pain.
Current training practices need to be brought up to date and it’s going to take the entire R+ community to achieve that goal. Like Zak George, I want to be a leader in this.
I believe every person on this Earth is given a purpose, a unique skill or talent which, if recognized, will fuel a future of purpose and enlightenment. THIS is mine. My purpose is animals and my gift the ability to help others see the power in the human animal connection. A scholarship for this program will help me achieve this mission.
I live in the United States, NY. At present – ten animals would be directly influenced by this course.
Several years ago – I was an instructor for three summers – at a camp for kids and their dogs. It was a great experience and I enjoyed it a lot. It made me realize that I have a lot to learn.
This course would help me to become more in tune with how my animals are doing in a particular situation – and also – how their behavior influences my feelings. I want to learn more about the interplay of feelings , situations and behavior – and how one thing influences the other.
A big focus right now is my work with my dog , Bennie, Cavalier King Charles – who is a certified therapy dog. When Bennie goes to his job ( at a local hospital and a local college) he has the ability to bring so much calm and happiness- and so I want to support him in this work – in the very best possible way. I see this as an avenue to give back to my community – however – I need to develop the ability to be able to read how Bennie is doing – in what can sometimes be – a stressful situation for him. In other words – I want to better advocate for him.
My other focus is my other dog – Coco, my three year old cavalier. She exhibits quite a bit of anxiety at times – particularly if she encounters something novel in her visual field – something as “ simple” as a newly fallen branch on one of our regular walks. I am always seeking more insight into this challenge.
Thank you for taking the time to read this!
Hi, Karolyna! I really would like to join this course (more about that below), but right now my financial means are stretched to the limit; I just retire and with a small pension I can barely afford my rental and living in the southern region of Portugal where I am trying to settle. I have never applied for a scholarship in my life, but hope you consider my candidacy. Besides being an animal lover, I have always lived with dogs and cats and I have attended several courses in the past 15 years or so to consistently improve my knowledge of animals, especially dogs, and benefit our mutual relationship. In my new life, I go to shelters here in the region and I walk the poor dogs in the kennels; I also foster (I am currently on my third, the two first ones have been successfully adopted) as one of the best ways to substantially increase their chances of adoption by socializing and training them to make their integration in a new home much easier. Finally, I also train dogs whenever needed and required. Right now I am trying to form a team of co-fosters to address the issue that many potential fosters have, which is the fear of losing mobility (going on vacation, etc.). I would really love to attend this course, I find it extremely educational and important and would appreciate the chance to join.
Best regards,
Nuno
Hello
I am a pet parent to Lolly a rescue crossbreed who arrived in our lives with a number of challenges. Many of the challenges I realised came from her heightened emotions. I have taken many courses to ease her life also the lives of the dogs who I volunteer to be with at a local rescue. I started simply as a walker but gradually my role has increased as I try to find ways to enrich the dogs lives and to understand all their complexities and natures. I love the work I feel I have found my real passion. I have had dogs in my life for 67 years but through courses such as yours I realise how little I really know about the emotional life of the dogs I have shared time with. I want to understand more so I can help more , I want to help Lolly, to help the dogs in the rescue whilst with us and also help the new adopters, staff and other volunteers. The understanding of dogs has grown tremendously however lots of dog owners, dog trainers, rescue centres etc operate on old knowledge. My mission is to be informed and to share from a place of confidence in my knowledge. I now have the physical time and headspace to really take in the knowledge and action it. I believe all the courses I have taken before have been building blocks some in the right directions some a little off piste. Now however I feel I am Knowledgeable and determined enough to dig deep into understanding animals I share time with be it dogs, horses farm animals etc. I want to enrich all animals lives. Well that’s me and hoping I am successful this time thank you for reading
1) Banbury, England
2) Approx. 40 (my 4 dogs and the rescue dogs I give behavioural support to).
3) I volunteer as a behaviour advisor for a Romanian rescue. I support and teach new fosterers and adopters of new rescues and those owners who need guidance on how to support their dogs with specific behavioural challenges.
4) I am eternally amazed and curious as to how dogs, as a different species, seem to fit so well into our human lives despite our often limited ability to understand how they experience their worlds and what we need to do to help them thrive in the situations we put them in. I always try and help my owners understand that their dogs behaviour is just an outward communication of how they may be feeling about the environment at any given time, AND if we want to change their dogs behaviour (often normal dog behaviour that is inconvenient to humans) then we need to understand the dogs needs and emotions first. I am thirsty for content to help continually grow my knowledge and its application. I think your content so beautifully and simply helps tell the story of factors driving our dog’s behaviour. I’ve found that to help dogs you have to first convince their owners and I think your content can help unlock that important first step. I will be able to give the owners tools for their tool kit for not just their current doggy challenges but also any future ones.
Hi Karolina,
I’m based in northern England, and I’m really excited about the chance to attend the Animal Emotions course. It would positively impact both the animals I see at the vet practice where I work and the ones I help train. I’d love to deepen my understanding of canine emotional states to approach behaviour challenges with even more empathy and insight.
At the vet practice, I’m a Dogs Trust ‘Dog Friendly Advocate,’ and I already support dozens of dogs and their caregivers each year through puppy classes with an APDT member. I’m in my second year of APDT instructor training, and this course would help me offer even better guidance, laying the groundwork for happier relationships between dogs and their families.
Looking ahead, I’m launching my own dog training business, where I aim to help hundreds of caregivers understand their dogs’ emotional and behavioural needs. By sharing this knowledge, I could make a difference to hundreds, if not thousands, of animals over time. Happier dogs mean happier homes—and fewer animals needing rehoming due to preventable issues.
This course feels like the perfect next step on my journey. I’m passionate about promoting emotional wellbeing for animals and their caregivers, and this opportunity would allow me to make an even bigger impact.
Thank you so much for considering me!
I live in Austria and I’m just planning to start my training business, so hopefully my knowledge from this course will help many dogs in the future. Currently, I’m training dogs in a small, local shelter as a volunteer. One of the main reasons why I want to do this course now and not wait till next year despite my tight financial situation as a startup business owner is my own dog Fijuka, who arrived with me as an emergency foster 6 months ago (and has since been the main reason for my tight financial situation 😉 ) and although we have made amazing progress so far, there’s still a lot of work to do on behaviors an emotions rooted in his past trauma and I feel the need to gain more knowledge to help him heal and flourish.
I have completed various training courses but the more I learn the more I know that in my work I want to go beyond the operant and help people see dogs as the animals with rich emotional lives and vibrant minds they are. It hurts me if people don’t see their companions in their full being and I want to change that – even if it’s for a few. I have heard great reviews about your course in that regard and I think it would help me get a deeper understanding of how to work with dogs on a level, that meets their emotional needs and help my development tremendously.
1). I live in Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel. (but we have between 6,000 and 10,000 dogs here, so a credible target for education!
2). Firstly, I must say a huge thank you for the content and clarity of this short insight course. You have definitely placed my dopamine- expectation neurotransmitters in the start blocks. I currently only have 3 dogs and a cat, but have over may years fostered over 300 dogs and various animals, horses, goats, even a pig… 3). I’ve been a dog groomer for over 40 years (Trained in 1983). I do training at our local dog club. i’ve been a trainer for 10 + years (unpaid volunteers all!) an active member since the 80’s. So this scholarship would benefit every poor soul i come in contact with, i’m so annoyingly passionate about creating enthusiastic dogs who’ll enjoy learning and can therefore be part of all family activities and never have to miss out. 4). I just love the learning, the more i study, i realise there is so much i still need to know. If i don’t win a scholarship, i will still do your course, i will find the money, i have 2 kidneys, i can sell one…i need my liver however!! cheers x
1) Finland
2) My own two dogs as well as 40ish dogs in weekly trainings. I also sometimes work in a wildlife park.
3) I work part-time as a dog trainer.
4) I see a lot people, whose way of thinking and doing things kind of, umm, traditional. Not the worst case scenario, however, which makes it harder to justify my own feelings about how we should be with the animals. It would be easy to say that one can’t hit an animal or one should feed them, but it is surprisingly hard to convince someone about the importance of understanding and accepting the emotions when that someone sees the animals as “just animals”. It would be tremendously helpful to have more knowledge to justify my thinking. Also, I have been longing to get some new konwledge about animal behaviour. Many of the courses I have been on don’t get so deep. All in all, I feel that I myself don’t know enough to teach others to do as I feel is right.
Hi Karolina
I live in Sydney, Australia. I’m not a trainer but I absolutely love animals particularly, dogs. I don’t have much experience living with animals as I didn’t have my own place until few years ago that finally after so many years working hard could afford to get my place with high mortgage. My first experience was when my previous 2 dogs chose me to be their mum. One was from neighbour and the other belonged to my X. I looked after them when they were away and we bonded, they didn’t want to go back. Those beautiful souls passed away. After being heartbroken for a year, there was an urgent need to foster few puppies from puppy farm and I decided to take care of 2 of them, didn’t know much about their background. It has been very difficult journey as these babies 7 & 11 months old were so anxious and shut down. Both were put on medication. I tried to read books and articles and give them as much love, however so hard as I have to work part time too. They’re still quite anxious. This course will help me to help them to be happy and confident. Trainers are quite expensive for me as I live on my own and can work only part time. My purpose in life and my dream is to care for many dogs and keep them safe and happy. I appreciate you sharing this amazing life changing knowledge.
Regards
Sheida
Hej Karolina and thank you for sharing your pedagogical videos and offering the animal emotions scholarship program.
-I live i Sweden
-I hope that many humans and animals will benefit from me learning more through your course.
– I am a Nose Work Instructor and give regular courses and help dog owners in my neighborhood to get a happy doglife.
– I have a background as a teacher with focus on play as basic for a positiv and joyful learning. Now when i am a pensioner my focus has become dogtraing. For me Nose Work as a play or sport has been key to learn about dogs emotions and help owners to improve their relationships with their dogs and understanding animal behavings.
– If I get admission to your course it will not only make a difference to my own life with my dog but also deepening my knowledge that Is useful when I have my Nose work classes.
1. Flisa, Norway
2. Potentially hundreds. As of my own household; 3 cats, 1 rabbit, 1 dog and 3 humans.
3. In co-operation with a certified dogtrainer.
4. It would help me get a better understanding about my animals emotions to get an even better relationship. It would also help animals/dogs in my area, as I run a facebookgroup for local dogwalks, and of course will use some of my knowlegde form this course in that group. I see a lot of “old school way” of training animals, and I use all I got to let people know there is a better way. And that animals have feelings too (not everyone think that). I would love for everyone to have a great relationship with their animal. I see a lot of stress and tension between caregiver and dog and I really think I can help people one on one get a lot less stress. With my Advanced Animal Training course, combined with Animal Emotions, I would belive I can have a big impact. I get so upset seeing owners totally override their animals feelings, but with this course in my luggage, I will have the weight to help.
I live in Spokane, Washington, United States. I have been training for a few years and recently earned my CPDT-KA
and am working towards a certification through the Pet Proffessional Guild. I would use this knowlege in my training with my clients and their dogs. I work at a municipal shelter that intakes about 4,400 animals per year, primarily dogs and cats. I help with enrichment, behavior modification, and adoption counseling. This course would give me more tools to improve the lives of many lost, abandoned, or surrendered animals in my community. I hope to use this knowledge in my adoption counseling to help new adopters better understand the animals in their care. I’m so passionate about animal behavior and desperately want to learn as much as possible so I can be the best advocate and ambassador for my community.
Dear Karolina
I live in Denmark, and since my intire life revolves around dogs, the bonuses from your course will directly benefit at least 50 dogs and owners in just this year to come. Indirectly I think it will be more than 100, since I meet a lot of dogs and their owners in many different settings. Both in everyday challenges (behavior consults), training, social media and competitions. I teach dog sports and do behavioral treatments. I have several years of education and experience with amazing dogs and their amazing owners, and it means everything to me when I can do a difference for both dog and owner❤️ If I was able to participate in your course it would help me understand animal emotions even better and thereby give the dog parents I meet a better understanding of their dogs and thereby give the dogs a better, safer and more stress free life as they deserve. Understanding the emotion behind the behavior will give me a much better possibility to find the root of behaviors such as stress and aggression. I know from meeting you live once and from seeing your free online courses that you will blow my mind with a deeper understanding of the dogs life that I affect. It would mean SO MUCH for me to participate I hope to see you in the course!
All the best Karina
Hello Karolina,
I have enjoyed your enlightening video series. I am Donna Hemingway, from Stratford, Ontario, Canada. I am a retired veterinary technician on a fixed income, so the scholarship opportunity is welcomed. I am seeking sound knowledge and experience to assist me with the ‘healing’ process of my mature Australian Shepherd, that has suffered emotional trauma from an unprovoked dog attack. This event left him reactive, hyper aroused and fearful in the presence of triggers. I want to give him the fear free life he deserves so that we can both enjoy activities, sports and freedoms. We have struggled finding helpful guidance and your work resonates with me and gives me hope. I also do in home professional pet care (fear free certified) to supplement my retirement income and would apply your principles to clients in my care. Thank you for sharing.
Hi! Thank you for the opportunity to apply for one of your scholarships. I really enjoyed your courses and if I had the funds I would absolutely sign up for your full program. You price btw is incredible generous as it is!
I breed Australian Cobberdogs in my home. Cobberdogs were created and are purpose bred for therapy and service work. As we do donate some pups every litter for those who need but can’t afford them every penny we have left goes back into the dogs and there is just enough left to get thru another litter. Many of our pups go to homes with children or adults on the spectrum, with ptsd, or disabilities. Our last litter alone we had 7 pups go train for full service PTSD, diabetic alert, and professional facility therapy pups.
I have met and learned from such amazing dog trainers and mental health professionals, one of which gave me the link to your free content. I also shared the link with my upcoming puppy parents.
I am constantly looking to further my education and learn everything possible to help me raise even more amazing pups. My program would greatly benefit from your program and I would love to be considered for your scholarship.
If you would like to know more about me you can find me under Mud Pies Australian Cobberdogs on Facebook.
Again thank you for the free content you shared and the opportunity to apply for a scholarship.
Hi Karolina!
I live in Portugal and took your course Resolving Challenging Behaviours as part of my employer-funded CPD and loved it! It has greatly helped me educate clients on appropriate responses to their animals’ challenging behaviors. I am eager to take the Animal Emotions Course to deepen my knowledge and share this information with clients. Unfortunately, I am unable to afford this course privately at the moment.
The opportunity to participate in this course will allow me to deepen my understanding of animal emotions and better equip me to teach clients what motivates their animals’ behavior. This knowledge will help clients respond more appropriately and compassionately to their pets, improving the lives of the animals under their care. I estimate that hundreds of animals could directly or indirectly benefit from my enhanced knowledge.
I regularly conduct animal-related teaching sessions for pet owners, focusing on behavior and welfare. Admission to the Animal Emotions course would greatly enhance my ability to educate clients, leading to better care and stronger bonds between them and their pets. This knowledge will help prevent behavioral issues and promote a healthy, happy relationship from the start, especially during puppy and kitten first appointments. Understanding the emotional needs and motivations of animals will enable people to create environments that promote well-being and reduce stress leading to stronger, more fulfilling human-animal relationships. This will positively impact the lives of the animals, their owners, and the broader community.
I sincerely appreciate your consideration of my application.
1. Suffolk, UK
2. My 2 dogs, 4 cats and, many future clients
3. I am a force free, positive reinforcement dog trainer who uses games-based training methods and scent work to transform the emotions of the dog that are leading their behaviours. My passion, is helping dogs, including those coming to the UK from overseas to overcome struggles such as noise phobias, separation behaviours, trauma and reactivity using kind, ethical, force-free methods.
4. I am a young business of 2 years (sole trader), still building my clientele by running classes and offering one to one services. Financially, I am still living hand to mouth, but my drive is to build my knowledge to help as many dogs as possible dealing with the struggles mentioned above, and beyond, to live happier lives. As much as I enjoy general training, having rescued my own dog that turned out to have severe reactivity and anxiety, I know in my heart that this is what I am meant to be doing, helping these wonderful animals find peace in their lives away from the fear and anxiety, with kindness and empathy. This free course has been excellent, and I thank you for the value of knowledge you have already shared. If I was lucky enough to be offered a scholarship, I know without doubt, the additional knowledge gained would be put to great use in my work and future plans with these dogs. I would be so incredibly grateful.
I live in Varese, Italy currently but I am originally from Argentina so I spend a good amount of months there as well
At present I have one dog, my parents have two and my sister has one. Plus, I volunteer at a shelter often and I work with dogs part-time (seeking to make it full time). My dream is to become a dog behaviourist and I know this knowledge will accompany me forever
I work with dogs occasionally, mostly volunteering. I volunteer for a pet rehomer from the UK and provide assistance to new pet parents. I also provide dog training to clients but this is part time.
The main different to me is that I would be able to put logic behind what I already see when I am working with dogs. The more I read about animal emotions (e.g. Panksepp) the more I want to understand. This course dissects core emotions dogs show like fear, rage, and grief and it is one, if not the only, course that tackles them in such detail. As a positive reinforcement professional, having a deep grasp of core emotions is essential. At a time where people still justify aversive methods in dogs saying the dog did it out of “spite”, a course on core emotions is the best antidote
I run a free dog club for people who have reached a certain level of training with their dogs but don’t want to compete. I am not a professional trainer but we all love learning and being with our dogs. It’s informal and I try to encourage everyone to have an input. It has wider implications than just training. Social skills, confidence, community, camaraderie and sense of achievement for dogs and humans! We also invite people who need a bit of extra help for a short time from the local community as we meet in the park sometimes. The club has been a great success and continues to grow. I also help volunteer at puppy classes where it’s more about helping the human! Having a scientific explanation to backup training helps people gain a deeper understanding. I really want to help people get the best relationship with their dogs and this course will help. I already shared some of your content. The bit about space between a marker and reinforcer being the higher dopamine was fascinating and really makes sense. I think we owe it to ourselves and our dogs to continue to educate ourselves to the best of our ability.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge
1.) I live in Halden, Norway.
2.) My own two dogs and 3 cats, as well as my customers at my classes and in my petshop.
In other words countless animals. <3
3.) Yes, I am an instructor and behaviorist, and do mostly puppy classes and behavior consults in small scale.
4.) I would have a lot more knowledge when I deal with my customers in both places. It would be easier for me to help more people so that their animals will have a better life.
There are surprisingly many owners with no clue at all in having a dog, and they come in my shop to get help. And with this cours I will stand my grounds better. (Many customers watch/have watched Cesar Millan………..)
I can not afford to take the course otherwise, as I don`t have any salary in my shop. Just a few kroner in my dog classes, that doesn`t cover my family of four`s cost.
If I don`t get it, I hope to see you next year! 🙂
Thank you for sharing all you do. I love it. 🙂
Hi, I’m Kirsten. I live in the Netherlands and am close to finishing a course to become a dog training instructor.
I currently train 3 groups of 5-7 dogs each tuesday, varying from puppies first days at home to FCI obedience classes, so I directly impact many dogowners’ thinking and handling. I am keen to learn more about understanding emotions in animals, how our handling influences these and how to help our dogs be optimistic, engaged and trusting during training and everyday life. The courses I teach are on a volunteer-basis, I don’t earn an income from them, hence a scholarship would help me enormously on my way to becoming a great teacher.
I am extremely grateful to have received a scholarship for the Resolving Challenging Behaviours course – an opportunity that deepened not only my understanding but also my ability to make a difference in the lives of animals. This invaluable knowledge has allowed me to share insights with various animal rescues and guardians, both near and far, enriching our collective approach to animal welfare.
Currently, residing in Nova Scotia, Canada, I have dedicated the past 40 years to animal welfare. While I don’t teach formally, I provide guidance, support and resources to many local and international rescue organizations and animal guardians. My journey includes volunteering with rescues and shelters, delivering care to countless animals in need.
Collaborating with Sandra Mitchell, DVM, DABVP to create educational materials for veterinary professionals demonstrates my dedication to advancing knowledge in the field. Additionally, I founded the first ferret rescue in Atlantic Canada, which I led and provided care for special needs and hospice ferrets. My background in psychology and philosophy enriches my approach to animal welfare, blending scientific understanding with deep ethical consideration.
The pursuit of animal welfare has filled my life with profound experiences and continuous learning. Armed with the insights gained from your courses, I am inspired to further my impact, harnessing my skills and compassion to foster a more humane world for our beloved companions. Today, my fur family consists of two dogs and three cats, each a cherished member of my ongoing journey in advocacy and love for animals.
1. Lancs UK
2. 4 of my own equines, 12 liveries direct impact
3. Indirect impact – unknown potentially many hundreds.
Yes I teach equine behaviour courses, positive reinforcement, welfare based non ridden work.
4. If I was awarded a scholarship….
I run a small livery (12 liveries) and training yard in the UK with a strong ethos of LIMA and positive reinforcement. Last year we started taking veterinary medicine students for Equine work placements (2 weeks), and we will continue with this. In their time, I teach them the behaviour of the equine, and the mammalian emotional system. Doing your course would add to my knowledge and therefore to theirs, with a wide-reaching impact across their careers and the animals they treat.
I train people through other courses on positive reinforcement, with UK Rural Skills accredited courses. Again, greater depth of knowledge on the emotions will help those people and cascade to their animals.
Within my own personal work with my 4 non-ridden equine who help me deliver the courses, I will achieve a better way of being with them. My livery business exists despite being in an environment of traditional and aversive training all around us. They too will benefit.
I would love the scholarship because we are a very small business, with almost all of the work being done by myself. We do not gain any financial income from the vet students, so I do it from my heart.
1. Michigan, United States
2. My two dogs, my rabbit, and all my other animal friends.
3. I just recently lost my job as a dog trainer at a force-free facility, as I was unable to tolerate or adapt to the group class environment and the accompanying social pressures due to my neurodiversity.
4. I’m currently job hunting for a role where I’ll be working directly with animals. I’m a KPA CTP and I’ve been working with clients and their animals for a few years, but it’s a dream of mine to work with emotionally sensitive animals in a rescue or sanctuary environment.