Getting Behaviour Scholarships

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 scholarships – I don’t want financial constraints to limit people’s access to this information!

This Getting Emotions 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.

The Getting Behaviour Scholarship Program.

What it is: Complimentary access to the Getting Behaviour Course – the Foundations of Animal Training.

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.

  1. In which country do you live?
  2. How many animals would directly or indirectly benefit from your taking the course?
  3. Do you do any animal-related teaching?
  4. If admission to the Getting Behaviour 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.
  • Answer the four questions above.
  • Limit your total word count to 250 – longer applications will be disqualified. If you’re unsure of whether you’re at the limit, count them here. 
  • I’ll award a number of scholarship seats; a specific number is not predetermined.
  • The entry deadline for this scholarship is Wednesday, November 22nd at midnight PST, and the recipients will be notified on Thursday.
  • No purchase is necessary to receive a scholarship.
  • I’m the judge and my decision is subjective and final.
  • 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.  No worries, the comment is just in limbo waiting for approval – I will see it!

47 Replies to “Getting Behaviour Scholarships”

  1. Hello, my name is Vera, I live in Romania. I currently share my life with four dogs and two cats, and they would benefit the most directly from this opportunity.

    I also am part of the moderation team of possibly the largest Romanian Facebook group dedicated to training and behaviour modification advice with a positive reinforcement approach. Around 30,000 members and their pets would therefore also benefit.

    I don’t do any animal-related teaching at the moment, apart from what I do with my own dogs. I have however dreamed of a career in the field for many years now. The lack of formal educational opportunities in this field in Romania has been a roadblock, as has been the lack of a local R+ community (which is now slowly emerging). I have now decided to stop waiting and start taking the opportunities that come my way – like this one.

    I strongly believe taking this course would help me overcome my impostor syndrome, and would enable me to change direction and start working with other animals, not just mine. Not only would I acquire new skills and knowledge, but the accountability would also be very important to me. As a first step, after completing the course, I see myself reaching out to local private shelters, offering to help to the best of my ability. There are several local rescue organisations, and I believe this would be a good way to help while expanding my practical skills. Thank you for the opportunity!

  2. My name is Mieke and I live in Belgium
    As a certified cat behavior therapist I see a lot of cats and their owners having trouble understanding each other.
    I would like to expand my knowledge of training because during my education, 10 years ago, I found it very complex on top of all the other have-to-know-info and at the same time I think it was very little/brief. Because of this, I usually avoid training (I know ) during my consultations and following advice. With a solid knowledge of training, I could go further in my advice/consultations and have extra tools for, and pass on to, clients having hard times with their cat’s (and vice versa).
    Thank you in advance for considering me for this scholarship.

  3. I live in the USA, outside of Philadelphia. I have four cats at home, who get along great. I work at a Dog Boarding / Daycare Center, where I am a shift leader. I can see up to 150 dogs a day. I am feeding, medicating, moving and cuddling them. I touch and communicated with the animals, there is connection. Also the relationship with the owners is important because they are looking to me for advice. I have learned a significant amount and I believe I need to learn more for the best of their well being. I am not a trainer but I think we are always teaching in just connecting and in relationship. If this course dropped on my lap, it would teach me a broader understanding of the connection and the welfare of the pet or animal.

  4. Joyce Simmons – Thank you for the scholarship opportunity. I have 2 horses and three 3 all with some emotional or physical challenges on a small farm in the Netherlands. I left my corporate position 4 years ago to run a small day care and hotel. I also provide online human coaching for people that love their dogs. I offer free start up coaching for the first month to humans that adopt/rescue a dog. A predominate amount of the profits I earn are used to support various animals rescues and others who need financial help with their animals. I do try to take every free online summit possible and participate in as many in person trainings as I can afford. I would love to be considered for this scholarship as this will allow me to donate more to one of the various causes.

  5. Hi! My name is Ella and I’m from Finland.

    These days I’m actively training a few horses and seven reindeer, so at the moment there are approximately ten animals that would directly benefit from me taking this course, but hopefully in the future there will be many, many more!

    I have now worked with the reindeer for nearly six months, and we have had quite a bit of fun starting clicker training and some co-operative care, however I think this course would help me take my training on a whole other level. I am also very passionate about letting our visitors know of the ethology and training of our reindeer, and therefore I think more people and animals could indirectly benefit from me taking this course. The reindeer are rather misunderstood I find, and I think it’s time someone really puts the effort in to provide them the training they need and deserve, and learns to understand them better. I am also hoping to be able to affect the ways reindeer are being trained in other places, such as the Finnish and Swedish Lapland. That may be a long shot, but I’ll keep working on it!

    At the moment I’m not doing any animal related teaching.

  6. Hi Karolina
    I live in the USA. I am a professional behavior consultant. I work primarily with severe behavior cases in my private practice.

    I honestly don’t know how many animals would benefit from my attendance. I currently run a very large FB group dedicated to helping those who can’t, or won’t, access a professional trainer. Our goal is to keep dogs out of shelters and prevent euthanasia via education in kind and compassionate training. We currently have thousands of members. I have no idea how many of those we have helped, how many successful members have left, and how many members have helped others. My hope is that we have caused ripples among friends and family, and those ripples will continue to spread.

    If accepted, I hope to be able to speak more clearly and factually about emotions. In my work with the human half, I find that people resonate best on an emotional level. I can engender more compassion and better connection–and thus get a better success rate- when I harness human emotions. And you–Karolina–are the clearest and most articulate person I currently know in the animal training world on the topic of emotions. If accepted, I hope to be able to continue our charity and professional work to help people develop a more fulfilling, emotional, and personal bond with their animal companions. I might even humbly hope that it will help people to treat each other better too.

  7. My name is Nathalie and I live in Sweden. Hopefully a lot of animals (dogs and their humans ) will benefit from me taking this course and of course my own two dogs will benefit from it as well as some rabbits I am planning to welcome to our family in the future.

    I work as an ethologist and dog trainer so it includes a variety from behaviour consulting (resolving challenging behaviours) to teaching different dog sports and everyday training.

    Me and my family took a big leap and left the stressful city this summer and moved both our home and family business to the countryside in another county (from Gästrikland to Dalarna). We all have really benefited mentally from it since it was a bit stressful where we lived before. Even if it is a bit harder financially to have the business on the countryside it is really worth it since it have been a dream for a long time and it has made a huge impact on the whole familys well-being.

    Since I have gone through your other courses I am really eager to take this course too. I have learned so much from your other courses and always wants to get new knowledge and inspiration. I can honestly say that your courses has made me grow stronger in my role as an ethologist and made me able to help dogs and their owners on a new level and I know that this course will too.

  8. Hello, My name is Chizuru Sato. I live in Japan. I am one of the few positive reinforcement dog trainers in Japan and hold some classes for puppies and other dogs.
    I stayed in Adelaide Australia last year to learn English. At that time, I saw some positive reinforcement dog trainers and assistants belonging to Canine Behavioral School there. I am very much thankful for their support because they accepted me to volunteer while I was staying there. I could learn and experience a lot and was able to know I have more opportunities to change my world.
    However, it is difficult to seek out good, positive courses in my country. I would like to deepen my understanding and knowledge about the foundation of animal training and make use of this to share it with my colleagues and clients. I hope to enjoy training with dogs and their families, and to make our lives fun and enriching.

  9. My name is Dorothy Smith and I am a licensed veterinary technician in the United States. I help with medical diagnostics/treatments and client education for about 40 patients (cats and dogs) each week. Clients often have questions about their pet’s behavior and I would love to be able to help them more, especially by providing science based and practical advice. This course would help me provide a less stressful experience for pets during their veterinary visits. Less stress would result in decreased amounts of sedatives or anesthetics, which would be safer for the pets. Lower stress will help to lessen the perception of pain. If pet owners see their pets being more comfortable and less anxious at the veterinary office, hopefully they will be more likely to bring their pets in for more routine care or for more urgent medical care.

  10. Hello my name is Nadine and I live in Austria. It’s difficult for me to say how many animals could benefit from the knowledge from the course, because I share my knowledge about animal welfare in a podcast with a colleague. First and foremost, my three dogs and two horses would benefit greatly from it. But of course also the animals of my customers and listeners. Among other things, I advise and train people who use horses in therapy. For this reason, many animals and people, including me, would be incredibly lucky if I could acquire this valuable knowledge.

  11. Dear Karolina,

    I am writing to you from Croatia. I have been an avid follower of your work for an extended period and find myself truly appreciative of the invaluable content you generously share. Having extensively engaged with your masterclasses and thoroughly perused the content on your website, I am continually impressed by your phenomenal approach to education, which seamlessly combines depth with an engaging and enjoyable learning experience.

    In my professional capacity as a dog trainer, specializing in Rally Obedience at Croatia’s largest canine club, I have the privilege of interacting with and coaching numerous dog-human teams, approximately 50 annually. While the club is substantial in size, regrettably, there are limited trainers who actively incorporate modern findings and pursue continuous education. Your teachings have been a blessing, providing me with a profound understanding of our canine companions and enabling me to embrace a force-free approach.

    In the age of readily accessible information, discerning the right source remains a challenge. Your courses, undoubtedly, stand out as the epitome of quality, presented in a manner that simplifies complex topics and renders them both comprehensible and memorable. Enrolling in the Getting Behaviour course holds significant appeal to me, as it promises to equip me with the skills to apply a modern force-free approach in my daily interactions with dogs. Beyond personal enrichment, this opportunity would empower me to share these principles with my colleagues at the club, potentially impacting the lives of at least 700 dogs annually.

    While understanding a concept for personal application is one facet, achieving a profound comprehension that facilitates effective communication with experienced trainers poses a more substantial challenge. Already, I have modified some of my training methods based on your teachings, witnessing remarkable transformations in dogs and substantial improvements in their relationships with their human counterparts. Enrolling in this course would elevate my understanding to new depths, enabling me to articulate and discuss these principles with seasoned trainers.

    I am sincerely grateful for the positive influence your teachings have had on my approach to dog training, and I am eager to further enhance my knowledge through the Getting Behaviour course. Your guidance has not only improved the lives of individual dogs but has the potential to create a ripple effect within our club, fostering a more compassionate and informed community of trainers.

    Thank you for considering my inquiry. I look forward to the possibility of learning from your expertise and contributing to the betterment of canine-human relationships.

    Warm regards,
    Leo

  12. Jag heter Emma och är 30 år och bor i Sverige. Jag lever med mina 2 labradorer och 1 katt och har haft hund nu i 11 år.
    Jag går och utbildar mig hos Eva Thorén-Söderström till Forcefree gundogtrainger och hon rekommenderar att jag går dina kurser. Hittils har jag läst böcker, sökt etologi på högskola och hållt i hundkurser. Utöver det arbetar jag ideellt på vår brukshundklubb där jag även håller hundkurser. Jag försöker sprida budskap till de ekipiage jag möter dagligen, samt på sociala medier där jag är aktiv och har just nu över 1000 följare. Det jag vill sprida är metoder för att tillämpa positiv träning. Mitt mål är att bli en hundinstruktör med djurets intresse i centrum. Genom att få tillgång till denna kurs kan jag erhålla den kunskap och förståelse som behövs för att känna självförtroende i det jag lär ut. Det är även viktigt att jag ökar min trovärdighet när jag sprider mina kunskaper vidare.

  13. Norway
    Directly: me, the human, and Amelie the cat, which sometimes has her vacation with me.
    Indirectly: 7+ – friends knows me as the theoretical nerd, they ask and talk with me.
    No, but I try to teach people on my path in life.
    I have a bachelor in nursing, but that was not a job match for my neuro-type-brain. I would love to become a dog care giver and get some purpose in life. I love to learn about animal ethology, learning and behaviour, but can’t afford your course. After a 3 week draining experience this summer, dog watching, my dream never been further away. I think your course will give me confidence again. I love to talk “animal” and people will ask me for guidance. I also will comment and talk “animal” in general. I tend to get too excited and spoil my chance at making a difference. Tough I have tried to educate and help, I “find it difficult to communicate about animal behaviour, learning and training to people around me”. Even if I never become a care giver I would love to be better in teaching and training the people, to increase animal welfare. Some of the people I know have outdated and bad knowledge. I dream about luring them over to the science based side. Sometimes I have to close my eyes in order to not damage human relationship. But I wish I could kindly address my observations.

  14. My name is Michele and am from Cleveland, OH USA. I currently am employed training horses and teaching riding lessons. I work with many instructors who are aversive trainers, and I am the only one working on communication and connection with my riders/horses. I would like to be a more effective trainer so that I can serve as both as an example how a knowledgeable trainer can make a difference for both the rider and the horse and can better share my methods with the rest of the instructors. It would make me happy to convert some of the others to kinder and more effective methods of training. Our program has over 100 students per week and 5 trainers. I would love to improve my work with my own horse as well.

    Due to health concerns, I left the classroom and pivoted. I now am a dog trainer and see 10-15 new clients every 4 weeks or so. I know of dog training methods, but I would like to gain knowledge and improve my ability to communicate with my clients so that they can be effective in a pressure filled world of prong and shock collars. Admittedly, I need to brush up on my skills as well. With this course, I could really make a positive difference for my clients and their animals. Thank you for your consideration.

  15. My name is Merima Felah. I’m 26. I live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a small country in the Balkans. Here we don’t have any professionals, even vets so I went on a path becoming a person who will work with sound and with horses in pain. I gave all my money for knowledge. I started to train horses with light R- and now I’m working as a trainer of 6 akhal teke horses and as their caretaker. These horses were previously kept in horrible conditions and developed various physical and mental problems. I just finished equine behaviourist mentorship by Justine Harrison and would love to apply for certification for IAABC. I started my path to become a bodyworker and I’m in the process of becoming certified for kinesio taping and cupping. So I’m all into helping horse’s welfare and performance as well. I fell in love with R+ while watching Mustang Maddy helping wild mustangs. And I started to explore myself but I want real science and approach in steps. This course will be beneficial first for me as a horse trainer, then for 6 akhal-tekes I take care of and for now 2 other horses and their owners I train too. I restarted and rehabilitated them from various traumas. If you want any information I will send you but here I’m limited with words. Because of all these courses I’m out of a budget for yours. Thank you in advance 🙂

  16. 1. My name is Willene. I live in South Africa in a small town named Despatch.

    2. Looking at animals who would benefit directly from this course, I compete in Rally and Obedience and have 3 dogs at this time. I am a dog walker and spend most mornings with anything between 5 and 9 dogs.

    3. I have the Hill’s Puppy School and am the only trainer in our town. Due to this most pups are referred by our Vet and rescues to me. I also deal with adult dogs who have training needs be it behaviour or just training in what ever form.

    4. As a dog walker, dog trainer and being in dog sport, I would benefit immediately myself. I have a young pup of 5 months that I am starting. To beable to learn more effective ways of addressing behaviour and help him as he is growing, will impact both of our lives for the better. Being able to assess more effectively, to understand what I am seeing and the reasons behind it will radically change my Puppy School. Helping owners address issues early will ensure those dogs have a better life and happier homes. I see quite a bit of referrals via rescues, here I would benefit even more in, should I be able to do this course. To see clearly the why behind a behaviour would be life changing for that 1 dog and ultimately the owner.

  17. Hello, I am Nicola from Wales and I would like to be considered for the scholarship for your ‘Getting Behaviour’ course. My 3 Border Collies, 2 cats and 17 bantam chickens would all directly benefit from what I would learn – especially the collies who, typical of their breed, are just as quick to learn undesirable behaviours as desirable! Admission to the Getting Behaviour course would help me to gain a better understanding of learning theories, how to motivate animals, and how training methods such as shaping work, thereby improving my training skills with my own animals. It will also help me to develop a better relationship with my youngest collie who can be challenging at times.
    As I am a lecturer in veterinary nursing and animal science at a local college, I will also be able to use my newly gained skills and knowledge when delivering practical lessons with the rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, horses, small furries and reptiles in our practical facility, thereby benefiting both the animals and the students. Indirectly, all of the animals owned by my learners would also benefit as our practical lessons would inspire them to use positive training techniques, and in turn they will pass on these ideas and methods to the wider community.

  18. Hi Karolina,
    My name is Diana, and I am a veterinarian based in Portugal. I am enthusiastic about animal behaviour, and I am devoted to learning as much as possible about this topic. I love first kitten and puppy vaccinations where I can speak with animal guardians and hopefully help them have a better relationship with the animals that they live with. The field of animal training is very vast and if I could improve my knowledge in this area, I could potentially help many more people to build healthy relationships with their animals, potentially increasing the welfare of the animals in their care. I feel that we Portuguese still have a long way to go in terms of providing good welfare for the animals we live with, and I enjoy dispelling myths such as “you should rub the puppies nose in their urine to teach them not to urinate inside for example” (unfortunately still very common). I am really enjoying the Not getting behaviour course but feel that I should have more foundational skills in animal training. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for a scholarship Karolina, your courses are great!

  19. I live in Finland and I am a dog trainer. So I think and hope to be able to help more than a hundred animals.

    I have completed a couple of your courses and they are the most important basis for my learning. I would like to learn more, be a better coach. I hope to be able to recognize the needs of animals and also help owners learn more about animals and their needs.

  20. My name is Arnolda and I live in Lithuania. I have 7 dogs of my own and sometimes fosters coming in and out. All but one of my dogs came grown up from kennels where they lived in isolation, so we had rough times with near death fights despite our best management. They would without a doubt benefit the most as we are working on teaching them how to coexist at the ripe age of 5 to 8 years old and want to provide the best care individually.

    I also manage two facebook groups on dog care and dog training with 31 000 and 36 000 members where I offer my advice if possible, and I offer support for dogs that I fostered and placed in new homes.

    If admission to the Getting Behaviour course landed in my lap, it would make the biggest difference to my personal dogs, which might not be the greatest impact for the community, but it would greatly impact their lives. We strive for a more relaxed environment where dogs feel confident and trusting. We want to make the best choices in the care of 7 dog household. And of course we are always happy to share the experience and knowledge with those in need for no profit.

  21. Hello! I live in Australia. I have my own business dog walking and training, I’ve been doing this for a few years now. I now also work for another company as a trainer teaching puppy classes and a group class aimed at ‘teenage and rescue’ dogs. I have a lot of hands on experience but when it comes to explaining the theory behind behavioural concepts I find that I struggle to put my words together! I have some canine education behind me and am desperate for more but funds are very lacking. I want to delve deeper into behaviour and solidify my knowledge, to increase my confidence to help more dogs and more people communicate with their dogs. Your courses have been highly recommended to me by my professional mentor, who has just completed your more advanced course and we knew I would really benefit from it. A scholarship would really help me continue my education and qualifications as a trainer. Thank you

  22. Hi I’m Kathy from Canada
    I have 4 big ponies, two mini horses, 4 cats and 1 6 month old Alaskan Klee Kai puppy. I have been teaching relationship based horsemanship with my ponies, mostly on the ground and bareback and bridleless. I have had animals in my life for over 70 years and played a lot with dog obedience and sledding for fun. This new puppy is my first small dog, Training him has opened my eyes to a whole new world of dog training as ethological methods are replacing many force and fear based training of the past. Being able to join your course would enable me to pass this wonderful, humane method on to my students as we strive for happier animals in our lives.

  23. I live in the United States and share my home with two Mini Australian Shepherds and two Ragdoll kittens. I volunteer as a dog walker for two local animal shelters and interact with approximately 24 different dogs per month. For my day job, I oversee the animal husbandry and enrichment program at a biomedical research facility, where we care for thousands of mice, hundreds of rats, and a few rabbits. I have also recently started a behavior consulting business for companion animals, and am beginning to take on animal behavior consulting cases in the laboratory environment as well.

    I hope to begin teaching refined handling techniques, cooperative care, and clicker training to laboratory animal care staff and researchers with the end goal of increasing laboratory animal welfare and improving research outcomes (so that ultilately fewer animals are needed in research). Having a solid understanding of how to get behavior will help me greatly in this endeavor.

    Animals that I interact with directly will benefit from the knowledge I will gain by taking this course, whether they are shelter dogs, lab animals, or private clients. The animals that are cared for by my staff will indirectly benefit as changes to our animal care and enrichment program are implemented based on the principles learned in the course. Additionally, I hope to spread my knowledge to staff at other research institutions through my involvement in local and district level educational organizations for the biomedical research industry.

  24. Hello! My name is Kaylei and I live in the US.
    I am a positive reinforcement dog trainer and just opened my own business in July, so this course would impact whatever dogs and owners I’m lucky enough to work with. I also am in the works of finding shelters/rescues to volunteer my training to, so it will help those rescues and hopefully give dogs a better chance at adoption if they come with some skills!
    I offer private lessons and reducing vet/groomer anxiety and cooperative care. I give the owners the skills to be able to continue training on their own, along with going over things like how to properly socialize dogs, reading body language, and any other important topics that will relate to the client’s goals like counterconditioning and desensitization.
    This course would help refine my knowledge and skills so that I can be a better trainer to help clients and any rescues I work with. With better skills comes better training, happier people, and happier dogs. Not only can I hopefully help dogs become more adoptable if they come with some skills and less undesired behaviors, but also help keep dogs from going to a shelter in the first place by helping any clients that are struggling with their dog(s).
    Thank you for this opportunity!

  25. Hello, My name is Sigi and i live in Denmark,on a small farm with 4 horses, 2 dogs and 3 cats..
    I`m a dedicated horse trainer,and have been for 25 years…I have private courses where i teach people to train their horses with more positive ways and about behavior.
    I teach clicker training for both horses and dogs,and my old cat could 10 different behaviors,learned by clicker training,just to see if it would work on different species.
    I´ve been on 3 day seminar with Ken Ramirez, online course with Jenifer Zeligs, and i`m exploring the ways of using R+ as much as possible.
    I`m always looking for new tools to expand my knowledge, keep me updated on the latest science and just learn as much as possible,so i can be a better trainer. It would be a chance of a lifetime to get on this course,for the animals most,cause sometimes i end at a wall and it would be great to learn some tools to get through them,and if i can be a better trainer, i can be a better teacher for my clients,make a big difference for the animals in their owners care,if we can be better to understand their behavior. The horse world can be cruel sometimes and i would like to change that.

  26. Hi, my name is Alexandra Ayotte from Montréal, Canada.
    I work in a SPCA shelter as a canine educator, but also work with different species. On a daily basis I work with around 35 dogs in the shelter but also many in foster families. We work a lot to keep the families together by giving education to the public who have difficulties with their dogs (and cats, and rabbits, etc.), so they can try to work with them and not bring them into the shelter.
    For me, having the scholarship means that I can have more tools to help people keep their animals. I could also have more tools to work with dogs and all animals that came into the shelter with all those different backgrounds.

  27. Hello, I’m Lotte Reijnders, I live with my boy-friend and Vizsla dog in The Netherlands. We also have a ferret. I train my Vizsla in mantrailing and hunting training. I’m not a hunter, I do the Hunting training to satisfy my vizsla’s ‘roots’. I also train with friends besides the training sessions. Currently I’m doing a dogtrainer course. After this I will probably go for a dog behaviourist training. So I’m really very interested in this course, I think it will help me tremendously in training/living with my own dog but also in helping with my friends’ dogs. And who knows, maybe (probably!) even with their other animals. And I think it’s a great and valuable addition to what I’m learning in my current course, so I can help many other dogs and their owners in the future.
    As to the Hunting training; unfortunately, too often I see our trainers get back to old, animal-unfriendly ways when the positive training methods don’t seem to work or don’t work fast enough in their opinion. We (me and friends) refuse to go along with these unfriendly methods, that’s not the way we train our dogs. I hope this scholarship will help us further in finding other ways to train our dogs. And hopefully show our trainers they don’t have to force dogs to do a certain exercise, they will do it happily and enjoy it greatly if trained in a fun, positive way.

  28. My name is Alyssa Lakota. As the manager at Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary in McCall, Idaho, USA, we seek to rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife. My job and goals are a labor of love. As the only employee, I am up against many daily challenges navigating the behavioral aspects of several species, mammals, raptors, songbirds, reptiles, and more. This course will benefit upwards of 150 – 200 animals per year who pass through our facility while striving to release them back into their habitats once deemed healthy and capable of survival. We currently have three educational birds (Red Tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owl, and American Crow) training on-glove for educational presentations throughout our local community. Your course will help me to help these educational birds work through their traumas and help educate our community of adults and children to recognize behavioral signs. We receive many calls from people with good intentions gone wrong. For example, fawn-knapping or taking an animal assumed to be injured or abandoned when, in fact, they are simply learning life’s lessons from their parents. This course will facilitate the language needed to convey the importance of monitoring behavior before assuming an animal needs help. Learning about animal behavior will also assist in identifying the health issues of animals in our care by giving tools to distinguish between fight or flight and the masking of injury. We can then take the proper course of action to improve their circumstances. What a tremendous scholarship opportunity.

  29. Hello, my name is Emma and I live in Australia. I teach 8 group classes a week with 5 dogs per class and I also do one on one training when demand dictates.

    This course would help me better explain to my clients about the dogs in their care. This would lead to better compliance and the force free way becoming more common.
    I want my passion for force free training to spread like wild fire in the community and that in turn helps the dogs in the community thrive.

  30. My name is Louise Welsford and I have been training dogs and their owners for the past 20 years. I live and work in a small town in KZN in South Africa where I have a small dog training school for group sessions. I also offer individual help for people who are having problems with their dogs’ behaviour – ranging from extreme fear, defensive aggression, and problems with multi-dog households to helping people train their dogs to be good citizens.
    I believe that education of the humans can lead to greater understanding of dogs as a species, and in doing so create a relationship based on trust, connection and two-way communication between dogs and their people. I like to show that this can be achieved by using positive, force-free methods which are not the norm in my area.
    I have attended some of your free courses which I have enjoyed and which have influenced the way in which I approach training my own dogs, and although I can not afford to purchase the course offered at this time I believe that it will give me another perspective on dog (and human) behaviour that can only help in my quest to improve the lives of the dogs with whom I come into contact.
    Thank you for your generosity in making your knowledge available to everyone.

  31. I live in New Zealand, I teach people to train their dogs and I also teach at two agility clubs. All my private clients (currently about 15) and everyone I teach at club ( about 30) would benefit if I can take this course, plus my own 4 dogs of course. I have taken the Advanced Animal Training course and am currently on the Resolving Challenging Behaviour course, but this course would be the most beneficial for everyone that I teach because of the Teachers Section. It would mean a lot to me to do this for that reason, but for family reasons our funds will not stretch at this time. I am always trying to explain the science better to my clients and I am also taking on more challenging behaviour cases. Taking this course would give me extra tools to help current and future clients, and give them hope that they can live better lives with their animals.

  32. Hi l am Penny l am a practice nurse in West Sussex England.
    However l have had 4 dogs ; 2 rescues and 2 puppies. I love dogs and l spend as much time as l can training my current WCS Archie. I attend obedience classes, have done dog first aid , kennel club bronze to gold levels, scent classes and do gun dog training; and in the past have done agility and trick training. I have a very high adrenaline working dog who is very intelligent and this has made me more determined to find the best trainers to help me give my lad the most fulfilled life.
    I volunteer at my local Obedience society club once a week and help instruct..
    l would love to spend more time with dogs so that others too can have a well behaved and a happy and fulfilled dog. I need further experience and guidance so that l can offer the best practical advise.
    Training is expensive and unfortunately in this climate not obtainable for all: but we all love our dogs and want the best for them, so l would be happy to share my knowledge to those who may need it most. I will be retiring in January so will have more time to give.

  33. Hi, my name is Patricia and I live in north jutland in Denmark, with my husband and our two dogs. A workline German shepherd and an Australian shepherd. I teach volunteering at a local dog club. Since learning is a life long story, is learning new skills very important to me. Since I teach people to be better dogowners on weekly basis, I would be extremely grateful if I could attend your class and learn and relearn the how and why.

  34. Hi, my name is Noortje and I live in Canada. I am recent graduate of the International School for Canine Psychology and Behavior and have recently started my dog coaching and education business. My goal is to help dog guardians and their dogs live a happy and safe life together and the focus of my work is helping guardians understand their dog, their needs, emotions and behavior and to help build a safe and trusting relationship. On my social media pages I share useful tips and advice on dog behavior, so that not only my paying clients can benefit from my knowledge and expertise, but also the people who follow me. I thrive on learning and try to take advantage of as many resources as possible. As a newly started business, my budget is very limited, however I want to make a positive impact on all my current and future clients by pursuing continuing education on animal behavior and make it possible for more dog guardians and their dogs to live their best life together. A scholarship to this course would be extremely beneficial!

  35. 1. My name is Frances and I live in the United States.
    2. I live with two dogs and one cat. I work with dogs professionally so the impact of this course could benefit hundreds of dogs and their guardians, as well as my cat, who we named Cowboy.
    3. I do animal related teaching every week and almost every day. 4. This course will help tighten up any gaps I may have in my own training practices. I’m also really interested in animal emotions and moods and how to work with them. By engaging in self-assessment of my knowledge using this course, as well as learning more about shaping and cuing techniques, I will be a more effective trainer to my community and help increase safety and dog joy.

  36. Hello, my name is Corrinne Nelson. I live in northern part of the province of Ontario in Canada. In addition to my husband, my son and i, my household consists of three dogs and two cats. I am currently completing a positive reinforcement based training program for dog trainers through the Ottawa Canine School. Your course would offer me the opportunity to access critical behavioral training to augment my current training. In the area I live, the aspects of non-aversive training is relatively new and I am working to increase awareness of positive training. I feel with your course I will increase my knowledge and understanding of animal behaviours and strengthen my training abilities.
    I have taken several of your free courses and have found them insightful and they align with my current trainer training. With the opportunity to take your program, I know that I can influence and change canine training in my area to be more behaviour based to provide the best for the guardians and dogs. I have seen first-hand the benefits of increased understanding of behaviours to myself with my own dogs. It would be an honour to have the scholarship opportunity.

  37. Hello, my name is Aleshia, and I am from Canada. I live on my family farm with 40 horses, 9 dogs, cats, pigs, and chickens. We also take in foster dogs quite often. I teach riding lessons to beginners as well as ground work with horses and general knowledge. We train all of our own horses. Over the past few years I have pushed myself to understand all the different ways of training mainly because of my own personal horse who is high in anxiety and worry. Not only will this course help me to help her. But I will be able to apply it to all of our animals and future animals as well as help my lesson clients better understand how training works. Thank you for your time.

  38. I’m Pip, a 21 year old Zoology student living in the UK. As I am now in my final year, I’m excited to be looking towards starting my career in the equine welfare, behaviour, and training sector.

    In an ideal world my future career would be a mix of research, practise as a behaviourist, and teaching, all of which requires a deep knowledge and understanding of the field. While I have learnt a lot through independent study and trial and error with animals I have met, this course would be massively helpful to piece this knowledge together and to deepen my understanding in areas where I am weaker, like target training and shaping.

    The knowledge I will gain from this course will directly impact animals I see in future practise as well as all of the animals owned/handled by those I may educate. Having taught equine management (with an emphasis on welfare) for the Pony Club for the past 5 years, I’m aware of the power of education to empower owners and in turn change animals’ lives, but also the need to stay up-to-date with current understanding in order to give accurate, high-quality information.

    The equine world lags behind other sectors in having ethical, evidence-based training and management and I would love to use my career to change this. However, this requires a comprehensive understanding and deep knowledge of the field, and this is something I believe this course will go a long way to giving me.

  39. 1)I live in Finland
    2)20-100, mostly horses, dogs and cats.
    3) I am a pensioned veterinarian, but try still do some work. I try to offer some teaching to most of my patient owners , and some colleagues too, as long as someone wants to hear. I am not qualified as a teacher or a lecturer though, so I cannot market any methods. What I do, I do for free.
    4) I like to spread the knowledge about behavioural medicine, fear-free practices and the possibilities of positive reinforcement and behaviour analyses because I think it would be helpfull for the wellfare of all animals, including humans.

  40. Hi!

    I’m Mira from Finland. I’ve had dogs in my life more or less all my life but only 6,5 years I’ve owned dogs. From the beginning of getting my first own dog, I’ve been interested in what does happen in the dogs mind – what do dogs think, feel and why they behave like they do. Couple of years ago I started to volunteerly teach/traing other people to teach their dogs to do obedience and I’ve seen how much trouble comes from simple misunderstandings between human and dog.

    So, lately I’ve become to understand how important the relationship between dog and the owner is. And the key for that is communication, which happens only from understanding how dogs think, feel and behave, and how to build a trusting bond between owner and dog.

    This opportunity to study this course give the opportunity to teach +20 of dogowners how to understand better their dogs, escpecially in the dog sports worlds, which I think, needs more infromation about dogs mind and behaviour, as silly it sounds.

    This would be also a great birthday gift for me to get more knowledge how to help others with their dogs!

  41. Hi, my name is Angela ,I live in the UK, I have 2 dogs of my own and I am volunteering for Wolverhampton ex Racing greyhounds. I am loving this work by using pattern games and freework, we are getting fabulous outcomes with the dogs behaviour, I do not have the funds for this course but if you don’t choose me that’s fine there’s lot’s more worthy people and I appreciate how difficult the decision is.

  42. I live in Athens , Greece .
    The rest of my answers are the same as of my application for the scholarship of your Advanced Animal Training last April , that i am studying right now & i am grateful to you Karolina Westlund !!

  43. Hello, I am living in Germany with my 6-year-old mixbreed. I am almost at the end of my training to become a professional dog trainer, and I am planing to start my business in this field next year. I have already learned so much about dogs, training them and training their humans, but especially the field of positive reinforcement based training is sadly not so prevalent in my social circles. That is why i am yearning for every opportunity to learn more in this area and connect to other people who in real life use these methods to work with animals (and their humans).
    Another thing very dear to my heart is to make dog training accessible to as many people as possible. I know for myself how it is to not have much money, and I think economic barriers are not what should keep people from getting support with their dogs, if they need and want it, so I plan on organizing my future-business in a way that makes dog training available for people of different economic and social backgrounds and the scholarship definitely would help me doing this.

  44. Hi my name is Simone van Damme and I live in the Netherlands with my husband and two bordercollie girls. At this moment I am starting the last module of the training to become a dog instructor at Lelystad. My plan and goal is to start my own business early next year in my hometown, Zierikzee. On the long run I definitely want to learn everything about dog behavior and how to help dog people with the challenges they have with their dog. I know from my own experience how tough it is to find the right way to help your dog with emotional issues because both my girls struggle with fears and management of their defense tactics and prey drive. But with help of more knowledge and experts we were able to improve livability for the dogs and us. This course could help me help my doggirls and help hopefully many future clients and students.

  45. 1. The Netherlands

    2. My own two cats, but also over 12.000 followers on my Social Media, where I talk about and share my cat’s training. In the Netherlands there’s not really anyone, besides me, that is as passionate about and actively encourages people to train their cats. That’s why I made the jump and started my cat training business 3 months a go. So really aiming to help as many cats as possible!

    3. Yes. I just started my cat training business and I recently started teaching others on how to train their cats. I’m truely passionate about cats deserving training, like Cooperative Care. I know it would greatly benefit them and make so many cats lives happier. But I noticed I struggle still with how to explain myself so the cat people that often don’t have any knowledge on the subject will understand. The gap is a lot bigger, than perhaps between a dog trainer and dog owners, because dog owners often already have a basic understanding that training is beneficial and part of owning an animal.

    4. It would give me more confidence and improve my skills to teach and encourage others to train their cats. Currently my knowledge comes from books available in the library and lots of here and there information online. This course would definitely help me get a more structured and foundational education.

  46. My name is Petra and I reside in Ireland. In 2012 me alongside my friend we co-found HART rescue which is solely dealing with stray or pounds animals. We can have up to 26 animals at any given time in our care. We are registered charity and we are foster/ private kennel boarding operated. We rely solely on public donations for our daily operations and our work is 100% volunteer work, meaning all money goes towards animals in our care. We offer free behaviour consultations to all adoptees free of charge for the remainder of the adopted animal’s life ( since we dont want them to come back where possible).
    I also work as a canine behavior councellor ( qualified advanced canine behaviour practicioner- The ISCP)
    I am a huge fan of Ethology and see huge disconnect within our world and those animals we welcome to our homes. I believe we as humans have forgotten that are animals animals that can adapt to our lifestyles but cant be boxed in and completely disregard their natural niches and needs. I am hoping to learn better understanding of the emotional state animals experience and issues they encounter by sharing their lives with us. Why is a word that should be in forefront for any issues, situations and conversations we might need to address with regards both human and animals and their interactions. The more knowledge I have, the more informed answers and plans I can deliver to make lives of parties involved better. Thank you for reading.

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