Ellen Yoakum (she/her)
Behavior Consultant & Separation Anxiety Specialist
Pet Harmony Co-owner
Hi, I’m Ellen!
I know how hard it is to have a pet with high support needs and to feel helpless. While each family’s journey is unique, know that I’m here to help you, and your pet, build a more harmonious life when you’re ready. And if you want to learn more about me, my approach, and how I can help you, continue below.
P.S. if you’re here, you’re doing better than you think you are.
Force-Free Behavior Consulting for Dogs & Their Families
Signing up to work with someone on your pet’s challenges can feel like a heavy task, and it is important that you trust the person you bring onto your pet’s team, so here’s a little more about me.
I wear a lot of hats, including co-owner of Pet Harmony, Animal Trainer and Behavior Consultant. I’ve had the joy of working in all kinds of places: zoos, classrooms, and (virtually) in living rooms all over the country.
My troubleshooting brain and love of smooth operations come from years of enrichment research, animal training, and zookeeping, and I use those skills every day with clients to create functional systems that center welfare and well-being for the whole family.
These days, you’ll find me teaching future applied animal behavior professionals at the University of Washington, supporting families to improve quality of life for pets and themselves, hosting office hours for PETPros who want to streamline their systems, or diving into some “capital T” training. No matter what hat I’m wearing, I’m all-in on improving welfare for animals and the humans who care for them.
Real Results from Real Pets (and Their Relieved Families)"
Certifications & Credentials
- Bachelor of Science, Psychology – Emphasis on Animal Behavior, University of Washington
- Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP)
- Separation Anxiety Pro Behavior Consultant (CSAP-BC)
JUST FOR FUN
Q & A
Q: What’s one ordinary fact about you?
A: I think cabbage is one of the most perfect foods on the planet. And a secondary fun fact, my dogs agree!
Q: We obviously need to know about your pets, give us the details!
A: Of course! I have two pups in my house, Laika, a senior Jack Russel terrier mix, and Griffey, another senior, who knows what mix.
Not many people get to hear about Laika since she is like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way, but Griffey is all over our content, because, as I lovingly joke, he’s the pup that taught me all the lessons I never asked to learn.
Q: What’s one super cool fact about you?
A: As a kid, I watched the movie Homeward Bound over and over again. As an adult, I had the opportunity to meet the bears that were in that movie, and I was absolutely giddy.
Q: Do you have any hobbies? What do you do for fun?
A: SO MANY! I do multiple forms of embroidery, quilt, play video games, and of course learn with my dogs.
When it is nice out, I love to go to the beach at low tide looking for neat wildlife, and when it is raining I love to head out under tree cover in the woods.
