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Ethically, effectively, and efficiently modify serious maladaptive behaviors
Accurately gauge where you’re at in your learning journey—and when it’s time to refer out!
Navigate difficult client interactions with expert advice from seasoned professionals
Troubleshoot in real time when things aren’t going as planned with a mentor that’s invested in your success
☆ Units that build on each other
☆ Compartmentalized content
☆ One-on-one assessments
☆ Case study access halfway through
the program
★ Skill trees designed to expedite your
individual learning
★ Streamlined content
★ More efficient skill checks
★ Immediate access to case studies
When I came into the mentorship program, I was operating on a Basics level. I could do group classes and teach basic manners or whatever. Not only did the mentorship program strengthen my foundations, but it also strengthened my critical thinking skills. It was particularly impactful because I learned how to not only look at behavior through the lens of the animal, but also I learned how to discern good information from bad information. For example, [I learned how] to tell the difference between empirical evidence vs. anecdotal evidence. So [the program] helped me to choose my learning resources outside of the program, too. I also felt so supported through the entire program.
Jo H.
Legacy pricing, which will save you $100 every month
Picking up where you left off because you will NOT lose your work
An Implementation Tracker to ease you into the transition
We’re in the trenches, doing what you want to do every day as pet behavior consultants.
Collectively, the Pet Harmony team members who are involved in the mentorship program have decades of experience working in veterinary hospitals, shelters, rescue groups, sanctuaries, zoos, aviaries, stables, wildlife rehabs, and of course, working with private clients both in-person and remotely. To quote a certain insurance company, we know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.
And because we believe in operating within the boundaries of our expertise, we didn’t try to build this program on our own! We have been learning from and collaborating with experts from a wide variety of related fields to help us develop – and sometimes even teach! – the modules in the program.
We also believe that our learning journey is never done, and that we should never lose our willingness to revisit what we think we know. So our promise to you is that, as we continue to learn and grow professionally and personally, we will continue to refine the program and update our resources. We will pass on what we learn to you.
This is exactly why we created our Mentorship Program! There are lots of options for learning how to become a dog trainer, but for behavior consulting? Not so much. We don’t want anyone to have to take the stressful and circuitous route we took to get to where we are, so we built a program that takes you through all the skill sets required to become a competent, confident, compassionate, and ethical pet behavior consultant–from the ground up.
We can relate! That’s why we designed a program that is largely self-paced while also providing ample opportunities for interactive and community learning. When you want group learning, it’s there for you. But when you need to sneak in a module here and there between other obligations, we’ve also got you covered.
No problem! In-person mentors can certainly be helpful when exploring how to become a pet behavior consultant. But this program is designed to give you the ability to get hands-on, real-world practice while working with your mentor long-distance.
We can empathize with this, too! We are passionate about removing barriers and making information more equitable, accessible, and inclusive. That’s why the program is built on an affordable subscription model that allows you the option to reenroll every 6 months. We also offer scholarships on a limited basis, so if the subscription is beyond your budget, inquire about other pricing options today. Scholarship categories include hardship, BIPOC, and GDP-based.
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We get this question a lot 🙂 And we work with a lot of students who start out thinking they want to be pet trainers. But when it comes to working with animals, your title matters!
Certified pet trainers typically work with clients on basic manners, job skills, sports and some nuisance behaviors. If you become an animal or pet trainer, you’ll likely find yourself working in training facilities, shelters and/or more.
A certified pet behavior consultant, on the other hand, is focused on helping pets and their humans manage – and change – maladaptive behaviors, such as aggression, anxiety, resource guarding and more. Whereas trainers are focused on skill-building in a variety of important and life-saving ways in behaviorally healthy animals, behavior consultants work to improve the wellbeing of behaviorally and emotionally unhealthy animals.
With a pet behavior consulting certification, you could build your own private pet training business and work with individual owners, shelters or other groups.
Emily gives us infinite space to learn without having to worry about making mistakes. You can explore ideas and she doesn't make you feel bad about it.
Jackie S.
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As discussed above, we strive to make the program as affordable as possible by offering the chance to reenroll every 6 months. We also offer scholarships at our discretion.
In addition, we provide resources in multiple modalities to accommodate learning disabilities, neurodiversities, traumatic learning histories, and health considerations. We’re always looking for ways to improve this as well, so we’re open to requests and suggestions from students!
Finally, we strive to make the program a safe space for people of all backgrounds, which we do in a variety of ways. We are exploring avenues to offer BIPOC scholarships. We have a module in the program orientation on language use for inclusivity. We ask for and respect everyone’s pronouns. We actively practice removing gendered language from our speech. And we are open to correction and instruction.
Since this program is self-paced, that’s really up to you. We designed the program so that each unit could be reasonably completed in about three months if students put 5-10 hours per week into it. If you follow that schedule, it would take four years to complete all 16 units. However, it is possible to complete units as fast as one per month, which would move you through the program in 16-ish months. And of course, there are students who choose to take longer than three months per unit, which is their prerogative.
In other words, you do you, boo. When you’re on the path to learning how to become a pet behavior consultant, there’s no need to rush.
We’re here for you for as long as you need us!
Again, the program is self-paced, so there’s no pressure from us. Most people set aside a few hours each week to work through the program, but there’s no need to rush! We understand that everyone comes into the program with different needs and designed the program in a way that it can meet you where you’re at.
Yeah, we feel you SUPER HARD on this one. This is a really common problem that many people tell us about. The answer is that we don’t just leap from teaching you things to declaring you ready for the real world and kicking you out of the nest.
Throughout the last several units we guide you through a transitional process of first shadowing us (yes! you can shadow us remotely! because we live in the future!), to us shadowing you, to us overseeing your cases, until we all feel that you’re ready to take cases on your own. We are not just giving you behavior modification skills, we are literally teaching you how to become a pet behavior consultant.
Additionally, our program teaches a lot of ancillary skills that help you to feel more prepared to work with clients, including executive functioning, business management, client communication, metacognition, emotional processing, and self care. Basically, we teach you everything we wish someone had taught us to help us avoid years of unnecessary anxiety and heartache.
Since we are not a certifying body we do not offer certifications or give out letters that you can put at the end of your name. We recognize that a lot of our colleagues do, and we respect their decisions, but we personally believe that only certifying organizations should provide certifications.
You will, however, be fully prepared by our program to pursue certifications in animal training and behavior consulting. We can help you navigate how to become a certified pet behavior consultant after the program.
We got you!
Join the wait list to receive more information about the current mentorship program and the programs that will be available later this year.
Worried about agreeing to something you did not sign up for? No sweat!
Joining the wait list does NOT mean you are agreeing to enroll in the program. It means you’ll get the inside scoop on the exciting things that are headed your way.
Emily Strong, CDBC, SBA is co-owner of Pet Harmony, LLC. She is committed to a Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA) and science-based approach to training, behavior modification, and teaching people. She loves working with learners of all species, and the list of species she’s worked with so far includes dogs, cats, horses, parrots, ramphastidae, corvids, a wide variety of other bird species, rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, rats, mice, horses, donkeys, pigs, goats, tortoises, leopard geckos, snakes, pygmy octopi, fish, and a few species of insects.
Emily has been working and volunteering in various animal welfare fields since 1990, including several different shelters and rescue groups; as a vet tech in a wide variety of animal hospitals; in stables, aviaries, and wildlife rehabs; as a pet sitter for animals with medical and behavioral special needs; as a freelance journalist and editor; and finally, as a behavior consultant.
In Austin, she co-founded and ran Austin Parrot Society, served on the board of Wings of Love Bird Haven, and served as both the Volunteer Medical Coordinator and a medical and behavioral special needs foster home for Austin Pets Alive!. In 2013 she was offered a job at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah and worked there as a behavior consultant, which is where she met and began collaborating with Allie Bender.
In 2016 Emily moved to Salt Lake City, UT to go back into business for herself. She and Allie developed and founded First Train Home, co-authored the book Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and created and launched a mentorship program to help people learn how to become pet behavior consultants. In 2019 it became apparent to Allie and Emily that merging their consulting businesses and keeping all of their projects under one roof made the most sense, so she joined the Pet Harmony team as co-owner.
Emily is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and a Shelter Behavior Affiliate (SBA) through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), and is TAG Teach certified at the primary level.
For all of my training and behavior journey I've been on my own. I've [been learning from] webinars and books and training courses, and I've had a few mentors here and there, but mostly it's been solo learning. I was nervous about group learning because I'm not terribly social, but it has actually been really nice to have a group of people to learn with and from.
Nelia C.
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[Emily's] ability to ask questions to get people really thinking deeply about what they're asking, challenging them in all the right ways, is super interesting to watch unfold and learn from it. It's so inspiring, and it's so cool to see lightbulb moments happening as we go. It's like, 'Oh! My gosh! Of course!' We just get so much out of the group sessions.
MaryKaye K.
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Results are not guaranteed because behavior, human and canine, is not guaranteeable.