Meet the Speakers

Dr. Kathy Murphy is a veterinary surgeon and neuroscientist. She graduated from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons UK in 1999, initially working in mixed clinical practice before studying for two post graduate clinical qualifications with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, and Laboratory Animal Science. In 2009 she was awarded a highly prestigious Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellowship to study for her PhD, in Behavioral Neuroscience, at The Queens College, University of Oxford, UK. She subsequently worked in the USA as Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Anesthesiology at the Icahn School of Medicine NYC, where her research into the long term effects of anaesthesia on learning and memory contributed to a change to the safety advice for the use of general anaesthesia in children. Dr. Murphy founded, and is now Director of, Barking Brains Ltd (a neuroscience outreach platform for the animal behavior and training community), which focuses on translating neuroscientific information into practical and useful information for people interested in animal behavior. In order to maximize the impact of her diverse interests and skill set, Dr. Murphy teamed up with Behavior Vets in 2022 when she took up the position of Chief Scientific Officer. She is now able to focus on her new found passion for science communication and providing evidence based, up to date, accessible, scientific information to clinicians, animal professionals and their clients, about subjects related to pain, behavior, neurobiology and the many interrelated factors. ​ In addition to Dr. Murphy’s primary career roles, she was Trustee and Veterinary Advisor to the Rottweiler Welfare Association for 14 years; is co-founder of Ethics First (a collective which lobbies for ethical decision making in clinical practice); is an Oversight Committee Member for the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter; a guest lecturer in Clinical Animal Behaviour at the University of Edinburgh, UK; lectures internationally; sits on numerous National and International boards, working groups and ethical review panels; is an ad-hoc reviewer for neuroscience, veterinary medicine and anaesthesia and pain journals; and continues to collaborate on research projects.

Ken Ramirez is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Clicker Training where he oversees the vision, development, and implementation of training education programs for the organization, including ClickerExpo, Karen Pryor Academy, and The Ranch. This allows Ken to help bring positive reinforcement training to all corners of the animal training world. Previously, Ken served as the Executive Vice-President of animal care and animal training at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, where he developed and supervised animal care and animal health programs, staff training and development as well as public presentation programs for a collection of more than 32,000 animals. He worked at Shedd Aquarium for over 25 years. A 40+ year veteran of animal care and training, Ramirez is a biologist and animal behaviorist who served nine years at Marineworld of Texas. He also was a trainer and coordinator at Ocean Safari in South Padre Island, Texas, as well as acting as a consultant to many zoo and aquarium programs throughout the world.

Tim Lewis, Ph.D., has taught courses in biology, ecology, environmental science, and scuba. He spent many years directing study abroad courses in The Bahamas and the United Kingdom as well as off-campus courses in U.S. wilderness areas. His current professional work focuses on the biology of domestic dogs. He is a frequent speaker at APDT and for Puppyworks, amongst other venues. He recently published a book, The Biology of Dogs: from Gonads through Guts to Ganglia. His post-graduate degree and his doctorate are in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Sara McLoudrey owns Decisive Moment Pet Consulting and has been a professional dog trainer since 2004. Currently, Sara is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), CPDT-KSA, Fear Free Certified Professional Level 1 Elite and Certified Trainer, Low-Stress Handling Certified, End of Life Pet Doula, FitPaws Master Trainer, and TagTeach Level 3. Over the years, she has seen how our relationships with dogs have changed and how the “positive/force free/clicker” training world has evolved. For Sara, it is inspiring to help continue and promote this growth mindset for fellow trainers, behavior consultants, and pet guardians. Sara’s business focuses on Care with Consent (cooperative care), helping senior dogs thrive, and living with intact dogs by offering personalized virtual behavior modification programs and interactive group classes such as Care with Consent Foundations, Tip Top Toenails, and Muzzle Magic. In addition to working directly with clients, she offers specialized services for pet professionals - veterinarians, veterinary nurses, groomers, and training colleagues. In 2024, she launched the Care with Consent Professional Certification Program for fellow dog training professionals. In addition to Decisive Moment Pet Consulting, she is the former Head Trainer at Synergy Veterinary Behavior. Her professional animal training career started when she founded ROOT Dog Training in suburban Chicago. In 2016, she sold ROOT, moved to Portland, and joined the team at Synergy Veterinary Behavior. Over the years, Sara has competed with positively trained dogs in retriever field tests, high-level competition and rally obedience (Utility and RAE level), conformation, and elite-level nose work. Sara shares her life with Lindy and Punky, her Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers. Even though Sara’s behavior consulting practice focuses on complex and sometimes dangerous behavior struggles, she is known for bringing fun, creative problem-solving, joy, and laughter to her classes and sessions. Sara is an optimist at heart, a perpetual Pollyanna, and loves teaching clients they have the power - they are their dog’s magic wand!

Irith Bloom is the owner of The Sophisticated Dog (a pet training company that offers online training worldwide) and co-founder of the Freak’n Awesome Dog Project (which helps people live the life of their dreams with their dogs). Irith is a sought-after presenter at conferences and seminars worldwide, and her writing has been published in countless online outlets, as well as in print media including the recent book “Your Puppy and You: A step-by-step guide to raising a freak'n awesome dog.” Irith is a Member of the Board of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) and on the Advisory Board for Daily Paws, as well as Chair Emeritus of the Education Committee of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT).

Malena DeMartini is a Certified Trainer and Counselor (CTC) and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) – She is renowned in the dog training world for her work on canine separation anxiety spanning more than two decades. Her books, Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs and Separation Anxiety in Dogs, Next Generation in Treatment Protocols and Practices, have helped countless numbers of dogs (and the people who love them). Her online course for guardians called Mission: POSSIBLE has proven to be an invaluable resource in the industry, and the success rate realized there is immeasurable. In addition to writing and lecturing for a worldwide audience, Malena oversees a team of top separation anxiety trainers and runs an internationally accessible certification program for accomplished dog professionals looking to hone their skills. Malena is passionate about furthering education in this field through science-based methods. Resources about separation anxiety and support with training can be found at malenademartini.com

Amber Burckhalter, following the successful sale of her business and a well-deserved sabbatical, is elucidating the path to business success through her consulting business, Amber Burckhalter Consulting. With over 25 years of experience in pet care, business ownership, and strategic development, Amber's extensive background uniquely positions her to offer substantial insights into small business strategy and development. Leveraging her expertise in pet business ownership and coaching, Amber provides invaluable insights, fostering success and growth for entrepreneurs through a dynamic approach that combines practical expertise and strategic guidance. Her many accolades, including the APDT’s Chairman's Award and the coveted SBDC Small Business of the Year Award reflect her commitment to excellence. Amber's dynamic and actionable approach has made her a sought-after speaker and consultant, captivating audiences with profound insights into the delicate balance between animals, their people, and business. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking with her dogs, and exploring new destinations with her passport in hand.

Sue Sternberg has been working in shelters and dog training since 1981. Sue was the 2016 recipient of the APDT's Lifetime Achievement Award. Her almost 40 years of dog experience includes a dog control officer, behavior consultant, shelter owner, a successful competitor in dog sports, and a teacher of dog trainers. She has published many books and DVDs available through Dogwise and TawzerDog.com

Kristina Spaulding, Ph.D., CAAB, has been in the dog training and behavior profession since 1999. She has a doctorate degree in biopsychology—the study of the biological basis of behavior—and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. She is particularly interested in stress, neurobiology, cognition, emotion, and wellbeing and how to apply these concepts to the prevention and early intervention of behavior problems in dogs. In addition to working with behavior clients, Kristina teaches a variety of online courses and webinars on the science of behavior through her website, www.smartdogtrainingandbehavior.com. She also regularly presents on canine behavior science at conferences and other events. In 2019, Kristina received the Association of Professional Dog Trainer’s (APDT’s) Member of the Year Award. She currently serves on the IAABC Foundation Board and the Fear Free Advisory Group.

Bobbie Bhambree is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and the Director of Education at Behavior Vets. She is also a faculty member of CATCH Canine Trainers Academy and Agility University. Bobbie started her career in 2003 as a pet behavior counselor with the ASPCA Animal Behavior Center. While there, she implemented behavior modification programs for dogs who had been surrendered by the public or seized by Humane Law Enforcement. In 2007, Bobbie joined the Humane Society of Westchester, spending the next nine years as their shelter trainer. She created and implemented training and enrichment programs for the dogs, counseled adopters, trained volunteers, participated in community outreach programs, and performed evaluations. In 2016, Bobbie joined the North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington, NY as the Director of Pet Behavior. During her tenure there, she managed a team of canine and feline trainers who focused on developing behavior modification and enrichment programs for the animals in the shelter. She also deployed for the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Behavior Team to work in the field, supporting the team with dog fighting busts, puppy mill cases, and hoarding cases. In addition to this work, she founded and directed her own company, DogCentric Dog Training, helping people whose pet dogs experienced a wide spectrum of canine behavior issues. Bobbie presented at the Lemonade Conference, hosted by IAABC and Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, and at the HeartDog International Wellbeing Summit in 2022. Bobbie is a co-creator of the Resilience Rainbow, a framework for resilience-building interventions.

Jennifer is a founding board member and President of Atlas Assistance Dogs, a non-profit that works with people with disabilities to train their dogs as service dogs. With Atlas since its founding eight years ago, she has been instrumental in developing programs to work with individuals with disabilities and their dogs as well as guiding development of professional trainer offerings for service dog trainers. She has also had the role of lead trainer for the Seattle Animal Shelter volunteer foster dog program for over 10 years. Previously she has been responsible for co-founding and building a for-profit business that specializes in owner-based service dog training; as well as helping develop and run a non-profit training program overseeing puppy raisers, dog trainer education, kennel operations, and advanced task training for dozens of service dogs in-training at a time. She is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), Atlas Certified Trainer (Atlas CT), Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), Certified AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, Certified Diabetes Alert Dog Trainer, Certified Behavior Adjustment Training Instructor (CBATI), and Certified Peer Supporter. She also has a BS in Applied Mathematics in Engineering and a MS in Astrophysical, Planetary and Atmospheric Sciences, both from University of Colorado at Boulder. She has presented at multiple conferences and events such as the Association of Migraine Disorders, Washington Epilepsy Foundation, Abilities Expo, Association of Pet Dog Trainers, Fenzi Academy, Clicker Expo, and Pet Professional Guild. Jennifer lives in Seattle, Washington with her service dog Theodore and an ever-rotating variety of visiting dogs, much to the dismay of her partner and their two cats.

Ken McCort resides in Doylestown, Ohio, and lives in a multiple species household. Since 1986 he has been training full time and with many different species. Presenting at universities, veterinary conferences, and other groups, he travels both nationally and internationally. Wolf Park, in Indiana, has had Ken give many seminars and help train with their animals since the 1990s.

Bill Dotson is a partner at Rocker, a technology risk management and consulting company. His clients hire him to assess risk and put the right combination of IT tools, employee procedures, and cyber liability insurance in place to protect their assets. Bill speaks to thousands of people each year about the best technology to solve problems and achieve their goals. He is a father of three, a Lexington, Kentucky, native, and believes in lifelong learning for everyone.

Kristina Bergsten, Esquire is the Owner and Founder of The Animal Law Firm, a national law firm that specializes in animal-related legal matters such as pet custody, dog bite defense, veterinary malpractice, service animal representation, puppy lemon law violations, pet trusts, and more. Kristina Bergsten is pioneering the field of animal law, saving lives and making pet parents whole after suffering an injury to a beloved furry family member. Kristina Bergsten has been featured in People Magazine for her work on pet trusts, and has appeared on podcasts and publications around the nation for her work in animal law. Kristina serves on many boards and committees around the country, giving her time and energy to causes that are near and dear to her heart.

Susan's interest in animal behaviour started at the University of Guelph where she earned a Bachelor of Science majoring in Animal Science. A world-leading educator of dog trainers, Susan is also one of the most successful agility competitors of the last three decades. She has won multiple Gold Medals at National or World Championship events with every dog she has ever owned over the past 30 years. Susan was one of the very first dog trainers to share knowledge online when she opened her "Clicker Dogs" website many years ago. Susan has helped hundreds of thousands of people enjoy a great relationship with their dogs through her workshops and keynote speaking around the world, award winning books, DVDs, magazine articles, interviews, blog posts, podcasts, free dog training and dog agility video series, and online dog training programs. A natural teacher and an entertaining speaker, Susan is world renowned for her dog training knowledge and practical application of that knowledge. Her understanding of how to apply science-based learning principles to both competitive and family pet dog training has been pivotal in changing how dogs are trained.

Mara Velez, M.A., CPDT-KA, is the executive director of the Shelter Playgroup Alliance of Oakland, California. Mara was a shelter behavior consultant where she designed and implemented shelter behavior and enrichment programs, from volunteer training to playgroups. Mara has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and completed all of the course work for a doctorate, and also completed KPA, LLA, and other animal-related programs.

Jill Marie has been working with and training dogs since 1987. As co-founder of the National Association of Canine Scent Work® and K9 Nose Work®, Jill Marie has focused her attention on the development of the K9 Nose Work® program. Her work has taken her to almost all the States of the Union, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and most recently Sweden. K9 Nose Work℠ is one of the fastest growing activities and sports in the world. In 1996, Jill Marie joined spcaLA and developed the agency’s first Animal Behavior and Training Department since its inception in 1877. During her time at spcaLA she created the HEAL program (Helping Enhance Animals’ Lives) to improve and enrich the lives of the animal clients in the shelter, developed the Standards Program for enhanced assessments, performed behavior modification and placement recommendations and wrote the dog training curriculum for the TLC program designed for at-risk youth. Jill Marie’s tenure working in the shelter environment has given her a unique insight into how successful dog/human relationships are developed and sustained. Jill Marie’s years of dog training experience includes developing a behavior assessment protocol for use in the shelter environment, agility instruction and competition, tracking, Animal Assisted Therapy, Schutzhund and canine detection training along with many hours of K9 Nose Work development and instruction. As one of the founders of the sport of K9 Nose Work® and the National Association of Canine Scent Work,® she is a strong believer in activities that enhance and cultivate teamwork between dog and handler. Jill Marie and her dog Beckett were a nationally certified Narcotics Detection Team and in 2009, took First Place in the novice division at the Oxnard Police K9 Inaugural Trial. Along with her involvement with the NACSW℠ and K9 Nose Work®, Jill Marie operates her own dog training and consulting business in the Los Angeles area. She shares her life with her son Aedan and husband Jim and three dogs Raven, Grip and Stella. K9 Nose Work® is a registered trademark of NACSW℠ ©2009-2024 K9 Nose Work, LLC. All Rights Reserved. privacy policy | Site by Sicon Studios, LLC Home Frequently Asked Questions Press Contact Us Instructor Bio – Nancy Osborne

Amanda Gagnon is an anthrozoologist, dog behavior consultant, and dog trainer. She is the founder and training director of Amanda Gagnon Dog Training in New York City, where she directs apprenticeship programs, group classes, private training, shelter programs, and more. She is a sought after speaker for professional dog training organizations, corporations, and non-profit events around the world. Her anthrozoological work focuses on the relationships that develop between dogs and people in different cultures and communities.

Cat is the founder and head Behavior Geek at ImPAWSible Possible Inc. in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is the host of The Bark Bytes Podcast, and co-host of the Canine Complexity Podcast. With over 15 years of experience, Cat is passionate about mentoring, and working with dog guardians and rescue groups with complex behavior cases such as aggression, fear, trauma and reactivity through a unique systems thinking lens. Cat is actively involved in the training and risk assessment of therapy dogs. Cat holds a Diploma in Canine Behavior Sciences and Technology (Dip. CBST), is a Family Dog Mediator (FDM), a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and a Dogma Dog Trainer (DDT.) Cat is also a Certified Trainer in Systems Thinking, Mapping, and Leadership through the Cabrera Research Lab at Cornell University. When not working, Cat enjoys plant-based cooking, learning about anything and everything related to systems thinking and complexity, walks, and spending time with her rescue dog, Mouse.

Amy is co-Founder of NACSW and the sport and activity of K9 Nose Work. As President of NACSW’s Trial Division, she oversees the growing sport side of NACSW. She is also a primary Education Division instructor, along with her colleague, Jill Marie O’Brien for the NACSW Certified Nose Work Instructor Program. As a professional K9 trainer and handler, Amy brings over twenty years of experience to her work. She has certified teams in Narcotics and Explosives and has logged over 1,500 instructional hours in detection dog training. In the canine sport world Amy has trained dogs in tracking, agility, sheepherding, protection sports, and detection. She has competed nationally with her Dutch Shepherd, Maya and took 3rd place in Narcotics Detection at the Gold Coast K9 Working Dog Trials and 1st place, open division, at the Oxnard Police K9 Foundation Inaugural Trial, 2009. Her Belgian Malinois, Seven, is a nationally certified explosives detection dog and took 1st place in the Explosives Building Search at the 2009 Ventura County Sheriff's K9 Trial and holds an APR1 title. Amy holds a Bachelor of Science from NYU and maintained CPDT-KA certification for fifteen years. Additionally, she is a graduate of the Balu Academy for Dog Trainers and was a John Rogerson associate here in the U.S. Her professional memberships and affiliations have included the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), Southern California Dog Trainers’ Forum (SCDTF), Southern California Schutzhund Club, International Police Canine Association (IPCA) and International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI). Amy has dedicated much volunteer time and expertise to the betterment of shelter dogs. Some of Amy’s other achievements have been the 2007 President's Volunteer Service Award, spcaLA's 2005 Outstanding H.E.A.L. (Helping Enhance Animals Lives) Volunteer and 2006 Volunteer of the Year. Amy is also the owner of the Los Angeles based company, All Good Dogs, LLC, which offers detection and training services and is a supplier of K9 Nose Work Products. www.allgooddogs.biz.

Gina Pharias, a co-founder of dogbiz, is a former San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers instructor, teaching fellow trainers alongside Jean Donaldson and Janis Bradley. Gina brings extensive experience in the dog industry to her work, including serving as behavior rehabilitation coordinator at the SF/SPCA, co-founding a consulting non-profit for shelters and rescues, consulting for and managing one of the first dog daycares in the California Bay Area, and running her own successful dog training business. These days Gina uses her experience and advertising background to coach THRIVE! members and run dogbiz University, her brainchild for providing effective, easy-access business support to R+ dog professionals. She also regularly shares dog business wisdom at dog training conferences and seminars, including those held by PPG, APDT, and as Clicker Expo faculty.

Veronica Boutelle, MA ED., CTC, is the co-founder of dogbiz, the dog pro industry’s leading business consultancy, through which she has been helping dog professionals create and succeed in their businesses since 2003. She is the author of "How to Run a Dog Business" and "The Business of Dog Walking" and the co-author of "Minding Your Dog Business." She also writes for many industry journals, including APDT’s Chronicle of the Dog.

Victoria Stilwell is a world-renowned dog trainer best known as the creator and host of the international hit TV series and social media sensation It's Me or the Dog as well as The Dog Academy (Channel 4), Greatest American Dog (CBS), Dogs Might Fly (Sky TV), Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs (Smithsonian Channel), Help My Dog is Out of Control (BBC One), and various featured web series including Arson Dogs, Guardians of the Night and Unsung Heroes. Having filmed over 150 episodes of It’s Me or the Dog since 2005, Stilwell reaches TV audiences with her philosophy of positive training methods in over 135 countries, while the show’s popular YouTube, Facebook and TikTok channels inspire new generations of dog lovers. A best-selling author of 5 books including her latest, The Ultimate Guide to Raising A Puppy, Stilwell appears frequently in the media and is widely recognized as a leader in the field of animal behavior. A passionate advocate for positive dog training methods, Stilwell is the Editor-in-Chief of Positively.com, the founder of the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior, and the CEO of Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training – the world’s premier global network of positive dog trainers. Stilwell is the recipient of multiple awards and is committed to helping the cause of animal rescue and rehabilitation and is heavily involved with organizations around the world to increase awareness of puppy mills, dogfighting, animal abuse, pet overpopulation, dog bite prevention and other animal-related causes, but she is best known as a champion for humane positive reinforcement dog training methods. She is an Ambassador for the RSPCA, International Ambassador for the Soi Dog Foundation and serves on the Advisory Boards of RedRover, The Georgia Pet Coalition, The Grey Muzzle Foundation, and DogTV.